Are You a Frazzled New Mom? Try HALTS

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When I had my first child, I was completely overwhelmed by the constant demands of my bundle of joy. All of a sudden, I had no time to myself and constantly felt like I was coming up short as a mom. When you get that frazzled feeling like nothing is going right, sometimes it's helpful to take a break. New moms should remember to HALTS.

• H - Are you hungry? Eat a snack.
• A - Are you angry? Ask for help.
• L - Are you lonely? Call a friend.
• T - Are you tired? Take a nap.
• S - Have you showered? Wash your hair.

When I was breastfeeding, I was constantly hungry so "H" helped me to remember to have a snack in between nursing. I was often angry at my husband, so "A" helped me calm down and ask him for more help.

The experience of being a stay-at-home mom for the fist time also felt pretty lonely, so "L" helped me remember to call a friend or try to meet another mom for coffee. I was also pretty tired for the fist six months, but "T" helped me to try to sneak in a nap if I could.

Showering with a newborn seems like an impossible task at times, but "S" helped me remember I always felt better if I could manage 10 minutes to wash my hair. Sometimes I would just park my son in his playpen and turn on the water so I couldn't hear him crying.

Full disclosure: I didn't make up the acronym HALT, I just added an "S" for new moms. HALTS won't cover everything, but it certainly takes care of the basics.

Nina Snyder is the author of ABCS OF BALLS and the designer of the HOT PINK ORCHARD JOURNAL. Follow her on Twitter @nsnyder_writer.