Tough
By jessi0887
@jessi0887 (2788)
United States
February 4, 2009 8:49am CST
Its real tough being a mom. I haven't had a good nights sleep in a while. I just want to share my recent long nights. First of all i am living with family cause can't afford to be on my own. I have a two year old son who doesn't sleep real well. My sister and her husband who haven't got jobs due to the economy are living with us as well. Her baby is two weeks old. So between my two year old and their baby i feel like sleep is a craving that i can't satisfy. Last night was long. It started with my son fighting sleep as usual. He went to bed around ten. Woke up at one wanting sippy. Went to sleep woke up at two had a dirty diaper. Went back to sleep on my arm. Woke up at three soaked his diaper and wet the sheets. Cleaned him up and went back to sleep. Woke up at four don't know what was wrong. Woke up again at a quarter till 6 and kept it on for fifteen minutes. Then it was time to get up for work. So long night. I ran out the door with shirt inside out. Forgot to brush my hair. And i feel like a mess. I didn't even feel up to getting a morning shower. Not to mention the heater in the house was working hard as possible but it was so cold outside that it wasn't warming the whole house up real good. It was 66 degrees inside and below 20 outside.
Sorry if so long but i just had to vent some. Sometimes when i have no one to talk to forums are my best friend.
4 people like this
14 responses
@deborahkat (519)
• Brazil
4 Feb 09
I am very sorry for you jessi0887, really wish I could help you. I am passing for this kind of situation but not because of a baby but because of myself. I am a night person so for me to sleep at night to go to work in the morning is a real war everynight. I am not able to sleep 5 hours a night and the other day have to wake up early in the morning to go to work, and I have a fulltime job. So I really know how it is to feel a mess. And for me this is everyday. I am always tired and sleepy and it´s so much stressfull that i keep feeling pain in my shoulders and head. I really have a clue how you must be feeling. Have you gone to a doctor about your baby sleeping problem? Sorry if I ask but it´s because I don´t know your whole story. I really hope you can do something to help your baby to have a good sleep and that things get better for you and your family :-)
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
4 Feb 09
yeah i took him to the pediatrician and he told me to try the cry it out method. Easy for him to say he's not the mom. RRRRR!!!
@MissAmie (717)
• United States
5 Feb 09
How sad. I'm sorry you're in this situation. I know what it's like to crave sleep so badly you can almost taste it. I do think it's odd that your son isn't sleeping better though. I understand the little baby not sleeping, but by age 2 all of mine have slept fine. Maybe since there are so many of you in one house you and your other family could trade off and you could sleep while they watch the kids then vice versa. Sleep and take care of the kids in shifts, that way you can actually get some rest.
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
5 Feb 09
I like this idea. I will talk to the family. Sounds like a good idea but the only thing is it may make my sons sleeping habit worse.
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
6 Feb 09
Sometimes it does feel like the whole world is caving in around us and there is no where to turn. Even with this bad Economy and your situation even if you may not be able to see it now, you do have family who are being supportive and letting you stay there which is a Plus. Maybe what you just need is to find some time to catch up on your sleep and forget about everything around you. I will be Praying for your situation and wishing you the Best.
@eden32 (3973)
• United States
4 Feb 09
I'm sorry you're having such a hard time right now, but it will get better. Night time wakings are temporary and soon enough he'll be sleeping through the night again. Living with extended family can be hard, but it can also be a great experience for your children. My mother lived with us at two different times. I won't lie, there were parts that made me crazy. But my two older children are so close to her & really know her well.
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
4 Feb 09
I do enjoy living with family. My mom helps me out alot. On nights where i am at wits end and about to pull my hair out my mom will simply take over and let me get rest. It helps me out alot. I have been real stressed over alot of things going on and sleep is something i could really use.
@Yori88 (1465)
• Philippines
4 Feb 09
I feel sad and sorry on your situation because I have been there. My son is now 4 months old and I am lucky enough because he is already sleeping 4 to 5 hours straight. When he woke up at 12 midnight or 2am he just drinks milk then went back to sleep again after 30 minutes or less. Then I am the only one taking care of him because my husband is working at night. My suggestion to you is to ask help if you are having problems with your sleep because as moms we should not sacrifice our health. It will be us soon who will suffer and eventually our baby will be affected too. Since I gave birth I was the only one who took care of my son. Once or twice a month my mother and aunts are visiting us but they never spent a night in our house because they are all working. Anyway I am happy and I have adjusted easily because ever since I started working after graduating in college I am a night person and I am used to sleeping less hours than the normal 8 hours. Anyway I hope you can adjust as soon as possible because part of motherhood is sacrifice. And that is what makes us the best superheroes!
