With the birth of your new baby, you may find that things are a little more complicated. You have another life to worry about. The added stress may get to you, but it is important that you know how to take care of yourself so that you give your baby the care he deserves. Before the birth of your little one, you may have had a romantic vision of life with a baby. You’d spend all day cuddling on the couch, he’d look up at you and coo peacefully, and he’d sleep easily and often.

But life does not turn out exactly that way. It is a lot harder, but in many ways, so much more fulfilling. For a succession of months, your baby may not do anything but cry. You may also end up crying hysterically. You don’t have time to even shower because you lose so much sleep that you’d rather rest your head on the pillow for a few minutes of peace and quiet. You may freak out when you think about the challenges still up ahead, but there are strategies you can employ so that things are better handled. Yes, your new baby rocks, but your life may also be rocky.

The biggest challenge most women face is breastfeeding. The myth is that nursing comes naturally. But for most women, that’s simply not true in any way. It may finally feel natural after many weeks, but it takes work and practice to get it right. For sure, moms often feel intense pressure from their doctors, friends, and family to nurse their baby. And while the entire medical community recommends breastfeeding for the benefits it offers both mother and child, moms should also keep the breast-versus-bottle debate in better perspective. In other words, if you’re often tense and frustrated while you’re nursing, it’s not doing anyone and good.

How do exactly cope? If breastfeeding isn’t going well, you need to get help from a lactation consultant or another mom with enough experience. Ask the person to come over for a while and then watch and see what you’re doing. These people may have suggestions that’ll make things better and easier for you. It may also help to know that you’re doing everything right and that it’ll definitely get easier over time. Give yourself the goal of sticking with it for at least a month, since it can take that king to get the timing and positioning down. After that, if you still remain frustrated, maybe it’s time to consider switching to formula.

Breastfeeding also seems to be harder because right now because your hormones are still adjusting to the changes your body has made. While there are no hard and fast facts about post-partum depression, it still happens to many women. Control your outbursts and realize that most people do actually want to help you. Talk to your husband and plan what you can do to make things easier for you. You also need to work on yourself because you could also become insecure. Remind yourself that everything serves an important purpose. Relax and realize that there are people you can really count on.