Hand hold please

[bakewellbride]

I am completely exhausted today and not coping. 3 year old was unwell last night so slept terribly. I'm just so tired and overwhelmed. Dh can't help as he is on night shifts.

My head hurts. My legs hurt. My mind is just all over the place. I've hidden and cried. I am not safe to drive so we will need to food shop by foot.

I'm just exhausted. No practical tips please just a hand hold. I've got my family nearby and just really need to catch a break.

I was meant to be running a half marathon soon but if I feel like this too many days in the run up I will have to drop out which is sad because that was my 'thing' outside of the kids that made me feel like me.

I haven't slept properly consistently for 3 years now and it's hard. Really hard.

No not my

I know you've said you don't want practical tips, so I won't suggest any. But just wanted to say I'm sorry you're feeling this way and that you're having such a difficult time, it does sound incredibly hard. I hope life becomes easier and more manageable for you at some stage soon

Thank you. Dd starts nursery in April and life will improve then. It's just hard in the here and now. And things are still significantly easier than when she was a baby and I had PND so at least there's that.

I can't imagine how difficult it must have been struggling with PND in the early stages on top of everything else, sounds like you're really in the thick of it at the moment and hopefully come April then you will see a massive shift. Really sounds like you've made it through some tough times already though so it's great that you have a light at the end of the tunnel. Hope the next few months go as well as possible for you

Thank you your comment has brought a tear to my eye xxx

Oh bless you, mine are all teens now but I remember the utter desperation of the sleepless early years. It is just awful, I remember it was almost a kind of terror, the having to keep going in the face of complete exhaustion. I really feel for you.

I'm sure you've heard it before and that logically you already know it, but there is no harm in repeating the mantra that this too shall pass, because it will. You don't mention if this is "normal" crap sleep with young kids, or if there are SEN issues at play, but even then, it is very likely to improve as your children get older.

I vividly remember almost that urgent need to be able to do certain things, to reclaim some life of my own, to not want everything to be dictated by motherhood and my lack of sleep. What I would say with hindsight is that I wish I had have cut myself more slack, and been more accepting of how things were at that point in time, and been patient with myself. The things you enjoy and that make you feel like you will all still be waiting for you when you emerge from the trenches of little children, and you'll value them all the more. Don't rush to out expectations on yourself if it ends up making you feel worse.

Thank you. Had a really difficult day today, struggling

I will join you in solidarity, my four year old was the same last night and the night before. It is just me and him in the house and, like you, no family nearby. Ours has been a long term thing too and is unlikely to resolve any time soon (disability related). Some days it's so hard just to keep your head above water isn't it, but we have done it. Another day is almost done.

Thanks, I was up 6 times last night and today just felt awful. Was out walking the dog and suddenly couldn't breathe properly, I got into such a panic and had to go home. I hate what sleep deprivation reduces me to. I should be training for my half marathon with a twinkle In my eye but instead I'm just like this it's awful.