any advice for mama who is always tired?
ohheythatgirl
Posts: 34 Member
My dilemma is this: my 8 month old does not sleep through the night. As in, is up every hour to eat (I nurse him). During the day, when he takes a nap I am so exhausted that I must too take a nap. So I'm kind of in a pickle. Waking up before he does to exercise is pretty much an impossibility if I am to function and take care of him. The weather is getting nicer, which is a plus, so I can take him for walks (and then jogs, once I work up to that) but I don't seem to have the time for anything else. I'm ALWAYS tired! Either I don't have the time or when I do, I need it to catch a nap! Agh! Any other mamas figure out how to maximize their limited opportunities for working out when they are super exhausted?
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I know exactly what you are going through. I went through three same exact thing from the time I brought my Son home from the hospital, until he was about 18 months old. It was hard work!!!!I was so tired that I would fall asleep siting down at the table!! The only thing that I can tell you, it gets better... I know it seems endless right now. But as your baby grows, you'll be able to get more sleep.my Son is 9 yrs old now, and I put him in his bed at 9pm and don't see him or hear him again until it's time for school! Lol ! So it does get easier. I just wanted to let you know that I've been there, and it is exhausting work being a mom :-) make sure your eating enough, that's really important!! Is your diary open?0
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I can sympathize as well...my son would sleep maybe 3 hours at a time..
you are doing the right thing by napping when he does during the day.
At 8 months old tho you could find 10-20mins while he is in a swing or playing in a play pen to do a short video workout.
30DS is a good one or look on fitnessblender.com where they have them as short at 9mins...
But make sure you are drinking enough, eating enough and perhaps get your iron levels checked as well.0 -
I also sympathize. My second child did not sleep through the night until 18 months-- then 3 months later i got pregnant again. That baby is 25 months and I am stil tired. Juggling three kids, homeschooling, not napping, etc.
It does get better when they sleep through the night! Hold on until then. In the meantime, focus on what you can do- eating healthy, etc. the nicer weather will be better for walks. I personally joined a gym with childcare because i could not do it all. And i needed a break. And a shower
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At his age he should not need to eat at night, so he must be using you to fall back asleep. Suggest speaking with your pediatrician about sleep training. Once he can self sooth himself back to sleep you will be much better rested.0
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Perhaps look into kettlebells? You can get a pretty good full body workout with just one kb and a fairly good cardio workout at the same time. There are a lot of videos and posts online about how to use them and what moves to do with them. It might not give you a huge calorie burn but you should definitely see improvements in overall strength if you can find 15 minutes or so while baby is napping and chilling in a swing or something (I don't have kids, do they still sit in swings at 8 months?
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My son is 19 months and still not a good sleeper! I stay up until midnight because now I have a PT job in the evenings and it's the only time I get to see my husband. I'm averaging 5.5-6 hrs of interrupted sleep a night, sigh, but I am definitely going to try and start doing some workouts for part of his nap time at least! Sorry I never came back to post. Life got kind of rough for awhile there - but I'm back in the game now and while tired I'm feeling great! Now the weather just needs to cooperate! 0
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Have you tested your iron levels? That can make yu more tired. With your son now 19 months can a neighbour or friend watch him for an hour while you work out and then you swap?
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At his age he should not need to eat at night, so he must be using you to fall back asleep. Suggest speaking with your pediatrician about sleep training. Once he can self sooth himself back to sleep you will be much better rested.
This. My daughter is almost 8 months. A few weeks ago she went from waking once to waking 4-5 times a night. It was exhausting! Took us 3?nights of sleep training and now she sleeps from 7pm-9am! So much better for all of us
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There are several 30 day challenges out there. Try an ab one and a squat one and a leg one. Each of those challenges you can do in 5 - 10 minutes a day, any time any where.
or, like someone said, a 10 - 15 minute video. Don't even bother getting into workout clothes. 10 minutes, just do the 10 minute workout.
You'll be glad you did, and, when little one is sleeping more, you can do more if you want.
And don't be too hard on yourself! You've got a lot on your plate!0 -
At his age he should not need to eat at night, so he must be using you to fall back asleep. Suggest speaking with your pediatrician about sleep training. Once he can self sooth himself back to sleep you will be much better rested.
I have to strongly disagree with this. Some babies still need nutrition at night. Plus, not all parents and doctors agree with sleep training. The OP came on here for ideas for fitness, not for everyone to tell her what she should be diong with her baby's sleep habits.
I completely understand being exhausted. If you can though try to go out for walks. I did a ton of walking with my both my babies. I found that even if I was exhausted the fresh air was really refreshing. Not sure how cold it is where you are though.0 -
jessicasingh528 wrote: »At his age he should not need to eat at night, so he must be using you to fall back asleep. Suggest speaking with your pediatrician about sleep training. Once he can self sooth himself back to sleep you will be much better rested.
