Why am I so tired?

gaeilgegrinds1

OK so am no longer pregnant, not that you'd tell. I'm so tired all the time and any plans of getting back running are laughable. I feel exhausted all the time and emotional but love my little fella. I'm jsut contstantly cleaning and waiting on people visiting him and just so tired. How did any of ye cope? I never imagined this being so hard and feel like such a failure as I cry typing this.

foxy06

You should just do the essential housework. Don't get worried about what people think when they visit. If they say anything hand them the duster and the hoover! When most people visit a newborn it is understandable that the house will not be ship shape. When baby is older you are not going to look back wishing the house was perfect but you may look back and wish you enjoyed those early days more.

And don't worry if you feel anxious or upset about it. If you are a failure because your house/routine ect is not up to scratch then you can join a very long line of failures:D No mother is perfect. Ive been promising I'll sew a teddy for the last week (can't sew) I have promised another son I'll plant their flower they grew in school at least a week ago too:o Think its nearly dead at this stage!

If you really feel like you cant cope though and things are just getting too much talk to your gp or phn. Post natal depression can come over you before you realise it. Look after yourself!

January

Jesus woman, slow down!! Sleep when your baby sleeps! Don't worry about the house at the moment!! Just do the bare essentials! If you don't feel up for people visiting, tell them so, or better yet, use the opportunity to get some rest yourself, if a family member arrives ask them to feed the little one (providing you're not breastfeeding) while you go for a shower or just to have something to eat yourself!

You are not a failure. You are a wonderful mammy who wants to do your best for your baby. Take it easy and let the house be messy for a while and just enjoy your baby.

Das Kitty

Give it a few weeks, you'll start to feel better.

As for the visitors, ask them to make the round of tea when they visit, and grab all the sleep you can get. It's amazing how much saner you feel when you get a bit extra sleep.

emmiou

Hi Gaeilgegrinds1
I was the same when my first child was born, killing myself trying to keep place/baby immaculate for visitors but it wears you down. Luckily when my second child was born he was a couple of weeks early and arrived as we were in the middle of tearing down internal walls and ripping out the bathroom - lucky? why? well because the house was a mess, and there was nothing I was able to do about it! I was able to just nest in the bedroom, which was perfectly tidy, and sleep and recover and feed my baby. Visitors had to come up and see us, they got to spend time with the baby rather than having tea!
Now that everything is back to normal the housework is horribly repetative but standards have really slipped - I also have a toddler who undoes all my cleaning efforts in a matter of minutes. Yesterday late afternoon we were all a bit wrecked, and were discussing whether we should all have a nap, but I decided to take the boys out in the buggy instead and went for a long brisk walk out along the seafront from Sutton to Raheny - and I'm glad I did, because I felt so much better than I would have if I'd had a nap or tidied at home.... so although you may feel so tired at the thoughts of jogging it could be exactly the thing you need to do! I could really feel my spirit and energy levels lifting, it did help that it was such a lovely evening!

ebmma

you poor thing!
It's mad how much time this baby care thing occupies and it feels like you did nothing all day but feed and change and somehow nothing else is done, no house work, no college work, no hobby time but still feel exhausted...and guilty for not coping better..
at least that's how I felt (and feel)...
Spent first weeks crying for many reasons (and without) too..
It did get a bit better with time, you need to let go of EVERYTHING. don't even think of housework, just do the baby care thing and get as much help as you can from partner/friends/family..
whenever you get a visitor and they want to hold/feed/whatever the baby see if you can catch a nap or read something or anything for yourself...

hope you feel better soon!

fi1979

I'm only just home so I can't compare notes like the other moms have. However I understand iron levels can still be a major issue, which would affect your tiredness. Also from what I heard in the physio class in the hospital, jogging should not be considered until at LEAST 6 weeks, and quite possibly more like 12 (sorry I zoned out cos jogging is totally not my thing!)
Don't fret over it, you and baby come first, everything else can take turns in the queue!!;)