When people say that you don’t get any sleep in the first few months of baby being at home, you think OK, I’ve had some pretty bad nights in my time, sure it’s going to be bad, but how hard can it be?
Last night was difficult, getting up every few hours for feeding and cares. At 3am I couldn’t take it anymore and ended up sleeping for most of the night, with Louise doing every shift and then sleeping a few hours this morning on the lounge.
We were both sleep deprived before Louise went into hospital, trying to finish up all our projects before the baby was born. Then Louise went into hospital early, which just made the sleep deprivation worse, because she wasn’t really sleeping, and I was trying to run the house as well as finish projects off. Then Molly arrived and went into the high dependency unit, which sucked up even more of our time, and Louise got discharged, which took up even more. Most peoples’ sleep deprivation begins on the day of the birth, usually with a long labour, and then a few days later when everyone goes home to 4th hourly cares. Our lives were screwed before we got anywhere near getting back home.
But we’re surviving. We had a community nurse come and visit for several hours today, giving advice to Louise and I, and a check up to Molly. Then we took her out in the car for her first outdoors pram ride, to the Bonds seconds factory to get a few extra necessary clothes, and then to good ol’ Marrickville Metro to get some extra cleaning products, and of course a cone.
On top of all that, I think we’re in the honeymoon period, as she rarely cries, and she pretty much feeds on schedule. I must say however that Louise’s sister’s lasagne was awesome.