To wonder how the hell people have spotless houses with a newborn?

[sepa]

I'm lucky if our morning routine takes less than 2hrs in between crying, feeding, showering with more crying
9:40 and about to start my breakfast

[MLGs]

A cleaner? Helpful relatives who do it? Partner on leave who prefers doing housework to any baby care?

Or maybe they don't have spotless houses??

[lordStrange]

My house was spotless with a newborn as I was selling the house. Terrible timing!

[sepa]

Maybe I will do some tonight when OH gets in but that's a bit bloody boring

[StrawberryLeaf]

Lordstrange - I did exactly the same thing! I look back and wonder what on earth I was thinking!

[allowlsthinkalot]

Mine wasn't! I hate to break it to you but it's even worse with a toddler.

[ExplodingCarrots]

Looking back now , my house was ten times cleaner when dd was a newborn compared to now (toddler).

I was pottering about when she was napping or in her bouncer so managed to keep on top of things quite well.

Now, on the other hand, I struggle to get much done because I have a 2 year old who you can't leave unattended and anything you do clean and tidy she will come behind you and undo your hard work.

[TheABC]

I was lucky enough to have a cleaner for the newborn proud, so I was sufficiently motivated to declutter once a week. This time round, I have a hoover obsessed DS, so I am hoping to get some bonus cleaning done whilst amusing him.

[LisaRinnasLips]

Well I never clean in the morning, for a start as it's hectic!

I usually tidy up when baby naps or is awake and just fed so happy to sit in bouncer for a while.

I don't have much clutter so it's v easy to clean my house and even if it hasn't been cleaned in a while doesn't look awful.

[bastardcat]

They don't
Or they have help
Or they have one of those perfect babies who just sleep... dammit

Your baby will be a newborn for the briefest heartbeat of time.
Fuck the housework. Do the absolute bare minimum, cut yourself some slack, ask for or buy in help. Cut corners, anti-bac wipes were a godsend. Get a sling. Consider whether you can spot dab something rather than adding it to the laundry pile.

Most of all be kind to yourself. Newborns are bloody hard work.

You will not look back in 10 years time and think 'gosh wasn't my kitchen floor sticky'.

[Runningupthathill82]

What carrots said. When DC1 was newborn I honestly wondered how anyone ever got anything done with a new baby....but now I wonder what I was complaining about!

Now DS is 3 and DC2 is newborn, the days the toddler is at nursery feel like a chance to get things done. Babies nap, toddlers don't. Babies also sit in one place and don't "help" while you're trying to clean or do the washing.

So yes, it might feel tough now, but it'll get a lot harder when you've got someone trailing toys all over the house! My house is far from spotless, but it's tidy.

Washing and cleaning surfaces, I'm on top of. Dusting, oven cleaning,hoovering upstairs...not so much. And the garden is an utter state.

[Junosmum]

Sling. Plus I don't hoard and tidy as I go. And it still gets messy. I do things such as dusting whilst DH watches ds, gives them an opportunity to spend time together.

I'm dreading the toddler years, I doubt I'll keep it clean and tidy then.

[Littlecaf]

We kept the downstairs relatively tidy which upstairs was a shit tip. DS is 14m now and that's still the same!

[MiddleClassProblem]

I have a toddler. Can't clean the bathroom or hobbit mop the floors unless daddy is around or better yet, taken her out. Tidying I can do but there's a little person following and rearranging what I have just sorted or in abouts corner causing more mess. Sometimes she helps tidy but after a couple of things are in the cupboard or stacked nicely she starts taking them back

[Junosmum]

Oh yeah, and the garden has gone to hell.

[Mousefinkle]

I found it easy keeping the house clean when my first was a newborn. I mean he slept for 2-3 hour stretches so I was looking for things around the house to do... There wasn't much out of place.

Then I had two under two, another story entirely.

[MLGs]

I totally agree with those who say fuck it and concentrate on your newborn.

[LittleLionMansMummy]

Loads easier to keep a tidy house when they're tiny, sleep loads and you're on mat leave, than when you're having to cram everything into a 30 minute window after work and they're toddling. Toddlers are the worst. Of course it also helps if your OH pulls their weight.

[BrexitentialCrisis]

It's because they have a massive cupboard chock full of total crud. I guarantee it. Have a look for it next time you're over- sidle over and turn the doorknob claiming you're looking for the loo watch the panic descend! This wasn't how I pretended I was tidy, oh no.

[Sproughty]

A cleaner or a very helpful mum or Gina Ford.

[Salene]

Arrgghhhh a messy house stresses me out, baby went in sling to clean and he is now a 19 month old toddler and I whip round downstairs 2 - 3 times a day with a hand held dyson, all dished go straight in dish washer, my son has a play room and any toys took into living room are put back once he has stopped playing with them. Once he goes to bed, I clean kitchen, bathroom , tables etc a hour a night and house looks clean and tidy all the time.

Days I work I tidy breakfast stuff away before I leave and tidy anything that's been made a mess after dinner once he in bed. It's much easier to keep on top cleaning daily I think

I do washing as soon as I have a load which is normally every second day.

[TheCrumpettyTree]

I have a toddler and a pre schooler. My house is a path of destruction.

[Champagneformyrealfriends]

Sepa mine is a mess-hope you and your little one are well

[Salene]

Should of said my husband works away a month at a time so I do all the cleaning when he away and when he home I can do more during day as he will entertain out toddler. He doesn't do any cooking or cleaning. He cuts the grass and picks dog poop up when he is home.

[CuppaSarah]

They have babies that sleep when put down, labour they were able to recover quickly from and great support from family and friends. Or a cleaner!

[Notso]

I wonder what the hell I did all day when DC1 was my only child. I didn't even have MN or even the Internet.
Now I have 4 DC including a teen and a tween a five year old and a four year old. So much stuff. Even without meaning to it gets messy.