Hi guys!
I don’t know why, but for some reason Molly has been waking up every 2.5 to 3 hours at night over the past few weeks. Ugh. It’s ROUGH to say the least. I think she might be going through a growth spurt or maybe the 4 month sleep regression (but a month early!). I’m not sure what’s going on. All I know is that I am so exhausted lately. That’s why I am always looking for ways to treat myself to what I like to call “Mommy pick-me-ups!” So today’s post is about all the things I do when I need a boost.
Take A Drive (Sans Baby)
I know many babies (including mine) tend to fall asleep in the car. But sometimes I like to take drives by myself. I’ll crank up the music really loud and sing along to my favorite song. Something about doing this makes me feel like my younger self. I feel free – think Tom Cruise in Jerry McGuire – “I’m FREEEEEEEEE, free fallen!” Ha! And if Kevin isn’t around to watch her, I will bring Molly with me. I just won’t have the music quite as loud. That’s what’s great about this “me time” – I can do it with Molly too. It really helps me feel normal. Give it a try!
Tea Time!
Tea is a great way to both relax or give you a boost of energy (without a gross crash later). Plus I feel that tea is better for me to drink than coffee since I’m breastfeeding (although I totally indulge in coffee when I really want it!). Teami Blends tea is my absolute favorite tea. A friend recommended it to me a few months ago and I’ve been hooked ever since!
You guys have seen me post to Instagram about it a couple times now because I drink it all the time! I drink their Relax tea when I need to chill after a stressful day (and I have a lot of those lately) and their Profit tea when I need a healthy pick-me-up during the day! Since Molly has had trouble sleeping lately, I am using the profit tea more than ever.
They also have a skinny tea and a detox tea kit that I am dying to try! The Colon tea (1 part of the cleanse) is not suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women and is not recommend. However the Skinny tea (the other part of the cleanse) is approved for pregnant & breastfeeding mamas to drink on its own, as it helps raise energy and can replace coffee (all pregnant and breastfeeding women should always consult their doctors before trying anything new). But I’m going to wait until I am done breastfeeding because I want to do the cleanse as a whole! These teas boost your metabolism and reduce bloating (among other things). I figure that if I am going to drink tea anyway, I might as well choose a tea that helps me with my diet and exercise plan! Especially since that plan currently involves eating pasta 3 times a day 😉 Use code ALILUVS to get 10% off the tea. And if you try the skinny or detox teas tell me what you think since I want to try it! www.teamiblends.com
A Nice Long Walk
Let’s face it, as parents we have very little time to exercise. But every health professional will tell you that exercising will give you more energy and is great for your overall well being. That’s why I frequently go on long walks with Kevin, Molly, and our dog Owen. As you can see in the photo below, I brought my Teami Blends tea and tumbler with me on our last walk! I needed the energy boost since we walked 4 miles! I love that their tumbler is so easy to bring with me anywhere I go! Their tumblers are BPA free and are double insulated so my tea will stay cold in the summer and warm in the fall/winter! I started with the pink one but I can’t wait to get blue one too!
Fall is a really great time to do this too because it tends to be the perfect weather to bring a little one outside – not too hot or too cold. I am definitely going to be taking advantage of this cooler weather to bring Molly out for long walks. Its good for both me and her! Babies love the stimulation of looking at new things outside!
Happy Hour with Friends
I just love happy hour. And I don’t necessarily mean getting drinks! I just say happy hour since it’s, well, “happy” time and because it’s a convenient time when work is over for most people. Yes, sometimes I bring Molly with me, so this is also something I do with her, but sometimes it’s nice to go out for a couple hours with just my girlfriends and catch up. I actually did this last Friday and it was SO nice! Below is a photo of me feeding Molly right before my Happy Hour drink!
