I am absolutely, unequivocally, 100 per cent exhausted this week. I feel like I have 20kg weights strapped to each leg. My walk is slowly becoming more of a shuffle (think Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys). I’ve decided eating muesli for dinner is a nutritional choice, and the fact it takes about 60 seconds to prepare has nothing to do with it. My hair is giant and wig-like, (I would get it cut, but apparently at 2-3 months postnatal, you can lose massive amounts of hair – some people think they have alopecia when it happens!). Sleep deprivation is my evil foe and I am too brain-addled and weakened to defend myself.
It’s true that breastfeeding is certainly one major contributor to my sleep-poor state. All it takes is a few nights of feeding every 2-3 hours as opposed to every 4 (or 5 if you’re lucky), and you start feeling like you’re brain is a bowl of mashed peas. Breastfeeding can also feel mind-bogglingly repetitive - I’ve estimated that in nine short weeks of motherhood, I have given some 450 breastfeeds. Don’t get me wrong though, I certainly value the power of the magic boob to allay a babe’s tears and I know it makes for bouncy strong babies, but it can be exhausting and feel like a big responsibility sometimes. Now just as an aside, did you know that gorillas breastfed their babies? I didn’t. Here’s a picture.
Don’t let me have you believing my introduction to motherhood has been all bad, lots of it has been amazing, and the second month of parenthood has been a million times easier than the first. You do get used to having less sleep, and even when you are tired beyond belief, this beautiful little person you’ve created does make it all worthwhile. It truly is a joy watching the daily changes Henry goes through, recently he’s started smiling and chuckling in his sleep, and his efforts at talking are a cooing, gurgling, cuteness overload. Going to my first mothers’ group today also confirmed my suspicions that he is the cutest and smartest two-month-old baby to have ever existed. I think the other mothers were secretly in awe of his near-athletic neck control, and were clearly stunned at his falcon-like alertness. Even though Henry would obviously be an inspiration to the other babies, I’m still not sold on mothers’ group so I’m not sure we’ll be going back next week. I’ll keep you posted on that one.
The week ahead in Parentland brings immunisations and visits from the in-laws – I’m hoping the grandfolks may be just the sleep mules I need to smuggle me in some extra shut eye while they’re here.
Sweet dreams.
Mel
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