Need some tips/advice on
MoonMama wrote: Getting myself on a better schedule. I find myself wanting to nap every time Braedin naps heck even when he's not (I don't of course but I'm that tired) and I know that its normal but I would really like to get out of that. He's a pretty easy going baby at night, he wakes up eats, burps, get changed then its right back to sleep. When he goes down for his long sleep period at night (usually between 9 & 10) till about 1 - 2 am) I would use that time to do odds and ends around the house or take a few minutes to myself. But the past few nights I have been trying to go to bed at night when he does, thinking I would be less tired in the long run. And DH also said I needed to do that and just let to the little things go and he or I would get to them later. But I am still finding this doesn't help at all. I am still dead on my feet always, I'm more tired now then what he was first born. Any ideas, tips or tricks you all have learned from experience. I am losing it quick.
HuskerMom replied: The only thing I can suggest is that I give Keith some cereal before his bottle right before I lay him down for the night and it helps him sleep longer. usually about 9 hours. That way I get a full nights sleep too and I'm not tired during the day I also agree with your DH about not worrying about a little things
Calimama replied: Here's what I do. Bella sleeps from 10:30 pm to 10 am. So I straighten the house up after she's in bed, soak in the tub, than read until about midnight. I sleep until I hear her calling me in the morning. We get up, eat, change clothes, and she plays in her Jumperoo while I clean. I make a list while we're eating of stuff I need to do. She plays and watches baby Einstein, I do laundry, vacuum, dishes, dust. Then we play and read stories. At 1 we take a walk with my neighbor, get back 2 and she goes down for a nap. I finish up any cleaning I have, and sleep or read while she sleeps. She wakes up at 4, and we play on the floor, and cook dinner together. Daddy gets home at 4-5!
MoonMama replied: 9 hours?!?!? I wish I could get 5 or 6. I may have to try that, my ped said I shouldn't till he's 6 months but I may have to ask her about it again.
Thanks ladies...mostly its just nice to know I'm not alone.
luvmykids replied: I'm sorry, it is just plain miserable to be so tired and you are definitely not alone! I don't remember the first three months of the twins lives because I was so tired
I did what you do, which is tried to catch up on everything when they slept. I think you should definitely sleep as much as you can at night and give yourself some time to catch up, even when he starts sleeping longer you'll probably still be tired until you're really back to a full nights sleep.
Let the small stuff go, this is temporary and your sleep and sanity are worth way more than the things you get done when he's sleeping There will be plenty of time later to catch up on that stuff too.
MoonMama replied: Thanks Monica I needed that more then you think! But its so easier said then done.
Calimama replied: Yeah my pedi told me not to do that as well.
HuskerMom replied: My ped said I could give him cereal as long as it wasn't too thick
Old Mom Hubbard replied: Do you take vitamin supplements? Maybe Iron Low? Maybe asking doctor about this? Also, no worries for the little things. Relax in the tub after baby goes to sleep, maybe get into journal writing. This may sound lame to some, but THAT always put me to sleep!
I recall taking my naps and just letting myself sleep when my son did. When he was fed, cleaned and changed and was just awake but no longer hungry or whatever, he came with me in a carrier or bassinet where I cleaned and went about the little daily chores. My hubby thankfully LOVES to cook. Always has since little so he cooked and when I was too tired or feeding and bathing our son, he would clean. The luandry was no big deal. I would see it pile up now and then, but I thought of the "old days" where women had to hand scrub the clothes and do everything by hand and hang on a line! That made simply putting them in the wash, then the dryer and folding later so much more pleasant! And there is nothing more fun that watching the baby snuggle in freshly dried "woobies" as our son called his blankie!
Simply, take each moment and don't sweat the small stuff. Nap when you feel tired as you will only make yourself sick trying to fight what your body is telling you...advice from my grandmother. She napped, her own mother napped, my mother napped and I napped with our little one when tired. We all grew just fine and as the hours became adjusted and little ones grew and got into a normal routine, then things just worked themselves out. RELAX and enjoy each mometn and if you see a dish or two, or dust here and there (SO WHAT) ...no worries. Oh, if you have a snuggly maybe carrying baby while vaccuuming and/or dusting/whatever cleaning/organizing?
I never changed the sounds and/or noises around our home so from day one, our son would be sleeping in his bassinet, to his crib and I would go about daily routine as normal and he could sleep basically through anything, even a vacuum!
Well, I see I have again yappity yapped yapped! so hope something I said helpful.
Wish you the best!
Old Mom Hubbard replied: Oh yes, our ped said at about 3 or 4 months to try a little rice cereal, like maybe a teaspoon or two in his formula. He could not tolerate my breast milk and I could not even produce enough so when I first tried I still had to supplement and believe me, I tried for two weeks but when no weight gain and throwing up all of the time and losing weight and doc and everyone saying to go to formula already, well...I had to... Anyway, he was at two bottles per feeding and STILL acting hungry so we added a teaspoon or two of rice cereal and oatmeal to his formula which DRAMITCALLY helped him sleep through the night. Like I am talking to sleep by 10 pm and awake at around 6 am! At about 4 months! He would nap during the day and I would too! I would wake him as per doc recommendation to feed him as he needed his food! He would take the bottle, slurp it down, burp then get changed and right to sleep he'd go. It was not until we supplmented that he would be up at all hours as babies can be! Again, don't sweat the small stuff and go by your own instinct and maybe just try adding a bit of oatmeal and/or rice cereal, and I mean like one teaspoon in the bottle. If bottle feeding and/or bottle in addition to breast feeding? Our pediatrician said to and others said not to for the first year nothing besides breast and/or formula. We had so many different docs telling us different things! We just followed our own instincts and worked out fine. I do wish we had allergy testing done but I think that oftentimes some allergies will not even show up until years later so maybe keep an eye on the wheat and gluten based products as if I had to do things all over again I would have avoided them if I had known about our son's allergies to them. Anyway, best of luck to you there.
Calimama replied: It's crazy how different doctor's are.. kinda scary actually!
MoonMama replied:
Thanks so much for the advice and help Old Mom Hubbard. I am taking a multi vitamin and iron due to anemia, and days I'm feeling really sluggish (sp) I take Emergen-C which usually helps but hasn't been.
Thanks everyone
MyBabeMaddie replied: Do you think you might have a touch of PPD? Have you talked to your Dr? I know I was exhausted 24-7 until I got on the right anti-depressant
redplaydoh replied: Print this and post it where you will see it often.... it helps to remind you to let the little things go. I had it on my fridge and when I felt overwhelmed by the housework reading this helped me to feel better.
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow For babies grow up Much to our sorrow
So quiet down cobwebs Dust go to sleep I'm rocking my baby And babies don't keep
MoonMama replied:
Thank you for that!
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