Sleep Deprivation
With a new baby, comes a whole new routine. It’s not the same for everyone so no matter who you talk to, the advice and sometimes unwanted two-cents will always be different. The first night in the hospital was almost a blur. The only thing I remember was calling the nurse in the middle of the night because I couldn’t pee after having my catheter removed and I thought my bladder was going to explode. They thought I was crazy when I put my call light on and said, “I need a nurse and a straight cath kit, STAT” until they drained over a liter out of me. Just an FYI, don’t wait as long as I did trying to go on your own. Sometimes you just need help. Anyway, after that I was able to get slightly more comfortable even though I just had the biggest surgery of my life. Thankfully my body was still running on dopamine, oxytocin and adrenaline because there wasn’t much sleep to be had. The constant feedings, monitoring of my baby’s blood sugar, the this and that… now I know what my patients are talking about when they say they got the worst sleep of their life in the hospital.
In the coming weeks at home, sleep became an even more distant friend. Pumping and feeding every couple hours day and night didn’t leave much time for rest. Not to mention, the cleaning of the pump parts and bottles, the visitors, the diaper changes, the dog going in and out, and oh yeah…we still need to eat too. I found an online community of moms going through the same things and what absolutely SAVED my sanity and hours of time throughout the day was the advice I read about breast pumps. If you have the means, buy more than one - while you have one that is currently being used the other can be charged, clean and ready to go. The next piece of advice I wouldn’t have taken pre-baby, but made total sense to me in the moment. Ready? You can use the same pump ALL DAY without washing the parts every time by immediately pouring out the pumped milk, putting the parts in a sealed Ziplock bag (I recommend the gallon size) and placing right in the refrigerator. Being able to use the same pump for 24 hours was an absolute blessing because taking the parts apart, soaking them, washing them, drying them, and putting them back together took about 30 minutes and I was doing this about 8 times a day. Like I said, total time saver. We also have a two-story home and after having a c-section it’s recommended not to go up and down stairs for at least 6-8 weeks or until you are cleared by your doctor. Did I mention the baby’s room was upstairs? We made it work by sleeping in our living room with a bassinet for the first few months, along with making a diaper changing station downstairs as well. Mamas, I highly recommend having one upstairs and downstairs if you have a multi-level home… it’s a game changer. No more running up and down the stairs during a code brown, spreading it who knows where for you to find at a later time. It’s not fancy or big, simply an easy-to-clean diaper changing pad that can be put away for company or easily accessible in an emergency. Maybe it’s laziness, but we are a year into this adventure and we still have one on each floor.
Needless to say sleep deprivation can make you start wondering what you are doing right, what you are doing wrong and sometimes not even think straight. It’s literally a way people get tortured because it is so detrimental to your body. Do yourself a favor and set yourself up for success ahead of time. Find an online community, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and by any means possible make more time for yourself to rest. And since you are here reading this, your one step closer to that enhanced motherhood living. Keep on going.