This. My daughter is almost 8 months. A few weeks ago she went from waking once to waking 4-5 times a night. It was exhausting! Took us 3?nights of sleep training and now she sleeps from 7pm-9am! So much better for all of us
Sleep training can be very hard, but it is worth it. I haven't had to do any sleep training yet, so I can't recommend a method, but there are several out there.
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Thanks ladies! I don't agree with sleep training personally which is why I never did it. My son still nurses, so I'm one of those semi crunchy people to each her own though, really. No judgment from me. I had iron and thyroid levels checked recently as well as A1C. Everything looked great. It's just exhaustion from sleep deprivation/interruption long term! But it's much better than before and I know it's not forever. It's been in the negative temps here recently but once it's warm enough to bundle up and not freeze I plan on going for walks. The nice thing though is we moved to a big, beautiful apartment complex in rennovated historic factory buildings so I take my son in the halls and let him run up and down - so I do get some walking in! I am focusing now on eating because my emotional eating got out of control during the "rough times" I mentioned, and I think that's more important at this time. Day 9 and I'm still doing well and I'm down 8 pounds. My energy levels have increased *somewhat* since then and I will tackle the "formal workout" issue later. I have free use of a gym right down the hall and I'm able to go Fri/sat/sun which works for our schedules. Wish I knew people or had friends here so we could swap babysitting time to workout but it hasn't happened yet! Thanks again for all suggestions! 0
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Can you try to take the baby with you to the gym in your building. Maybe let him hang out in his stroller? Also even if you get in 10 minutes at a stretch 3 times during the day that would count for something0
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Two words....
Sleep training
Good luck!!0 -
He would scream if I tried to keep him in the stroller for sure. But maybe if he fell asleep in the stroller I could do that. I'm not sure if that's allowed though; I would have to ask the building manager. That's a good idea!
I won't do sleep training, but thanks for the advice. 0 -
I find I have a lot more energy with I take a B12 complex supplement. My body requires 9-10 hours of sleep (I have an autoimmune disorder) and I've had better luck with it over a multivitamin. When my daughter was that age, we fed her cereal before bed and switched her to night time diapers to keep her drier and she slept longer. If hunger the only thing waking him? We had a musical bear attached to her crib. We always played it at bed and nap time. Often, when she would wake, she would turn the bear on by herself and be lulled back to sleep. It isn't exactly sleep training but worked for her. At 4, she still uses the bear.0
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Since you're nursing through the night are you co-sleeping? Then all you have to do is turn to the side, feed him, and even doze off while he sleeps0
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8 months was the worst time regarding sleep for all my kids (I have 3), so for now, honestly, I would say just forget it. Focus on counting calories to lose weight at a healthy pace, and wait until life gets back to normal to actually exercise. This phase shall pass. If you can get for a walk with baby great, if you can get to the gym for short periods of time, like half an hour, and do something not too demanding, again great. But sleep deprivation is taking a toll and you should nto ignore your body tellign you to sleep. Napping comes before exercise at this stage.
Oh, and if you are not cosleeping, I definitely suggest you give it a try. I would have dropped dead from exhaustion if I were not cosleeping.0 -
I can sympathize. My son didn't sleep through the night until he was 12 months old. Count the calories and don't worry about the exercise. Be more active in your everyday life. I couldn't squeeze the workout in for that first year but I parked further away, I took my little ones to the park, I read email standing up, I danced in the living room to make him laugh, I carried him everywhere. Sometimes I got to swim or walk a bit but the regular exercise just has to wait until you can make the time.
FYI if you try cosleeping as some have suggested please do it safely. It increases SIDs deaths dramatically and no amount of sleep is worth your baby's life.0 -
There are many methods of sleep training that do not require letting the baby "cry it out" if that is what you are concerned about. I haven't done sleep training yet, but a nurse recently spoke about this at a local mothers group I sometimes go to. She recommended the No-cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. I think the Happiest Baby on the Block also has some sleep training advice.
Teaching your child to sleep longer stretches through the night not only helps you get more sleep, but also helps your child sleep better. If babies don't sleep enough (and they need a lot of sleep) they get overtired which gets them wound up and cranky. Sleep also really helps with proper growth and development. Teaching good sleep habits is very important.
