Maternity leave and household chores guilt

[finlaythecat]

My ds is 4 months now. I’m breastfeeding him and he will only nap on me, in the sling or in the pushchair but wakes up as soon as it stops moving.
I absolutely love being his mum and really enjoy it but am feeling quite a lot of guilt about the household jobs which I can never find time to do!
I think it’s because I can never put him down so never just have any time when I can zip around and get everything done while he sleeps.
I imagined that I would have loads of time on maternity leave to go to new places, go on long walks with the dog and go to baby groups but as it is I feel like I could spend a huge part of the day just cleaning/washing/tidying!
Please give me your tips to get through the housework quicker with a baby attached to me or somehow cope with the guilt of not getting stuff done!

I hate to be the lone voice of dissent but I've found it pretty reasonable with a single baby. My 7 mo wakes up every two hours at night, only naps on me and was full bf, but I still study p/t and get out every day.

If you and your partner can blitz the house once (or pay someone else to) then the daily maintenance might only be half an hour, easily fitted around nap time or with baby being worn in a carrier. You can also make games out of it with them. Just letting them watch the washing machine go around or playing with a clean spatula can be entertaining, along with your normal interacting, making faces and chatting with them.

I can do "most" of the chores with baby in a carrier, except washing up (arms too short to avoid getting him soaked in hot water), cooking and properly cleaning bathrooms with "stuff".

DC1 was easier to put down- this one has gone from don't you dare put me down to roaming causing havoc pretty well instantly - won't lie in playpen under an arch even - Has to be free to maraud!

How did you get it done when you were working? You pretty much do that.

My dh and I would get the small daily tasks done before he left for work or after he returned so one of us would have our hands free. Bigger things get done on the weekend. Same as when we both work. Then I found I could also do little things with a baby in the vibrating chair or in a sling or while they slept in the car in the drive after returning from a day out (obviously only when safe, not too hot or cold in the car, which I can see right outside the kitchen window), like clear the kitchen counters, put shopping away, load dishwasher.

When working there are 2 sets of hands getting stuff done. With a clingy baby only 1 set can be getting stuff done - plus more mess...