A Fresh Hair Color and/or Cut
I said this many times before but I really feel that when I look my best, I feel my best and that makes me a better Mommy to Molly. So when I started to feel a bit overwhelmed with parenthood a couple weeks ago, I decided to schedule an appointment at the salon! It was the absolute best decision I could have made in that moment! It’s funny because normally I don’t like going to the salon. At least I didn’t pre-baby because I thought the coloring and cut always took so long and there were a million other things I’d rather be doing. But now that I’m a mom, I LOVE it! It doesn’t feel like a waste of time, it feels like I’m pampering myself! And to have that “me” time among other adults is really key. And having a fresh color/cut made me feel better. It definitely gave me that pick-me-up that I needed.
What do you guys do for a pick-me-up? How do you pamper yourself? And have you used the Teamiblend tea? Tell me if you have and tell me what you think!
Thank you Teami Blends for partnering with me to do this post about ways moms can do something for themselves! And remember, use code ALILUVS for a special discount!
What are you using for a cover up while nursing Molly in the happy hour pic?
Let me look it up and get back to you!
Such a cute cover! Did you find out where it was from?
Where did you get the cover?
Covered Goods Nursing Cover. It’s the BEST!!!!!! ???
Ali! My kiddo went through the 4 month regression at 3.5 months as well. It took a couple of weeks to get back on track, but we got there and you guys will, too! Just keep at your routine and she will push through this time. I’ve left my email if you want a rundown of how we got through it. Take care, mama!
We’ve been having this problem for 3 weeks now – almost 4 weeks! But I think we figured out the problem. We’ve been trying to stick to a schedule that just doesn’t work for Molly. We made some big changes today that I think will help her A LOT!
Mine has been doing that too at 3 months he’s on the 3 hour E.A.S.Y routine but there’s nothing easy about it.
What changes did you make?
You always managed to get dressed and look cute! Coudos to you ❤️
What were you doing and what did you change?! I’m going through this now too. It’s twice as bad as I remember with my first bc I have a clingy toddler this time!
Hi Molly, curious to know what you were doing and what changes you made. Routine? Thanks!
Hi Ali! There is actually a sleep regression that can happen at 12 weeks, that could be what is going on. My now three-year-old daughter hit that and the 4 month regression right after. It was rough. You do whatever you have to do to get through it – all the things you listed are great. With my daughter, when it became clear she didn’t need to eat every time (I was nursing too) my husband and I split the nights (I slept from 8 until 12/1 depending on when she had to eat and then he slept 12/1 until morning) – that helped in the short term so we could each get a solid stretch. My heart goes out to you – this is NOT easy – but I promise you are so close to things getting better with sleep. You just can’t see it now.
Kevin has offered to help at night but he has to get up for work at 4am so I feel too guilty asking him to get up in the middle of the night. But I think he is going to start taking weekends at night so I can sleep. Every weekend I say I”m going to sleep in the other room and he can take her for the night, but then I don’t because I hate being away from Molly!
I totally get not being able to leave your baby to sleep! You want to get away but also can’t bring yourself to leave all at the same time. The only way I could actually sleep and let my husband take a shift was if I ran a white noise app on my phone at a high enough volume to drown out any possible noise from the baby. Otherwise I would stay up trying to listen for her.
Hi Ali! Thx for the post. I have a 10 week old who wakes often as well to breastfeed so I am tired too! These tips are helpful!
Things I do to feel better is to always shower in the morning and get dressed (even when I would rather stay in pj’s all day) and I have been trying to do a 30 minute exercise dvd when he naps and that makes me feel more energized too!
As for the more frequent waking…you could look it up but I think that’s totally normal because I think 3 months marks a growth spurt!
Hang in there!
I NEED to start exercising more than just my long walks! I just always work on my blog when she naps! But I’ll have to fit in an exercise DVD soon! Thanks for sharing!
You look fabulous for just having a baby, how did your body bounce back with no exercise?
Where’s the cute striped sleeper from? Love it!
