Tips for first time parents - How to deal with sleep deprivation with newborn?

[khriseeee]

Moms are human too and you need rest, have someone look after the baby so you can get some sleep. My son was a very poor sleep as a newborn, he would literally sleep like only 10-20 minutes before crying again. He slept with me in the room with the yaya and we both would get up when he cried. After 2 weeks of neither of us getting any sleep I decided we would take shifts. I would watch him for a few hours and let yaya sleep and then we would swap.

[preggygielian]

Isa sa pinakaimportanteng tinuro samin sa birthing class is "Sleep when the baby sleeps". I know how moms want their "me" time lalo na pag new born pero promise you'd be too tired kung di mo sabayan si baby matulog. Now that my son is 14 months, may times talaga na puyatan sa gabi lalo na pag teething. meron isang week nun na almost every hour siya gigising!

Since may hypoglycemia siya nung pinanganak, very scared ako na magutuman siya kaya 6 months na siya nung tinigil ko ang pag gising/pag kuha sakanya every 4-5 hours sa gabi to feed. humaba lang talaga tulog niya mga 6 months. Kakaloka pag ako sasabihan ng iba kung puyat sila...hahaha good luck naman ang moms with very small babies!!! Di lang yan puyat kasi nag night out noh..na once a week! Every. Single. Day.

Good luck mommies! sleep when the baby sleep ang reason na di ako nabaliw sa pagkapuyat. I also went back to work when my baby was 3 months.

[Miss Granger]

One of my fave threads to, kasi i was able to share my thoughts about being FTM. 

- I thought parang selfish ko kasi na iisip kopa sarili ko instead dapat si LO intindhin ko, kesa pagtulog ko. Hehe Parang i have to ready na sa mga mabilisang kilos lang. Ang bagal ko pa naman kumilos. Haha

- Thanks mga sis for the encouragements.

- andy! haha sexy kana ulit! Yay!
- skela talaga ba? True, sabi ko nga din ni hubby si baby ang priority natin kahit pag helper na si baby ang focus nun.
- caterpillar! Thank you, my tendency din ata ako mag cry cry sa breakfast. Sacrifice tlaga and somethings things must let go for a while

[simang]

This is one of the things na kinakatakutan ko talaga. I'm a FTM, 35 weeks now. Even nung earlier pregnancy phases ko, ito talaga ang isa sa mga concerns ko kasi I know myself very well -- matakaw ako sa tulog at i don't function well when I'm not rested enough. Alam na alam din ng husband ko yan... Everytime na sasabihin ko sa kanya na kinakabahan ako sa puyatan, he'd always reassure me na andyan naman sya to help and also my
MIL and mom. Pero iba pa din talaga since, as you guys said, tayo ang primary caregiver ni baby.

I really want to establish a strict schedule as well. Kaya din I'm partial with co-sleeping eh. Gusto kasi ni husband co sleep kami with baby but I think baby should have her own sleeping space na pwede sya makagawa ng sarili nyang tulog na hindi sya maabala. Yun tipong gigising lang sya if talagang gutom or need palitan ng nappy. Siguro first few weeks okay lang to co sleep but eventually I really want her to have her own sleeping space.

I read from Jennica Garcia's blog (jean garcia's daughter) na the best talaga if you sleep while your baby sleeps. Pag gising daw si baby, you can involve him/her sa mga tasks mo. Like, leave her sa rocker in the kitchen while you cook or wash the dishes. Mas nagiging productive daw ang moms when they do the tasks while the baby is awake. Most moms kasi would do the chores pag tulog na si baby.

[andy2014]

This is one of the things na kinakatakutan ko talaga. I'm a FTM, 35 weeks now. Even nung earlier pregnancy phases ko, ito talaga ang isa sa mga concerns ko kasi I know myself very well -- matakaw ako sa tulog at i don't function well when I'm not rested enough. Alam na alam din ng husband ko yan... Everytime na sasabihin ko sa kanya na kinakabahan ako sa puyatan, he'd always reassure me na andyan naman sya to help and also my
MIL and mom. Pero iba pa din talaga since, as you guys said, tayo ang primary caregiver ni baby.

