My name is Mary and I’m 25 years old. I recently experienced one of the most embarrassing and revealing moments of my life. Let me back up a bit. My husband, Jake, 29, and I welcomed our beautiful daughter, Tilly, three weeks ago.

Honestly, she means the world to me. But here’s the thing: Every time I ask Tilly’s dad for help, he says, “Let me relax, my paternity leave is very short.” I’ve been battling sleepless nights alone due to the constant care our baby requires. It’s more exhausting than I could have ever imagined.

My precious angel doesn’t sleep more than an hour at a time, and Jake hasn’t stayed up after her once since she was born! What breaks my heart about his actions is that he promised we would split parenting duties 50/50, but recently his version of “help” has been minimal at best.

It’s gotten so bad that I’m so sleep deprived. As a result, I often fall asleep while cooking or doing laundry! But things went too far last Saturday, and it was a defining moment for both of us!

To celebrate our daughter’s first month, we had a small gathering at my mother’s house. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion where the people closest to us could finally meet Tilly.

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