"I knew at that point that we were just so tired that it wasn't even like we were in reality."
Marnie chats about how sleep deprivation with her son, Rox really impacted on her relationship.
She also reflects on the importance of finding the right routine for you and your baby and not being influenced by other parents.
All of them years on Geordie Shore, partying all night, still couldn't prepare us for how sleep deprived I would be when I became a mum. Sleep means a lot more to us now, that's for sure.
That first four months, it was really tough. He was awake all night, every hour. It was horrendous…and I remember one night, Casey just looked at us like "what have we done?" I just burst out laughing because I knew at that point that we were just so tired that it wasn't even like we were in reality. We just didn't think it would ever end. I remember saying to him "it's never going to end, he's never going to sleep."
I think it's really important to not compare yourself to other parents. Every baby's different and every parent has their own routine and they know what's best for their baby so you've just got to follow what you think is right and just do what you want to do. When you don't get any sleep it can make everything stressful and I feel like it really tests the relationship, especially for me and Casey, we were so tired and we were so moody and we were taking it out on each other at the very beginning and then we had to learn to come together and help each other through it. You've got to take turns. If Casey was really struggling, I'd be like"just go and grab an hour. Just go and do it now" and then I'd have Rox, and he'd do the same for me, and we still do that now.
I've been doing TV since I was 20 and living in Geordie Shore, I never had a routine. So I was really worried about getting a baby into a routine because I was told by many people that routine is key, but we've actually done it. Rox is in the most amazing routine. Me and Casey try and get Rox in bed at the same time every night. We give him his bath, bottle, bed around 7pm and he sleeps until 7 in the morning. When it gets to 7pm me and Casey are like "thank God!" It is literally mine and Casey's time to just relax. I think the routine is important for that because it gives the parents that time for each other.
You don't feel like them sleepless nights are ever going to end, but believe me, they do.
If you're a new parent, however, don't feel pressured to find a routine right away after baby is born. It can take up to three months and sometimes longer!
In those early months, it's best to look out for your baby's cues and respond accordingly.
