Feeling like yourself after baby

[LivingOnCoffee567]

I have a very active and demanding 13 month old. Love her to bits but she still doesn't quite sleep through the night (wakes once a night, but a lot more if teething or sick) so I haven't had a regular 8 hour sleep since I got pregnant. We're on holiday now so sleep is even worse.

In the day she is just go go go. Happy but so so active and easily bored. Doesn't speak yet but a good eater and was very early walking (10 months (!!!!) although only perfected it recently) so no health concerns. I had a horrible horrible pregnancy as well and I'm still feeling some of the side effects, physio isn't helping (PGP). I can't even go for a walk to clear my head as it's too painful (walks, running and hiking used to be my thing).

So just that. When did you start feeling a bit more like yourself again? When did life feel a bit less chaotic and sleep deprived?

I just feel like I'm in survival mode every single day.

That's a very long time without a decent night's sleep. I'm sorry OP. It's really, really hard. My DD had lots of long, colicky screaming fits in her first three months and I felt I was losing my sanity, but she slept fairly well after that.

According to my mum, I was well past my first birthday when I finally slept through the night. I was born slightly premature and weighed less than 5lbs.

You've done the hardest part, so hang on in there. It will get easier. One phrase about the early years which really resonated with me was, "the days are long , but the years are short". It's so true.

When I went back to work and could book days off on nursery days.

Then again at 3yo when DC regularly slept through.

Again when DC started school and I could organise work to have regular time to myself.

Ooh I had horrendous PGP too, and a whole heap of other complications throughout pregnancy.

I only really started feeling like myself again after going on sertraline xxxx

It is a long time without a broken night, but it's also very normal, especially for families with multiple children. I would say your big issue is your physical health - I felt more like myself when they were weaned enough to go for an hour's run. Are you seeing a women's physio?

How about swimming, bobbing about in the water, a session in a hot tub, water is my therapy.
Are you getting a lay in each weekend? Would you consider sleep training? Are you up for meeting a friend one evening or do you something for yourself one weekend afternoon/morning?

I recommend an osteopath over a physio for pgp. Worked for me. All the best op

Fully recovered, feeling like a human again, 3 years, both times.
You're nearly there.

I do go swimming as it's the only sport i can do and tbh I hate it with a passion so I give up regularly.

Sleep training won't help - for the last 8 weeks she's had the flu, hand foot and mouth, a molar and an ear infection. Now we're on holiday and has terrible separation anxiety. And another molar is peaking through and she's pulling her ear relentlessly which means she's in pain.

I'm back at work so on paper I should be back to normal. I've forced myself to go out with friends and it's done nothing but harm. My friends don't have children so their life is totally alien to me and I spent the whole time thinking how little sleep I'm going to get tonight because I'm not going to bed early. She sleeps solidly 7.30 pm-1am (then wakes every 90 minutes) so any socialising in the evening takes away our only opportunity to sleep.

The reality is I am in constant pain and sleep deprivation.

Yeah tried it, it gives me relief for an hour and that's it. I've seen every specialist under the sun and paid a shit ton of money. Been told time and getting fit again will maybe sort it.