Sleep tips for sleep-deprived Breastfeeding Mamas

Sleep is definitely one of those things which is in short supply when you have a new baby. Sleep deprivation really takes its toll and can leave you feeling pretty rotten.

All the advice you are likely to get from friends and well-meaning relatives is "Sleep when the Baby Sleeps"...

Ha, if only it were that easy! So if sleep is a longed-for luxury for you, here are a couple of tips to help you get some much needed rest...

Don't check the clock! 
When I had my first baby and he woke for a feed in the night, the first thing I would do is check the clock. I would feed him, check how long the feed had taken, then put him back to bed and worry about how few precious hours of sleep I would be able to snatch before he woke up for his next feed.

Gah!

That made me more stressed and made it even more difficult to fall asleep again after the feed.

Focussing *or obsessing in my case* about how little sleep I was getting just made me even more stressed and really highlighted to me how much time I was awake.

So, my advice is instead of focussing on how much time you have spent awake, do what you have to do, then go back to bed as quickly as possible!

I also found it really important to shift my expectations, and accept that as a new mum my sleep WOULD be more fragmented than it used to be, but found once I accepted that my sleep was going to broken for a while, I quickly become calmer and less stressed about it.

Take 20 minutes to yourself every day
As a new mum you will naturally have a lot of demands on your time, but the washing/cleaning/ironing/cooking/hoovering/phone calls will always be there!

You will just run yourself ragged trying to keep on top of everything, so it's important to just turn your back on the mess and the washing up and take some time for yourself. 20 minutes spent quietly by yourself relaxing whilst your baby naps, whether you are reading or just lying on the bed gives you a chance to clear your mind and come back to being a super-mummy slightly fresher than you were before!

If you have an elder child at home too, I found introducing some "Quiet Time" into their day really helped both of us. After lunch, Quiet Time was a chance for my kiddos to be quiet for a short time, playing, doing jigsaws or looking at books, giving us all a much needed time out before another busy afternoon!

Earplugs
I have a friend who swore by wearing her earplugs to bed every night. Apparently studies have shown that mothers of new babies wake approximately every few minutes to check on their baby, but don't really remember more than a handful of these times.

No wonder new mamas are exhausted.

So, even if it's only one night a week, go to bed early with your earplugs in and let dad bring the baby through to you for a breastfeed in the night. Undisturbed sleep = bliss.

Give Dad the first night-time feed
Once breastfeeding is established, you can express milk for the late night-time feed and go to bed early leaving your partner in charge of the late feed.

I used to pump just before going to bed at 8pm and slept through until the 2am feed!

*wooh*

Honestly, when you are really sleep-deprived that undisturbed stretch of deep sleep was just the thing I needed to get me through the next day! 

Accept all offers of help
Even if you're a real "coper", it makes such a difference to swallow your pride and accept any and all offers of help. A couple of hours rest in the middle of the day whilst a friend takes baby out for a walk in the pram will make you feel so much better. Another (very lucky!) friend of mine decamped to her mum's house with her new baby and slept and rested whilst her mum looked after her grandchild and generally pampered her new-mama daughter. Awww. 

Likewise as a new mum, all offers of helping with the cleaning, cooking a meal and babysitting should be grabbed with both hands.

Don't feel bad or guilty about this AT ALL! People love to feel useful, so they are making themselves feel good too. And they get to spend time with your gorgeous little one - who can resist a beautiful baby?

Would love to hear if you have any other fab tips to help new mums with getting more sleep!

Kirsten
xx