Sleep when they sleep= ha ha!

[BibBabBob]

Just need a rant. Is the most unhelpful advice "sleep when baby sleeps"? 1) he doesn't sleep for more than 30-45 mins at a time 2) there are about a billion things that need doing around the house in particular ds and myself need clothes to wear.

Absolutely. Nice idea but it never worked for me. My sympathies!

Absolutely. Nice idea but it never worked for me. My sympathies!

Absolutely. Nice idea but it never worked for me. My sympathies!

yikes, obviously I'm feeling VERY sympathetic LOL!

I never seemed to manage this one either!

Agree. Always used dd's nap time to go to the loo, eat, catch up on chores - basically whirl around like a dervish. And dd was an atrocious sleeper who did not sleep through until 18 months ...

Yep! dd only slept when moving in the pram or car, or when she was in my arms (not including in my arms while I was lying sideways on the bed - that wasn't good enough!). And now I have ds - who takes lovely long naps. But dd can only bear to let me sleep for 10 minutes max before bouncing on me.

I found this advice really unhelpful too seeing as I had a 6 yr old when dd was born so obviously had the school run just generally getting on with life, cooking, cleaning and getting out of the house when possible.

Yup - tis pure madness! With #1... she didn't sleep! 45 mins in morning, and 45 mins in afternoon if I was lucky from day one - and again, I used that time to do little things like get clean, eat etc.

This time... not got the baby yet, but seeing as DD is about, I don't see much sleepin going on.

up until 2 weeks ago my ds 14months old was sleeping hour in morn and hour in aftnoon, id rush and do jobs in morning sleep then have lunch and half hour doze in aftnoon sleep as he up every hour at nite. sadly for me his sleep pattern has changed and now has one long sleep between 11 and 1, im back to work next week and finish at 1 so bang goes my siesta!

DH can put a load of washing on at night surely

the house can go hang... its unimportant

and a cat-nap does you a power of good

his sleep will lengthen no doubt

agree with twiglet, i was always a stickler for a sparkling home with no dust. i dont dust from one week to the next now and it collects but if you dont look too hard you dont notice it!

My house was a state from day one... I never spent my time doing household chores, but still I had things that needed doing during nap time.

For some reason less things seem need doing now that I am pregnant and DD is occasionally having sleeps in the afternoon, and I am passing out with her!!!

Now trying to work out what I was doing... I originally thought it was getting myself sorted out etc, but I didn't - I had a bath every morning with DD in bouncy chair/cushioned baby bath with me, we got dressed together. Eating - I remember being a dab hand at eating one handed with baby on breast, so not that... no idea!!!

DS1 had silent reflux and neither slept or stopped crying (longest sleep ever day or night was 3 1/2 hours one afternoon just after his 8 weeks jab while high on calpol!) and yes, sleep when baby sleeps was very unhelpful advice! And of course when baby no 2 turned up I had DS1 toddler racing around and besides No2 didn't sleep either!!!!

But have to say with No 3 when the others are at school, I do manage to nap if I am tired (he is a better sleeper) but yes, you are right, if I do that nothing else gets done.

It's intended to be helpful though, to encourage tired and stressed new mothers to put themselves first, not the housework (and it is meant to be justification for anyone else who might expect you to get on with the chores). When ds was newborn I didn't have any other children to worry about and often used to do this. Or read a book, get myself a cup of tea, whatever I fancied!

I found this one invaluable actually. The babies sleep for much longer if mummy is sleeping next to them!

I used to lie down for thier long nap with them for around 2 hours and it made me feel human again.

I used to do housework etc when they were awake - I never found it hard work looking after them awake until they were about 18 months and constantly drag you up to play with them

I even managed to get my second baby to organise his sleep time for the afternoon when DD was at nursery for 3 hours so that we could snuggle up together

I know its only intended to be helpful advice and I do take the opportunity to at least put my feet up occasionally.
The other piece of frustrating advice that gets dished out is "can you ask family to help" NO coz they all live 200 miles away!

I hate this piece of advice and agree that HV tend to look at you as if its all your fault that you're exhausted cos you don't sleep when baby does. well excuse me for not being a baby!Given that it takes me at least half an hour to drop off to sleep if he sleeps for 15 hrs in 3 sleeps/naps then I only have 13 1/2 hrs.

Ah yes that soudns great BUT

he needs food cooking, clothes washing, bottles sterilising, clothes dryin, toys cleaning, nursery hoovering.
I need clean clothes, food, showers, time to clena my teeth, go to the loo etc.
Oh and I also have a partner who I love very much. If I slept when the baby did I'd never see my husband!

I'm not massivly houseproud but there is a line - babies toys can't be covered in dried food going manky, likewise his highchair. he does need clean dry clothes to wear and food to be prepared for him. And I'm not that keen on him crawling around on a dirty floor as he puts everything into his mouth!

Yes try to take a bit of time to relax if you can - but sometimes its just plain impossible.

Dirt helps the digestion!! Well, thats what I keep telling myself!