For those who are seriously sleep-deprived and perhaps also caring for other children as well as a newborn, Bartlik advises having a talk with your spouse. Let him know that if you had a bit more help, you’d be more inclined to help in the bedroom. Sexual bribery? Perhaps. But let’s face it: it’s the truth. So ask him to share some of the night time diaper changes. Perhaps dad can give baby a bottle of pumped breast milk at one point in the night too? You may be surprised at how motivated he’ll become, if he knows you’ll be in the mood once a week.
If your baby won’t take bottles, or you aren’t comfortable giving them and are breast-feeding on demand, you can still garner more sleep if you nap during the day when your baby does. This will mean you’ll need to let some of the house-work slide, or that you may need to hire a sitter, or request help from family, if you’re also caring for a toddler—but it’s absolutely worth it.
Another way to boast energy levels, and to lose some baby weight, is to start exercising. My strategy was heading to the beach with my infant snug in my bjorn and walking with other moms. It was nice to stretch my legs, breathe fresh air, and have some time to chat with friends with babies the same age as mine. I didn’t realize that walking every day helped in the bedroom too.
“Exercise helps with libido—it actually raises sex hormones. Another bonus is that when you exercise more, you actually need less sleep,” Bartlik explains.
So, plan a strategy including exercise, more help from the hubby, and the much deserved nap—and hopefully you and your partner will be on the road to raised oxytocin levels soon!
PREVIOUS PAGE
