Just interested but...

[dibley30]

how long did you hold/ carry your around baby in the first 3 months?? If you put them down, what did you do with them (ie baby bouncer/playgym/swing) and for how long... Just interested...thanks !!

dd was either being carried or in her bouncy chair/car seat - for naps or short periods awake. ds spent much of his early life on the floor or in a carrycot.

Not sure how long I held him, probably quite a lot as was so obsessed with him but I'd put him in a bouncy chair for a rest, moses basket for sleep.

First time round, my dd cried and cried morning, noon and night and I thought I was going crazy. I carried her morning, noon and night because it was the only way she'd settle. I bought a sling which made life more bearable and hoovered and did dishes wearing it. I wondered if she'd ever give it up, she did .

Next time round I had DTs and I fed them and bunged them onto a bouncy chair or a baby swing or a play gym or in the buggy in the garden. They cried and cried but I had life to get on with. I wondered if they'd ever get over it, they did .

Different recipe but the cake still worked.

I carried dd practically all the time but she was a "continuum"baby. She liked it and so did I. Tried to do the same with ds, but he cried and grizzled until my mother said "He looks to me as if he wants to be put down" To prove her wrong, I laid him down in his basket, and he stretched out in obvious relief and went to sleep. He never liked a sling either - preferred his pushchair. As frumpygrumpy said - different recipe but the cake still worked. Love that expression - may I steal it?

I'd be delighted for you to steal it! I'm please some of the garbage that falls out of my mouth is atractive to a few select souls .

When ds was tiny, I used to put him down in a carrycot for his naps (a lie-flat one, not a car seat-type). If he was awake but happy to lie down on his own, I'd put him on his baby gym. I think we bought his baby bouncer later (Baby Bjorn one, IIRC it's not for under three months).

We did use his car seat occasionallly when there was no other way of getting him to sleep but it was a last resort because being in them for long periods isn't great for their backs.

I do wonder about those travel systems that include car seats - babies might be in them for hours, what with journey/buggy/journey.

For the first few months I was holding DS a lot of the time - either carrying him around in my arms, in a sling (huggababy), or sitting in a big armchair holding him while he slept (I would often go from one breastfeed to the next just sitting there, baby asleep, news 24 on) - otherwise he would lie on a sheepskin on the floor, under one of those toy-dangling arc things, while I did stuff - or we would be out for a walk with him in the pram.

I presume then that as they get a bit more alert and interested, they get a bit less grizzly about just "being" and needing to be held/cuddled etc when they are awake - not that I don't love doing that - but just wonder whether eventually you do get time (ha ha ha) to do other things whilst they amuse themselves for a while (I appreciate not a long while, but just long enough to do some general day to day chores)?? or am I being naive and should I try to do my (boring) chores in the evening and give up trying to do them during the day...You think you might have time if they had a nap but as mine won't nap without a dummy (which he keeps spitting out and then cries if it doesn't put come back in ) or in the car seat or buggy, there's no such time at home....

Atm ds is just coming up to 3 weeks and he either goes in his rocker as the back can be adjusted so he can lay down or sit up. He also likes his swinging chair too.

Oh and he does get held alot but only because he hasd reflux really. I think he would settle more if he didn't have this.

yes they do dibley30. i used to put dd on the bed with toys and black and white books, or in the moses basked with the mobile or on her play gym and try and do as much stuff as i could. when she complained i'd try and interest her in her toys but if that didn't work i'd pick her up. slowly the time she could entertain herself grew longer and i was able to do more stuff. and they soon work out how to keep the dummy in. i used to have to put dd's back 10 times maybe. now she puts it in herself. it does get easier!

i held dd constantly as she cried if put down. i felt i was glued to her. but once she reached 10 weeks the time she was awake and happy to be put down increased which meant id put her on the floor and do the housework until she got fed up.
dd 6 weeks is exactly the same.

DD wanted to be held a lot when she was tiny, people said that I was storing up future trouble but she's not clingy at all now, although she loves cuddles and kisses and will spontaneously cuddle anyone she knows which is just lovely. She would go into her bouncy chair for 10 minutes or so but no longer, and would sleep in her moses basket but generally had to already be asleep before she was put into it.

As she got bigger (3 months iirc) she went in her baby gym and door bouncer once she could hold her head up for long enough.

I held DS nearly all day, early days he slept some in the pram, but then he even slept on the feeding pillow during the day. I bough a swing which he went it for 10 - 60 mins sometimes, and then a gym... by 3 months he was "away" from me for maybe about 2 hours in total a day, and its just increased. Hes in his gym now