I Dare You To Tell Me To Sleep While Baby Is Sleeping...

When I sit down to think of the fact that it has been 8 months since I actually slept through the night it sounds so ridiculous...and with my first son it was 11 months straight.  Being sleep deprived is the biggest understatement.  

So when people tell me that I should just sleep when baby is sleeping the eye rolling starts immediately.

Here are 5 comments that I frequently received and the reasons why I think it's foolishness:

1) "I feel for you" and proceed to give me tips on how to get my son to sleep for both naps and straight through the night... this is accepted depending on the day but how many times have you heard the infamous line "every baby is different" so stop it cause for me, mine just doesn't sleep.

2) "Rest is the most important and the housework can wait"... ok I understand that and yes it most certainly can but I am also the one home who has to watch it pile up as I make sleep my 2nd priority after baby and isn't stress a thing too?

3) "Just jump in bed in the evenings as soon as the baby goes to bed so that you can make the most out of his first sleep window"... that is an awesome idea if it was okay with me to have my entire existence revolve around taking care of the baby and sleeping. Can I read, watch tv, listen to music, surf the net, have my mind on something other than motherhood and sleep - even if I am doing it with my eyes closed from exhaustion lol?

4) "Don't worry about dinner, just have hubby pick up something on his way home"...really? Can this be done everyday...cause that is how I am feeling everyday...?

How's your financial situation set up?

5) "You know you are just gonna burn yourself out trying to do it all"... Oh you know what?... you are right.  So how about you stop eyeing the dust that is on my side tables and stopping by for a minute but hoping for a meal.

Ok...rant over.  

However in all seriousness, saying to an extremely sleep deprived new mom "well you should really sleep while baby is sleeping"... doesn't help.

Yup, I said it.

Does that seem realistic with all of the things that need to be done in a day? I won't even touch on what I want to do for the day cause that is always at the bottom of the list but the needs to do's are overwhelming enough.

So please think twice about saying it and perhaps also check your expectations before interacting with that new mom because guess what...

she can feel it!