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You are here: Home / MOTHERHOOD / Babies / Zzzzzzzzz

Zzzzzzzzz

February 21, 2011 by Molly 14 Comments

Have you ever been so tired you have walked past a wheelie bin and thought it looked rather comfy? Have you ever been so tired you feel all drunk and floaty and a bit giggly…before realising you’re at baby swimming lessons and should probably get a grip before someone calls Social Services?

Well I have. In fact, it is quite normal for me to feel like this at least once a week.

Sleep deprivation is a funny old thing. It can make you swing from feeling physically sick to ravenously hungry. You can be laughing hysterically one minute and crying hysterically the next. In short, it makes you a bit barmy. Actually, sleep deprivation is not particularly funny at all.

The worst thing about sleep deprivation has got to be not knowing when it will end. Before you have a baby, you know that, even if you are really really tired, you will be able to give in to sleep at some point in the near future. Not when you have a baby, though, oh no. Imagine running a marathon and being told at the finish line you have an indefinite distance still to cover. Then you have some idea of what being a new mum is like.

The thing is, Frog is not a particularly bad sleeper. She is not the worst, but she is not the best. She has slept through the night a few times. But then she throws a massive curve ball and is up every hour or so.

As if it is not bad enough being up all night with a miserable baby, you then have to field questions about it. Is it a growth spurt? Teething? Too hot? Too cold? Has she picked up a bad sleep association? I don’t bloody know! I barely even know my own name I’m so tired!

So I ring my mum for sympathy. Fat chance. “Well at least you know how I felt. You didn’t sleep through the night until you were five.” Great, thanks Mum.

Haggard old crone + baby

Filed Under: Babies, MOTHERHOOD Tagged With: baby, family, mother, Parenting, sleep

« Baby, I’m bilingual
Listography: Perfect Day »

Comments

  1. Deb says

    February 22, 2011 at 6:37 pm

    You blog is simply hilarious!!! been reading it over the last few days and you have had me in STITCHES lady!!! hahaha!!!! you rock! keep blogging JUST to keep my days full of sunshine ;o) ??? MLMBeautiful ??? xxx

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      February 22, 2011 at 8:03 pm

      Ah thanks lovely. Your blog has inspired me to try and save money and make something. I’m trying to make a peg bag out of an old shirt. So far it looks like something knocked together by my 8 month old child. Future post material methinks. x

      Reply
  2. Boat Wife says

    February 22, 2011 at 12:19 pm

    I hear you. Kate Figes in her book LIfe After Birth reckons sleep deprivation is a major cause of post natal depression. I agree! It’s hard. It sent me mental! Now I’ve got a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old, they still don’t always sleep through! xxx

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      February 22, 2011 at 8:07 pm

      Can totally see how sleep deprivation could send someone mental. I wasn’t particularly sane to start off with so I suppose I’m completely buggered!

      Reply
  3. lovelifeandpugs says

    February 21, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    I thought pregnancy fatigue was bad, I see it doesn’t let up!

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      February 21, 2011 at 8:13 pm

      Hmmmm…you never know, you may get lucky and have a sleepy bub. Mine was disco-dancing in my womb right up until she came out – and she still hasn’t stopped!

      Reply
  4. kate takes 5 says

    February 21, 2011 at 7:39 pm

    Your Mum sounds just like mine! She hears our car coming and battens down the hatches before we have a chance of entering… Sleep is soooo underrated.

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      February 21, 2011 at 8:09 pm

      I now wish I slept continuosly for at least 5 years before having a baby. I was an idiot. How could I not have “stocked up”?!

      Reply
  5. HELEN JESSUP says

    February 21, 2011 at 7:34 pm

    you’re looking good for sleep deprived Molly! And does Frog sleep with her eyes partially open or is she awake on this pic? My eldest son does it & it freaks me out!
    I’m feeling sleep deprived today but probably just Twitter inflicted!

    x

    Reply
    • mothersalwaysright says

      February 21, 2011 at 8:21 pm

      Very freaky! She sleeps with her eyes closed…but they snap open at the slightest sound. She also has a sixth sense and chooses to wake up at the exact moment I fall asleep! x

      Reply

Trackbacks

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  4. Listography: Perfect Day « Mother's Always Right says:
    February 22, 2011 at 8:53 pm

