VentHardest thing I've ever done

hrhone328

I have to just vent for a minute. This mommy business is by far the hardest job in the world. I knew I'd be tired, but our LO barely sleeps more than 2 hours at a time, day or night. She's almost 6 weeks old. I'm EBF, so that puts me in charge most of the night. And now she has decided she doesn't want any bottle, and we've tried a bunch, so it's not like DH can feed her at night. He does change her diaper though. She's been fighting a cold that has seriously lasted near 2 weeks and isn't helping her sleep either. We are using saline and the nosefrida, which are helping, but it's taking soooo long to go away!

I'm so friggin tired and all I can think is that there's no light at the end of the tunnel. I love her to bits, but I'm so drained. I don't want to rush her infancy, but it's hard not to want this part to be over.

This too shall pass, right?

=Lee=B

Yep, it'll pass.  Hang in there!

Mine's only at 8weeks, so we have a ways to go yet but there has been progress so far.

I never in my life could imagine the sleep deprivation that comes with parenthood.  I was well informed and expected it but OMGoodneesssss.

I actually had vision problems on night 3 in hospital, they kept us longer because of it...I was seeing kaleidoscope light shows with my eyes open and closed.  I have never been so freaked out in my life.  After the colour shows it turned to this weird black line show thing...my husband was standing beside the bed with the baby and I freaked out so much because they were so distorted I couldn't look at them anymore it was so disturbing.  I had a lot of nurses running the room due to my screams.  I had to see eye specialists to rule other things out but in the end it was severe sleep deprivation.  I still get touches of it on nights she sleeps less...still slightly disturbing but less so.

Sleep deprivation sucks...but between our bodies adapting and the baby maturing we will get through it! 

hrhone328

=Lee=B:

Yep, it'll pass.  Hang in there!

Mine's only at 8weeks, so we have a ways to go yet but there has been progress so far.

I never in my life could imagine the sleep deprivation that comes with parenthood.  I was well informed and expected it but OMGoodneesssss.

I actually had vision problems on night 3 in hospital, they kept us longer because of it...I was seeing kaleidoscope light shows with my eyes open and closed.  I have never been so freaked out in my life.  After the colour shows it turned to this weird black line show thing...my husband was standing beside the bed with the baby and I freaked out so much because they were so distorted I couldn't look at them anymore it was so disturbing.  I had a lot of nurses running the room due to my screams.  I had to see eye specialists to rule other things out but in the end it was severe sleep deprivation.  I still get touches of it on nights she sleeps less...still slightly disturbing but less so.

Sleep deprivation sucks...but between our bodies adapting and the baby maturing we will get through it! 

Yes, this. Everyone tells you you'll be so tired, but you can't even know until you go through it. Holy. Cow.  

=Lee=B

hrhone328:

=Lee=B:

Yep, it'll pass.  Hang in there!

Mine's only at 8weeks, so we have a ways to go yet but there has been progress so far.

I never in my life could imagine the sleep deprivation that comes with parenthood.  I was well informed and expected it but OMGoodneesssss.

I actually had vision problems on night 3 in hospital, they kept us longer because of it...I was seeing kaleidoscope light shows with my eyes open and closed.  I have never been so freaked out in my life.  After the colour shows it turned to this weird black line show thing...my husband was standing beside the bed with the baby and I freaked out so much because they were so distorted I couldn't look at them anymore it was so disturbing.  I had a lot of nurses running the room due to my screams.  I had to see eye specialists to rule other things out but in the end it was severe sleep deprivation.  I still get touches of it on nights she sleeps less...still slightly disturbing but less so.

Sleep deprivation sucks...but between our bodies adapting and the baby maturing we will get through it! 

Yes, this. Everyone tells you you'll be so tired, but you can't even know until you go through it. Holy. Cow.  

 

Those beginning weeks people kept telling me how in a few weeks my body would adapt. I remember hating them...to lie to me about such a thing.

Then magically one day I realized I was in fact adapting...I could almost function again (will leave out the locking keys in car...with wallet and phone and diaper bag and will leave out the melting a pot to the stove, melted, weeks later we still are scraping the metal off and will leave out all the other brain dead things I do daily) BUT I am adapting!

JenniD2

It will pass. I agree, being a mom is the hardest job I have ever had. But it is also the most rewarding job I have ever had. I still can't get over how wonderful it is to hold DS and have him give me his big gummy smile. It just makes those middle of the night feeds so worth it.

Although, I do miss having a full uninterrupted night's sleep.

Cellis

It definitely gets better! Just as everyone else has already said, your body does adapt to getting less sleep and eventually LO will sleep more (that could be in a week or a year) so there is an end at some point. It is definitely hard switching from woman to mother, you become a whole new person. 

JSS1002

=Lee=B:

Yep, it'll pass.  Hang in there!

Mine's only at 8weeks, so we have a ways to go yet but there has been progress so far.

I never in my life could imagine the sleep deprivation that comes with parenthood.  I was well informed and expected it but OMGoodneesssss.

I actually had vision problems on night 3 in hospital, they kept us longer because of it...I was seeing kaleidoscope light shows with my eyes open and closed.  I have never been so freaked out in my life.  After the colour shows it turned to this weird black line show thing...my husband was standing beside the bed with the baby and I freaked out so much because they were so distorted I couldn't look at them anymore it was so disturbing.  I had a lot of nurses running the room due to my screams.  I had to see eye specialists to rule other things out but in the end it was severe sleep deprivation.  I still get touches of it on nights she sleeps less...still slightly disturbing but less so.

Sleep deprivation sucks...but between our bodies adapting and the baby maturing we will get through it! 

The sleep deprivation is out of control. I 'm also EBF, but that is about to change, because i can't handle it anymore.  I'm going to move towards 50/50 BM and formula.

Hey, about the kalaidascope eyes -- sounds like you had a migraine with aura!  I get those periodically and had a doozy of one the day I went home from the hospital -- ended up BACK at the hospital, and having an MRI and CT... good times....

laurenhankey

I PROMISE you it gets better.  I went through a 41 hr labor, then had a csection and felt like from that point on until 12 weeks I didn't sleep.  It was hard, I hated it, parenting wasn't what I thought it was going to be.  My LO lost 13 oz in the hospital, we had trouble latching on, she had reflux, we had to wake her every 3 hrs to eat but it took her 1 1/2 hrs to breastfeed.  Needless to say I was EXHAUSTED and miserable.  Once we got to 6 weeks it got a little better, at 12 weeks she began to STTN completely.  It's hard but it's fun now, too.  It makes are the hard times, little sleep and crying worth it.  It's amazing to watch them grow and learn and change.  That first smile changed my world.  Hang in there.  It's all worth it.  I am crazy for even saying this but I kinda miss those 3 am feedings when it was just me and her and so peaceful.  I cherish those moments now.