Sticky Bear Baby & Tree Trunk Mama

I’m fast becoming a tree trunk in more ways than one.

For starters, my torso has become the favourite reclining place for my little darling. Slung around me in my trusty sarong sling, it is where he calms down and falls asleep. He’s already 12weeks and 5days old. I still don’t see him learning to fall asleep independently.From what I’ve gleaned from reading expert advice, I’ve tried to train him to fall asleep on his own.  I’ve tried to put him down when he’s sleepy but he awakes immediately and bawls till he turns into one silent screamer.  When he does, I worry about causing him distress and teaching him distrust instead of trust. So in he pops into the ‘auto shut-up sloth machine’. After several seconds, he shuts up.  Then when he finally slips into that sweet state of sleep, I am almost too afraid to put him down for fear of waking him up and having to deal with his tears, again.

What do I do? I end up busying myself with household chores and meals with him plastered on me. This then leads me to the next reason why I’m getting close to looking like a tree trunk. Eating decently has become a personal challenge. I’ve only successfully managed to cook three meals for myself since I started looking after him on my own. Most times, I’ve been stuffing my face with the most accessible but least healthy of foods – cereal bars , chips, chocolate. Plus, it’s no easy feat trying to NOT drop crumbs or spill hot soup onto an infant strapped so closely to my mouth. ( I shan’t say just how many times I’ve picked a flaky piece off his scalp thinking that it’s cradle cap only to find it’s only my breakfast.) I’ve also been nursing this horrid craving for sugar.  My post-natal tummy looks bigger than it did after I gave birth. Sigh.

So here you have a Sticky Bear Baby and me, a Tree Trunk Mama. I’ve got a long way and many calories to go before I’ll ever reach a Yummy Mummy status.