Sleep when baby sleeps – the best advice any mother has ever been given, but seriously – when does baby sleep for more than a few hours at a time? When you have so much on your plate already, losing sleep night after night will begin to take a toll on you. So, how do you get through those first few months with a new baby? Here, you'll find a few pieces of advice that can help.

Consider a Night Nurse

There's absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help. Consider hiring a baby night nurse to help you care for your sweet baby at night. The night nurse will come to your home and settle in with the baby while you get yourself some much-needed rest. When the baby wakes he or she will be changed, fed and put peacefully back to sleep – you won't have to budge an inch.

Note: If you're breastfeeding, you can still take advantage of having a night nurse. You have the option of having the nurse bring the baby to you to nurse and then taking the baby back to the nursery when you're done, or you can pump and keep bottles of breast milk on hand for the nurse to feed your baby. In many cases, if you plan to bottle and breast feed, it's best to allow for night feedings to be given by bottle so that the baby doesn't experience too much nipple confusion and fight the bottle when he or she is a little older.

Enlist Family for Assistance

Who doesn't love to get a chance to snuggle with a little baby – surely, if you ask your friends and family for a little help, you'll have a long list of people just waiting for their turn to care for your little one. Just having your sister over for dinner will give you an extra set of hands while you cook. Bring your mom over for breakfast and you'll be able to get everyone out the door without stressing out. Your family is there to help – let them.

Talk it Out

Don't struggle in silence. If you are experiencing any sadness or are beginning to feel overwhelmed or exhausted, get in touch with your doctor, or at least talk with a friend. If you bottle it all up, you will implode and you will not be able to care for yourself, let alone your baby.

You can get through these difficult months, and they will get better – at least until the tween years begin!