Having a bad mummy day

[Moorhen]

Dunno what's wrong with me. Am probably being a PFB idiot.

DS 14 weeks old, normally lovely, happy, smiley little boy who only cries when hungry or tired. Doesn't sleep much, but otherwise a delight.

But the last two weeks he's been waking at 4 or 5 and refusing to go back to sleep. I am shattered, can see my patience eroding and have been so tired I've woken up actually disliking him. The guilt of this makes me feel awful.

Have also joined lots of things, so making friends and have pretty full life. BUT today am now worried that am doing too much and dragging DS along with me. He's really happy to see people but doesn't show much interest in toys - maybe I should be doing more playing at home? Is it bad that we're out all the time because I'm bored at home too much when just me and him?

Do 14 week old children play? I would make the most of NOW when you can drag him around, and he's still portable! Can't he come into bed with you early in the morning, he may drop off again. Perhaps his teeth are coming through?
Don't worry about going out! Why stay in and be miserable?

I think it's perfectly normal to feel a twinge of fury on being woken from sleep at an indecently early hour. Don't beat yourself up about that.

Other than that, ditto everything Doubletop said.

its all normal. and your knackered. but staying indoors is depressing.
I needed to get out , even for an afternoon at this age. just to chat to other mums, and not look at the mess at home.

in fact, as your tired, leave the mess for a while. sit down , have a cup of tea and choccy biccy.

i quite disliked my children as well at times. thats normal too.................................two of them are teenagers, I still feel that way at times. and so do they.

I may get called a 'dick' , by a grounded teenager, and the only difference from when they were babies is at the moment, I am sleeping.

welcome to the world of parenting, keep applying moisturuiser, as its all very ageing.
LOL
sarah

Of course you're not an idiot, Moorhen. It's hard being a new mum and you lo is still quite young. Don't feel guilty at disliking him - you're just tired and fed up, and we've all been there. Babies that age go through all sorts of phases but they don't last - honest. Next week he'll probably be doing something else to annoy you / worry you / tire you out.
Don't worry that he's not playing with toys much - that will come later. Take it a day at a time, and if you feel like going out an socialising, do it. If you feel like a break, stay at home. When my DS1 was born, I was bored stiff staying at home for the first few months and I now wish I'd joined up for more stuff.

Sleep deprivation is a form of torture, and it's completely normal to resent the cause of it! Sounds to me like these troubles are linked to just being knackered. Most sleep problems resolve over time and I'm sure you'll feel loads better then.

IMHO, happy mummy = happy baby, so if getting out and about makes you happy, then your baby can only benefit. He will be stimulated by the different faces and environments and learning important social skills. However, if you're going out because you just can't face being in the house, ever, then you might be suffering with a touch of depression? I say this because I found myself doing this after DS2 was born. It was just making us all more tired so I tried to balance a quiet morning in with a nice social afternoon, or vice versa, and found that we all seemed much more settled.

Don't worry about toys at 14 weeks - neither of mine showed any major interest until about 6 months! They were quite happy playing with their hands and feet until then.

Hope the sleep thing sorts itself out soon, good luck

Thank you all, feeling miles better for that. Glad to know the toy thing's normal - that's the worst of being a new mum in a family with no babies, I don't know anything about them so no idea what's normal...

Took DS into bed with me at seven this morning (he went back to sleep at four! ) and we dozed till eight, so also less tortured.

All in all today looks like being better. Thank you again, lifesavers.