Kristie Clark, MD

After my first baby, I devoted all my time to being a Mom and Pediatrician. I was so tired my eyes twitched!  After my second baby, my Doula (birth coach) gave me great advice: schedule one hour a week to do something healthy for yourself.  With experience I have found that a small amount of time everyday can be more valuable than a large chunk a week.

Having a new baby can be both an exciting and scary time for new parents.  As a new mom or dad we take care of this small, seemingly fragile, innocent life.  It is our responsibility to care for this new baby in every way from feeding to bathing to diaper changing.  We also help the baby calm down when crying or upset.  This can be a difficult task when we ourselves are tired, hungry and sleep-deprived.  Support from our friends, family and community is critical so that we can find a small space for ourselves each day.  I encourage all parents to do one thing, however small, every day to stay healthy.

Healthy daily activities could be:

• physical activity such as walking or stretching
• a mentally stimulating activity like reading or journal keeping
• an expression of creativity such as doing crafts, sewing or knitting
• spiritual activity such as prayer or meditation

We must take care of ourselves so that we can best take care of our baby.  It is alright for us to ask trusted family and friends to help us care for our baby so that we can take time for ourselves.

Do one small thing daily to take care of yourself. If you haven’t already done so, sign up at www.babybuffer.org to receive weekly emails.  I look forward to sharing more with you here at Baby Buffer!

*blog written by Kristie Clark, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician in WaKeeney, KS