Molly’s outfit: http://bit.ly/2dH9HEq
I have four boys and this book has worked every time! Babywise! All of my boys slept through the night at age 9 week. If you need any help please let me know! I would be glad to help you!
We have been trying Babywise for the past 5 weeks or so and it doesn’t work for Molly at all! Mostly because she catnaps and we’ve tried EVERYTHING to get her to nap longer. But we just started following a new book: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Fingers crossed it helps!
Looking to get the Healthy Sleep Habits book because I’m in the same boat as you! Will you keep us updated on if it helps??
I much preferred Healthy Sleep Habits with all 3 of my kids. Babywise made me feel like a failure because, like you, Ali, i just didn’t work for my kids not matter what I tried.
As far as exercise, try fitnessblender.com . It has totally changed my exercise in the fact that they have all different lengths and difficulty levels of workouts so if I only have 15 minutes, I can find something, feel stronger, and then get on with my day.
Hi Ali! I’m a pediatric sleep consultant in training and we LOVE Weissbluth (author of that book). Since sleep training my own twins (who are now 16 months), they’ve slept from roughly 6AM-6PM. Early bed times and not letting your baby get overtired are key! There is a lot more to it…but at the end of the day healthy sleep habits are like any other healthy habit: it requires consistency and dedication. If you need any additional help, let me know! I’m obsessed with baby sleep 🙂
It’s a crazy thing to realize it’s been months since you have slept at least 4 hours in a row, righy?! My daughter is 11 weeks and sleep is still pretty random. Regardless of the day, I have been sticking with the common eat, awake, sleep pattern. If she has short naps (30 min.) I’ll keep her in the room for quiet time. Come night time I go thru our “bed time routine” and at every wake I try to sooth her other ways before offering the breast. All this to say, trust your instinct before anything else and hang in there! It’s rough, but know I am up with you at 3 am sending some love and energy!
Way to go mama!
You are such a great mommy and it shows! Amazing that you do it all and I think it’s important for you to remember you’re doing an incredible job. Try to find any way to get rest and quality sleep, whether it’s getting child care for a few hours or a friend to watch her while you nap, etc. Sleep will make a worlds difference with everything. Being mommy is an imp role and you deserve the self care too. This stage will pass quickly xo
My LO turned 5 months yesterday. From about 3.5 months on he was taking those short cat naps. He never slept through the night so whatever sleep regression then wasn’t really noticed. I did however notice that he was not feeding as much and often just needed resettling. He would wake up just so I would hold him on his side in bed with me. I was fine with this for a few weeks. Last week was rough though– he started to move a lot at nighttime and I was afraid of him falling off of the bed BUT he wouldn’t stay asleep in his Rock n Play after his first big chunk. I decided it was time to stop swaddling and bought the Zipadeezip at sleepingbaby.com (it was on an episode of Shark Tank). I put him for naps in his crib in the zip (usually was napping in the RNP or swing) and he rolled to his side and slept, something he was unable to do swaddled, in the RNP, and swing. We are now going on night 5 of better sleep and longer daytime naps in the zipadeezip! I’m not sure if you’re still swaddling or using the RNP at nighttime but if so, it could be worth a shot to see if she’s craving a different sleeping position. Ive been stalking the video monitor for the past 5 days and I’d say 95% of the time he’s sleeping on his left side!
Read Baby Wise, it’s a life saver!
We have a baby about 2 weeks older than molly and she was doing the same thing. We started adding a dream feed when I go to bed and it’s helped a lot. I pump and bottle feed so I know she’s getting a good amount (since my supply is lowest at night) and usually give her 4-5 oz. Hope that helps. I need to read baby wise too. Every baby is just so different. Good luck!
I love your jacket in the most recent post, can you tell me where it’s from?! Thank you!! Looking gorgeous, isn’t motherhood wonderful? ??
Hey! I’ve had my eye on that Teami for a while now and on the fence about buying it. I can’t get used to hot tea, prob bc it’s not sweet tea (lol). I live in the GA and we love sweet tea! How does their tea taste?
