oh god I feel like I'm sinking

[daisygatsby]

DS5 and DD18mo. Both parents work outside the home.

My parents live in another country and DH about an hour away so not much in the way of nearby support. I dont have many friends here. Feel totally unsupported. Have lived abroad for ten years but now with kids am really missing not being able to call round to parents or old school friends.

DH is also studying part-time

The house is constantly a tip and there is just clutter everywhere.

I never get anytime to myself.
Work. Kids. Tidying. Laundry.

DD not a great sleeper so am exhausted most of the time.

Lots of shouting from me and DH.

Am miserable.

Want to crawl under a rock.

Ahhhh, I don't have any advice, but just wanted to send some sympathy. I used to feel it was like being on a merry go round, and I just wanted to get off for 5 minutes...

Do you have any spare cash in weekly budget? If so, how about a laundry service? I have treated myself (3 DC) to this sporadically, rather than a cleaner, as did not want to 'clean for the cleaner', and it saved my mental health.

Also, can you sort out a babysitter - even if just to go to the cinema with DH? When first 1 DC little, we had no spare cash, and once eVery couple of weeks DH would come home at 6, and I would go to the library and just sit in peace and read a book. (Gaze into middle distance...)

Hope you feel better soon - it is a particularly hard stage sometimes - at least for me -- now they are 11,9 and 3, it feels easy in comparison to a 1 and 3 year old...

You poor thing! Lots of sympathy as I moved country when DS1 was two and left all my mummy friends behind and had to start all over again - that first few months was so bloody lonely

Agree with spending a bit of money (if you have it) on a cleaner or laundry service or babysitter, but preferably all three.

Could you parents come over for a week or two and give you and your DH a weekend off? Just going to a country house hotel or something and letting you sleep might help.

Alternatively, could you go and spend one night a week at the PILs to give you a break from the night waking? I have a friend who does this as she has two terrible sleepers and its the only way she can function. She gets on well with her PILs though - do you?