No Rest for the Mommy

I'm over at 5 Minutes for Parenting today, hitting the wall. It's time for me to get serious about teaching Teyla how to sleep through the night. She needs to learn to self-soothe, to use the modern vernacular. But such a process takes a tremendous amount of energy from me, and it's daunting to tackle a task that you know will make you more exhausted before it gets better.

But so be it. It's motherhood. This is why we get paid the big bucks.

Oh. ... Wait.

Never mind.

But I'll do it anyway.

And while I hate to load up your feed reader, I'll be posting later today here at Love Well, because today is Connor's fifth birthday, and I have a mind to share his birth story. (Which is like crack for us mommies, isn't it? I can't turn away from a good birth story. Can. Not.)

Here's a teaser: The hospital where Connor was born doesn't do epidurals.

See you in a bit. If that doesn't scare you away.
Posted by Kelly @ Love Well on Wednesday, October 15, 2008

12 comments:

  1. Julie in LawWednesday, October 15, 2008 12:53:00 PM

    Don't hate me because I am beautiful and my gift for Connor is late.

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  2. Ashleigh BakerWednesday, October 15, 2008 5:05:00 PM

    Birth story? Did someone say birth story? Natural birth story at that? I'll come runnin'!

    And as for Teyla and the sleep deal--you need to run, don't walk, to the nearest book store and pick up a copy of "The Sleepeasy Solution." It is the gentlest self-soothing "method" I've found (believe me, I've read them ALL) and solved our sleep problems 100% in less than a week. Went from two kids up several times a night--to two kids sleeping through the night easily and taking 1-2 naps a day. We say it's like there's magic in the book itself. :)

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  3. Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba)Wednesday, October 15, 2008 6:20:00 PM

    I've not ever given birth, but I love me some birth stories, too... Happy birthday to your little one. :)

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  4. a Tonggu MommaWednesday, October 15, 2008 7:15:00 PM

    I didn't have an epidural either. Oh wait,that's right -- I adopted.

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  5. Lisa SpenceWednesday, October 15, 2008 7:16:00 PM

    What?! No epidural? Surely you jest! Epidurals are like manna from heaven...

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  6. MichelleWednesday, October 15, 2008 8:25:00 PM

    I love birth stories, all kinds. In fact, I was just thinking about posting my own children's birth stories soon...Hmmm. I'll look forward to reading yours.

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  7. Beachy MimiThursday, October 16, 2008 4:58:00 AM

    Love birth stories. Happy Birthday to Connor. I still think that Teyla is cute as a bug, even if she doesn't sleep.
    Blessings

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  8. LorieThursday, October 16, 2008 8:37:00 AM

    I feel your pain! My daughter JUST started sleeping through the night. It is what she gave me for her birthday!!

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  9. Diane MeyerThursday, October 16, 2008 9:04:00 AM

    After you teach Teyla to sleep through the night, will you come and teach me?
    Thanks in advance,
    Diane

    ReplyDelete
  10. jenniferThursday, October 16, 2008 11:12:00 AM

    NO EPIDURALS?????

    I don't know if it is safe for a woman in her 34th week of pregnancy to that post!

    ReplyDelete
  11. LisaThursday, October 16, 2008 12:16:00 PM

    Kelly, this book by Dr. Weissbluth changed my life when my 2nd child was born.

    http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp/0449004023

    I had a one year old, ONE! that was still waking in the night, wouldn't nap etc. I vowed that #2 would sleep. I met the author while I was in the hospital and like him so much I switched to him as my pediatrician.

    Ever since reading his book, I used it on my other 3 children who, beginning at about age 4 months and continuing until now, lay down in there beds and go right to sleep. They were always laid down in their beds for naps awake and all were excellent nappers, all of them but the youngest napping until 4 years old.

    I know you will get a lot of recommendations and advice, but this worked for me and really saved my sanity I think. I hope and pray you find something equally as helpful to you because babies need rest and we mothers need them to rest. Good luck!

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  12. CarolynThursday, October 16, 2008 4:54:00 PM

    You're right; birth stories are like drugs! I never thought of it that way! But I can't turn a good one down and you better believe I'll come running back tomorrow to devour yours.

    I hope everything goes well with the sleep training. That's way tough. When I undertook that monumental task, it was my own impatience that slowed me down. I was just too tired to think straight, too tired to do anything but nurse and nurse and nurse again. The worse was when I started to fall asleep nursing. Coming briefly to consciousness in sweet-smelling mom arms, right in front of dinner was just too much of a temptation for my little guy. He surfaced a LOT more often when I was too impatient to finish him and get myself to my own bed.

    ReplyDelete

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