Mummy exhaustion and contact nap help!

[Forsythe88]

Hello everyone, hoping someone can help!
My girls are 22 months and 5 months. My biggest issue is I wake up every day feeling more tired than the evening before and it just builds and builds until I'm so exhausted I have no patience for my eldest. I have headaches every day from being so tired. She is slightly delayed in her development so isn't yet talking or spoon feeding herself and has yet to pass a hearing test. My youngest is EBF and I know that can make you tired but surely not to this level. They both sleep all night so it's not like I'm not getting any sleep. I have been taking a multivitamin which has helped take the edge of but I need to know how else I can help. My house is so very messy because I do not have any energy left after dealing with the kids to see to it.

My other issue is my youngest will only nap on me, any tips on how to stop this? I have tried the buggy but I have to rock it for 40+ minutes to get her to sleep 10/15 minutes and then she is over tired and grumpy thr rest of the day, when she naps on me she sleeps 1 or 2 hours.

Hi OP. Amazing that you have both children sleeping through the night!! and no, you should not be as tired as you describe. Probably low iron, so check your diet, up your iron through food or tablet and if it doesn't improve then ask for a blood test. Also, go to bed at same time each night and wake at same time in the morning.

Regarding your baby only napping on you, it's habit. You need to ease off little by little with the support you give her in falling asleep whilst still keeping some nap cues.
With both my boys, they mostly slept in their cot, the room was as dark as possible (black out curtains) and we used white noise. Also I'd say 'nap time', into sleeping bag and sing twinkle twinkle then light off. Suggest you do the above whilst she still sleeps on you for a few days so she's used to the nap cues. Then try to put her in her cot, after you've held her to sleep. She'll probs cry to begin with, but keep lights off, keep stroking and shushing her and hopefully she'll fall asleep. If she wakes shortly after, don't pick her up, keep shushing and patting. Read up on the 'ferber method'. it's a softer approach than total cry it out. It was a game changer for both mine. FYI My DS1 took 4.5 hours to go to sleep one night doing ferber whilst my other took 4 mins, you have to stick with it once you start though. Don't give up half way through as the baby will learn if they keep on crying enough they will get picked up. I knew I would cave, so |I got my husband to do it.

Once they know the cues, al I had to do was lights out, song and a back rub and they self settled for their nap/bedtime.