Ten Items Every First Time Mother Needs

Congratulations on the new addition. But now what? There's no new mommy manual with the baby. Everyone has different advice. And it's overwhelming. The first 48 hours feel like 48 days! How can you survive this?

You will make it through this, and here's some items and some appointments to make for yourself to help you do just that.

1. Bubble bath. Or the equivalent. Put the baby down for a nap, forget about the house, the dishes, and the laundry, and make some you time. Try to take an hour several days a week for yourself. No one's going to care if you vacuum once a week instead of daily for awhile. And forget about improvement projects, or closet cleaning. Give yourself a break! Mommyhood is exhausting at first.

2. Invest in a good book: The What-To-Expect Series is very good and will serve as a wonderful reference guide while also offering encouragement. There are many similar books on the market. Pick one with a tone and format that you like and use it often.

3. Rocking chair. Not just for rocking the baby, but sometimes it feels good to just put your feet up and rock yourself. It's very difficult to remain tense while in a rocking chair. (Warmer weather moms may find a porch swing just as comforting.) The glider and ottoman combinations have dropped tremendously in price. Wal-Mart carries one for under $100. It's an investment well worth it.

4. Trial sizes of baby items: powder, lotion, etc. They fit better in the diaper bag and you won't forget them that way or have a huge overstuffed bag to lug around. Tuck an extra of the more used items in the glove box. I often would run out for five minutes and not bother with the diaper bag. Keep a spare diaper in a ziploc bag there too. You never know. I also kept additional trial sizes in the living room as I found it easier to change the diaper on the floor than to pick up the baby and go into the nursery to change. Don't throw out the containers--just refill them.

5. Magnetic notepad. Remember how forgetful you were during your pregnancy? Exhaustion will make you more so. Keep it on the refridgerator and use it. Tie a pen to the back or tape string in place with the pen tied to the other end. That way it's where you need it. Write down things as you run out or are low. A small magnetic calender is another good option -- easier to track what seems like endless doctor visits.

6. A healthy cup of forgiveness. Drink of it often. It's far too easy to be hard on yourself during this transition. If the baby cries for awhile, they'll survive. If you forgot to change them or were out running errands longer than usual between diaper changes, it's okay. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. I don't know of too many kids whose parents didn't do something -- like bump their head/feet/hand on the door jamb on the way through, drop the bottle, not get the formula mix exact (Try not to do that) or something. You know the age old running joke about dropping the baby? For some of us, it's not a joke.

7. A sitter. Once a week, once a month, something. Even if the sitter is dad an evening here and there. Get out of the house. If you can, meet up with friends for some girl time. It's important not to lose your own sense of self to this little invasion who garners all the attention. Try to do this regularly. This is especially important for those staying at home with the baby for the time. Those walls can start closing in on you quickly. Make space and time for yourself.

8. Permission to not lose the weight as quickly as you want to. For some, it's easy. For others, it's a battle. Give yourself time to adjust to the new routine -- and I assure you, that routine will need to be adapted every few months as your baby's routine changes. It can be a stressful change at times, don't make it harder on yourself by putting yourself down about weight. Get adjusted first. Then make a commitment to drop the leftover after a few months and you've gotten settled into your new role.

9. Some new clothes or a new hairstyle. This is about keeping up that sense of self. Do something for you.

10. A date with your significant other. This is important too as new dad's often feel just as overwhelmed. Perhaps worse, they feel put aside and forgotten. Make a date and keep it. It doesn't have to be fancy. It could be a walk in the woods, or a night out at McDonald's. Just the two of you. And try not to call the sitter..... Relax.