My husband and I did not get more than 4 hrs of sleep in a stretch for the first 3 months. We decided to sleep train mwb at 3 months. It didn't happen right away but it happened soon enough. Mwb goes to bed at 7.30pm and gets up at 7am. The time between that, we have to ourselves.

Many of my mommy friends talk to me about this, and I have to admit and emphasise that the journey to getting mwb to go to sleep independently and through the night was not easy at all. Like any new mom, it was difficult to have to hear my baby cry and not attend be able to attend to her.  Anyone who met or knew mwb in the first few months knew she was definitely a cryer.

I have sat next to her and watched her cry for an amount of time that was far greater than what I was comfortable with. I have also tried leaving her to cry it out for 10 mins, and coming back and repeat. It took time for her and for us to adjust. While it was tough, I have no regrets "training" her the way we did as she keeps progressing beyond our expectations. It's been a couple of months now, that when it's time for bed, we carry her up to her room, put her pacifier in, bring her her lovey, give her a cuddle and put her into bed. Fuss-free, cry-free.  

Appetite & Weight
If I thought being pregnant gave me a good appetite, breastfeeding definitely outdid that. Even though I had lost 10 kilos in the first month after giving birth, I kept on the rest of the baby weight. I felt like I lost any muscle tone having spent so much time away from the gym. Since I've started working out, I've been feeling a lot better in my body. However, my appetite hasn't changed and the battle of the scale is an ongoing one. 

The Red Moon
After not having my period for 9 months, I kind of forgot what it was like. But those 9 months came with a heavy price. For a couple of months after delivery, I continued to have my "period". It was on and off, heavy and light, I wouldn't know. It just felt like the forever period. Thereafter, because I was breastfeeding, I would not have my period for a couple of months again. And then it just came back. 

Lifestyle/ Priorities
Mentally, it has been quite a journey. Having to deal with the pregnancy, the baby and then covid and quarantine, took a toll on me. I experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows in this period and I am amazed at my husband's patience. The journey sometimes feels like a lonely one and as much as I was against it at first, I became a lot more active in the digital realm. I started to use Instagram a lot more and was glad that I did. I was able to reconnect with friends, who are mothers now, to exchange tips & notes. These conversations helped me on many occasions when I would be down in the dumps.

I noticed changes in the way I was using social media and how my priorities have shifted. While I would have used social media in the past to look at things like bags or fashion, I would now be looking up on how best to prepare baby food. While I would normally be saving up for my next bag, I am now finding myself striving to work harder and saving up so that mwb can have the best opportunities in life.