Parenting Through Stress
Your emotional state and your stress levels change when you become a parent. From birth, your baby can sense when you are stressed and may act "fussy" or cry. Learning how to manage stress is one of the biggest challenges parents may face. By putting stress-reducing techniques into your daily routine you help shield your baby from the negative effects of stress and teaches the baby how to handle stress in a healthy manner.
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Tips to Reduce Stress
l Take time for yourself every day. Private time isn't a luxury - it's vital to emotional wellbeing and successful parenting. Do something you enjoy like reading or taking a hot bath.
l Rest as much as possible. You will be short on sleep and the demands of your baby may be intense. Ask friends and family for help with cooking, cleaning, and other chores.
l Create short lists of what must be done (at most 3 items) and slowly ease back into your regular routine.
l Avoid isolating yourself. Seek out support from families, friends and parent groups.
l Set realistic expectations. Learn about typical newborn behavior, so you have some idea of what you may experience with your baby.
l Breathe deeply and try to relax. With each deep breath visualize the stress draining out of your body. Taking deep breaths increases the oxygen to your brain and will help you calm down.
l Laugh or cry. Both are great stress relievers!
l Exercise moderately (with your doctor's approval). Taking a brisk 20-to 30-minute walk a few days a week will help you relieve tension.
l Eat nutritious meals. Avoid junk food, alcohol and caffeine; these will increase fatigue and interfere with your body's ability to protect itself from stress.
| Stress and Your Baby
Your baby experiences stress too, but does not know how to calm itself down. When babies get stressed too often it can be harmful to their health and development. Babies who get lots of loving care and feel safe learn healthy ways of reacting to stress and are better at calming themselves down. For more information, visit www.talaris.org.
To Protect Your Baby from Stress
l Learn different ways to comfort your baby.
l Try to figure out what causes stress for your baby.
l Do not leave your baby to "cry it out" when it's upset;hold baby close and reassure it.
l Take care of yourself, so that you are not stressed.
Anger
Stress can build to anger. Frustration and anger can happen when caring for young children. Learn to recognize feelings of anger and take action to avoid hurting your child. Loud or harsh voices are not good for children. Here are some tips to help with anger:
l Take ten deep breaths and calm down.
l Put your baby down in a safe place and step out of the room for a few minutes.
l Call a friend or family member to watch the baby.
l Do something physical like shaking out a rug or dancing and singing.
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