It truly was a miracle – my baby boy slept through the night!
For some moms, this was a much simpler feat to accomplish especially if their kiddo was sleeping through the night early on.
However, for me it was a BIG deal – after months of enduring sleep deprivation, I finally felt like I had turned a corner.
I woke up that morning feeling proud and thankful I was able to get a few hours of uninterrupted, blissful sleep.
However, this had not always been the case.
I have been a new mama for almost 5 months now to a darling, sweet baby boy.
Motherhood has forever changed my life for the better.
One of the best times of my day is snuggling with my little one in my arms right before he drifts off into dreamland.
Often, as a new mom, you have this constant euphoria and you feel on cloud nine that you brought this tiny human into the world. What an accomplishment you are proud of!
While you often get these happy, giddy moments of new parenthood let’s not forget the waves of exhaustion that can often consume us, new mamas, as well. I get it – new motherhood is beautiful AND exhausting.
Often you feel like you need to just take a moment to de-stress and breathe.
Here are my 5 tips for handling sleep deprivation for all you tired mamas out there to help you cope and feeling much more rejuvenated.
1. If You Can – Sleep When Baby Sleeps
I will be the first to admit before I had a kiddo, I was a night owl.
I loved to stay up and just unwind from my day with a glass of wine and a good book to read. Don’t get me wrong I still do occasionally – except now, if it’s one piece of advice I can give to all new mamas out there, try to nap a little when your babe is napping also.
Just a quick 20-minute cat nap works wonders! Not only will you feel fresher, you will also be better rested to spend time with your baby when they are awake as well.
After I had my son, I will never forget coming home from the hospital for the first week and I immediately felt all this pressure to make it all work like before.
News flash – it won’t be the same and that’s OKAY.
Don’t feel guilty about taking some time to just rest and close your eyes. It is extremely beneficial to your baby to be rested and not so exhausted when taking care of them. Not to mention all of the health benefits that come from taking a little nap as well!
2. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
One of the things I noticed early on, in my sleep deprivation as a new mother, was there were days as a new mom you are frustrated you can’t seem to keep an organized routine.
It was always something, either the dishes weren’t done or I was one load of laundry behind. The key here to remember is don’t sweat the small stuff.
You are doing the best you can. If you accomplish a load of laundry in a day that’s great! Don’t beat yourself up over if there are a couple of crumbs on your counter or not.
Finding a new normal after having a baby takes time and eventually, you will find a good chore and to-do list routine that works best for both you, your baby, and your family.
3. Enlist Help and Don’t Feel Guilty About It
You want to do it ALL. I get it – its that natural motherly instinct to say, “I’m fine. I’ve got this.”
If your spouse can help, let them! Don’t shoo away their kind offers to give the baby a bottle for a feeding so you can take a shower or run an errand. It also helps your spouse bond with the baby and is so important.
If you have any family members that are eager to help, let them too. You will be so grateful when you are just trying to tend to your baby’s needs and they are willing to bring you dinner that night or take your other kids out of the house for a little bit.
I couldn’t be more grateful for the help we received from different family members, especially in those first few months of our son’s life.
4. Think of One Thing That Helps You Start the Day and Do It!
For me having a cup of coffee is like a sacred morning ritual.
It is more therapeutic than anything to just have a few sips and get going for the day. If you can help it try to incorporate one thing that gets you going in the morning and stick to it.
This sense of routine will eventually help you really establish something later with your little ones. When you are sleep deprived sometimes it is nice to have a set item in the morning to do that will help you feel on track for the rest of the day.
You also will feel like your “normal” self which is something as a new mom you can struggle with after just giving birth.
5. Take Half An Hour A Day for Some “You” Time
This is hard for new moms but manageable. In the first few months of my son’s life, whenever my husband and I got him to take a nap for a couple of hours I would either hop in the shower or write down some thoughts in a journal.
This made me feel much more relaxed and helped put things into perspective. As a mom desperate for sleep, it can feel like everything is just a lot bigger of a deal than it really needs to be.
Taking just a little time every day to focus on your mental health is vital to self-care.
If you are eager to learn more self-care tips be sure to check out my De-Stress for Motherhood Success Checklist. It’s a helpful checklist that outlines different activities you can do for your self-care as a new mommy or any mom in general!
I truly hope these tips help you on your path of motherhood and remember you are doing the best you can.
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