Dealing with a hangover with kids

I recently posted this photograph on my Instagram whereby Bobby – my seven-month-old son – and I simultaneously yawned after both having a big night.

Bobby had slept over at his Nanna’s house, while Mummy & Daddy went out for a ‘few’ Christmas drinks with friends.

You see, although it’s great that Bobby had some quality Nanna time, the very bitter-sweet reality with having children is that they always get given back, no matter how bad the hangover!

Approaching my first New Years Eve as a mum, it’s fair to say I’m having very mixed emotions as to how I want to celebrate the year that was. It’s no longer a case of the ol’ attitude of, "I’ll be right…I’ll sleep-in til the afternoon," or "I’ll just pull a sickie on Monday!"

I have a not-so-little baby who will greet me with his grunting first thing on New Year's Day morning, which translates to, "Mum, I’m awake, feeeeeed meeee. Give me every inch of attention physically possible."

So – in true holiday season spirit – I’m here to give my top 5 reasons why having a hangover with a baby is simply not worth it for me!

1. Instant regret sucks

Fast-forward after a night of drinking and freedom. I crawl into bed. My breath stinks & my teeth are furry. Dammit, I already struggle to find time to shower on a good day, so tomorrow I will smell. Bang. Regret.

My head is spinning and I watch the roof do circles above me. I envisage the challenges that lie before me in the morning when Bobby wakes…which is now in three hours to be exact. Bang. Regret.

2. I care about Bobby, but he doesn’t care about me.

The same baby who will shout for me at 7am for his breakfast is also the same baby who will want to climb, scratch, bounce and bite my poor, throbbing head all day. He will also want to squeal – because that’s Bobby’s new thing – all day, and pierce my extra-sensitive, hungover eardrums.

3. The morning poo is crap.

Nappy changing does not pair well with a hangover, but what’s worse than going to greet your baby who has an explosive morning poo? Going in vulnerable. You’re hung-over and you’re tired. There’s room for serious error. One slip of the hand and… need I say more?

4. Peppa Pig just doesn’t cut it for Bob.

A movie 'recovery' day may work perfectly well when I have a 5-year-old, but unfortunately that whole idea doesn’t work with a crawling baby. Unfortunately, lazy parenting is not an option when dealing with a hangover with a bub. No iPad, no pay TV, no games involving “let’s see who talks least” or “bet you can’t fall asleep first” will work. It's full steam ahead from the get-go with a baby.

5. There’s no time for the breaky feast.

When the old me would party with friends the hardest decision I had to make was what I was going to go feast on the next day. A traditional McDonald’s binge of hot, salty chips and cheeseburgers? Bacon & eggs accompanied by two hash browns. A green smoothie (who am I kidding)?

Nope. Now the only food on top of my priority list that is all for my Bobby. Unless, of course, I strategically plan my Macca’s run for the 45 minutes between his bottle and his weetbix… but then again we all know getting out of the house on a normal day with a baby is a huge pain in the backside, so when Mumma’s feeling a bit seedy… it looks like my only hangover cure would be weetbix & berries with Bob.