Balancing a newborn and a WAHM position can create quite a challenge. Your home office just got a bit more crowded, and you’re struggling to remain attentive on your conference call while changing a dirty diaper at your beloved desk! Yes, caring for a newborn and maintaining a home business can be overwhelming. I know this all too well, as I welcomed my 3^rd daughter into the world just recently and have been juggling the two since. However, you’ll find that bottles and business can mix just fine when you use these tips to stay productive.

Make Room For Baby

Though they themselves are small and don’t take up much space, newborns come with plenty of accessories and necessities that can easily fill your home and home office. Since you’ll want to continue working or running your business from your office – a productive space – you need to make it baby friendly so your little bundle of joy won’t find it to be a joyless place for him or her. Depending on how much office space you’ve got to work with, create a play area, changing area and sleep area. Set up a play yard or bassinet close to your work station or desk so you can see your baby and they can catch some Z’s (which they’ll likely catch plenty of). Many play yards double as a sleeping area and have changing tables. Setting up a baby swing and playing soft music may also keep baby calm while you focus on work.

Let Baby Play Boss

If you’ve been a WAHM for awhile, it’s likely you’ve got a schedule you’ve become accustom to working. While you may find it difficult to adjust that schedule, you can bet that baby will have no issue making it difficult to stick to. You’ll need to be flexible with everything from when you work to possibly where you work. Like many WAHMs, you may find yourself sacrificing sleep and breaking the age old rule of sleeping when the baby sleeps to get work completed. Take advantage of quiet and free time as much as possible to remain productive, without overkill and exhausting yourself. Aside from changing up your normal work schedule, you may find that sitting around in your home office all day is not your baby’s favorite thing to do. Hopefully, you have a laptop and can be accommodating; working from home will literally mean working all around your home, and you may spend more time in baby’s nursery than your actual office.

Hire a Helper

Hired help can really help you stay productive as you adjust to life working from home with a newborn. You can have someone come in a few hours a day, a few days a week; though it may not seem like much time, you’ll be amazed at what you accomplish when you’re baby free. You can find a mother’s helper online (just be thorough in your search), through friends or family or a teen in your neighborhood. If you have older children at home or your hubby is available, they can be lifesavers! Have them care for and entertain baby while you work.

Remember What Matters Most

Your business or WAHM position matters, after all it is your livelihood (or a contributing factor). However, you need to remind yourself of that which matters most – your newborn and your own well being. Don’t push yourself to the point of exhaustion and misery attempting to be productive. Get plenty of rest, aim to eat plenty of good foods and don’t miss a moment to create plenty of memories with your baby!