What can I do with my 2-month old?

[MLmum]

I have a 2-month old baby girl, love her to bits but I feel stuck when it comes to activities. I know she's very young but I feel I should be playing with her a lot of the time to stimulate her mental development but I just can't think of many things to do that she's not too young for. At the moment she's sleeping a lot and I feel so racked with guilt because I keep thinking I'm a boring mum and she's sleeping because she has nothing interesting to do or look at. She has a mobile above her cot and she loves that, as well as a lamp that projects images onto the ceiling and I sing to her everyday while walking around in the flat so she can look at things and I do a little baby "gymnastics" but I don't feel this is enough. A lot of the time she's just in her bouncy chair as she seems happy there and she'll often fall asleep in it. I didn't have any experience of caring for babies before I had my own so maybe that's why I'm so unimaginative? Does anyone have any ideas? What do/did you do with your babies at this age? I'd really appreciate some advice...

[CMOTdibbler]

All she needs is to be with you, and for you to talk to her.

Stick her in a sling, go for a walk, do the shopping, do housework, and chat to her about it. She doesn't need anything more

[preggersplayspop]

I mainly put my feet up and watched the telly! Make the most of it, soon you won't even be able to go to loo or shower in peace!

At this age, I think sleeping, eating and cuddling are the most important developmental things.

[llareggub]

Just talk to and cuddle your baby. Smile a lot and get plenty of rest.

[BornToFolk]

You sound like you're doing brilliantly! Small babies are supposed to sleep a lot - make the most of it while it lasts.

I think you are doing just the right things, singing and chatting to her will keep her happy and help you to get to know each other.

I think all you can really do at this age is find interesting things for them to look at. If the weather is good, you can park her under a tree so she can watch the leaves and hear the wind etc. Or you could make her a mobile out of shiny bits of tinfoil etc.

But honestly, I think you are doing plenty at the moment and she sounds relaxed and happy so I'm sure she'd agree!

[SoupDragon]

You're doing fine. Singing to her is good. I also used to read aloud to DS1 when he was little (Harry Potter!) he was mesmerised by my voice and it was the only way I got to read the book

[MLmum]

Thanks everyone for your reassurance, I feel better now. I just started worrying because my husband keeps saying how important it is that we do things to stimulate her cognitive development, he's a psychotherapist so maybe that's why.

[nouveaupauvre]

excellent, then your expert dh can do all the stimulating and you can watch tv.
no i know exactly where you are coming from, when ds was this tiny i worried for days that i wasnt doing enough exciting things, but looking back now that he's two i wish i'd just made the most of it. at this age sleep and food are paramount, and even the most unlikely things are stimulating - he used to gaze in deep fascination at the side of the bath - so if you try to go into overdrive you may just end up with her tuning out anyway. sounds like you are doing all the right things, but if you want to do more the best thing is just to take her into lots of new environments - might be as simple as shoving the pushchair outside under a tree like borntofolk said so she can see the leaves moving or letting her look at different light and shadows from the windows. or just stick her in a sling and go out and do the things you want to do with some friends - absolutely everything is potentially fascinating to a small baby (and even to a quite a lot bigger one actually)

[Alittlebitrestless]

MLmum, I think you are doing really well. Your baby girl is very lucky to have such a great mum. I read your op feeling a bit ashamed that I didn't think of things like baby gymnastics when mine was that age! As others have said, just enjoy it and make the most of nap times!

[herbgarden]

With both my kids I never really did activities. They just came wherever I went - supermarket, friends/friends with babies, coffee shops, walks. I never did anything necessarily stimulating. DD hasnt' had any "organised" activities in her 7 months of life - her main amusements are me and her brother (that's entertainment enough ) - she shrieks with laughter just watching DS running around the house. She loves sitting in her bouncy chair - all she needs is a cuppa and a good magazine and she'd be sorted. On our days when DS was at nnursery during mat leave (just finished)...I would really just potter about tthe house and she'd watch. Sounds boring but it was lovely.

Seriously though, make the most of it - you will have plenty of time for activities when he gets a bit older and you will be dying for that lovely time when they were little and immobile and not demanding your undivited attention 12 hours a day (and maybe night ...

[herbgarden]

sorry meant "she".......

[AnyFucker]

feed her

keep her warm

during the times she is awake, pull funny faces and talk to her

that's about it really

[HarryB]

Food, cuddles, sleep, hearing your voice - that is probably all she needs for now.

I used to go for lots of walks when DS was that age, it got us both fresh air and the day went quicker. I remember asking myself all the same questions and now he is 7.5 months, I think "please have a nap so mummy can go for a wee/eat lunch/MN". Enjoy it while it lasts, you are doing great!

[Gemzooks]

ML, you sound like me with my first child, I was in tears the second week because I was so worried he wasn't getting enough music! Really!

Now I have a second child it is all so much relaxed and I realise that it's actually more likely for babies to get overstimulated. as other posters have said, just people being around, seeing people cooing into their pram, seeing trees, toys under the baby gym etc is more than enough. remember that everything is totally new for them. I think as mothers we get quite frenetic about wanting to provide enough stimulation, whereas actually children sometimes need space and time to develop cognitively without too much input from outside, they have to explore the daily world gradually, not be artificially stimulated all the time, in other words, reality is enough!