Hey Ali! I know how ya feel! My little girl is 16 months and the last two nights she has been up from 12am-230am! Lord help me?
Ali! Hello!
Sorry Molly isn’t sleeping well, I saw your snap chat…friend me?… it can be rough. I downloaded the app The Wonder Weeks (1.99 on iTunes).. it helps me a lot with knowing when Jaxens fussier times will be and when he’s hitting a leap in developmental stages.
My only me time I get is after everyone is alseep and I run a hot tub of water, kick back and chill for a bit before going to bed. It doesn’t always happen but it’s wonderful when it does. I too love to get in the car a crank up the music and sing like no ones listening, lol…
Hi Ali! Love reading your blog and enjoy the balance of fashion and real life/mommy posts! I have a 1 1/2 year old son and can remember that age and sleep regression well! In case the current book your reading doesn’t yield the results you’re looking for I found the book The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley SO helpful 🙂 It’s an easy and fast read and is broken into sections based on age. Good luck and keep us posted!
Hey Ali 🙂
I am not sure if you and Kevin try to follow a strict schedule, but I just try to let my Emma (who was born the same day as Molly) go with the flow. I know now when she’s tired, so I put her to sleep right away whether it be for a nap, or for bed at night. I found that sticking to a strict schedule wasn’t working for her. Obviously all babies are very different, but this is what works for us. Half the time she gets up 1 time at night to eat & the other half she sleeps through the night.
Ohh and for “me time” I like to go shopping, get my hair done like you said, get my nails done, exercise, & take walks!!!
Oh also a HUGE help for us has been white noise!!! If you haven’t tried this, you must!!! We have one called “Dohm for baby” white noise sound machine from babies r us. Also we turn white noise on when Emma naps too or when she’s really fussy.
Another thing- we found Emma sleeps the best in her crib. We transitioned her at 2.5 months. I wanted to get her in her crib before she became aware. I didn’t want to have a hard time transitioning. The first night she was in her crib, she legit slept for 10.5 hours straight. I think this has to do with the fact that she’s not hearing my husband and I move, go potty, hearing my husbands alarm anymore, his snoring, etc. I was so sad the first night she was in there, but it’s been best for her!! She sleeps a lot better in her own space.
Hey! I’ve had my eye on the Teami Blends for a while!! I’m not a huge fan of hot tea. How do you like the taste of their tea?
Not sure if you read these but I have a source for you for help w babies and sleeping. This woman has specialized in helping moms to get there babies to sleep and sleep well. Even if it’s because of sleep regression. She’s been incredibly successful. So if you are still looking for help w Molly and sleeping check it out. Let me know how it goes.
http://Www.takingCaraBabies.com
Hi Ali!
I’m so jealous if this is your natural lip color, but if not do you mind letting us know what brand/color this is? I’ve been trying to find a nice natural pink color to wear everyday!
Thank you,
Hillary 🙂
Love your blog! I love the sound sleeper app for white noise. If my baby is ready to get up but I’m not (like say 6:00) then I’ll turn it on and place my phone next to him–he’s 11 weeks. Works good at nap time too. For pick me ups I will sit in the sun, take a bath, go for a drive, I need my me time to feel sorta normal!!
Hi Ali,
I was just wondering if you have made any progress with Molly sleeping at night? My son is 2 weeks younger than Molly, from your posts, seems to have similar sleeping habits! He has been sleeping 4-6 hours at a time in the crib, but he can sleep 8 hours in the rock n play (we try to avoid this). All of the sudden, he is up every few hours at night! Hoping you have found a solution for Molly and can’t wait to hear your advice on what worked for her!
Stephanie
May I ask how long you wait after drinking to breast feed again?
I’ve been doing the 30:7 Plan for Teami and I am completely obsessed! I also drink Relax on my off Colon tea nights, and Focus and Energy at work when I am having “off days”!!