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(which he loved), and the other would get to sleep undisturbed in the bed all night. I was no more exhausted than I had been since we'd both been waking up with every cry every night, but here he had gotten a full night's rest. He agreed that it's worth a shot and thanked me for letting him benefit from the first night's sleep. He kissed me and sent me off to nap while he stayed with our son.

From that night on, that's how we handled the sleeplessness... we tag teamed our son every other night until my husband went back to work. Once he did, he arranged his schedule as much as he could to allow for our new system of getting sleep. He got more than I did on average since he was working and I was on maternity leave, but those nights that I did get to sleep meant so much to me, not to mention my sanity. I realize this isn't going to work for single mothers or for anyone who's breastfeeding, but there are other options.

If you're single, consider your family members and friends who have offered to help out... let them. Even if they're just watching the baby while you catch a nap during the day, that's better than nothing. If you have a large enough network of family and friends that you can rely on, you might be able to work in quite a few naps, or even schedule them to relieve one another so you can get a full night's rest (during the day) once in a while! If you're breastfeeding, consider pumping however many feedings your child takes overnight so you and your significant other can try the tag team method. I know there are some mothers who wouldn't want to miss out on the bonding aspect of it, but think about the bonding you'll be enabling for your partner, who never gets to give a feeding. They may be thrilled with the tag team idea if it means they'll get a chance to feed their own child.

Finding ways to catch a little extra shut eye when your baby is still very young has been a challenge for centuries. Everyone who's ever had a baby has some wisdome to share, all you have to do is ask them for it. Most people are happy to tell you what they know, especially when it comes to helping out a new parent. Good luck!

Learn more about this author, Tina Kelleher.
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