Dealing with stress: tips for mums

Here's some tips for mums on how to deal with the stresses of a new baby 

‘My advice is to get ready for the day as soon as you wake up. I have a shower and get dressed before my husband leaves for work, and he gets our baby dressed.

Sometimes it’s hard to drag myself out of bed, but having 10 minutes’ peace to make myself look presentable sets me up for the day.’

Diane Neale, mum to Charlotte, 11 weeks

‘I couldn’t have lived without my baby sling. I get really stressed out if the house is a mess, but for the first 12 weeks Evie wanted to be held constantly.
A sling meant I could carry her close to me while I got on with the chores.’

Siobhan McCullough, mum to Evie, three, and Patrick, seven months

‘Corey was a slow feeder and I got really cross with him during his night feeds, when I was desperate to get back to bed. Then I discovered motherandbabymagazine.com.

Logging onto the message boards in the middle of the night saved my sanity; there was usually someone there to chat to, and even if there wasn’t, bashing out a message about how fed up I was made me feel better.’

Erika Hambleton, mum to Corey, nine months

‘I use aromatherapy to help me relax. My friend gave me a bottle of Natalia New Parent Instant Revitaliser (£6.50, vitaltouch.co.uk), which I use on my pulse points whenever I’m getting worked up.’

Christine Thomson, mum to Lucy, five months

‘Having a hobby keeps me sane. For me, it’s knitting; I find it really soothing and it gives me something to think about other than my baby.

I do some every night, even if only for 20 minutes, and it helps me destress after a tough day.’

Sonya Lynch, mum to Simon, nine, Freddie, seven, and Emily, one

‘Don’t give up on your social life. It’s not easy to make time for yourself at first, but once your baby has settled into a routine, try to get out on your own.

Once a week my partner does bathtime and bedtime, and I meet my friends for a drink. It makes me feel human.’

Marie Jones, mum to Ieuan, three months

‘Ben is suffering from terrible colic and screams something awful. When it gets too much, I run a bath and we get in together. We both find the warm water soothing.’

Carole Green, mum to Ben, six weeks

‘I used to make sure I had something to look forward to every single day, whether it was an uninterrupted bath, some chocolates, my favourite TV programme or a new magazine.

No matter how hard things got, the thought of doing something nice later on kept me going.’

Catherine Riley, mum to twins Amelie and Sophie, two

‘The worst thing for me was dealing with constant screaming when nothing appeared to be wrong. I got rid of my frustration by putting Charlie down in his cot, going into the garden and throwing lumps of earth at the fence.

It’s childish, but it worked – I still do it now if he’s driving me mad.’

Sam Anders-Lee, mum to Charlie, three

‘Call a friend and have a good moan or cry together. I found it really reassuring to talk to someone else who was going through the same.’

Wendy Fuller, mum to Holly, 22 months, and Katie, 13 months

 ‘After sitting up for hours through the night, what helps keep me calm is to look down at my little girl’s gorgeous smile. It completely destresses me and makes it all worthwhile. '

Debbie Steeles, mum to Naomi Davis, nine months

‘Harry cried a lot as a newborn and I used to get really worked up. So I would wrap him up warm and go for a long walk with the buggy. The screaming was easier to handle outside, and the movement of the pushchair often sent Harry to sleep.

The fresh air worked wonders on a stressed-out mummy and baby.’

Chloe Spooner, mum to Harry, 14 months