Have I lost my mind since I've had children?

[accessorizewithbabysick]

I have two ds's 3.3 & 3 months, and for some years now I don't seem to have a brain. I have just burst into hysterical tears in front of dp because I couldn't decide how to organise some shelves. We've lived in this house for nearly 3 years and I haven't managed to buy curtains for any of the rooms. I can't seem to plan a menu. I need a new changing bag and after several hours of research am now looking at the same bags again. It often takes me weeks to put an order in on a website (for nappies etc). I get woolly about paint colours and storage and stupid things that should be on the periphery of my life not the centre. I have gone from being a very confident and competent person at my job to...woolly. I go round in circles, I forget stuff, I can't make decisions and I just can't think straight about anything. I am bfing now but surely that can be no excuse for being a big woolly sheep about everything??? My dp is looking at some sort of MBO package worth half a million and he's having to listen to me crap on about shelves. Is there any hope for me??? Help!!!

www.Flylady.com?

Personally, I think my brain functions improve a lot when I have managed a good sleep several nights in a row.

I think that going from one child to two is really quite hard, and i definitely went insane for quite a while, especially when pg with dd2, and for the first 6 months of her life. I think you sound pretty normal, just knackered and living with 2 really small people. It does get easier, they start to sleep, and need less intense attention, and you can start to do things for yourself, have a bit of time to yourself, which tends to put other things into perspective, like paint colours and shelves.

But, if you're bursting into tears because you feel like you're not coping, or you feel depressed, then that's different and you could talk to your gp?

Does sound like baby crazies though, i look at people with more than 2 children with total admiration and awe.

yes, having childen destroys your braincells. Whenever i am asked to use mine i say i only have two left - one to remember my name and the other to remember where i live!
I think it's the non-stop stress, it makes you stupid.

You're not alone, but what is MBO?

Chandra, totally agree re: sleep deprivation. Nothing worse. Turns me into an irritable waste of space who can't think straight.

MBO is something that people with brain cells do

Wasn't aware that I had no brain cells but what the f*ck (I seem to have coped OK with shelves up until now so maybe I just need to shuffle along now). Just trying to be hepful

No there is no hope for you as you now have to think for three/four people. as someone who could barely take care of themselves before children this has come as a shock I have yet to deal with(after 7 years!!)You have to feed people at least three times a day (if breastfeeding this could be 20 times a day ), provide around 30 items of clean clothing a day and that's before any unexpected demands-entertainment,outings, sex etc.
Where did you find time for shelves/bags/curtains??

Don't be silly, you haven't lost your mind! You've lost you independence, your love of spending money on yourself and your ability to keep you eyes open after 9pm too!

Ooh, thanks for all the reassurance, I feel better but also worse as I am actually getting quite a lot of sleep. DS2 sleeps from 8-6, sometimes longer, so I've no complaints on that score. But neither of the boys nap, so it's go go go all day long. I just wish I could concentrate on one thing at a time, it's so frustrating. And I can't even decide where to go out for a day, I start calculating feeds and snack stops and dp has to intervene!
Chandra, doesn't flylady just talk about housework, I have had a look & tried it out but can't focus for more than a week!

Just because you sleep all night doesn't mean you don't have the right to be tired hun! My dd is 11 and I still struggle to make it til 10!

accessorizewithbabysick... firstly I think you have got THE best name on MN!

secondly, what you are going through sounds like I was for the first six months of DD2's life. I'm still a bit like it now but it is getting better. It now only takes me little more than a month to get organised enough to order nappies online. Poor DD2 is waddling around in size 5 napiies when she's only size 3s!

Life with two is utterly relentless but it does get easier, I promise.

Haven;t read thread but in response to thread title:

No. You lost your mind about 9 monhs before you had children.

Sweetheart I feel for you and totally empathise!
I am often heard to explain my total ineptitude by teling people I lost a quarter of my brain with each child...I have four LOs

It's good to know I haven't just become stupid overnight (or indeed about 12 and a half months ago when I conceived ds2...). I was always known as the most organised of my friends, and they (and my family) still count on me to remind them bout birthdays etc. I find it hard to be perceived as scatterbrained now!
Pennies, aw shucks. I used to be accessorizequeen but no point in accessories now that my baby throws up on me several times a day! And I am still needing to order more wraps, nappies etc, I check all the sites 3 times a week but never order anything.