Encouragement for the Mama whose Baby Won’t Sleep

I do not have a magic solution, I’m sorry, but what I do have is some encouragement:

You are not alone.

You are not alone sitting in the darkness, avoiding seeing the wide open eyes and sly grin.

You are not alone rocking a hot crying mess of a baby, wondering if you will get to sleep at all tonight.

You are not alone listening to the house snoring while your silent tears fall.

You are not alone wishing someone, anyone, would come and take that baby away so that you can get one sweet night of rest.

You are not alone when the anger comes in all it’s blackness, wishing things you don’t really mean, but right now you do.

You are not alone secretly hating your partners blissful rest and deliberately thrashing around on the bed a bit to ruin their sleep too.

You are not alone wondering if you will ever get another full night sleep every again.

You are not alone blaming your self, presuming it is something you ate, something you did, or someone you were in life gone by.

You are not alone wondering is it their teeth? Are they getting sick? Do they secretly just hate me?

You are not alone in your desperation with a baby that despite a full feed, dry nappy, pain relief and cuddles is still screaming and you are at a loss as to why.

You are not alone when you wonder if leaving them to cry might be your only solution, even when your soul screams not to.

You are not alone.

You are not alone.

You are not alone.

With you are all the mama’s who are also up, the mama’s who are now grannies and remember how it was, the mama’s of times gone by. Draw strength from our shared experience, we too have been there, we are there, we will be there again.

You are doing an amazing job. Your baby needs you, you will get through this. You will be OK, you will be strong. You will amaze yourself at just how strong you can be, how tired you can be and still manage to survive. Take your place in the continuum that is The Motherhood, wear your badge of sleeplessness with pride. It shows you care, it shows you know how to love someone so unconditionally that you will put your very sanity on the line for them.

The very best thing for a sad and sleepless baby is you. It is your love, your cuddles, your reassurance and your grace that your baby needs. Go to your crying baby, hold them, cry with them but know how to ask for help when you need it.

You are not alone, you are never alone. AND your baby WILL eventually sleep through the night, it might not be at 6 weeks, or 12 weeks, or 6 months, 9 months or 3 years, but it will happen.

One day you too will get to wake up one morning surprised and feeling on top of the world after a full night of lovely, beautiful, wonderful sleep (oh how I miss sleep).

So mama-bear, when you find yourself awake at the little small hours, or for hours on end over night, know you are OK, you will be OK, your baby will be OK, we will survive this.

RELATED POST: How to get your baby to sleep

RELATED POST: Why your baby will only sleep on you