Balanced Moms= Happy Babies

How I'm feeling lately? That's a question we should ask ourselves at least once a week. How we feel is what we project. Our attitudes are the reflexion of our feelings. Stress and anger may be caused by many reasons, but we need to release this bad feelings in a positive way. I like to use the "Gestalt" approach: "The here and now". Assertivity and proactivity are ways to change anger into a solution. Saying what you feel in the precise moment to the person you need to deal with is the correct way to handle your distress.

Anger acumulation may cause stress. Stress messes up with motherhood in so many ways. If you are stressed, you may not breastfeed correctly. Oxytocin is a hormone that releases or ejects milk. Adrenaline, or in case of prolonged stress, cortlizol hormones, may suppress the oxytocin hormone. This means that your child would receive less milk.

Sress may affect parenting skills too. Pacience levels may go down and can be frustrating for a parent to deal with her/his child, thinking is the child the cause of the stress.

When you are trying to deal with everything, at the end you deal with nothing. That's why setting priorities is the most important thing to do. Organizing your mind will help organize your life. If you are a mom, your child should be on the top 2 of your list. Yes, top two, one of your priorities should be yourself. Yourself means in health (eating, sleeping)  and well-being (mentally). Remember that women are the base of the family. If you as a woman, are not well-balanced, marriage problems may come out, that will directly affect the family dynamic. Been assertive will help men understand what women feel. Usually men are not good "readers" so the approach for them to "understand" women is if we speak to them as literally as possible.

Most of the time as a first time mom, the stress might come from extended family and non-supporting friends. If you are into the attachment parenting approach, you might think on looking for supporting friends and family, instead of people bossing around on how to be a perfect parent. Don't think if you are a good parent or not. You are the only parent that your child knows and for him you are going to be the best, if you give him love and keep yourself mentally and physically healthy.

Release stress by walking with your baby or taking your toddler to a park. Exercise and yoga might also help. Connect with your baby through music and nature.

Remember you are a model to your child. The way you deal with stress is how your children will deal with it in a future. This is your time to be a better human being...