If you’re like a lot of mom to bes while you were pregnant, all your friends probably told you the horror stories of labor and delivery. What they maybe failed to prepare you for was how tired you would be once the baby has arrived. Don’t be surprised if you hear yourself yell, “Help, I need some sleep!”
When the baby comes home it is often normal to have a lot of help at first. During this time you getting enough sleep may not have been so hard. As your little one grows you may notice that finding that sleep is not near as easy as it was.

You will probably be asked many times ‘Is the Baby sleeping though the night yet?’ That questions usually follows one of those sleepless nights, don’t let it upset or scare you. As much as you want to say yes, it’s fine that your baby has not had a chance to get a good sleep routine yet. These things take time there is nothing to be ashamed of be sure to give yourself a break. Yes, eventually you will have the chance to sleep all night again.

Here are some options you may like to try to see if they will help you and your child both get much needed sleep:

• Breastfeeding is one option parents choose for feeding their newborns. If you’ve chosen this option, you may decide to pump part of the time. By pumping, your spouse can help feed the baby in the middle of the night so you can sleep.
• Again, with breastfeeding and pumping, you could take turns getting up with the baby at night. By sharing the load, you won’t get one parent who is totally rested while the other parent is wiped out from getting up each night.
• If you’re not breastfeeding, it’s much easier to share feeding duties. You can prepare enough bottles for the night. They will have to be heated up before being given to the baby, but anyone can be taught to do that. This will allow you an opportunity to get a few more hours of sleep.
• Change your schedule so you’re going to bed earlier. It may seem odd to go to bed at 8:00 p.m. but it might be one way to get that much needed sleep you desire.
• Co-sleeping allows a mom that breastfeeds to do so without having to completely wake up. While this option has been used for centuries, you may want to talk with your child’s pediatrician before trying this.
• If possible hire a babysitter to come over during the day for a couple of hours so you can get in a decent nap. If you have friends with children around the same age, maybe you can trade babysitting so you both can catch up on your sleep.

Consider the above suggestions when you’re yelling, “Help, I need some sleep!” Or you may be able to think up other ways to get the sleep you need. No matter which you use, make getting sleep a priority.