Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

In your college years, those all nighters before exams were a piece of cake. For four or five years, you managed to study, watch TV and eat pizza with no ill side effects. A few sleepless nights with baby should be a breeze in comparison! You also didn’t know how wrong you could be!

Sleep deprivation is unfortunately a large part of having a baby for several reasons. One, your baby isn’t used to following a set schedule in relation to your days and nights. They could sleep whenever they wanted to for nine months. Changing that schedule over to yours takes a while. And while the transition is taking place, you will be the one who suffers in the sleep department.

Second, babies need to eat often since they have small tummies and rapid development burning their energy. If you are lucky, your newborn will sleep for three hours at a time in the night right away. Other times, babies will only sleep for an hour or two at one time before they awaken themselves. Crying. It may seem like you just got done burping and feeding, so why are they crying again?

That’s the beauty of having a baby. Figuring them out, no matter what time of day or night. Your day will be spent doing normal daytime activities while your baby gets to rest! How unfair. If the sleep deprivation only lasted for a day or two, it might not be so bad. Sometimes it lasts for months on end, which takes a toll on your body. So how do you cope?

Sleep when the baby sleeps. It is two in the afternoon and baby is napping, so you should take a nap too. So what that the sun is shining. The dishes will wait until later as you catch some zzzz’s.

Take a ten-minute power nap after dinner while your partner cleans the dishes up. Ten-minute naps can be taken when the baby naps too.

If you are back to work, napping during the day is probably out of the question. In that case, you will need some pick me ups to make it through the day. Try doing exercises you can do while at your desk, including leg movements, ankle rolls and anything that can get your blood pumping and energy level up.

When battling through sleep deprivation, there are several things to avoid. These things include alcohol, caffeine, energy drinks, candy and chocolate. They could have the reverse effect that you are seeking. Energy drinks, caffeine drinks and sugar products can give you the energy boost you want, but then they can make you crash even faster after the fact.

To keep yourself awake, try eating an apple. Apples contain high levels of vitamin B, which is a natural energizer and will wake you up fast without having a downer after. Other fruits can give you the natural boost you need, such as pears, peaches, pineapple and strawberries.

Another way to get yourself perked up is with exercise. Pack the baby up in a stroller and hit the sidewalk. Babies can use the fresh air (weather permitting) and the exercise will get your system rejuvenated and awake in no time.

If at any point your sleep deprivation is unmanageable, to the point where you don’t feel safe driving or working, take a break. Hire a babysitter or enlist your spouse to have complete control while you get some sleep. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Every mother needs sleep and getting it is what is most important – to your health and your baby’s.