Mama Trauma

My husband and I have always been late-to-bed, later-to-rise people. That's just one of the reasons we got along so well. My close friend, who was pregnant simultaneously, has always been an early-to-bed type. She delivered 11 hours before I did. We should have switched babies. When you're pregnant, your baby gets used to a schedule I call China time, a cruel trick of nature. The fetus sleeps while you're active because your movements rock it to sleep. But when you lie down and put your feet up for a bit of rest, the fetus wakes up and starts cranking. Therefore, once the baby is born, forget sleep. Whenever you want to sleep, your baby wants to play. Sleep becomes a faint memory. You learn to nap. Nap is not sleep. Sleep is when your conscious brain shuts off for six to nine uninterrupted hours. Sleep as you once knew it will elude you for the rest of your life. Nap is when your body shuts down for refueling and repairs. However, one part