Hello new mama!  If you have a young infant, chances are you're often feeling sleep deprived and overwhelmed. Believe me, I can empathize.  I've had four and every time I've wondered if I'd ever sleep again.

If you're feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, this is a time to cut yourself some slack and make life easier for yourself-- let things go, ask for help, make easy meals and nap when baby naps.  Nobody expects you to have a clean house in these early months and healthy dinners can easily consist of soup, salad and cereal on plenty of nights.

This is also a good time to reach out to others.  Church groups often help out by bringing meals to new parents and groups like the Twin Cities API do the same and also offer support meetings, playgroups, Mom's Nights Out, online support and more.  Friends, family members and even neighbors may be happy to come lend a hand.  Mothers of older kids are often fabulous for this because they're done with their own babies but miss those days.  If people offer to come help out, don't be shy about accepting help.

Make sure Daddy is spending plenty of time with the baby, both during wakeful times and at night.   It doesn't matter if your partner does what you'd do (maybe you're the lullabies and books type and Daddy is the silliness and cartoons type).  Not only do you get a break but it helps build their relationship.  And yes, your partner can help out at night even if you're breastfeeding.  You can nurse the baby and then he can take over with rocking, singing, snuggling and so on.

Sometimes babies suddenly seem to be waking and nursing more than usual and can leave you even more exhausted than usual.  This can be a sign of a growth spurt.  Growth spurts are temporary! Hang in there.

Lastly, I know it's exhausting and overwhelming but in the grand scheme of things remember how short this time is and how you'll ache for it again someday.  I sometimes just sat and stared at my babies' sleeping faces or really concentrated on their tiny fingers to soak in that amazing time.  Now my kids are bigger (and mostly even sleep at night!) but I still look at them while they're sleeping and take in this fleeting time.  Every day is the last day they'll ever be that age.

Having a baby is a lot like racing down a mountain on a garbage can lid. There is this breathtaking scenery flying past you and you know you may never see this stuff again but you're pumped full of adreneline and just trying to steer, so you tend to just close your eyes and concentrate on the bottom. Sometimes you just have to realize the lunacy and wonder of the moment, laugh, cry or scream and try to take in the view.

Enjoy your little one, and yes, someday you'll sleep again!