How To Cope With Night Feeds and Lack of Sleep

Sleepless nights and umpteen number of middle-of-the night feeds usually take a toll on any new mom’s state of mind. There may be times when baby wakes up wanting to play or she may have an earache or tummy ache or maybe she’s just not sleepy. No matter what the reason, the early days are often made up of many sleepless nights. However, it is possible to cope with them and not lose your mind completely.

Here are some ways to deal with lack of sleep as a new mom.

New Moms Should Sleep When Baby Sleeps

 This is the best thing to do for a new mom. Let everything else stand and wait. As soon as you put baby down for her nap, lie down yourself. While you may not sleep deeply or for long, the rest would do you good. It would allow you to recharge a bit and not feel so exhausted and tired.

As a New Mom Forget about the Chores

 This period would be a good time for you as a new mom to learn how to take things easy. Relax and play with baby. Have fun. Don’t tire yourself out unnecessarily by trying to get the house to look perfect or by wanting to finish everything listed on your to-do list. Sleep when you can and do what is absolutely essential. Forget about the rest. You would have enough time to tackle them when she is older and more settled with her sleep patterns. Till then, enjoy being able to kick back and relax.

New Moms Must Get Help

 If a new mom can afford it, she should get someone in to do the cooking and other small chores for you. Else, request a family member or a close friend to pitch in for sometime. They could babysit while you take a short nap or do the chores for you while you rest with baby. But remember, you need to ask for help. Don’t just assume that they would offer it.

Pamper Yourself and Feel Good as a New Mom

 Sleepless nights would often leave you feeling and looking tired and drained out. So, go all out and pamper yourself. Get a massage, a spa treatment, regular manicures and pedicures, a facial or even, a new hairstyle. Grab the time when you get it. Have your husband take care of baby while you get pampered in the spa or salon. Getting a pampering treatment even once a month would be enough to keep your sprits up, so make sure you make time for it.

Keep Yourself Healthy

 Since you would hardly be getting enough sleep, chances are your immunity would also, be low. So, it is important that you eat healthy and take care of yourself. Take baby out in the pram for regular walks, eat plenty of fruits and salads and drink enough water. By compromising on your health, you would be setting yourself up for more difficult times ahead. When you’re in good health, you’re better able to cope with the lack of sleep and tiredness.

 Sleep or the lack of it would be something that would be a major part of the initial months of your baby’s life. However, don’t let it affect the bond that you would be developing with your bundle of joy. Like with most things in life, remember that this, too, shall pass and then, there would be nights when she would sleep through and days when her nap would go beyond 10 minutes. So, till then, use these simple tips to cope with sleepless nights and tired days and turn them into times of relaxation and enjoyment.