How to fill the days when at home with a baby

[NightOwlStacey]

Can anyone help me fill the days for when I'm at home with my baby? When DH is off work at weekends it's not too bad as I can go and have a bath for an hour for example and he will take over but during the week it's just me and our 13 week old.

2 or 3 times a week I'll arrange to meet someone for coffee but I'm usually anxious about that as she can be a bit of a crier so I'm usually on edge when we are out at something arranged that I can't just leave.

On the other days a typical day is this:

6am - wake up, feed and change her. Playtime with some toys

7.30am (approx) if I'm lucky she will nap for between half an hour to an hour

8.30am She will wake up and I'll put her in her basket whilst I do housework and keep seeing to her in between. Feed again etc.

11am We go out to the supermarket and for a walk. I try to drag this out as I enjoy walking her out and about and she's generally settled when being pushed in her buggy

1pm - back home. Do the feed, toys, change thing repeatedly until about 6pm when we start bedtime.

The afternoons seem long and boring. We live in London but not too central and I haven't taken her on public transport yet. I'm a bit nervous about her kicking off in public and to be honest I find it easier to feed her at home as sometimes she squirms a lot and it's just easier I'm familiar surroundings but I'm getting pretty bored! How do you fill your days with a baby?

We went for a walk a day and did a couple of groups at that age, baby yoga and singing at the library (library sessions are free here) might be worth looking at what your local library offers? Xx

Your baby's not on solids yet but it won't be too long before you'll be busy creating healthy baby meals - that can take up a lot of time. Mine are older now but I spent ages with the Annabel Karmel books! I know it's a while off for your baby though.

Lots of walks.

I used to give mine a bath during the daytime as an 'activity'.

My LO is nearly 7months and ive never managed to build up the confidence to go to a baby group, i know i need to though. I also get bored. Weaning is quite stressful and baby is clingy. I walk every day and buy a lottery ticket. It means i have to talk to someone (i am guilty of going straight to self serve when buying something) and now the people who serve the lottery counter know me and baby. Its the afternoons that get long.

Also, try 'The Baby Club' on cebebies (we watch on iplayer), its good to get used to how baby clubs can be and good if you cant get to one

I found time went so slowly when I was looking after a baby. The only thing that helped was getting out. Join all the baby clubs you can. Just get out of the house - go for long walks in the park, around tow, go to museums, art galleries. Time flies if you do this. It doesn't matter if she cries. Babies cry, people expect that. My baby never stopped crying but I couldn't have stayed in all afternoon.

Mumtoboy123 that sounds tough. Is there any reason you dont feel brave enough to get out to a group?

For what it's worth I find my baby very grizzly at home! He's much happier when we are out.

Thank you all for the replies so far, I think baby classes are probably the way forward.

For those of you with babies that cried a lot- was this after 12 weeks? I'm being no naïve but in my book it says crying without a reason stops at 12 weeks but I still get a fair bit of it I think?

She naps on and off throughout the day sometimes maybe 30 mins as we are out and about, sometimes an hour, but it's not a routine yet she just drops off as and when.

I went to lots of classes etc; mum&baby yoga, book bug, baby sensory, mum&baby cinema, baby massage, gymboree, daisy etc.
I made sure I went to one thing every day.

My DS needed help to get to sleep at that age. I would be making sure you're actively trying to get her to sleep roughly 90 mins after being awake..you might find the crying dies down if she gets better naps.

It's very hard at that age. I tried to have one activity for every day. Check for things like baby sensory in your area, and other baby coffee group type things. My baby was a crier, but was always better out and about. I also agree with nap time advice, 90 mins is probably max awake time at this age.

I had my baby in London. I hated baby groups and classes, and seldom went, and my NCT group just didn’t get on, and drifted apart quickly, but I spent a lot of time pushing DS around Hampstead Heath, various parks, taking him to museums — he took his first step in the Great Court of the British Museum and was applauded by some Japanese tourists! — and food shopping in markets.

To be honest, I did what I wanted, as small babies don’t need constant entertainment.

DS2 still cried a lot after 12 weeks. He was bf and he liked to do that all the time! I watched a lot of box sets because his favourite thing to do was be held on the sofa and feed. I didn't go out much with him because he would always cry.
We did do more baby groups as he got older.
He's almost 4 now and is the most cheerful boy, loves going out and about and hardly ever cries so it does get better.

DS1 cried a lot, and this continued well past 12 weeks. I took him to lots of church hall and children’s centre groups. They were laid back, cheap/free and gave him new things to look at. As we got known, some of the volunteers would sometimes hold him for a few minutes so I could drink my coffee etc. I also got to chat to other people. These kept me sane through some very dark days.

Maybe go out in the afternoon,thats what i did.