Anyone has strange feelings?

[cutic]

I have always been so close to my dd now 28 months, couldn't even imagine being away from her for more than an hour. Now, with this pregnancy, I feel I need more personal space. I also get easily irritated. I have never screamed at her, until today when she started to play again with a working dishwasher. I am a calm and relaxed person, today I yelled at her and I regretted the very next moment. I love her to bits but I feel I need some time out for myself. The truth is I am the only one to take care of her from the moment she wakes at 7 till my dh is home at 6:30 and she doesn't nap anymore. I noticed that I am encouraging her to play independently with more or less success at around 3PM because this is the time I am the most exhausted and sleepy. If she obliges me and spends 15 minutes on her own, and so I get to read newspaper or just sit and watch the sky without interruption, I am in a much better emotional and mental shape and I am a better mom for the rest of the day.

Did any of you experience this feeling of need for personal space and a feeling of guilt for feeling it? Irritatibility?

[riversong]

Yes, I feel almost everything you described. It is exhausting to spend all day with a child with no help even when you're not pregnant. I am so much more irritable these days. I never yell at my dd (24 mo.) and the other day I yelled, "Stop crying!" at her. Totally dumb, but I was overwhelmed and she's been crying about everything lately.

It's really healthy to take time out for yourself. Can you have your dh take over for a while when he gets home? My dh just started sleeping with dd in another room and it has been so good for me. We had been cosleeping all together, but dd recently started waking up all the time to climb on me and shove her hand down my shirt to grab my breasts. It was making me crazy and now we both sleep better apart.

[Twilight]

I go back and forth - some days I feel exactly as you described and other days I think I annoy DD with how much I snuggle and hug and kiss and start to grieve the end of our time "alone" together.

I am trying to be easy on myself... our family is going through so many changes.

[Jess A]

Yes.

We do not technically co-sleep, but we've never forbid the kids from sleeping in our bed if they come in (DD actually slept with me until she was old enough to crawl off the bed). Lately, I've had BOTH of them in bed with me . . . my son has been coming up every night and DD has been waking up crying (she's still in a crib), and DH "deposits" her into bed.

Normally, this would not bother me, but being pregnant, I need space and comfort and sleep at night. I'm with them all day long, and I feel torn about having to share my space with them. On the one hand, I wake up stiff and cranky. On the other hand, my son is at an age where we can barely hug him anymore, so I like the closeness.

You're not alone! And as far as easly irritated? Just ask my DH and kids. They'll tell you when it's just not a good time to ask mom something . It won't last forever, and we all try to have good humors to make it a little easier.

[Pandora114]

oh my, I'm suprised CAS hasn't been called on me for the amount of hollering I've been doing to DD...

Poor bug...I just want her to BE QUIET for two minutes!!!! she just and Well I do have a shorter temper with her now. Especially for her outright defiance of certain things that aren't negotiable, like car seat...and whatnot...

[TesalynsMommy04]

I totally feel the same way! DD is going to be 28 months in a few days, and she's getting on my nerves. I know that sound HORRIBLE and I feel like a bad mom when I say that, but she has been SOOOO sassy lately! (could this be terrible 2's??) She refuses to pick up her toys, she talks back, tells me she doesn't care about me, stuff like that! I ask her for a kiss and she says NO! that makes me SO sad! But I yell at her for the smallest things! Like yesterday, (she's fully potty trained and has been since 22 months) she didn't tell anyone that she had to pee, and went and peed on the floor in the bathroom. I started yelling at her telling her that she knew better (ok I know like I said I'm a horrible mom!) and made her cry! I felt SOOOOO bad after it. I was NEVER like this when I was pg with her! Glad I'm not the only one! I think we all just need to support each other and vent when we need to!

[milk_maker]

Oh, I've been feeling SO RESENTFUL of my 15 mo ds. I feel guilty at the same time, but oh my lord I just want some freaking peace! I'm also so frustrated because he isn't sleeping again and wants to nurse/chew my nipple all night long.