Still Adjusting

Ceb2015

My LO is 6 weeks old and I still don't feel like the day is manageable. I can't get anything done, eat at reasonable times or get out to run errands.

Anyone else feel the same way? Sorry I just need to vent and hope I'm not alone!

threatlevelmidnight

Girl. I feel you! My baby is 5 weeks old and I'm pretty much a prisoner to my bed with him. He won't let me put him down if he's sleeping. He cries if I put him down to eat or go to the bathroom or anything. When my husband gets home from work, I let him take LO for as much time as possible so I can take a hot bath, paint my nails, brush my teeth?! Haha it's hard. I can't complain too much because I am a SAHM. 6 weeks mat leave is a crime! I can't imagine having to go back next week. I feel like I am still just surviving! Props to all working mamas!
Sorry I'm not much help, but I'm definitely there with you! If you can have your SO/DH hold LO while you do something for yourself every day even if it's just taking a nice hot shower, I think that would really help. That's the only advice I can really give. Hang in there!

Ps. The last thing I ate today was a piece of toast this morning while LO cried.

Edited because I can't bump and nurse at the same time

gipfish

8 weeks here and most days I get very little done besides keeping the baby and the animals alive and happy.

Eating at reasonable times has always been a big deal for me. I kind of go psycho if I don't eat on a schedule, so I've found things I can make quickly and then eat while bottle feeding Jane.

Other than that, most things have to wait until DH gets home before they get done.

I would wear Jane while doing chores, but she cries when I bend over. I never realized before that practically every chore requires bending down: dishes, laundry, vacuuming, making the bed. I'm hoping once I can back carry bending down won't be such a big deal!

DogLoverX3

My Charlotte is just over 8 weeks. I went back to work at 4 weeks-I'm a nanny for 3 kids 4, 7, and 10-been with the family for almost 4 years. (Maternity not paid, so 4 weeks was all we could afford) Not only is it hard to adjust my LOs changing schedule every day, but I'm juggling three other kids schedule-school drop off/pick up, gymnastics, soccer, hockey, play dates, etc., and trying to maintain 2 households (we have 3 dogs-wtf lol). If I make it through the day without crying before bed, I figure it was a good day! I have a lot of respect for people who have 4 kids. I kinda knew what I was getting into, but you don't really know until you have your own. Plus, GERD/colic is sooo hard! On the plus side, I get to take my baby to work with me-I am very grateful for that!! Still adjusting here! Lol

rachswi

If my husband didn't help out, I honestly don't know when I would eat or bathe and I would probably not change out of my pajamas most days.

I don't know how single moms do it. Or how to do things with toddlers. Most days I feel trapped under my 7.5 week old son since he still mostly eats and sleeps. He's a really fussy baby so if cuddles make him happy then I'll sit here starving and with a full bladder just a little while longer.

kmd91

My little guy is 9 weeks old and I'm able to get dinner made daily, and that's about it beyond keeping the baby alive. A lot of times I don't get dressed until my husband comes home for lunch and he reminds me I'm still in my pajamas. Our routine is getting a bit better, but there's always dishes in the sink. And now I'm alone with the baby for the next month or so and I can tell it'll be an interesting month. Hopefully I don't starve to death (my husband always has to remind me to eat) or end up incredibly stinky cause the baby doesn't want me to shower.

bravoandprosecco

8 weeks here and I get 1 load of laundry done and make dinner about 3 days a week. I do get dressed every morning but it's just into clean leggings and a sweatshirt! The only errands I get done are a quick trip to the grocery store every now and then and he starts to cry half way through. I feel you! I thought I would be out shopping and lunching by now!

flas

I'm in the same boat and my LO is almost 10 weeks. Most days I feel like a failure but slowly as I get a little bit more rest I find myself able to get a little more done here or there. This is my third but I honestly can't remember when it does get better, but it does.

chelseaepley

I have a 2 year old and 2 month old. I wear my pajamas all day everyday (sometimes the same ones for 2 days in a row) I cook dinner every night and keep the house reasonably clean. Laundry is done on weekends so DH can help. But I do get a shower almost every day so that counts for something

wimamaof2

Ok, I am glad I am not the only one. If it wasn't for my DH, I don't know how I would manage. LO has been so fuzzy this week that it has taken me forever to get something done.

kdoak2015

We had a doc apt Monday and in order for me to get ready I had to carry her everywhere. I had to brush my teeth with her, quickly put her down to do my hair so I had two hands and going pee is quite the chore. I think it's all normal and they grow out of things so fast so I'm trying to enjoy it.

doodleoodle

kdoak2015 said:

We had a doc apt Monday and in order for me to get ready I had to carry her everywhere. I had to brush my teeth with her, quickly put her down to do my hair so I had two hands and going pee is quite the chore. I think it's all normal and they grow out of things so fast so I'm trying to enjoy it.

Precariously trying to spit out toothpaste over LO is not easy!

My baby will be 10 weeks tomorrow. I honestly feel like I'm drowning. I get nothing done. DH will take her before work long enough for me to eat and take a shower and then he's literally gone the entire day, coming home way past bedtime. The one thing I thought I was doing well (feeding her) has turned into a nightmare because her pedi said she's underweight so now I actually have to put her down to pump, eat, drink etc. to try to up my supply. I don't think I was getting enough calories. Remember to eat, BF mommas!! It's not like with pregnancy where everything you are first went to baby and to you second. Everything goes to sustaining you first and milk second.

