Knackered Baby no 3 is 1 month old. On surface people think I'm doing a great job...

[parapluiepliant]

I'm not...
I'm knackered after a month of broken sleep.
DD is 6 DS is 8. I was out of the newborn territory and suddenly age 41 am finding I'm getting too ratty with the older ones - who are amazing with the baby.

BF baby and that's knackering third time round. Plus I want my old body back (I know/I know...!)

Hopefully this is after a particularly wakeful night.
Uuugh. Help! Any advice welcome x

I am right there with you. Three under 3, baby is 6 weeks and has finally submitted to sleeping in the crib for a few stretches in the night. Will only sleep in the sling or moving buggy during the day. Thank god DTS and DTD are in nursery 3 mornings.

As for advice:
Cleaner
very simple meals but lots of veg to keep energy up and hopefully fight any lurgy (I depress the kids getting ill hit dread me getting ill even more) preferably ones we can all eat
DH does all waking a for older kids and gets up with them in the morning. I get up 7.45 when he has to get ready (he showers at night and just has a shave in the morning)
Bed very early - even if I don't sleep, at least I'm resting. 8.30 last night
Load of washing every single day without fail, bedding changed at weekends so there is more likely to be time to get it washed and dried and put away
Am finding my sling a total lifesaver though. If baby is fractious, I just throw him in and he nods off fairly quickly.

I had a newborn at 41 and felt exactly like you, it is SUCH a shock going back to the sleepless nights etc. It will get better, you get used to things again. Your body will come back too, mine has! I never thought it would.

Remember you are doing a great job, people are saying that because is it true. It is just that it feels so hard. Hang on in there.

My number 3 is 8 months now and I swear it gets easier. First few months are always the worst but you will get there. Sleep whenever you can, get your DH to take the older two out for a few hours at the weekends so you can nap, go to bed early. Opposite of previous poster I conscioufly increased the processed food in our house to give myself a break. So once a week we have M&S ready meals/pizza express pizzas or even fish fingers for dinner. Other nights I use cheats like microwave rice, oven chips etc.

I found number 3 so easy (from around 4-5 months, not at first!) am contemplating another!

It will get easier!! If did for us. Was a hard few months, maybe even year. But now it's fab! And we're mad enough to be possibly about to attempt ttc number 4!!

I feel your pain! 42, 6-week old DC4 who awakes whenever he is put down and will only really sleep on me/in our bed (where I have to stop 3-yr-old DC3 gallumphing in and flattening him), DH out 6am-8pm. I am massively cheating with frozen veg, going out as much as possible to hide from the mess and contemplating temporarily upping th cleaner from once a fortnight to once a week. Very grateful for school for dc1 & 2 (ages 8 & 5)

It can only get easier, right?

Is it any easier?

My dc3 is 1 month old...

IT gets much much easier, the first three months of DC3 was hard. Bedtimes were a nightmare, school run so stressful. Massive guilt about being a shit parent to the older two. The clouds then lifted, the baby bEcame more predictable I felt less edgy. We got our evenings back. A year later and I reckon we'll ho for number four! :)

An infant & bf after a long time is a huge shock. I have a 7 year gap & I found it staggering to go back to be, sleepless nights, huge body, and not a minute to myself! It does get better, but it does take its own time. I found that switching to formula (at 6 months) made a huge difference...feeding was easier & my body started returning to its earlier self gradually. Until then I was lost. Hang in there. It's all worth it in the end!

I found the first 6 months with 3 horrendous. I loved her dearly but if I could have gone back in time and not got pregnant in the first place I would have done!
It gets easier, she's 13 months now and I'm on top of things again. I've got all my little routines and things and we're doing well.
Be kind to yourself, and try to sleep when you can when the big ones are at school.

I've got DS 8 DS 6 and DD4 and it does get easier!!!!
DS6 is quite disabled so we still don't get full night sleep and it's a bit like still having a baby.
I'm 40 next year and I just couldn't consider another child!!!!

Everyone reckons 6 months is a bit of a magic point - I guess it means you can put them in the highchair to eat so more hands at mealtimes. I can't rush this lovely bit with a 6 weeker on my lap though..

Watching with interest. Am 33 weeks pregnant with dc3 and even though it was much wanted I'm
So scared (approaching 40). The pregnancy hasn't been easy and I'm already exhausted and the baby isn't even here yet. "it gets easier" will be my mantra!