{"id":5208,"date":"2012-09-17T20:57:55","date_gmt":"2012-09-17T18:57:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents-blog\/?p=5208"},"modified":"2022-06-22T10:32:57","modified_gmt":"2022-06-22T08:32:57","slug":"the-3-kinds-of-mommy-exhaustion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/parenting\/postnatal-depression\/the-3-kinds-of-mommy-exhaustion\/","title":{"rendered":"The 3 kinds of mommy exhaustion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Type 1:<\/h2>\n

General mommy fatigue (the kind you can live with if you have to)<\/em><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s an expression I used daily PB (pre-baby): \u2018I\u2019m exhausted.\u2019 I used it after a long work day, a tough gym session, a late night. But I had no idea<\/em> what it meant. Because child-induced fatigue is not the lethargy of the progeny-free.<\/p>\n

As you\u2019re reading this blog, you\u2019re probably a parent \u2013 or about to become one. In which case, you know what I\u2019m talking about. But for those who don\u2019t (sorry to scare you), general mommy exhaustion is a lot like torture: unrelenting, insensitive to the day of the week and likely to make your body ache.<\/p>\n

The weird thing is that you\u2019re able to work through it. Yup, you can do a day\u2019s work, do a Pilates class, \u2018cook\u2019 a meal and go to Clamber Club with your toddler, through a mist of weariness so thick and heavy it should come with a gas mask. My body\u2019s simply learned to work with less sleep, interrupted sleep, poor sleep.<\/p>\n

Tips to survive it<\/strong>: Suck it up. Out-source the baby one night a week. Exercise even when you\u2019re worn out. Go to bed earlier. Buy a good coffee machine.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Pinterest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Type 2:<\/h2>\n

Situational mommy weariness (the kind that comes and \u2013 thankfully \u2013 goes)<\/em><\/h3>\n

This particular brand of exhaustion is traditionally accompanied by a valid reason \u2013 teething, a growth spurt, illness, a mammoth work deadline, late-night drilling by the selfish plonkers who are renovating next door, or girls\u2019 night dinner that turned into a multiple-bottles-of-wine bitch-fest and ended at 2am.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the kind that, were it your regular state, you\u2019d be unable to survive. But in small doses, your mind and body snap into \u2018fight\u2019 mode and you muddle through.<\/p>\n

In my case, I repeat \u2018I\u2019ll sleep on the weekend\u2019 until I stop rocking myself manically in a corner \u2013 completely forgetting that my littlie doesn\u2019t yet know her Sundays from her Tuesdays and will wake me at 5am to play on \u2018her\u2019 iPad.<\/p>\n

Tips to survive it<\/strong>: Remember that everything passes \u2013 eventually. Learn to say \u2018No\u2019. Only accept invitations to things you really<\/em> want to go to. Shop online.<\/p>\n

Type 3:<\/h2>\n

Medical exhaustion (the kind that leads to, or results from, depression)<\/em><\/h3>\n

This one is a biggie, and I know because I\u2019ve had it. It\u2019s the kind that either prefaces or accompanies the medical condition called postnatal depression, and it feels like volunteering to be wrapped in wet plaster and chucked into Zoo Lake. You can\u2019t sleep; you can\u2019t stay awake. You weep or disconnect, and you can\u2019t control either your anxiety or your conviction that the world has ended.<\/p>\n

This is the kind of exhaustion that only therapy, medication and\/or the care of a good doctor can fix. In some cases, sleep therapy is prescribed, necessitating admission to a hospital. But, at its core, PND has little to do with the quantity of sleep you\u2019ve had, and more to do with your hormones and psychological state.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, it also comes at a time when your resources (physical and emotional) are depleted, you\u2019re being pulled in all directions \u2013 including towards and away from the beautiful, terrifying, dependent creature you produced \u2013 and everyone is telling you how lucky you are. So you\u2019re guiltily<\/em> exhausted. Lovely.<\/p>\n

Tips to survive it<\/strong>: Call your GP. Now. Understand that you\u2019re 100% normal in feeling this way, but it is going to get worse before it gets better. Be aware that PND does not go away on its own. Delegate. Or just let others take over. Breathe.<\/p>\n

This article was originally written for Jozikids by Tiffany Markman in 2012.<\/em><\/p>\n

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