What my typical day with a newborn is like

I want to start this post by being thankful for three things:

First, that I was blessed with a perfectly healthy, happy, beautiful, perfect single little girl. I do not know how mothers of sick kids or multiples do it, but they are beautiful wonderful people and if you know a mother like this you should hug and admire her every day.

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Second, that I have a supportive husband who was able to stay at home with us for the first two weeks. I do not know how single moms do it, and if you know a single mom you should hug and admire her every day.

Third, that I work for an amazing progressive company that offers 12 weeks of paid maternity leave in a state and country where that is pretty much unheard of. Even though I miss my work and adult interaction and 12 weeks sounds like a long time, I do not know how I could give my tiny, needy, defenseless little human to someone else right now.

That being said.

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I. Am. So. Tired.

The hard thing with a newborn is the inconsistent, interrupted sleep. She’s almost three weeks old. So I have not slept for more than two, maybe three hours at a time for almost three weeks.

I used to think it was my super power that I could fall asleep deeply and quickly very easily. I’m the oldest of a large family so I’m used to a lot of background noise. I even enjoy having commotion around when I sleep.

It must be some sort of adaptation because I also need a lot of sleep. I am happiest with 9-10 hours a night. I also found when I was training for endurance races I could use some bonus nap time, too.

But biology has a way and some how I’m not a walking zombie after three weeks of this; I’m even quasi functional early in the day.

Our day

1 am – Get up and eat. Maybe go back to bed?

4 am – If we had any chance if getting back to bed the first time (some nights are better than others), it’s time to get up again.

6 am – Wonder if it’s better to give up on bed entirely. Bring the baby into the bed to see if that will calm her down.

7 am – Go make 10 cups of coffee. Listen to my husband grumble about how tired he is because he had to sleep through my singing lullabies to the baby desperately trying to get her to go back to sleep.

9 am – Realize in the two hours I spent making coffee and taking the dogs out and feeding the baby I lost my chance to take a shower before my husband has to leave for work.

12 pm – Felicity finally sleeps … In the morning … So I do the laundry of all the things that she leaked on in the previous 24 hours.

2 pm – I start to take a nap right as she wakes up for second lunch.

3 pm – Tony comes home and goes to take a nap. It’s time for Felicity to eat again.

6 pm – Realize we never went for a walk today. Cry at the thought if doing anything other than napping.

8 pm – Feed Felicity. Watch TV. Put her to bed.

Midnight – Wake up for the first night feeding and pray it only lasts an hour.

I don’t know how celebrities get their bodies back in a few weeks. I might be 20 lbs. lighter but the weights on my eyelids are killing me right now.

Pattie Reaves

About Pattie Reaves

I'm a new mom and renegade fitness blogger at After the Couch. I live in Brewer with my husband, Tony, our daughter Felicity, and our two pugs, Georgia and Scoop.