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
4 Feb 09
My son too use to sleep good at night. Then he went through a dozen ear infections. Then got tubes. Since the tubes he will only sleep one good night every now and then. Its been over a year of dealing with this. The new baby doesn't bother me that much. I can honestly sleep through another baby's cry. The thing that is making it hard though is if that baby cries sometimes it wakes my son and then its difficult. Last night though i dont know what make my son wake so much. I didn't hear the other baby crying so that couldn't be it.
@carolbee (16230)
• United States
4 Feb 09
Hope your son isn't catching a cold or something. I feel bad for you and I know it's tough. Times will get better and the day will come when you can sleep all night and feel like a new mom. The first few years can be so difficult. Hang in there as it will get better. You will enjoy your son as he gets older. Two can be an unreasonable age but so can 3 and 4.
We have 3 girls, now all grown, and it was tough at times. Once they were about 5 I really enjoyed my time spent with them. We went everywhere together and I loved it. I did make it a point to join a bowling league when they were little just to get out one night a week alone. My husband was home most nights and he took care of them while I was gone. If he had to work late, I took the kids with me and he picked them up at the bowling alley.
Take care,
carolbee
@luotian729 (16)
• China
5 Feb 09
i love babies,and want to be mum.
but i don't be well prepared,i don't kown how i can give the best care to the babies.
mum is great!
@roberten (3128)
• United States
4 Feb 09
Oh, jessi0887, welcome to the adult world.... This is what you were dying to arrive at as a child and lose sleep over as an adult. My oldest did not sleep through the night for about the first nine years of her life, and neither did I. Just when she was learning to sleep her brother came along. Shortly after my son, my baby girl came along. She is 17 and still stays up until dawn. I tell you all this to say that I feel your pain. It will get better, it's just a matter of when; but when it does you will get the best sleep you've experienced in years. This too shall pass, keep repeating this because it won't last forever. 
@camomom (7535)
• United States
4 Feb 09
I know exactly how you feel. I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 7 month old. Daddy works at 5am, that means he gets up at 3am. No matter how quiet he is, I get woken up when he gets up. If I'm lucky the girls will stay asleep but it's not likely. I get maybe 5 hours hours of sleep a night, if I'm lucky. The problem is that that 5 hours isn't straight sleep, it's broken into segments. These segments are usually only about 1 hour, maybe 1 1/2 hours. It is very hard being a mom but it's very rewarding too. I'm exhausted all the time but I love my babies so much I try not to think about it.
@bing28 (3795)
• Philippines
5 Feb 09
Almost every mom had passed same experience. We really have to experience such tough situations in raising our children. Anyway as we go along we learn adjustments on how to make things easier for us, till the time we are used to and feel things to be quite in array and learn to enjoy and love doing our work.
@vijayanandp (682)
• India
5 Feb 09
yes really it is a tough time for you with children who are too small but well you will have to take care of them well you look after then and care for them without sleeping so only you are called mother, you are always great, i too respect my mother
@bamrahkirti (1821)
• India
5 Feb 09
I am sorry to read about the situation you are going through but do not worry it is just a temporary phase.As soon as your son will get used to the environment he will sleep undisturbed.I was also suffering from the same problem as my son is only 1 year old .But lately he has started to sleep more during nights and less during days.I work in an office and when i get back home and do the household chores,he will be awakened.By the time i am off to my bed he will sleep with me around 10.30 pm to 11.00pm and wake up early in the morning.
Happy mylotting.
@rocko5150 (62)
• United States
5 Feb 09
I know how you feel, i have a 8 month old daughter and well 8 months ago i lived with my parents and at the time i did it for alot of reasons. my main reason was i was working and i needed daycare and well my parents offered to help and i helped them but i felt like a prisoner. When i moved there i got help but after a few weeks i was being treated like i didn't know how to be a parent. Everyone in my family was telling me how to take care of my child. and no one helped me in the middle of the night feedings. I constantly felt trapped so i took my daughter and left for a while and then i called my mom and she was mad at me saying i disrespected her home and her rules. so i left for good and i hate to say this but i feel free. i live with my boyfriend now which my family hates him, but he is a good man.
Now i am happy and i have another on the way i am 4 months along so i will soon know what it is like to not sleep even though i kind of know in a few months it will be that much harder for me but its ok i will deal with it.
