There simply is no preparation for the miraculous and overwhelming event of parenthood. Hans Selye defined stress as any significant variation from the routine. Therefore, getting married and moving into a new home can be just as stressful as getting divorced or losing a job. The bigger the adaptation required, the greater the perceived stress. The amount of adaptation required to accommodate a new baby is huge, both physically and emotionally.

Physically, your priorities become feeding your baby when hungry, changing him when wet or dirty and providing him with a clean and safe environment where he can play and rest. It sounds simple, but just this simplified list can take 20 of the 24 hours in a day until you get the hang of it. This is when learning to cut yourself some slack becomes an essential survival tool.

As you focus on your new baby, it's tempting to ignore your own physical needs. Don't! As you run down, stress can erode your health. It's important to get adequate rest - even if it has to be in 15-minute increments. Eat a healthy diet that includes lean proteins, lots of complex carbohydrates and moderate healthy oils. When we're feeling overwhelmed, we tend to gravitate to all the wrong foods, which actually increase our body’s stress. For instance, drinking coffee and colas to stay awake may keep you awake when you need to sleep. High-fat and sugary desserts may give you a temporary boost of energy, but they create a burden on your liver that will make you feel more fatigued and keeps the vicious cycle of stress going.

Emotionally, the simple realization that another life is entirely dependent on you is a kind of stress that can be simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying. It keeps you awake at night, when you're not already awake for the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock or 6 o'clock feedings! As a society that prides itself on being self-sufficient, in control and able to multitask with aplomb, it can be startling that, overnight, one's very identity has morphed to include a wordless wonder that you are content to serve with unending devotion. You're now a parent, and your life is forever defined by that event.

Emotional stress is amplified by our fear of failing or by having an impossibly high standard that one must measure up to. The funny thing about becoming a parent is that these old tapes that one stored subconsciously since childhood, on "how I'm going to be a better parent than my parents," suddenly appear. Most of us have unrealistic expectations for our parenting skill, and virtually all of us fail with humbling regularity. Remind yourself that that's OK and that love is the antidote for most of our mistakes.

You will have to rearrange your life and modify your expectations so that you can survive and thrive, as well as your baby. Some warning signs that you need help to better handle these challenges are: chronic exhaustion, increased irritability, inability to concentrate, headaches, digestive disorders, muscle aches and fatigue, loss of libido and depression. If any of these symptoms are severe and lasting, it's advisable to see your doctor, as you may be suffering from a hormonal imbalance or some other disorder that can be helped medically.

And perhaps the most important thing to remember in this crazy time of transition, as you are becoming a family, is to enjoy your baby. That is the balm that eases your passage through sleepless nights, colic and teething. Their smiles, their radiant beauty and the utter miracle of their birth is enough to sustain you - until their teens …

Anna Lonsdale is a retired nurse, holistic practitioner and educator for more than 30 years. She is a mother of four and a grandmother of six who continues to be a passionate advocate of healthy living.