It is as important for you to recharge your batteries, as it is for baby to be getting the right sleep, food, activity etc each day.
You cannot pour from an empty cup!
Our parenting expert, Claire Thompson, delves into ways to do this:
It is somewhat normal to feel tired, or more like exhausted!, through baby’s first few months of life. With a small child waking up through the night for feeds, it means we end up getting very little, broken sleep ourselves.
But sometimes we can feel this exhausted even when baby has begun to sleep through the night. Finding it hard to switch off, go to sleep, or wake up even more tired than we went to bed. Feeling overwhelmed each day, or finding yourself becoming upset or stressed daily. This could be a sign of parental depletion.
Talk it out!
First things first- you need to communicate your feelings with your partner or a close family member/friend. Taking the step to openly discussing your feelings can make you feel lighter. As the saying goes,
“A problem shared, is a problem halved’
Looking for your Triggers
To elevate the stress/exhaustion/upset, it is vital to figure out what is triggering you to make you feel this way. Is it the laundry piling up? Is your child having sleep/behaviour issues? Do you feel isolated or alone?
Once you have pinpointed the cause, it is easier to find a solution.
Delegation
Housework can be a major culprit to feel overwhelmed. It is hard enough keeping a baby happy and fed, let alone the housework on top of it! But it still can affect our mental state, as majority of the time you are in your home when baby is little, it is all you see. When you cant get to cleaning, guilt creeps in. Especially when your partner gets home, and the house looks like a bomb went off, or the breakfast dishes are still in the sink!
The solution might be straightforward, your partner will look after all washing and hanging out, or you may come up with an alternative- your partner or family member takes the baby for a walk to give you time alone to get the jobs done.
Delegation of household chores can make a big difference. It divides out the burden of responsibility.
Time Out
Taking time for yourself is so important! And it doesn’t need to be an entire day away from baby in a spa or a day of shopping (though we wouldn’t say no to that either!)
Look at your typical daily routine. Allow yourself the 10 minutes to sit down and have a cup of tea when baby naps. Give yourself 10 minutes of self care at the start/end of the day to meditate, reflect, manifest, journal or just be with your thoughts.
Work on You
When you have a baby, your universe begins to revolve around this little person. So much so, that months fly by, and it becomes all a blur. It is normal to feel like you have lost a part of yourself, many parents feel that way.
Try to find time in the schedule to take up a new hobby, or restart an old one. It may be exercise, education, sport, music, craft, but something that is just for you.
Ask for Help
There is no shame in getting help, either by paying a Childminder, night nurse, babysitter or by finding ways to talk through your feelings with a therapist or life coach.
For more tips and advice on all things baby and parenting, follow us on Instagram and Facebook @waterfulbabywipes and our resident parenting expert, Claire Thompson @thenewbornnanny.