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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I am not “bossing” it. Or “slaying”. Or “hustling”. Or “smashing” it. I’m not even juggling or spinning plates or doing any of the other words we use as a glossy, marketable, Instagram friendly way to package up burnout culture, under the guise of “empowering” women (💪🤢). 
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What I have been doing, though, is working too hard. Call a spade a spade. I’ve been working too hard, neglecting my health, my relationships, my life away from my laptop. I can not be everything to everyone AND work at the level I’ve been working at BECAUSE I AM A HUMAN BEING. And you are too. We are not robots.
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I care deeply about all my work, and things aren’t always this intense, but I wanted to sprinkle some reality into the Gram because I am so over this lie that *any* type of success or achievement doesn’t come at a cost, or involve many failures in the background, or require many other people to help make things happen. 
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I guess what I’m saying is, let’s be real about all that, as well as showing the achievements. I’m bloody proud of my book. And I’m so excited to launch the social enterprise @bodyhappyorg properly next month. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy, and that there isn’t a price. 
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And with that, I’m taking the weekend off. See you on the other side 🥰🥰🥰
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[Image description: Molly sits in her office with her hands covering her mouth. On the back of one hand is written “Not bossing it”. She is wearing a pink boiler suit with a black and white top underneath. She has pink leopard print earrings on and her hair is tied back.]
This was taken at the start of half term, when the This was taken at the start of half term, when the kids were still enthusiastic about going for a walk. 1,705 walks around the same bit of countryside later... not so much 😬 
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If you’re struggling to get your kids motivated to move their body at the moment, go gentle. You’re not alone. Bad weather coupled with boredom coupled with the lure of screens is a heady recipe for lethargy - and that’s just me! 
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Seriously though, remember: all movement is valid. Even if it’s just a ten minute @cosmickids sesh or a little kitchen disco, it all counts. And if it comes from a place of enjoyment and fun, kids (and adults!) are going to be far more likely to want to get involved.
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What joyful movement activities are your kids enjoying right now (if any?!)?
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[Image description: Molly and her two daughters are standing in a field. They’re wearing colourful wellies, holding hands and smiling.]
I founded a social enterprise 😵 . Introducing: I founded a social enterprise 😵
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Introducing: @bodyhappyorg 🎉
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We are a Community Interest Company dedicated to promoting positive body image in children. We help adults help the kids in their care be friends with their bodies 🥰. 
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Through workshops and classes, digital and physical resources (both free and paid) we help parents, carers, teachers, youth leaders - and any adults who are ever around children - create body happy settings for kids to thrive in. 
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We launch officially next month with a beautiful new website and lots of resources which we’ll continually be adding to. In the meantime give us a follow at @bodyhappyorg - we start posting from today and our page has been designed as a free resource on its own! 
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I’m privileged to work alongside an incredible team of people on this. Shout-out to the original dream team @chelseacoxstrategist @amysnellingpt @effinitupfaye @lottie_storey @bodyconfidencecards_db @rachel_hobnobs & @aceandping 💕 LOVE YOU ALL! 💕
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[Image description: A blue square with yellow and white text which reads “the body happy org”. This is the logo for The Body Happy Organisation CIC]
Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-sta Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-stained hoodie and tracksuit bottoms at least once in the past month 😐
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[Image description: Molly is wearing pink dungarees with yellow buttons over a black rollneck long-sleeved top. She has a monochrome striped hairband on and her hair is pink. She is also wearing earrings with boobs on them. She looks very pleased, both with her earrings, the pink hair and the fact she’s not wearing sleepwear, for a change.]
A new report from the Education Policy Institute h A new report from the Education Policy Institute has concluded an obvious gender divide in the well-being of young adults. If you’d like to read more check out this article by Eleanor Peake in @newstatesman (I’ve linked to it in my Stories).
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Every week I get messages from parents and teachers concerned about the impact of social media on their kids’ body image. And of course, I couldn’t write a book about body image in kids and teens without covering social media - there’s a whole chapter in Body Happy Kids dedicated to the subject. 
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The thing is, social media isn’t going anywhere. And just like it can be a force for anxiety, shame and general angst it can be a force for good too. The trick is in knowing how to use it positively (and in holding the platforms to account for not moderating the spread of harmful viral trends and online abuse, and creating algorithms that deliberately create division and harm mental health... but that’s a story for another day). 
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But how can we expect our kids to have a handle on it when we, as adults, don’t ourselves? 
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I don’t believe the answer is to ban social media, but I don’t think kids should be given unfettered access to it either. 
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They need help navigating this stuff, learning about boundaries, developing media literacy skills so they can think critically about the content they’re consuming (just like many adults).
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And we also need to explore how we might be inadvertently contributing to the problem, perpetuating appearance ideals and creating a culture where kids learn it’s ok to body shame under the guise of health and to value each other based on the way they look.
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As ever, it’s complicated. I’d love to know what you think? What are some of the boundaries you have around social media in your house - both for yourself and your kids?
#BodyHappyKids 
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[Full text in Alt Text]
When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnan When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnancy yoga class every week. It was the highlight of my week. I left each session feeling like I was floating on a cloud, and I used the poses and breath work to guide me through labour too. But then I had my baby and found that, as a knackered new mum of two, I couldn’t find the time for yoga. I no longer had the excuse of doing it “for the bump” or “to prepare for labour”, so what was the point?
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It wasn’t until I started reinvesting in myself and unravelling the diet culture perspective on exercise that I found it again, along with running, which turned to hiking, and swimming. 
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It wasn’t about preparing my body for someone or something else. It was about the process itself, the time to unwind my mind and move my body for joy, just for me. I’ve lost a bit of that this past year with lockdowns, and I feel it.
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I recently signed up to @theunderbellyyoga with @mynameisjessamyn and feel like I’m finding it again. I love that my kids can see me taking time for myself, and enjoying movement, and that they sometimes want to join in too. Even if it is a bit annoying sometimes (swipe 👀). 
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#BodyHappyMum 
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[Image description: Molly and her 6 year old daughter Effie sit on yoga and gymnastics mats with their legs crossed and arms in the air. They have their backs to the camera. In the second image they are sitting crossed legged while twisting round to the side, and in the third image Molly is lying on the mat with her eyes closed while Effie leans over her, being a bit annoying.]
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