"Welcome to The Everymom Before 9am, where we’re exploring the challenges of weekdays and shedding light on all that goes into mornings with kids. We’re asking mothers how they manage their mornings, from the time they wake up until the time they leave the house (if applicable). We hope by sharing a variety of stories, maybe we can help each other find hacks, shortcuts, and, at the very least, support in knowing we’re not alone.
Between the holiday sweet treats and cold, dry weather, this Anti-Aging & Acne LED Device is our hack for radiant, youthful skin in minutes (who has more time than that anyway?)
Today: A nurse practitioner working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tuscaloosa, Alabama while her husband works from home and cares for their 6-month-old baby girl with the help of extended family members.
City: Tuscaloosa
State: Alabama
Relationship status: Married
Age: 28
Gender Identity: Female
Work hours: Full-Time
Work location: Outside of the home
Awake time: 4:45am
Out the door time: 7:15am
Commute time: 40 minutes
Number of cups of coffee drank before 9am: 1
Partner’s age: 27
Partner’s gender identity: Male
Partner’s work hours: Full-Time
Work location: Usually outside of the home but now working from home during COVID-19
Child 1 age: 6 months
Childcare: Usually daycare but currently home while dad works from home and extended family members help provide childcare
Pets: 1 dog
4:45am: My alarm goes off, and my husband typically depends on me to wake him up too. Our 6-month-old daughter has usually already woken up (at least once) to nurse, but if she hasn’t, I drag her out of her bassinet to feed her. I’m definitely getting tired of the night feedings, but my other option is pumping before exercising and that doesn’t really sound fun either.
5:00am: I head out the door for a run or go jump on my bike, which is set up on an indoor trainer. My husband does the opposite so that one of us is home with the baby. We are both former collegiate athletes, so exercising is very important to us both. Having a supportive partner is so helpful during these early hours.
5:45am: Time for me to shower and get ready. Usually on days I bike (which takes longer than running), I throw on some scrubs and pull my hair up. If I’m feeling up for it, I will blow-dry and straighten my hair and wear something more business casual. I don’t anticipate much of that in the next few weeks.
6:20am: I spend the next few minutes collecting all my things for the morning. I usually have my lunch packed already, but I pack up my work bag and pump bag. My husband has typically already made us a pot of coffee in the French press by now. My one cup of coffee a day is steadily getting bigger and bigger each day. I try to have my breakfasts prepared (burritos, egg cups, etc.), but sometimes I just make a smoothie or grab some oatmeal.
6:30am: I wake up baby girl, change her diaper, get her dressed for the day, and sit down to nurse her. I’ve been trying to be more intentional with enjoying these little quiet moments, especially in this new chaos.
I wake up baby girl, change her diaper, get her dressed for the day, and sit down to nurse her. I’ve been trying to be more intentional with enjoying these little quiet moments, especially in this new chaos.
7:00am: My husband has typically already left for work, but with socially-isolating and daycare being closed, he is now working from home. As a nurse practitioner, that is obviously not an option for me, and I am so grateful that he and his company recognize that and are supportive. Since I no longer have daycare drop-off, I take this time to make sure everything is ready for the day—make the bottles, take the dog out (if he hasn’t already run with me that morning), fill up dog’s food and water bowls, etc.
We are currently depending on our families for some of our childcare so that my husband can actually get some work done from home, but both my family and my husband’s family live out of town. My sister is coming from Tennessee to help for a few days, and my mother-in-law is coming down from Maryland next week. It truly does take a village, and we are so thankful for our friends who have also helped us out during this time.
7:15am: I have a 40-minute drive to a rural part of the state for work, so I head out the door with what’s left of my 1(ish) cup of coffee to tackle this pandemic on the front lines!
