Can’t keep your eyes open? 5 reasons new mums feel so tired

Feeling like no matter how early you call it a night, you’re still tired the next day?

We feel you, mama.

Being a new mum (heck – being a mum in general!) is hard bloody work, isn’t it? There are simply not enough hours in the day, and there are just so many things that need doing.

There is the baby, of course, and all the feeding and changing and rocking and stuff that goes into that. And then there is everything else – the laundry, the dinner, the shopping, the other kids, the family at large – all of it. No wonder we are so flipping wrecked, no?

And while it might be easy to just assume it is the not getting a full night’s sleep at the moment that is making you feel so wrecked, here are some other very real reasons new mums feel so tired:

1. You’ve not yet recovered from birth

The general saying is that it takes roughly six to eight weeks to recover from birth. And while that’s sort of true—as in that is how long it takes for your uterus to shrink back down to its pre-pregnancy size – let me just tell you this: I have never met a mum who “felt like herself” again at six weeks out.

Just think about it – being pregnant for close to 10 months (yes, really – that’s how long it takes to cook a baby from conception to birth) and giving birth – it’s pretty full on for our bodies. And our minds we well, tbh. Which is why when we speak of ‘recovery from borth’ we are actually talking about way more than a shrunken uterus.

What you can do: Take time to heal. Yes, it sounds simple, but it’s none the less true. You and your body have just been through a lot – allow yourself time – plenty of time – to start feeling like yourself again.

2. You need more iron

Pregnancy and birth really can throw a lot of our usual rhytms our of whack, and this goes for your blood count too. Many new mums don’t have high enough levels of iron in their blood, something which could be the result of pregnancy or birth – or both.

What you can do: Talk to your GP and have some blood tests done. If you are slightly anemic, iron supplements and eating more iron-rich foods will help.

3. You’re forever multi-tasking

Look, we get it – multitasking is the only way to get tons of stuff done if you’re a busy mum. But know this: Constantly multitasking can leave us feeling like we never have time to concentrate on just one thing, and will eventually make us feel seriously tired.

What you can do: Take a break – do some yoga, watch Netflix, take a long bath – and just focus on that one relaxing task at hand.

4. You need more sleep

It’s true – research says that women need about 20 more minutes of sleep than men do (likely due to all that multitasking our brains are trying to do).

What you can do: Get into bed earlier – even if it is just 20 minutes, you’ll notice a difference in the morning, for sure.

5. You’re breastfeeding

Producing breastmilk ain’t no easy job for your body, which is working around the clock right now to make sure it churns out delicious, nutritious milk for your baby to drink.

Did you know it requires about 500 calories per day to exclusively breastfeed a baby—which is the equivalent of walking about seven miles per day.

(Feature image via Zara.com)