Energy Level Postpartum??

[attached2ethan]

I was just wondering how much activity that you ladies are doing postpartum? My DD will be 4 weeks old on Monday and I still feel totally drained. This is baby #3 so I know what's normal, but I don't remember feeling THIS tired before after this long.

How much sleep are you getting? My baby is sleeping a 3-4 hour stretch from about 11pm-3am and that's my only "real" sleep- the rest of the night she is gassy and nurses every 2 hours or so and I'm up at 7am with my other kids. I'm guessing I'm averaging 6 hours of broken sleep, plus a 1 hour nap each day. I feel like I should have more energy.

I am going on short outings where I run a few errands, but when I get home I'm totally wiped out. I can go out again later in the day after a nap, but am achy and exhausted afterwards. I can't do any day trips yet- and in FL where I live, it's horribly hot which makes it that much more tiring! Is this normal still? Just want to compare to others!!!

[emnic77]

I literally fell fast asleep the other day, sitting upright on the couch, mid-sentence while I was reading a book with ds. Does that answer your question?

Maybe sleeps really well at night, I probably average 7-8 hours, broken 2-3 times, but I can't really "nap with baby" when I have a 5 year old running around. I am WIPED in the afternoon, like can't keep my eyes open kind of wiped. Nursing takes a lot out of you.

[SaraMum]

I am 2 weeks PP tomorrow and I often find myself falling asleep while sitting up nursing....until my 3.5 y/o saya "wake-up Mummy" and I snap back to reality. The baby wakes 3-4 times a night but thankfully goes right back to sleep after nursing butI still feel tired, he's sometims nursing every 1.5hrs during the day. I never get to nap during the day even when DS1 naps because the baby seems to be awake at that time. I hope it gets better soon, DP has to go back tomorrow so reality will sink in and I will probably be in survival mode for a while.

[DeChRi]

I'm dragging. I am a little lucky that I feel conditioned for it. DD2 (2yo) has yet to sleep a full night, plus end of pregnancy had me up a lot. DD3 is 2 weeks old and sleeps like a ROCKSTAR. I set the alarm every 4 hours at night to try and wake her to eat. She is gaining well, which I was concerned about. From 8lb7oz at birth to 8lb14oz at 13 day checkup. But when I dont set the alarm, she will sleep 6 hrs straight, then not even seem to be dying of hunger when she wakes.

I am exhausted, but I think it is mostly from just the energy suck of having a baby, chasing a toddler, carrying 2 kids, nursing, etc. I am keeping my calories super high which helps some. I am also glad that baby doesnt seem to mind my 2 cup a day coffee habit. Or sometimes 3. I have yet to have a caffiene sensitive kid, thank goodness. Exercise gives me an energy spurt like no other.

Right now though, with DH going back to work at 2 days PP, I find myself really struggling by 10am, and am totally useless by noon. I try and nap when DD2 naps, but that is also my only time to get house stuff done. And with DH working so much, there is not a lot of extra help.

I am just trying to tread some water and hope that each day brings more energy, as long as baby continues to sleep well. Getting back into exercise routine will help a lot.

[stacyj-m]

Energy, or lack thereof, is probably my biggest challenge at a week post partum. My blood draw in the hospital showed I have anemia and that is really making me feel weak and tired. I am trying to take care of myself but it isn't easy to drink/eat all I need to with three kids to take care of.

Sleep is in low supply but duh. That is life with a newborn. I think the bigger issue is healing from an extremely long labor and dealing with the anemia. If I could just get some energy, I think dealing with the kids and hormones would be a lot easier.

[DeChRi]

Nak

Opened mouth too soon. Toddler been up two nights in a row and I'm a tired mess now. Easy come, easy go.

[Wolfcat]

Don't hate me...

DD is 5 weeks and was a c-sec, and I'm a single mom (DS is almost 4). Every day, we get up, take DS to daycare, pick him up at the end of the day, fix supper, get baths, read to DS, and do the bedtime thing.

At one week, we were running errends around town.
At two weeks, we had a rough daily schedule down, including 5+ loads of laundry each week.
At three weeks, DD and I drove 3 hours to the city, picked up my friend, rented a van, loaded it up (like completely packed), drove another 2 hours, stayed overnight at a hotel, unloaded the van and set up FOUR tables for an expo, ran the tables for 6 hours, packed up the stuff in the van again, drove back to the city stopping for supper; the next day we unloaded the van, returned the van, ate lunch and drove home, picking up DS on the way.
At five weeks (today), we went back to the city with DS and my mother for dr's apts.

