I feel like I'm screwing this up

[jessie_m]

I feel like I dont know what I'm doing when it comes to being a mom. Aubrey is always fed, changed, and well taken care of, but I feel like there is something else I should be doing, if that makes sense. I'm scared that I let her sleep too much, but then when she's awake I'm scared she doesn't sleep enough. When she's sleeping I don't know if I should go to sleep too, or if I should start to regain my routine and start dinner or something? When she wakes up from a nap I usually change her, feed her, and then burp her and she usually goes back to sleep so I put her in her swing to sleep. If she doesn't go back to sleep then I let her do some tummy time or I lay her on her back under her dangly toys and let her stare at them.

I just feel so anxious all the time! I feel like I'm doing this wrong, or i'm not giving her enough attention. I don't know what I feel. I really need more then 2-3 hours of sleep at a time, but I can't because I'm breast feeding so it always has to be me getting up with her. I just feel like I'm losing my mind and I just want to crawl in a hole and hide from everything.

 

[Cattia]

It is so normal to feel this way when your LO is this age. It is a massive massive life change and you're adjusting to having a whole new person that you're responsible for - someone who you haven't really got to know yet and you're still trying to work one another out! It takes time to get you know your baby and understand what they want and need. BF is relentless at first as you're the only one who can do it so you're on duty 24/7 and it is totally exhausting. Also young babies don't actually need a great deal of stimulation, they just like to be held and to be close to you, so it's easy to feel like you're 'missing something' in terms of what to do with them!
It sounds as though you're doing great. The hormones will settle down and feeding will get better established in a few weeks. When you feel up to it, start going out and meeting other mums if you can - that will make a huge difference to how you feel. Pretty much every new mum feels the way you do and it is 100% normal.

 

[emyandpotato]

I could have written this when my LO was 3 weeks old! I think tbh every mum feels they're not doing enough even though everyone else can see how great they're coping, it's part of being a mum. If you really weren't doing enough and didn't genuinely adore your LO you wouldn't have posted this I am sure. At that age they do sleep all the time and when they're awake they have so many new things to experience that they'll happily lie and look around and listen to their surroundings. As for interaction and bonding you're doing more than enough at this stage by BF. It'll give your LO a complete sense o comfort and protection (oh and IMO the fact that you bothered to BF shows how much you care). You also can't let a baby sleep too much or too little, they're on their own schedule so don't worry at all! When she's asleep you just do whatever you WANT to do not you feel you should be doing. Hope you feel better soon

 

[jojo_b]

Ah love I felt exactly the same. It starts to get easier from about six weeks. Everything is mental until then - just try to accept that it's going to be crazy for a few more weeks. It will start to fall into place soon, I promise x x

 

[keeks1987]

I feel the same way, only I'm ff, that's the main difference x

 

[KatieB]

As above ladies say, it's a rollercoaster of emotions the first few weeks, don't worry about a routine and leave the housework that can wait, sleep when your baby sleeps. You are doing great x

 

[jessie_m]

thanks for the reassurance ladies. i really do feel like i'm going mental. sometimes i'm so happy and so in love with her and so confident and other times i just want to hand her to my mom or something and go cry.

 

[Nervous_1]

the quote in my siggy says it all!

 

[Reid]

sounds like ur doing a gr8 job 2 me hun. i was the same the best advice i can give is just go with what ur LO is doing let her take the lead and yeah if LO is sleeping get ur head down 2 dont worry about toys ect all she will want is feed changed sleep and cuddles.junior was about 3mths b4 he was interested in his toys. when i 1st had junior i was shitting myself to take him out in his pram i just felt like home was safe no1 would look and say shes doing that wrong ect it just took me time 2 get 2 know him if that makes sense xxx