How do you stay sane during a night shift with a newborn?

[Melittlebee]

Baby is 2 weeks old, I've just changed my
4th nappy and done a 3rd clothes change all within the last 30 minutes, now he's back feeding and this will probably last until 2am as usual.

How do people stay sane?!?

I'm constantly wondering if I'm doing things right!

It takes a while for them to get morning and night -about six weeks for us and een then was up regularly in the night until 8 months

OH worked away from when DD was 2 weeks old and I can remember the lonely nights so well. I discovered Classics on here and used to howl with laughter and sob intermittently!

Accept any offers of help, OH used to take over changing, winding and general cuddling Friday and Saturday nights, so I just had to do the (cluster) feeding (for bloody hours at a time). I remember clinging on to the fact that it wouldn’t be forever and feeling so much better when she was a few months old and slept for a few hours at a time

I agree with everyone else, find something to do at the same time so enjoyable that you don’t mind being woken up.
I played a lot of candy crush

Hi I’m new to this been reading all sorts for tips my 5 year old son is getting really bad with eating dinners my partner has the hard approach of u eat your dinner or u go to bed he will happily eat a whole pizza but anything else he says he’s full or doesn’t like it before he’s even tried it he is now getting to the point where he is gagging if he is told to eat his vegetables and I’m not sure how to go about getting him to eat better any ideas would be greatly appreciated

Well I am sat here wake while feeding my 2 day old son. He had been feeding since 11pm. As soon as he falls asleep and I go to put him in bed he is screaming and sucking his hand. My nipples are sore but he just seems to want to eat. During this period tonight I have also give him top up of 4ml of harvests colostrum. Hoping this would fill him up and settle him.
I am currently running on 3 days with 4h of sleep. I am worried I am going to end up falling asleep while he is on me, which scares me. I really do hope things improve.

Oh dear, shorty! I hope you get some sleep soon. That's brutal. Nap when he does on the day and sod the housework.

My LO is teething and has a cold. I'm sat in her nursery, she's in her cot watching the glitter lamp I've put in the middle of the room for her.

Ah that sounds really rough. Cancel any plans you had that are too much, and just concentrate on resting and feeding. You are doing great, it’s hard but worth it.

OP, you're doing great. A first major is such a shock to the system. My first was like this and I felt just the same. Middle of the night is the loneliest time. Keep going. You are doing a great job. My advice - sleepsuits only for 3 months, sleep when he sleeps (I know you just want to eat, clean etc but honestly it's worth it - hindsight speaking here now I have 3 children and will never sleep again lol - I wish I'd slept when my first slept!), have lots of snuggles and try to enjoy it because it does go so quickly. I'm sat here with my 3rd and last baby in my arms after a feed - she's 3mo and it feels like yesterday I found out I was pregnant.

Shorty, that's brutal, I've been there . It's totally a hunger thing. Not saying this applies to you, but I've never managed a good supply and always spent the first few days struggling to give them anything and remember the hand sucking/not being put down well. Sounds like you're doing a great job though (I could never even get 1ml) and giving harvested colostrum is a great idea. If he gets too sleepy to eat at any point then wake him by giving colostrum first (will give him some energy to feed) - a bf professional support worker told me this.

As others have said, Netflix and snacks got me through.

It’s soooo tough going but it gets better soon!

@mavericksnoopy- mine's still in sleepsuits only at 7 months! Not planning to transition to proper clothes until 12 months.

Oh Lord. You're bringing me back. It passes in a flash though. Even though it certainly doesn't feel like it at the time.

I think I became obsessed with the baby going down at a certain time to sleep (what was I thinking?). DH said to me "Look you just have to accept he's going to cluster feed until 2am there is nothing you can do right now to change it". It was like a lightbulb moment for me. I started going to bed once DH came in from work for a nap and napped any opportunity I got. If baby went to sleep at 9am, so did i.

I wonder how that works with a second baby though 🤔🤣

Bless you @shorty31. Those first few days are the worst. Harvested colostrum is a good idea.

My tips are
1.Take it day to day.
2.Dont change nappy unless poo
3.Dont put lights on,keep things quiet.
4.Make sure you have plenty of nice snacks.Nothing worse than been up at all hours and somebody has nabbed the biscuits.
5.Watch crap tv.

Nappies can hold more than one pee-especially at night!

Biscuits and father ted/the IT crowd on 4oD. I actually enjoyed it in a knackered kind of way.

My iPad was my saviour. I used to read which made me sleepy, or read mumsnet and the internet but it tended to make it hard to drop back off after the feeds.
So instead I used to put one headphone in and watched episodes of easy tv. It was the best of both worlds, kept me awake but not too awake!

I watched Cold Feet - start to finish

When I had my second child she was a June baby and I used to watch the Tour de France highlights on tv in the middle of the night , which at that time was where they were hidden away as road cycling wasn’t so popular over here then . I recommend having a tv in the bedroom .

Someone told me to see it as a privilege to be up sharing life with this baby as it really goes so quickly. It really helped change my mind set from " I need to sleep, I won't cope without sleep, it's not fair dp is asleep to I'm the lucky one, it's just me and my baby looking at the moon." It made me much happier!