I remember when Rhett was born I felt this surge of emotions that cannot be replicated. I was beyond happy. I was ecstatic. I was a mom to the most precious baby I had ever laid my eyes on and I GOT TO KEEP HIM.
As we placed him in his car seat and tucked an afghan around his tiny body, I just smiled and couldn’t believe we were heading home with our baby. What joy!
Well just a few short hours later, he was waking every 45 minutes to nurse and I was crying and rocking him and wondering what had happened to my life. Would there ever be a time in my time here on earth where this child wouldn’t be attached to me? When did I turn into a milk cow?!
The next month was a fog. When you get so little sleep it’s hard to keep your days straight and you feel like you are just barely hanging on. Sometimes that 45 minute nap is a LIFE SAVER. Literally.
Your whole life has changed and there is no “normal” anymore. That precious baby has turned life upside down. And not all in bad ways, just new ways.
As you’re grasping to find something familiar, you remember those days where you would pull out your Bible and notebook and spend hours with the Lord. Ahh what fellowship you had with Him!
You cry and wonder if you will ever get to read your Bible again…you barely have 10 minutes to scarf down some food, much less spend time studying the Word.
But now is the time you need Him more than ever.
Well, I’ve learned through trial and error some ways that have helped me find a little consistency among the chaos.
1. Pray while nursing.
This was huge for me. When you spend that much time nursing, it can help it not only fly by, but also bring you an amazing amount of encouragement. Keep a list of people or things you want to pray for on the side table by your rocking chair or where ever it is you nurse to help remind you who/what needs prayer.
Prayer helped lift my spirits so much in a time where I couldn’t spend a huge amount of time in the Word. I talked to my precious Savior for hours at night and it really was a precious time!
2. Read your Bible after the first night feeding.
This one is more for when your baby is a little past a month old or waking only 2-3 times a night. I keep my Bible and notebook on my nightstand and whenever Rhett wakes up the first time at night, after I lay him back down I have 30 quiet minutes to spend with the Lord. It feels AMAZING.
The hardest part of this is convincing myself not to fall back into my comfy bed and go straight to sleep. It takes some discipline, but I never regret that time spent with the Lord vs. sleeping.
I can definitely tell a difference in myself on the days I sleep instead of spend time in the Word. I become much more discouraged, and taking care of Rhett can become such a chore and life holds no joy (ha). I. Need. Jesus. Which means I have got to spend time with Him!
3. Go to Church.
We might be crazy, but we went back to church before Rhett was a week old. We missed it! And even though I struggled at times to stay awake, my soul was encouraged just by being surrounded by my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Now this may look different for you. The last thing I want is to make you feel guilty if you aren’t back at church the very next Sunday, but don’t let your tiredness or fear of taking the little one out keep you from the body of Christ. Your soul will thank you!
Also, if your church has a “nursing mothers & new mommy” room, you can meet a lot of sweet ladies in there who are in the same boat as you! One Sunday I came out of there chatting with a lady and Chris was waiting in the hallway for me and he commented “You just have your own little community in there don’t you?” I laughed, but thought it was a good point!
I hope these were helpful to ya’ll. Hang in there. It’s going to get easier and easier! I promise.
The Carolina Farmhouse 