A babies ability to sleep through the night is not related to whether or not they are breastfed. As long as the baby is getting enough food they should be able to sleep through the night at 8 months.0 -
ohheythatgirl wrote: »My son is 19 months
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My son still nurses
Umm... OK. I think we found the problem here.0 -
Wow zipa, are you an expert on breast feeding? I didn't ask for your opinion on that, I asked for your opinion on some quick workouts etc on short time and limited opportunities.0
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Thanks all, I don't know when I asked for advice on how to get my son to sleep more, what I decide to do regarding that is up to me and my husband and what we think is best for our son. He does sleep with me, he doesn't wake up as often as he did before and things are getting better. He's a perfectly happy and healthy baby so I'm not concerned about his sleep habits. It's well within the range of what is normal. Including nursing at 19 months old.
Good luck with all of your health & fitness goals and I appreciate the (valid) input!0 -
There are many methods of sleep training that do not require letting the baby "cry it out" if that is what you are concerned about. I haven't done sleep training yet, but a nurse recently spoke about this at a local mothers group I sometimes go to. She recommended the No-cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. I think the Happiest Baby on the Block also has some sleep training advice.
Teaching your child to sleep longer stretches through the night not only helps you get more sleep, but also helps your child sleep better. If babies don't sleep enough (and they need a lot of sleep) they get overtired which gets them wound up and cranky. Sleep also really helps with proper growth and development. Teaching good sleep habits is very important.
A babies ability to sleep through the night is not related to whether or not they are breastfed. As long as the baby is getting enough food they should be able to sleep through the night at 8 months.
Oh wow I just realized that the OP is from last year...0 -
ohheythatgirl wrote: »Wow zipa, are you an expert on breast feeding?
No, but I can add two and two.0 -
What is that supposed to mean? If you're implying that I'm tired because he still nurses, yeah you're probably right. If you're implying that it's a problem that he's 19 months old and still nurses, I think you're pretty ignorant on the subject.0
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I'm glad things are getting better and you are getting more sleep. I love incorporating my toddler's weight into body weight exercises and he thinks its fun too. I put him on my back for pushups, on my hips for glute bridges and carry him/ put him on my shoulders for squats and lunges, hold him to my chest during good-mornings... I also swing him like a kettlebell (he LOVES this) and do over-head presses with him.
The best part - progressive increases in resistance are built in as he gets bigger.
I also think it's fair to adjust expectations when you are tired. On the hierarchy of needs I think sleep comes before exercise/ fitness and I hate all those memes and pressure to have no excuses! and get up before your kids do! Plus I do stupid things like stub my toes in the gym and trip and fall off treadmills when tired....
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ohheythatgirl wrote: »What is that supposed to mean? If you're implying that I'm tired because he still nurses, yeah you're probably right. If you're implying that it's a problem that he's 19 months old and still nurses, I think you're pretty ignorant on the subject.
Just trying to point out the contradiction here.
Now, as per your posts:
Problem: "mama is tired"
Cause: "My son still nurses"
So yeah, it seems to be a problem. Now, I don't know why you would nurse someone who is about to turn two, but that's not really any of my concern, so do as thou wilt...
When do you think that one should stop nursing then, and why?0 -
So I'm not supposed to nurse my son because I want to exercise? Should I have not nursed him at all because it was too taxing, and my exercise should come before his needs? It's not really a contradiction - it's a reason for being tired. I was looking for other women who had been in a similar situation who might have had some insight or tips on what worked for them.
I'm not sure when my son plans on weaning. Most babies do not self-wean before 2 - it's something that is initiated by their mother for whatever reason. That doesn't bother me, nor does using formula. My son isn't ready to give it up entirely - and trust me, I would be more than happy with the decision if he decided he was done and didn't need it anymore. It's about so much more than nutrition. I'm not sure where you're from, but in many areas of the world it's not something that's even given a second thought - yes, including "modern" areas of the world! Gasp! Breasts being used for their intended purpose is very shocking sometimes, I know.0 -
I'm glad things are getting better and you are getting more sleep. I love incorporating my toddler's weight into body weight exercises and he thinks its fun too. I put him on my back for pushups, on my hips for glute bridges and carry him/ put him on my shoulders for squats and lunges, hold him to my chest during good-mornings... I also swing him like a kettlebell (he LOVES this) and do over-head presses with him.
The best part - progressive increases in resistance are built in as he gets bigger.
I also think it's fair to adjust expectations when you are tired. On the hierarchy of needs I think sleep comes before exercise/ fitness and I hate all those memes and pressure to have no excuses! and get up before your kids do! Plus I do stupid things like stub my toes in the gym and trip and fall off treadmills when tired....
Thanks! I suppose I do this already, but less structured. I could definitely incorporate this into sets and whatnot. Using him like a kettlebell would be hilarious, I think he'd love that. If I got up before my son I'd be getting up at like 4am hahaha I'd be no good to anyone!0
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