Nako, matakaw din ako sa tulog - kapag below 7 hours sleep ko dati, cranky at bange bange na ako. Nung nabuntis ako, 8-10 hours ako nag sleep. Pero surprisngly ngayong andito na si baby, kahit 4-5 hours a day lang sleep ko a day, hindi pa yan straight ha, I can function well kahit papano. Pero nung first few weeks grabe, bangag ako talaga. May slight baby blues din kasi ako, emotional ako nung first few weeks.

Helpful ang mothers and MIL sa pag papaligo sa baby, bihis etc. Pero kasi yung nanay pa din yun talaga yung mag aalaga eh. Pero mas gusto ko kasama nanay ko kasi hindi ako naiilang huming ng favor, kasi sa first few days lalo na kapag nasa ospital ka kailangan mo na mag assist sayo.  Si husband, helpful din sya kasi hands on sya talaga kay baby. Pero si baby kasi parang ako talaga yung hinanap kapag iiyak, alam nila kung sino nanay nila so puyat talaga.


Nabasa ko din yung blog nya, pero siguro applicable yan sa older babies, siguro mga like 4-5 months and above kasi kapag newborn, dikit talaga sayo lagi especially when you are breastfeeding. Tapos they don't know how to self soothe pa, so kahit gising sila eh kailangan ka nila. Wala ka talagang magagawa. Yung time na sleep sya yun yung time na makakakilos ka, makakaligo ka, etc.

[girlsinfloral]

ftm here too. baby is almost 3 months. i dont have any help AT ALL. medyo lengthy yung answer ko, but this is what worked for me. work-in-progress pa itong methods ko. pero in less than a month napatulog through the night ko na baby ko. inconsistent of course. kasi may mga pagdadaanan si baby mo, na makakasira sa sleep nya.

1. acceptance - accept na hindi ka pa talaga makakapahinga or makakatulog ng normal. nung una, talagang nawiwindang ako pag naiinterrupt ang tulog ko. lalo na kung kakatapos ko lang mag bf, and the baby wants more. so on one of my childs feeding sa madaling araw. kinausap ko tlaga sarili ko. - 'gigising ka sa madaling araw, konti lang itutulog mo kasi papakainin mo pa anak mo'. madrama pero it helped me with regards sa sleep. mas ok ng ineexpect kong gigising ako, kesa nabubulabog yung tulog ko kasi hindi ako ready gumising.

2. get a portable lounger or rocker - as new parents nakakaparanoid na hindi mo nakikita si baby. so meron akong lounger para kahit nagha house chores ako. kita or rinig ko si baby. once you get the hang of taking care of your baby. soon you wont need this (as much) anymore.

3. set a wake and sleep time schedule - including naps - helpful sakin to. kasi ako lang magisa. alam ko kung kelan ako maliligo, magluluto etc. but dont be too strict about it. flexi sched kung baga.

4. learn the side-lying position - breastfeeding - many resources sa youtube. it will save you a lot of sleep.

5. do not let your baby nap for more than 3 hours sa umaga -
while taking care of the baby. nanotice ko kaya nya matulog ng 5-6 hours straight. ang kaso sa umaga nya ginagawa yun. so parang sa adult lang. kapag matagal ka natulog sa hapon. for sure di ka makakatulog sa gabi. so dapat tama lang ang haba ng nap nya. para yung mahabang tulog nya. gawin nya sa gabi.

6. do not let your baby sleep from your breast or rocking - as much as possible patulugin mo sya ng drowsy, hindi yung tulog na tulog na. bawas pagod sa paghele

7. pakainin ng madami si baby sa umaga huwag sa madaling araw - sa umaga, para alam mong namimeet mo yung daily food intake nya. huwag sa madaling araw - kasi binibigayn mo sya ng reason na gumising sa ganung oras.

8. keep a log - ito siguro pinaka useful. kasi mas makikilala mo si baby in detail. at paano ka ba magta-troubleshoot sa mga problema nya. for example. sa log ilagay mo kung anong oras sya mas iyakin. or madalas umutot, etc. pati food intake.