And, aside from being a little tired, I'm ready to go back to work next week.

[Dajemadger]

I am almost 2 weeks postpartum and doing well. Baby Griffin is sleeping pretty good most nights. Our biggest prob is that the grandparents are here and are keeping the other three up too late and then they nap during the day and don't want to go to bed and wake up a bunch at night. It's been really nice to have the extra help but also it's been stressful. It will be bittersweet when they leave!

Energy-wise...I have swings throughout the day. Mornings are good..about 3pm I can't keep my eyes open and even if I get a nap in by 8pm I am exhausted. I am trying to balance resting and just gazing and lovin on my newbie with activity - walking, playing with kids etc. My MW wants me to take it really slow and easy so that I don't make unnecessary complications for myself by overdoing it. I had PPD with my 2nd babe because I felt great, lots of energy and was trying to do too much too soon and I still feel like I missed so much of his newborn stage. I really try to spend as much of the first 2-4 weeks just being in bed or hanging on the couch snuggling with all my kiddos.

[attached2ethan]

Seems like we all have way different stuff going on! Some mamas are up and bout doing crazy things and others are laying low. I didn't go out for the first week but during week 2 pretty much tried to pick up my usual pace, which seemed great at the time but now I'm worn out!!! I also caught a cold from DD so I've been feeling even crappier all week.

I think I needed to stay home for another week and take it a bit slower, but after being on bedrest before having her, I was SO ready to get out!!! I think I'm going to relax the next few days and try to catch up on some snuggle time. The baby seems stressed by all my running around too (in and out of the carseat, in and out of the sling, nursing on the go, diaper changes in the car...too much!!!).

[sweet_tart_vt]

Bella is 11days old today and we are pretty much back to 'business as usual'. She is my 7th and I had killer afterpains that required pain-meds for me to not be in agony for the 1st week. Most days I have plenty of energy but find myself crashing by late afternoon and still having some cramping and heavvier than usual bleeding if I really over-do it. I washed diapers and folded some laundry about 12hrs PP and regretted it, but didnt have a lot of in-home help at the time and absolutely had to have dipes with a NB and 16mo old. (I had forgotten how they poop with every.single.diaper-change!)

So, if Im up early enough in the morning I can usually get most of my work done and have some "couch time" with Bella in the afternoon while 17month DS takes his nap. We've already been out to the grocery store 2-3 times, run various errands, and taken my special-needs 5yr old to speech/ot twice a week since she was 3 days old. I think the reason Im not totally whipped is because we co-sleep and it works great for us. She sleeps well with wakes to nurse 3-4 times a night. I just "plug her in" and can conk back out. I can get a good 7-8hrs sleep a night and 17mo DS sleeps 12hr straight from 8pm-8am.

We are pretty well adjusted. I knew to expect more afterpains/fatigue with her being my 7th and planned as best i could for food/supplies b4 she was born so that helped us a lot. DH is home alot since hes self-employed and he has been a great help with the other kids.
Even with the rough times tho, it's bliss!

[h@ppy mama]

Originally Posted by attached2ethan

How much sleep are you getting? My baby is sleeping a 3-4 hour stretch from about 11pm-3am and that's my only "real" sleep- the rest of the night she is gassy and nurses every 2 hours or so and I'm up at 7am with my other kids. I'm guessing I'm averaging 6 hours of broken sleep, plus a 1 hour nap each day. I feel like I should have more energy.

This sounds very much like my ds. When he goes to sleep at night (he sleeps in his swing next to my bed because if I lay down with him in bed he spits up), I get in bed right away. He usually sleeps for 3-4 hours and then the rest of the night we sleep together in my recliner in my room because he is gassy/fussy and wants to be held and kept upright. I'm sleeping hard those first 3-4 hours and the rest of the night is broken up and the sleep quality is pretty crappy. My toddler is up by 6 usually. DH gets up and gets her breakfast spends time with her, and if my baby is still asleep, I can rest a bit more but usually he's up by 7 wanting to nurse, so that's when my day begins.

I don't get naps during the day. Usually by 4 or 5 I'm pretty wiped out. we don't get out much because the baby is super fussy and hard to take out. When we do go out I keep it to short errands.