To ask what your "mum burnout" looks like?

[PaddleBoardingMomma]

Would really like to hear your opinions on how mum burnout makes you feel and how it manifests for you.

I have a 5 year old and an 8 month old, still up 4-5 times in the night but it's brief (a little bit of milk or her dummy has fallen out) no long nights awake pacing her about the house crying thankfully, so can't really use that as an excuse but...

I'm exhausted. Properly burnt out. I find myself wondering if it's normal, or am I just weak or pathetic or dying 🤦🏼‍♀️ I'm always on edge, more anxious, argumentative, I feel like I'm stuck on a loop 😩

So what about you?

I had mum burnout when mine were small (16 months apart- one has additional needs). I found that taking Berocca in tablet form (the fizzies contain aspartame) helped a lot. It’s usually on 3 for 2 in Boots. It’s definitely worth trying. too.

I still suffer and I have a 23 Yr old, 19 Yr old and 9 Yr old.
Run down, tired, cranky, constant colds etc. I realised I have to put myself first otherwise noone else will. Started eating better, going to the gym (only on the treadmill but it gives me 30 mins break) and actually showering and brushing my teeth. I have had medication at times but tbh, when I started not giving a fuck and looking after me, I felt 100% better.
I also went NC with all the mood hoovers in my life as I didn't need emotional vampires and I came off fbook.

I am in a better place, not 100% but less burnout. Oh and I told DH either help out or move out, he now does around 40-50% of house chores (often without asking if I want help) so progress there too.

Snapping at DH and blaming him for every little thing, hours and hours googling why my child doesn't sleep or eat. Endless scrolling on my phone trying to ignore everyone as much as possible. Decision fatigue and can't bare to hold a conversation.

Have you had your iron levels checked? I thought I had mum burn out but at least 75% of the feeling was my low iron. Now I’m on an iron supplement it’s definitely a lot better. I wasn’t just tired, I was getting a lot of headaches and brain fog and angry at DD too.

Single parent to twins, my first burnout came when they was 2 I was literally exhausted, had one who constantly wanted my attention and completely stopped having naps at 10 months was he was also really tired and one who would sleep like a newborn awake every 2 hours.
I just snapped one day when they both had d&v, at 3 am they were both up vomiting all over me their cots and my bed, it was the final straw and wanted to take my own life just to get away from them, fortunately a friend saw I was struggling and called my health visitor within a week she had them placed in nursery and I found myself a job and got back to being myself.

Right now I feel as though I’m getting back to that point again, not wanting to take my life but just feeling really overwhelmed, we’re now at a different stage they’re starting secondary school this year I work full time have major mum guilt about not doing enough, yet know I’m doing too much.
One still wants my attention all the time, never gives up asking for stuff and the other still sleeps like a newborn😩 I’ve been sick for about a month as have no time to rest my house is a complete state and I just want to sleep life is genuinely hard sometimes.

I hear you, it’s totally exhausting & draining. Everything seems an effort. I got very desperate with the lack of sleep about 8 months so did a few months of putting a bottle of formula in the cot for overnight. Got me through until they started sleeping through.

Burnout for me feels like I'm not only
Coming down with an illness but fucking miserable and hopeless too

My children both sleep now, neither did the "sleep through at six weeks" thing but both were under just under one, I still feel burnt out. I'm shouty, tired and constantly ill. The same thing happened with first baby, I ended up with infections and five sets of antiobiotics in a year, hair was shedding like a cat. I can't stand noise and I can't concentrate. Guided meditation helps, and iron tablets, get your serum ferritin levels (iron store) checked if you are feeling exhausted, even sub-clinical levels can make you feel wiped out.