Kelly Mager - 15 Ways For New Moms to Manage Stress and Stay Sane: The Actually Useful New Mom Care Package: The New Parent Collection, #1

Thank you to everyone who provided support on this journey!

"I was nodding along throughout the whole book."

- Krista, mom of 3

"That was amazing!!!!!! I just learned so much and am honestly feeling so much more confident as a mom after reading your book. The mom world needs this!"

- Kirsti, mom of 1

"Kelly gives moms realistic tips and ideas how to implement them that I wish I had when my first child was born. My personal favorite is #8 ask for help."

- Kate, mom of 1

"This book provides clear, concise and really useful tips and advice for any new mum. Organised in accessible, bite sized chunks, it's easy for tired new mums to dip into for support, without having to wade through endless content."

- Sarah Davis, author of 'Baby Daze.'

Introduction

S canning through various random articles that detail facets of pregnancy and life as a mom is commonplace for moms-to-be. Youve probably read a book about being pregnant. Most likely youve read a book about what to expect after your baby is born. Popular articles mix humor with some truths, and detail tips about sleeping when the baby sleeps, stocking up on freezer meals, or making sure you have a thermometer before you are running to the store at 11pm during babys first fever. Yet, in the articles and books catered toward pregnant women, one major piece is missing: actionable steps you can take to make things mentally easier for YOU. Its not about the things you can buy, like a snot sucker or magical baby swing, but coping strategies for new moms.

Your mental and physical well-being will make a world of difference in your ability to handle life as a parent. There are a lot of things you just cannot prepare for, but you can set yourself up for success. I know youve heard that before now, but how do you actually do it?

When I was preparing for motherhood and doing my own ridiculous amount of reading on this subject, I rarely came across anything on the actions I ended up taking to support my mental well-being. These strategies made the biggest difference in being able to cope as a new mom...and then continue to cope well 22 months later when I also became a mom of twins. Yes. Thats right. If you did the math, that means I had more than a year of telling people I had three kids under age three!

In addition, in those first three years, my closest family was 2.5 hours away. My husband worked standard daytime hours in an office outside the house. Together this meant there were no easy babysitter options and no extra hands to help.

I have come out on the other side intact even if that means at times I was simultaneously reading a book to a toddler while burping one baby, and finishing a nursing session for the other! If I can do it, so can you.

Working through those actions are what youll find in this book. All moms whether you are a working mom, stay-at-home mom, single mom, or married mom need ways to stay sane when it feels like you arent.

Join The Community!

M ake sure to join our private group for moms who have read the book and wish to continue the learning and conversation with other moms!

Find us here: https://fifteenways.mn.co

When you join, you can claim one or all of these freebies!

• My favorite resources for new parents.
• Link to my favorite style milestone tracker for babys firsts.
• My curated book list for additional reading regarding kids and parenthood.
• A mental re-framing exercise for when it feels like things arent going your way.

All About You

You Time

B efore kids, time to yourself was usually dictated by your preferences. You chose your hobbies, activities, and work schedule based on only your needs. After kids is a different story. Your time now takes on a whole new level of scheduling dedication that is hard to picture until you have to do it. Why? Lets be honest, you dont even get to use the bathroom by yourself if a child is awake in the house.

One way to ensure you are taking care of yourself is forcing you time into the equation. This is easiest when you have a partner or family in town. Make sure to have a discussion with whomever will be on kid duty and find a time you can get out of the house without the child for at least 30 minutes.

Aim to do this daily, knowing youll probably end up missing or skipping a few. This might be for a run at 5am before your child wakes up. This might be a walk around the neighborhood just after dinner. It can even be a grocery store shopping trip, library visit, or reading a book in a parking lot. Yes, these are all tactics I employed for myself early on, and still utilize today. Bonus if you can return the favor to your partner, as they need this too.