• Accept help, particularly any offers to assist with household chores or baby care.
• Ask for help, whenever possible.  Ofter others are glad to help but don’t know what to do.  Pre-made meals are especially beneficial.
• Purchase help, when possible.  Options include: hiring a doula (Cilica link to www.bcdoulas.org) or “mother’s helper” to relieve you of childcare or housework; ordering from a mobile meal service; hiring someone to do yardwork; getting fruits and veggies delivered
• Limit visitors in favour of rest.
• Find other women to talk to who have been through the postpartum period and can offer support
• Find tiny moments for self care.  This could include a cup of tea, leafing through a magazine, a phone call or a 15-minute soak in the tub
• There is no doubt about it: childcare is intense, particularly the first time around.  It is normal to want and need time away from the baby.  If possible and the support is available, arrange for half an hour to yourself, even if this means just going to a separate room and watching television
• Eat healthy convenience foods to keep up your strength and be realistic about the need for chocolate too!
• Limit or eliminate babycare readings.  They can have the paradoxical effect of undermining your confidence and your ability to trust yourself as a mother.  Similarly, avoid well-meaning people with strong, insistent opinions.  There is more than one way of raising a child and trends come and go

Find peace within the breastfeeding-bottlefeeding wars.  You have to ultimately do what