The "S" word.....you know it, every parent knows it, and most of us don't get enough of it.......Sleep. Shhhhh don't say it so loud, your brain might hear you. Yes, Sleep......don't be dirty.
The lack of sleep doesn't just begin at the birth of a child, it begins during pregnancy. The aches and pains, 20 Lbs of baby resting of your bladder, not feeling well. It can all add up.....then when the end of pregnancy is in sight....WHAM! Labour. For some it can be a quick experience, and for others......hours and hours and for some mothers, days. "Try to sleep through it", you get the suggestion from the nurse, OBGYN, or midwife.
Sleep through my body clenching every muscle between my chest and my.....neither regions? Huh....not gonna happen! Oh and the sciatic nerve contractions.....that sends the pain shooting down my thighs. Yup, just gonna put my feet up and rest, catch a few Zzzz's. Don't mind me over here.
Finally baby is born, you are beyond tired, all you want to do is pass out......so...freaking....tired. Nod off new mom, it's all over.....oh crap. It wants feeding, changing, cuddling, walking, rocking, something...........and your beautiful child doesn't know day from night. Don't you know it's 3am little squirmy helpless baby? I want to sleep because MY brain knows it's 3am. Ok....ok....I'll feed you, cuddle, rock, walk, burb, help expell the gas with that funny bike pedal thingy we do with your legs to get that toot out, rub your back, whisper a song, and think to ourselves we want to go back to bed.....oh my dear baby....go back to sleep.....please.
It's a funny feeling once baby sleeps through the night. And I'm not taking about some stupid idea that the medical community thinks that sleeping through the night means 6 hours straight. I'm taking about the REAL through the night......a complete 8-12 hours. You put baby to bed....say....8pm....and it doesn't wake up for your assistance until 8am. You got to have some of your evening, baby slept, and so did you. OMG! Sleep.....I missed you sooooo much.
The days of sleeping in sans kids flash through your head when you used to sleep until noon on a day off. No longer my dear brain will you see those sleeps....until the kids grow up that is. Now all I long for is an entire nights sleep, no one waking me up, having the chance to sleep in past 9:30 on occasion, and the opportunity for having a sip of coffee in the morning before I get the "Mom can I....." statement.
I have a dream.....oh wait, it was intrupted again. I suppose it's a mothers' job to live on the edge of exhaustion.