"How to fry your brain" or lose your self-esteem in 4 weeks.
Sleep only 4-5 hours every night or less, preferably in 2-hour intervals.
Stop showering and brushing your teeth.
Add 20 extra pounds haphazardly over your entire body, making a nice saggy pouch up front and a big cushy seating pad in the back.
Wash your hair randomly and usually don't brush.
Obviously do not take time for skin care or make-up.
Wear shapeless old clothes, preferably stained and wrinkled.
Eat randomly, mostly uncooked meals consisting of bread with something on it.
Cut your social contacts to a minimum.
Focus your thoughts on baby poop and baby food intake.
Have the sink full of dirty dishes.
Keep lights on during 24/7 to help confuse night and day.
Repeat above daily for about a month. Now stop and answer the following questions:
What's your first name?
When was the last time you felt pretty?
What time is it?
Write down what you are thinking right now? Anything???
When was the last time you thought this is the most tired you have ever been?
Oh, 2 minutes ago? Congratulations. You did it. ;)
Posted at 04:32 PM on September 04, 2003
Lol! I still feel this way and my youngest is three. But before you get discouraged, this is not so for everyone. I'm just lucky I guess. NOT!
Brain fog is my excuse for...well, for everything really. Go figure.
I PROMISE you it will get better! It will!
((dinka)) Are you taking your vitamins?
How can our country can justify giving only 6 weeks maternity leave to women? How can a women be expected to recover, and return to work full time after only a month and a half?
I haven't done it myself, but I really envy the fact that my Italian sister-inlaw gets a whole year maternity leave with full pay and benifits.
Well, I cant offer you a solution....but a invitation for a holyday at my place with cooked meals, cakes....and babysitting ! Its for serious, so please come!
Hugs and kisses from Dora
Maria-
What I find even harder to believe is when women want to go back to work like a nanosecond after birth. My friend's sister just had her baby yesterday (a c-section) and already she's made plans to start work in like 4 weeks...the baby will be put in daycare.
Patty,
I haven't met a women yet who wanted to run back to work after a C section. I must run in a different crowd. The women I know who had C sections had a very difficult time, both physically and mentally.
Maria,
Yes, it's kind of disconcerting to see. And unfortunately, I do run into this sort of thinking *very* often. Let's just say that I sort of stick out like a sore thumb in this respect.
Your sister-in-law is very fortunate to have such a long leave... :^) I took family leave for five months and never went back. lol That was over seven years ago. All that said, I don't think I could have thought straight at work anyway, for the same reasons Dinka writes about. Eek! And of course, I would have missed my baby terribly.
Dinka,
It gets better, it does...
Don't be hard on yourself, Dinka. Let's pray that the Lord and the Blessed Mother will send a good block of DEEP, REFRESHING sleep soon--that'll help a lot.
SHOCKING NEWS: if you shower and even brush your teeth once every two days you will not die and people will not report you to the authorities!
(I suggest at least once a day for teeth, though, just so that your husband will consent to cheer you with a kiss now and then!)
If this level of depression lasts more than two months, or gets even worse--to the point that you're sleeping and crying all the time--see a psychiatrist.
I'm serious.
Too many women monkey around with post-partum depression. Family doctors often don't know enough about it and give bad advice.
I've been there!
Spinach, they say, is very good for depression. It has folic acid, I think.
Kathy,
It is quite yummy too.