Stephanie (3:55)

Yeah, okay. I do feel like I'm a crabby bitch. And I tell my husband all the time. I'm like, you know, I feel like I'm putting in so much work for him to just not call me in 18 years. And, you know, and I feel like, you know, know,

Dr. Laura (4:10)

it doesn't last like this. It doesn't last. I remember when my kid, I woke up in the morning and I went, oh, shit. Because, you know, I had to wake up a million times during the night and breastfeed and this and that and the other thing. I was so worn out, my brain was scrambled. That's normal, by the way. All that is normal. You talk to anybody and if they're honest, they'll tell you they went through all of this. It's horrible. But it was daytime and I thought, he's dead. He has to be dead.

Stephanie (4:43)

Yeah.

Dr. Laura (4:44)

And I ran into his room and he's sucking on his toe. I don't know how flexible babies are. And I just stood there and looked and he's smiling, sucking on his toe. And I. Oh, God. He slept through the night. Hallelujah. And so did I. So you're going to get. And then is he going to poop in the potty? Why is he never going to poop in the potty? And then they poop in the potty. And then you go through thing after thing after thing, and that's just the glory and the misery all in one place.

Stephanie (5:20)

Yeah.

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that with Acrobat an all new season of the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu

Dr. Laura (6:26)

on Disney mom talk has just been blowing up.

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Dr. Laura (6:31)

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Stephanie (6:32)

Saying that out loud is crazy.

Dr. Laura (6:33)

Like that is huge. But all the cool opportunities could pull us apart.

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It's chaos.

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Dr. Laura (7:56)

So if you've got a mommy or a step mommy or a sister or or a cousin or somebody who can come over for a few hours so you can nap, that would be great.

Stephanie (8:07)

I know. That's the hard part. He doesn't want to nap unless I'm holding him.

Dr. Laura (8:13)

I'm not talking about him napping. I'm talking about you napping. The hell with the kid napping, okay? You just got to have somebody hand the kid over and say, come back in two hours, I have to sleep. You have to. Or you're just gonna be a crazier bitch after a while.

Stephanie (8:40)

Maybe that's where I'm having an issue, is because I feel like it's hard for me to even just, like, let my husband go, take him for.

Dr. Laura (8:51)

Sweetheart, you gotta stop that. You gotta stop that. Because you're making yourself yin and yang, and both are nuts. I have to be there all the time to be a good mother. It's only me who can be there to be a good mother. Oh, my God. If somebody. I just. I wish I never did this.

Stephanie (9:11)

Yeah, okay.

Dr. Laura (9:12)

Neither position is sensical. 247 doesn't make you a good mother. Makes you a screaming nutcase. You need a husband. Take a break. And it's funny because kids will act different with each mother. I mean, each parent. And the kid might be more relaxed with dad because dad isn't as anxious as you are. Kid picks up on that. My dog picks up on when I'm a bit anxious about something. A dog can feel it. So can a baby. So the more anxious and upset and angry that you are, the more irritable your baby will be. In other words, you're creating it. Oh, my God. What did she tell me? I'm a terrible mother. I'm making my kid crazy. Did you get the message?

Stephanie (10:21)

Yes, I got it.

Dr. Laura (10:22)

Good. You need to take breaks. You need to take. Put my feet up and take a nap break. You need to take a walking around outside. The only way my son would sleep is there was a mall, a Target mall, close by, walking distance, because we only had one car. So I would walk him in the pram. And that particular mall had sort of like a cobblestone floor, which was incredibly stupid. So it was bumpy. And I would walk up and down for two hours. I swear to you, this is true. In a daze. Not shopping. I was just in a daze because when he was on in the pram with the bumps, he slept. You're going to have to find stuff like that. But each phase is temporary. Keep that in mind and hand your kid over to your husband, please. He's Daddy. Kid needs to bond with Daddy.

Stephanie (11:23)

Yeah.

Dr. Laura (11:24)

And kid needs a break from you. Seriously, you need a break from you.

Stephanie (11:31)

I do.

Dr. Laura (11:33)

Yes. So please do what I tell you. Take breaks. Do you hear me? Don't make me come to your house and pinch your head off. I'll do it.

Stephanie (11:43)

I'll tell my husband you said it. So thank you.

Dr. Laura (11:47)

You hand the kid. I used to love when my husband walked in the door, I would go here and take a long shower, waste a lot of hot water. Here, you take them. And he would be very calm with Daddy because Daddy was calm. You have to understand there's a dynamic. It's just not like a robot doll. It's sensitive, has feelings and bounces off you. So you need to do the things to calm this down.

Stephanie (12:22)

Okay?

Dr. Laura (12:24)

Breaks, hot baths, sleep. Okay.

Stephanie (12:30)

Okay.

Dr. Laura (12:32)

Okay. My number 1-800-375-2872. If you like this podcast, be sure to rate it on Apple Podcasts or your favorite place to listen to my podcast. Of course, I'd love if you gave me five stars. And be sure to share this podcast with a friend on Facebook or your preferred social media platform.

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