Freeman Medical Focus: Being a New Mom
By: Priscilla Mace
Updated: December 16, 2010
Jennifer Kirby is ready to tackle Christmas as a new mom.
"I don't think i'm necessarily worried about it. I think we'll take one day at a time," she says.
But some moms overload - trying to make the best holiday while adapting to parenthood.
"Generally, the more stresses we experience, the worse off we are," says Dr. Charles Graves.
First - post partum depression. 50 - 70% of women will experience at least a short period depression.
"Being a new mother is one of the most stressful things a woman can go through. All stress is additive," Dr. Graves says.
There's sleep deprivation, fatigue, anxiety and trouble dealing with daily stress. Add in presents, cards and parties and it can be too much.
"There are no perfect holidays, there are no perfect mothers. When someone puts stress on themselves to meet expectations, they are doomed to fail" says Dr. Graves.
The answer - cut back.
"I would recommend scaling back one's expectations of what a good holiday season looks like," says Dr. Graves.
