How to stay awake during night feeds?
So I have been the mother of a newborn (again) for almost four weeks and my goodness I forgot how hard night feeds are.
We lived in a normal house when I had Boo and I used to sit in the dark feeding her, looking out of the window.
From seeing people come home and go out to work at varying times of the night, to seeing people stumbling in drunk at a weekend, there always seemed to be something to see.
One early morning I even saw a deer and a spinning planet which, in hindsight was a sleep-deprived hallucination, but you get the picture.
Fast forward four years and we now live at the farm.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s better on many levels but the lack of things to look at from the nursery window has been getting me down.
It is so dark in the middle of nowhere and it scares me sometimes in case I do see something so window gazing is no longer an option.
You know what it’s like, at 10.30pm, you know you’ve probably only got two hours until the next feed and, do you go to bed or not?
I’ve been making a little compromise with myself and getting on the sofa with a blanket. For some reason, Beb seems to sleep better in his Moses basket in the living room than in the crib in his room so, not only could I get in two hours of much needed sleep but, at least I can watch TV during the feed.
This my friends is where I have been surprised.
There is nothing on TV in the small hours. Who knew?
The news scares me at the moment. It must be some protective mothering thing or hormones but I don’t want to watch stories of terror threats and murders when I am cuddling my baby.
The alternative? Trash reality TV.
Wow. I never saw myself as a prude but, I have been introduced to the likes of Geordie Shore, Ex on the Beach and Ibiza Weekender and my goodness, it makes me scared.
Ibiza Weekender-picture courtesy of ITV
Scared for my daughter and my son and society in general. This is as well as feeling unglamorous, old and fat.
These people get ‘mortal’ (drunk) and have sex with anyone and everyone on television, purely for people’s entertainment.
The funny thing is, the new series of The Only Way is Essex started on Sunday and, compared to the shows above, TOWIE seems tame.
I don’t want this post to be a high and mighty rant at the youth of today (how old do I sound now?)
No, it is more of a plea.
Either a plea to my husband to get catch up TV so I can watch something innocent yet not frightening like the Chase or Saturday Kitchen or to TV channels to create a channel for parents doing night feeds.
We need something not taxing on the brain, that needs little concentration and that you don’t have to watch religiously to keep up with.
This is coming from the sleep-deprived woman who watched Take Me Out on Sarurday to see how the people from the week before got on, only to find out that it was in fact the week before’s show I had watched.
That’s what baby brain does to you.
Now excuse me as I consult the TV guide and plan tonight’s viewing.
Do you watch anything during night feeds? Have you got any ideas for me?
I know your pain – when I had Millie there was only 24 news on all night. Just too scary stuff to watch. Have you got an iPad? My latest find is downloading programmes to watch later from Iplayer x
I have but no head phones so fear of waking Boo!! I think I need to buy some headphones 🙂 thanks for the tip xx
I know how you feel, I worked my way through the friends box set as like you say entertaining but not at all taxing on the brain! Box sets is the way forward my lovely! That and blogging one handed on your phone, though that can be frustrating! Xx
Yep I used to scroll through forums and blogs on my phone, gently seething at the light snores I could hear From the husband!!!
WhenI had my first son 7 years ago I just sat in the dark…fear of waking him up fully. Now with my baby I have a Kindle fire. When I remember my head phones iI watch netflix or BBC I player but usually I read. Have ben reading Michael Palin’s diaries, short entries which are entertaining but not too taxing and also blogs. As a result I feel less isolated and more in touch. Had PND with my first and now wonder how much sitting in the dark was resposible.
Night feeds is how I got completely addicted to Twitter and blogging. I used to read a batch of posts during the night and chat to all the American mums that had babies same age as Z. Its still really nice keeping up with all the progress of the kids that live on the other side on the Atlantic! 🙂
I absolutely loved your post. For me it’s really good to read experiences like yours, because I am 18 weeks and 3 days pregnant now, this is our first baby and your experiences can help me what to expect in the future. Thank you. 🙂