A friend of ours just had her second child after 61 HOURS of labor!  Before I had children, that would have made me tired—but now it makes me want to flop onto the floor unconscious.  Why?  Because I always imagined that childbirth was a marathon.  What I realized after my first, is that it’s just the beginning of an endless “Ironmom” tournament that lasts for years. 

In that long succession of sleepless nights, there is a way to balance green values and exhaustion and it’s as simple as asking for help. Here are a few things I’ve learned from wise friends who have kept from being plumb pooped in those early weeks:

1.    Construct a support system: I spent my first few week of motherhood napping, figuring out breast feeding, and eating glorious nourishment prepared by my mother.  Then she left and I felt a little lost. Two of my well-supported friends have arranged for friends or family to help every day of their first month with baby.  I will make sure to do the same next time around.

2.    Consider a diaper service: Luckily my husband has a weird affinity for laundry so I had lots of help with cloth diapers.  Sometimes sheer exhaustion makes other families want to give up on cloth, but having a diaper service can make all the difference.  It’s totally possible to launder diapers alone, but it’s also important to know when to call in support.

3.    Avoid wonder-mom syndrome: Before becoming a mom I judged myself by my daily accomplishments.  Afterwards, I felt lucky to have achieved a shower. It was tough for me to go from a human-doing to a human-being.  The classic symptom of the wonder-mom disease is the urge to do housework when there’s an opportunity to nap.  Let the mess slide, have someone else make peanut butter sandwiches for dinner, and breathe in the smell emanating from the very top of your baby’s head. 

We would like to have a second child someday, and to be honest I’m already nervous about those long sleepless periods with a toddler in the house.  Still, if I follow my own advice, we can balance exhaustion and eco-friendly living.