How do you manage this as a single parent?

[UsefulSilver]

So viewing this as a single parent to be, how do you deal with changing nappies 24/7 for the first couple of weeks or so. Looking in books is says that it's approximately every 2 hours in a 24 hour period, and throughout the night. So how do you manage to get sleep if it's just you whilst still doing nappy changes every 2 hours or so?

Is it a case with absorbent nappies that it can be missed here and there without it becoming a problem?

Batch cooking towards the end of pregnancy helped immensely.
There’s times when you might not be able to cook especially if you end up having a c-section. Those portions you’ve frozen will be a live saver.

I do understand your concerns though around waking now I’ve slept on it. At times because of my depression I have slept through alsorts. If this is your issue, could you get someone to stay with you for some extra support? Tbh I would be looking at this anyway. Even if it’s a couple of hours a week to help you will make a huge difference.

You might be worrying about nothing though and have a baby that’s a breeze to deal with. My girls where.

Try going on the 'normal' parenting bit for advice about everyday baby care. Doesn't really matter if you're single or not in terms if what the baby needs at different stages. Do ask your midwife or health visitor for support as you do sound rather young / uninformed.

The baby teaches you what it needs very quickly and very efficiently. Don’t stress about it in advance.

Change them less often. Keep things within reach of your bed and learn to do things in semi-sleep.

Sometimes you can change the nappy 3 times in a row (babies love to dirty a nice clean nappy and often soil the nappy as they’re feeding, then waking themselves up and creating a whole new cycle of changing them and feeding them again). But generally the nappy changes aren’t really a problem, you just need to sleep as much as you can but accept it will only be in blocks of a few hours. If you’re lucky your baby will quickly go back to sleep in the night once fed and changed and then you can too.

Never wake a sleeping baby. Once they wake and scream for food. Feed and Change nappy if necessary and then all go back to sleep . Rinse and repeat every few hours

It's really easy. Get an ENORMOUS water bottle for you.
A handful of nappies, nappy bags and whatever you're cleaning baby's bum with (cotton wool and water to start with)
A couple of spare baby grows
A towel.
Most of it can usually all get stuffed into a basket which lives on the floor under baby's sleeping space.

Baby cries and wakes you
You sit up in bed.
Put baby on boob
Feed baby until they inevitably poop mid feed (mine always did!)
Put towel on bed
Change nappy and seal in nappy bag. (Hopefully outfit doesn't need changing but babies are pickles like this!)
Pop bag on floor under baby's sleeper along with the changing basket and towel
Back on boob
Feed to sleep (drinking your water as required!)
Go back to sleep.

Note how I literally don't get off my arse, out from under the covers or generally inconvenience myself!!! Maximum sleep, minimum effort!

Do you have any family support who can come round during the daytime to help out and let you catch up with sleep or shower?

Let them in - give them baby - tell them to wake you up if baby needs a feed - then take yourself off to bed and sleep? If baby needs a feed - feed and give baby back to them to deal with change etc.

All babies are totally different so it's hard to advise an exact schedule or prepare you for it.
Nappy changing isn't a big deal and takes a very small amount of time. You might find your baby sleeps through and it won't be an issues, or it might be the opposite. My HV told me to only change the dirty nappies during the night, which is what we did and the nappies never leaked and baby was clean and happy.
Try not to worry about it as nappy changing will become second nature! You'll find your own routine and life hacks when it all happens!

You won't get into a deep enough sleep to sleep through the baby sleeping.
Feed when baby needs it and not every 4 hours, on demand is better.
I've been a single mum of two who are 11 months apart. The first 3 months was hell with sleep deprivation. 1 baby will be easy enough. Rest when you can and just follow babies cues