Mon and Kid

> Dress for success

> Killing for honour

> Man marries four women

> Perfume do's and don'ts

> There's money in Mao

> Divorced via SMS

> Cape Town's Baby Expo

> Online sex users married

> US has stream dating

> Thinking about inking?

Today, 25 November 2009

› Boks are thugs - Ireland

Yesterday, 24 November 2009

› McBride: I'm being bugged

› Top ANC official hijacked

› Batting for Hersch

› Els gets thumbs down

› Maroga's salary summary

"I was an absolute wreck!" says Rose of her first few weeks of being a mother. "I had no emotional reserves whatsoever and every little thing used to set me off. I was a frazzled, aching, milk-producing zombie — a slave to this little bundle's every whim."

Chances are that if you are already a mother, you know exactly what she's talking about — newborn babies have needs. Lots of them. All the time.

Unfortunately these needs have a nasty habit of interrupting your valuable sleeping time. It's no coincidence that sleep deprivation has been used as a form of torture, because while it may not result in missing limbs or nasty disfiguration, it does leave you disorientated, clumsy, tearful, moody, forgetful and unable to concentrate.

Feeling tired

Rose's little boy Matthew is now seven-months old and she only has to get up between two and three times a night.

More importantly though, Matt has now learnt to feed quite quickly and go back to sleep soon afterwards. For the first six weeks however, things were not quite so easy — he would take up to an hour for a single feed and would then struggle to get back to sleep.

Although all new parents are faced with this sleep deprivation shock, Rose recalls how she felt like she was the only one who was struggling to cope.

"Inevitably all of your friends' children would be sleeping perfectly through the night and you feel like you are the only one whose child is up all night!"

But you're not. A few personality traits aside, babies are babies and they all scream their lungs out at agonisingly early hours of the morning demanding milk, a nappy change or a cuddle — the little tyrants.

The good news is — and if you are currently a sleep-deprived mother you may want to skip this — that it will pass.

Eventually. There will come a day when you will be able to sleep through the entire night without being woken up once. But until then, here are a few tips to keep you sane, rational and able to care for that little crying, pooping, hungry, bundle of joy.

'Supermom' is a myth

No one expects you to effortlessly look after your newborn, keep the house spotless and hold down a full-time job. The supermom is a myth, so take it easy on yourself.

You don't have to prove anything and it's okay to make mistakes and deviate from the guidelines of your 500-page baby book.

It's also okay to ask for help. If you are not coping, admit it. Tell your significant other, family and friends and you will be amazed at how quickly and willingly they will come to your aid — short stints of babysitting, household chores, meal preparation and even a shoulder to cry on can make all the difference.

If you have a partner, let them take over some feeds, even if it's only on the weekends when they are not working. If you're breastfeeding, express milk and keep it in a sterile bottle in the fridge.

Nap, nap, nap

This point can't be stressed enough — nap whenever you can. Taking a quick 20-minute booster nap when your baby is sleeping (or being looked after by a kindly family member) is perfectly acceptable. Don't feel guilty. Household chores, the shopping and the demands of your great aunt Mildred can wait. Get some sleep!

If you struggle to sleep during the day, try to get to bed earlier. Go to sleep when your baby does and this way you should be able to get in a few more hours of sleep before the nightly disruptions begin.

You can also try altering the environment. Make sure that the room is completely dark and as quiet as possible (take the phone off the hook and turn off noisy washing machines etc).

Meals are important

When you spend so much time keeping another little person fed and happy, it's easy to forget to eat healthy balanced meals yourself. This is very important, especially if you are breastfeeding. No matter how busy or exhausted you feel, don't skip meals.

Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates (oats, rice, multi-grain bread, lentils) for sustained energy and any doctor-approved vitamin and mineral supplements.

Avoid quick-fixes containing caffeine and sugar as the effects won't last long and will leave you even more tired than before.

Take some 'me' time

With so much to do and so little time, it's easy to forget about yourself. But if you don't take some 'me' time, you will only become more frazzled and inefficient.

Try to get in some light exercise, coffee (decaf of course) with a friend, your favourite TV show or a quick pampering session.

Remember; a happy mom means a happy baby.