When Rex was born, and up every couple hours, I was so exhausted. I ended up learning to nurse him laying down with him laying beside me. I thought it was the greatest thing at first, because I could sleep more. When the baby woke up I simply rolled to the other side and resumed nursing. Eventually it turned into a co-sleeping deal. That way I would get enough sleep to function. I usually put him into his own bed to sleep the first part of the night, and when he woke up I would (while still half asleep) carry him into bed with me so I could go right back to sleep.
After a time I realized how much this method wasn't working for me. I know there are people who strongly believe in co-sleeping, but it is not good for me or my child. As Rex got to be nearly six months old I noticed that Rex's sleeping patterns were getting worse, not better. Instead of sleeping for the first five hours of the night on his own, he wouldn't make it for more than a couple hours. I was waking him up every time I shifted in my sleep. Plus, I was waking up super stiff an account of not being able to roll as much as usual. Subconsciously I knew better than to crush my baby in the middle of night because I could hurt him. Because of that, I was sleeping badly and feeling sore every morning.
A few weeks ago I decided to make a change. Not only would Rex sleep in his own bed the entire night, but in his own room too. I was more comfortable doing this since we had a baby monitor now. The first couple weeks were really hard. He was in the habit of waking up often, and I gave up a couple times towards the morning and took him to bed with me so I could get some sleep. However, around last week sometime he started sleeping 4 or 5 hours at least once a night, and this week he has slept eight hours three times. I definitely feel better and I think he does too (despite his teething pain).
I am definitely going to try harder to suffer through the initial exhaustion with our next child so he or she sleeps better sooner. For those other tired mothers out there, don't worry. There is hope.
This has been a good example to me of how doing things the hard way in the beginning can be worth it to lighten your load later on. It's why obedience to the Lord is so important. There are times when His commandments are harder to follow. Sometimes doing everything He asks feels exhausting, but as it becomes a rhythm in our lives rather than something you go out of your way for, it is worth it. Living the way God wants us to will make our lives better in the end.
