Sleep Patterns

I should really label this as simply lack of sleep rather than sleep patterns as they are non-existent.

I have tried to ensure that mum gets her sleep and particularly calms down on doing things to make sure she is healing properly after the C-Section delivery. It's hard to understand it but it is major intrusive surgery that goes right through many important layers of membranes and muscles and so healing is not simple. In order to do this, I have tried to take on as much of the night duties as I can. Last night, mum noticed that I am getting really tired and, unusually for me, I have been struck by a heavy cold which is making me feel more run down. So she tried to handle things until about 2am but I found that the slightest noise would wake me and I would be up like a shot. It doesn't help that baby Scott has turned out to be fairly nocturnal. As I write, he is sound asleep after a good feed around 12.30pm and will be fitful when put in the basket at night even though he is perched on top of a DooMoo bean bag which he finds really comfortable.


I have found a few websites which cover the subject called Parent Fatigue Syndrome which is quite common, obviously. There are several which also give some handy tips for trying to cope with it and usually they come in the forms of '6 Tips to avoid tiredness' and similar. In some cases they reckon it could drive parents potty but for me it's just a numbing tiredness that makes you want to do no more than focus on your baby and that alone gives you the energy to survive.


Tonight we are going to try shifts where one of us looks after baby until 2am and then the other takes over with the sleeping person in the spare room. I have volunteered for the first shift as I think there is football on the TV tonight (European Champions League) so that should keep me awake, possibly. I hope this breaks the cycle of sleeplessness as it is the only down side in what has been an amazing first week.


On the dog front, and following on from yesterday, the female dog popped up and gently sniffed the baby as I watched carefully. She made no contact and just looked before walking away. I hope these are good signs along with their behaviour yesterday. The baby, for his part, seems fascinated by the big shapes that loom in his view and the occasional barking when the doorbell goes. Then again, he should be used to that as he has had 9 months in the womb to listen to those sounds.


We have had some more visitors and we were really touched when one of our neighbours popped in with a shawl with Scott's name embroided onto it. It was powerfully touching as his wife is direly ill at the moment and taking time to think of us was incredible.

Then again, we have been so deeply touched by the generosity of so many close family and friends that we are no longer surprised.