How to make myself dinner?

[sleepylion]

I have lost all patience and am desperate for advice,

My 8 week old daughter is an angel. She even sleeps 8 hours with one break for feeding, without tears in the night.

But as a sinlge mother I am finding it impossible to cook for myself anymore. She needs full on attention and affection between 6 and 9. I gradually drain myself of all my energy reserves and often end up going without dinner. Even when I know she's tired I just cant get her to sleep, unless I leave her screaming for 15 minutes.

That scares me, as I feel her distress, and worry about her overheating from crying - she really works up a sweat. I love her so much and can't bear to hear her go through that, but what else can I do? If I carry on like this I'll waste away.

I really need some help.

Please! anyone?!

I don't know why but they all seem to get grizley at this time of day. how about you have your main big meal at lunchtime? Or cook at lunchtime so you just have to heat it at dinner time?
A sling is great to keep he quiet and let you get on.
somebody will be along with more advice soon.

Microwave dinners can be a godsend! Or eat earlier if you really want to cook things yourself. Beans on toast doesn't take too much cooking either. Just go for teh easy option, it's not forever.

I remember this. Not finding time to make myself a meal. I went down to 7 and half stone by the time DD was 2 months old. You need to eat to keep your strength up. I lived on jacket pots etc. It will get easier.

I couldnt agree more, justabouttohave.

Hang in there, you're at the worst part! Things will improve in a few weeks.

You're doing great just to be eating regularly at all!!

'Dinner' was often a bowl of cornflakes around here during the newborn stage.

It's crazy time.
My two both had it, and I don;t know of a friend whose DC's hasn;t had it either, at least one hour of grizzling, normally before bedtime.
Have you tried changing her routine? When is bathtime..is there a set bathtime?
Also baby massage could be good for her, if she was to have a massage she'd probably be chilled for a little while.
Failing that, use a sling or eat at a different time.

also, visit the tin aisle in your local shop, particularly if you don't have a large freezer.

go for some of those Uncle Bens packets of rice or couscous. Just in a tin of tomatoes, a tin of tuna and sprinkle with pepper and salt.

voila, dinner's ready!

def cook at lunch, or once she is asleep. you could make a big batch of something like lasagne and freeze it then all you have to do is reheat.

def try a sling aswell.

It's only early days yet. of course you won't feel like cooking in the evening after a long hard day when both of you are grizzly.

Like others have said - do something simple.
Don't expect that you'll be able to cook in the evening for at least another month or two. I didn't till baby was 3 months old with dh helping me with everything.

Keep lots of fruit. grab a banana or two. Get shopping delivered.

You're doing fine.

Would it work to roast a joint, then carve it into slices, so you could pick at the cold meat one handed for the next couple of days?

My friend often ate lunch at baby group - the baby got distracted with the other babies so the mum had her hands free.

dried fruit, nuts, breadsticks, oatcakes, cheese, yoghurt in a squeezy tube, microwave popcorn, lots of bread with butter and jam.

stuff you can eat on the fly is the way to go.

A sling worked for me, used to cook wearing DS in a sling. Once he was asleep, I could stop moving about and sit down and eat with him in the sling. Didn't get food on his head very often

Definitely prepare your main meal at lunch time when you have more energy. Baby sling or bouncer will be fine whilst you do this. Then sandwich for dinner, or something similar. That way you're not hungry and grumpy at dc's bed time, which will affect her ability to settle if she can detect that 'vibe' in you.

Also, try some of that 'dolphin' or 'pipe' music stuff. I always thought it was totally w*nky, but it is actually so soothing ... for you and baby. Hope you find some peace.

Oh, I remember that stage.
It will pass
You sound like such a devoted mum.

Can you make up some lasagne, risotto, soup, whatever, and put them in the freezer in individual portions?

I often do up a big old vat of brown rice. It keeps for a few days, and reheats very well. I pop in some of those steam fresh veg, and that is a satisfying (to me) and very nutritious meal. Brown rice has tons of B Vitamins which are good for energy.

It will pass
Take Care

Batch cook and freeze a load of meals.

Or get a slow cooker. Bung everything in in the morning (e.g ingredients you'd normally put in chilli/bolognesese/whatever) and then it'll be ready whenever you are !

I'm a single mum too and at that stage my DS was exactly the same. Like other people have said, I ate at lunchtime and then made myself a sandwich around 5ish and ate it with one hand at some point between 6 and 9.

It gets loads better really soon. I don't know why they all go through that stage - I remember being really pissed off when he wailed all through my favourite telly

Oh I remember those days...it does get easier. Pasta (angel hair, cooks in 4 mins) with pesto sauce with cherry toms was my staple for what seemed like ages. Agree with the batch cooking & freezing. I used to make a huge batch of hoummous and snack on it during the week...hoummous with bread sticks, carrot sticks, celery sticks, pitta bread etc. Microwaved jacket potatoes, admittedly not the nicest, but very quick & easy with beans, cheese etc.

Hi
My son is four and a half and over the last few years I have lost interest in cooking for myself (but not eating!). Basically he eats at 5.30 ish and I'm not really hungry then and don't really like the same foods as him (sausages and beans etc). But I often pick at food or eat with him and then am not hungry or can't be bothered to cook another meal later. So I just eat toast, biscuits. It's awful, I used to eat really healthily up until about 2 years ago.