Question about newborns from a naive first-timer

[mrsbean78]

I might seem totally idiotic asking this question but here goes nothing..

I am due my first any minute now (40+6) and two friends have told me this week that when the baby comes you won't be able to watch tv anymore.. I don't understand this, because I've taken care of very small babies (e.g. under a month) in the past and it seems to me they spend an awful lot of time feeding or asleep.

I can totally understand all the other things you won't be able to do, like showering for long/straightening your hair, but TV seems like a pretty passive activity that should be possible with a small baby, as long as it doesn't have colic? One of my friends told me she hasn't managed to spend half an hour with her dh in front of the television in 5 months! 5 months! Is this typical? Am I just deluded?

Even with my FF baby, I've managed to finish watching all of West Wing on DVD and one whole series of Boston Legal. DS is 5 months, but feed time is DVD time around here!

TBH in the first few weeks of DD being here i watched ALOT of TV as she basically BF solid for hours on end. it gets mighty boring sitting staring at the wall at 3am i managed to watch the whole 3 series of veronica mars as it was on every night at 3am and also many DVDs and our virgin tv bill went up alot for movies on demand

I would love to know what your friend did for 5 months

Yes, and subtitles also help

With DS1 I watched the whole 10 series of Friends while bf!

Tee2072 Oooh, Boston Legal! I used to love that show..

We use subtitles now anyway because the dvd is in the bedroom and that way we can keep the sound low and one of us can sleep if the other is still watching.. find it much easier to process it, too!

And if you're really clever you can time feeding around your fave TV programmes and sit happily in front of Diagnosis Murder The Dimbleby Lectures to your hearts content...

It's funny what people say. I was told 'You won't get to read a newspaper for 5 years.'

Kathyis12feethighandbites - I don't really understand these comments! I did some live-in au pairing in my late teens so at one point in my life hadhad a lot of experience with babies. It all seems so dim and distant now, yet when I am told these kind of things a small voice inside me goes 'but.. but...' before I allow it to peter out sheepishly in obvious awe of my complete naivety and stupidity.

I find the comments re: 'nothing on earth can prepare you..' or 'you may think you're ready but you're not' quite silly too. I don't feel particularly "ready" at all! I am surprised that anyone does or would!

Dont you just love the way people try and scare the bejeezers out of first time mums?

I am all for being honest about parenting being hard work etc but why set someone up to believe they are never going to have a life again?

I have watched more tv since I had kids than I ever did before. As someone said already, you dont get to do things interrupted for the next 18 years or so but you do get to do things.

A lot depends on the baby's personality. If you have a poorly, colicky baby you may have to do everything whilst soothing a screaming bundle. Some babies sleep for the first few weeks and have to be prodded awake for feeds.

Dont worry, you will be fine and get the hang of it all in no time.

People also told me I'd never read a book again. Okay, maybe it takes me 2 weeks rather than a day, but I still read!!

Always used to SKY+ those marathon episodes of Come Dine with Me so I could watch them whilst feeding DS. Makes me giggle the way people say that you'll never do this that and the other again. It's a baby, not a prison sentence.

newborns sleep a lot, but i am busy doing everything else when he is asleep ( sleeping myself, laundry, eating, etc...) but you can watch tv, it helps if you have a sky+ box, my baby only sleeps when there is nothing on telly, and sitcoms and movies are great for breastfeeding, no kidding takes an hour, especially those dh does not want to watch (desperate housewives)
one thing i give to your friend, you will not watch tv when you want to, and your lo will not care house is on, or maybe that is why he/she is crying...

To be fair i could watch any good live tv, i relied on dvds, sky plus to watch whole series at somewhat unsociable hours or made do with crappy daytime stuff. Maybe thats what she meant?

I spend loads of time watching tv with my baby, football at the moment + lots of day time rubbish. Feeding a baby takes loads of time so snuggling on the sofa watching tv or mumsnetting comes naturally.

WE got a PVR (like Sky+ but not Sky) just before DS1 was born and it was the best thing we ever did.

The thing your friend might have meant is that it's quite tricky to watch things if you're hoping to watch them when they're on, iyswim - the baby always wakes up or needs changing or something.

But Sky+/V+/PVR is your friend - just record everything you need to watch then you can watch it even when walking the floor with a newborn at 3am - no crappy middle of the night telly for you!

Plus you can pause live telly so you can pause it if the baby inconveniently throws up/does explosive poo during Eastenders

I agree totally with WhatFreshHell - PVR was my Christmas present just before I had my 4th DC and it was so brilliant being able to watch what I wanted rather middle of the night rubbish.

No TV? Good god! I was watching the first episode of a new series of the Apprentice from my hospital bed after DD was born.....Agree with everything here. I watched loads of telly - during the day, middle of the night etc. Sometimes I would find myself watching something gripping at 3am when DD had long fallen asleep and would have to remind myself to get back to bed myself.

Honestly, people can be so negative about having a new born! Ok, its not a barrel of laughs for the first 8 weeks (early evenings are the worse) but its not THAT bad and it does pass.

Just to give the other side of the story - mine never fucking slept and both screamed all day and all night. With the 2nd was pretty much hardened to it and watched TV with subtitles on so I could follow what was going on. So yes it can happen.

Confirm subtitles will sometimes be essential. Make sure you know where the button is now, so you are prepared.

It's only once they get to 2 or 3 and want to watch CBeebies all the time that you won't get to watch TV any more. As soon as you put on something you want to watch, they start whining, "when is it my turn, I want Upsy Daisy, is it my turn yet?" Enjoy TV for the next year or two, while you can!

BFing perfect for both watching TV and reading books. Once they get a bit older, DD is 7 mo now, TV is a bit distracting and she wants to grab my books unless she's veyr tired.

Haven't been able to bottle feed with a book - don't think i have enough hands, but can certainly watch tv whatever i do.

Oh yes, sky+ is invaluable in the early days. I watching several series of CSI in the night while breastfeeding DD.

And now it has series link for peppa pig and humpf, as PP is excellent for hypnotising them both for 10 minutes.

Subtitles on permanently here so can watch quietly if needed or over the screams hubbub