AmoLovesAud

LO is 7.5 weeks and I only just now feel like I can get stuff done, but not much.  I try to set 1 goal a day, and whenever I have a free moment (even just the 5 minutes I can put her down asleep before she realizes I'm not holding her) I work towards that goal.  I've also gotten pretty adept at doing things with one hand.  But I've also totally spent 2-3 days in the same clothes (even sleeping in them, even if there's some spit-up on them), and if it weren't for my DH I don't think I'd ever shower!

Cooking is still non-existent, but I'm hoping that once DH is out of "crunch time" at work, he can take her for a whole Sunday afternoon so I can cook a few things for the week.  I'm getting so sick of junk food!

doodleoodle

AmoLovesAud said:

LO is 7.5 weeks and I only just now feel like I can get stuff done, but not much.  I try to set 1 goal a day, and whenever I have a free moment (even just the 5 minutes I can put her down asleep before she realizes I'm not holding her) I work towards that goal.  I've also gotten pretty adept at doing things with one hand.  But I've also totally spent 2-3 days in the same clothes (even sleeping in them, even if there's some spit-up on them), and if it weren't for my DH I don't think I'd ever shower!

Cooking is still non-existent, but I'm hoping that once DH is out of "crunch time" at work, he can take her for a whole Sunday afternoon so I can cook a few things for the week.  I'm getting so sick of junk food!

I've gotten a lot of food that is healthy that is easy to just grab and eat: cherry tomatoes, grapes, apples, you can pre make salads and just add dressing, raw veggies. Yesterday before my husband went to work I made a big pot of steel cut oats (good for BF mamas) with flax so all I have to do is warm up a bowl. Before I was living off of sandwiches and popcorn or just not eating. I already feel better.

threatlevelmidnight

@doodleoodle that's smart. I need to do that!

Ellsmac

doodleoodle said:

kdoak2015 said:

We had a doc apt Monday and in order for me to get ready I had to carry her everywhere. I had to brush my teeth with her, quickly put her down to do my hair so I had two hands and going pee is quite the chore. I think it's all normal and they grow out of things so fast so I'm trying to enjoy it.

Precariously trying to spit out toothpaste over LO is not easy!

My baby will be 10 weeks tomorrow. I honestly feel like I'm drowning. I get nothing done. DH will take her before work long enough for me to eat and take a shower and then he's literally gone the entire day, coming home way past bedtime. The one thing I thought I was doing well (feeding her) has turned into a nightmare because her pedi said she's underweight so now I actually have to put her down to pump, eat, drink etc. to try to up my supply. I don't think I was getting enough calories. Remember to eat, BF mommas!! It's not like with pregnancy where everything you are first went to baby and to you second. Everything goes to sustaining you first and milk second.

This. I have a seriously low milk supply which I'm trying to increase - so feeding time consists of: nursing, bottle feeding formula, and then pumping. Basically - three times the amount of time of a simple feed. Plus, if I don't eat and drink- my already meagher supply drops. Argh. I feel good if I manage dinner and a load of laundry. I have also totally slept in my clothes. LO is five weeks and things are getting better ... Slowly.

You go mamas! It's wayyy tougher than it appears, especially when our LOs don't want to sleep or be put down. My husband doesn't quite understand why I can't just per her down and do something (like pump or eat) and let her cry - until I showed him an article that explained my almost physical response to hearing her cry.

doodleoodle

@Ellsmac do you have a link to that article? I'd love to read it

brownloveone

@Ellsmac yes please share link

Bootsie81

I remember how long it took me to feel OK with my first.  It's definitely normal to still be struggling!  I adjusted to my second really quickly and now the third has been a challenge again.  I think because she wants to eat every 1.5 - 2 hrs where my second would go 3 hrs.  Also, just having two other kids to care for at the same time.

laswett

Glad it's not just me my sanity is definitely in question. LO is almost 6 weeks and I get nothing done. SO works unpredictable hours and commutes, so he will get home anywhere from 6-9, so it's on me to take care of LO, keep the house running, baby and pets alive and feed us. He also goes to the gym on the weekends, so there's never a full day of help. I seriously have an incredible amount to of respect for single mothers and mommas with deployed SOs. I go back to work on the 1st, and I really can't imagine how I'll do night feedings, get both of us out of the house on time, work 8+ hours then pick him up and run the house, rinse and repeat.

blesofsky

Hey ladies, I am with all of you on these struggles. I don't think I would survive without the help of DH.

I found this and thought it would be helpful especially the mason jar salads which can be made once a week.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolynkylstra/healthy-eating-charts#.ahyPvE49Q

Ellsmac

@brownloveone @doodleoodle

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/apr/15/mothers-more-sensitive-to-crying-babies-thanks-to-hormone-study-says

And my favorite reference as it does make me feel "beside myself" when I hear her cry:

https://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/fussybaby/

Ellsmac

Oops and: https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/growth-curve/how-baby-cries-bore-mom’s-brain