9. let husband do the burping/diaper changing - although late ko na nagawa to. hindi ko kasi binabother si husband sa madaling araw kasi may pasok sya. but this would help,

[simang]

^thank you so much for the tips, sis. I'm really anxious na sa pagdating ni baby, less than 4 wks na lang. Sobrang helpful ng post mo. thank you

[andy2014]

^thank you so much for the tips, sis. I'm really anxious na sa pagdating ni baby, less than 4 wks na lang. Sobrang helpful ng post mo. thank you

Try mo na hindi maging anxious, enjoy your baby, ako kasi nashock ang katawan ko sa pagod and stress. Yung nakikita ko kasi sa FB puro masasaya lang may sobrang pagod at puyat pala na kasama. I was only expecting joy pag dating ni baby. Honestly mas na eenjoy ko si baby now medyo he's sleeping through the night na...meaning 3 hours straight hehe.  Tska nag smile na sya so parang consuelo na yun sa akin.

[Miss Granger]

Honestly mas na eenjoy ko si baby now medyo he's sleeping through the night na...meaning 3 hours straight hehe.  Tska nag smile na sya so parang consuelo na yun sa akin.

- That's so sweet sis. Rewarding tlaga mga ganyang moment.

Girlsinfloral - salamat sa tips ha, hopefully it will also work for me and the others FTM too.

- Kanina nga, parang nag emote emote ako ng slight kay hub i told him na kinakabahan ako habang papalapit na. Sabi niya isipin ko daw yung happy side like mas magiging masaya na sa bahay kasi meron na kukulit/maglalambing samin. Almost a month na lang!

[girlsinfloral]

no problem try to endure the first month. habang lumalaki si baby. sobrang maeenjoy mo na sya. makakapag post ka na ng happy pics sa facebook. haha.
kung gusto mo talaga makapagpahinga, dedicate yourself in sleep training your baby.
my baby sleeps for 5 hours straight sa 1st and 2nd month. ngayong magti 3 months na sya. 8-11 hours straight. happy ako kasi eto na yung fruits of labor ko.

[andy2014]

@girlsinfloral ok lang ba kay pedia ni baby mo na magsleep si baby ng mahaba? kasi si baby 2 months sa gabi he prefers to sleep talaga. Sabi ni pedia to wake him up every 3-4 hours to feed.

[miss resilient]

share ko lang experience ko as first time mom.

since my husband and i are both working, kumuha muna kame ng tagapag alaga para yun ang magasikaso ng makatulog kame ng maaus. naka ml naman ako ng more than two months kaya di ako nagreklamo na puyat ako wala naman akong pasok kinaumagahan. pero then nang bumalik ako ng work sa yaya pinatatabi muna yung bata para kung magising man di kame mapupuyat.

But, nang mag 4-5 mos si baby sa tabi na namen sha natutulog. ayoko naman na pagmulat at pagtulog niya yaya ang makita niya. nakakapuyat talaga pero at least mahaba haba na tulog nia dahil nasa 5 mos. na yun eh. so i suggest kay TS na kumuha siya ng tagapag alaga para di siya mahirapan.

[andy2014]

sarap naman direchong sleep hehe naisip ko din yan dati hire someone who can take care of my baby kapag gabi. kaso nakakatulog lang sya kapag nag nurse sa akin. so ako talaga ang primary care giver. hindi naman sya pwede i nurse ng yaya haha pero mix feeding ako eh, may time na bottle na sya para maka rest naman ako.

[yn061515]

A year ago, when I gave birth to Y, I am always in a bad mood during the first weeks of post partum. I am always emotional and I hate almost everybody. That can be associated to hormones pero ewan ko, I was always pissed. I had to get out of that negativity and learn to appreciate the help that's being offered to me. I started to appreciate how my parents helped me with my child as my husband was overseas and arrived 3 weeks after I gave birth. I learned to share the task and not have my child all for myself. Yes, she is mine but the responsibility is so overwhelming lalo at I am also recovering from CS. Nagpalala pa nun is naiisip ko na eventually, I have to leave my beautiful child kasi I have to go back overseas. Ang daming emotions. Iyak. Pero nangibabaw padin yung positive. Ang dami kong pasalamat sa parents ko, sa mga kapatid ko at sa asawa ko.

Sleep whenever you can. Sabayan si baby. Ask/seek help when needed. Kung wala talaga, find a routine that would work. Tulungan kayo ni husband. Kung wala din si husband, focus lang. May strategy yan. Alot of single parents manage to take care of their child or children. Find that routine that will work for you.