What should I be doing with my nearly 4wk old baby?

[cleo78]

This probably sounds like a stupid question, but I'm wondering what 'activities' I should be doing with my 4wk old baby? I'm also very curious to know what other peoples 'routines' are like for the average day in the life of...

feeding
changing nappy
sleeping
bathing
staring into space

In my experience, 4 wk old babies do nothing very much. At that age, my ds and dd spent a lot of time sleeping/feeding/pooing/crying and the occasional half hour or so looking at mobiles or a baby gym. They also liked long baths and lots of cuddles. Nothing more exciting than that!

Really nothing! Gazing and adoring... that's about it... honestly Enjoy it whilst it lasts. You really don't need to turn yourself in to an entertainment machine just yet, you've got years of that to come

MW mentioned tummy time to me with DD, I thought it was something you only do with older babies, but apparently you should be doing it from birth
Other than that, yes, congratulate yourself if you're up and dressed by 4pm
Congratulations on your baby

Nothing at all really other than enjoying her, cuddling, taking lots of photos and enjoying how she stays where you put her.

Cuddling.

Thanks for the prompt replies...especially on the congrats if i'm showered by 4pm!!!
I suppose I'm just really wondering if I'm being a lazy mum...our typical day involves getting up at about 10am as baby didn't sleep till late, then we're lucky if we're all up and dressed etc by 12 at the earliest. I'm trying to give him a change of scene by putting him in his bouncy chair for a bit, and we go out every day for some fresh air (and sanity for me!). Should I literally be putting him down to sleep in his moses basket after every feed or will that mean he has way too much sleep? I really wish I had more confidence to just 'know what was the right thing to do'...

Getting out every day is a Very Good Idea, but I think mostly of benefit to the mother.

Here's another one I've been doing a lot of today:

remarking on how spotty she has become

It sounds like you're doing fine. Good for you to be finding it so easy - on my first I felt constantly harried and I did less with her than you are managing.

You sound like your doing a fab job
especially getting him so fresh air
you could put him in a sling while you get on with stuff at home
I think it's about 16 hours sleep altogether - my two did that in ten minute goes at that age so well done!

In the pram lots of walking especially around shops buying lots of cute little baby things, chances are she will fall asleep, spend the time having a nice coffee and reading paper as there's no chance ot it once they are bigger.

Having a sleep when she does.

Apart from that just allow her to watch what you are doing.

SPOTS!!? Skidoodle...you've inadvertently opened up a whole new worry of mine on this thread! He has lots of spots that all mums seem to refer to as milk spots...but they're really bothering me! They were intially across his nose and cheeks but now they seem to have gone(ish) and moved to his chin? Does anyone know what causes them and how I could get rid??

They are normal. They will go by themselves.

Leave them. Do NOT pick.

enjoy him and enjoy your last few weeks of calm before the storm

trust me, when he wants activities done with him you'll know... as will the rest of your street

this is the only time you'll ever be able to enjoy the first few months with a baby... if you have more kids you simply won't have the time to enjoy their infancy like this so make the most of it

yeh its def up to 16 hours asleep for nb.

i think at 4 weeks dd was just about up to having a look at her black and white baby books.

if you want to show dc something remember it takes wee babies a while to focus and having a really good look at one toy sat still is probably exciting enough!

now i'm thinking about it the first thing i think dd was really entertained by was mirrors

Hee hee! I rememebr wondering this too!! I remember at about 3 months thinking.... hmmm there's some awake time between feeds now - what do I do?!?!

Chat with other mums, do social stuff if you can and enjoy time when she's attahced to you. We went to the cinema.....

Congrats

oh yes, I have a mirror propped up by the changing mat (on the floor) and leave ds there while I shower

and yes baby gym but you need extra linky things so the toys are low enough for him to bat without reaching up ie are just by his hand so the slightest swipe makes them jingle

Don't worry about trying to form sleep habits or anything at this stage - just let him sleep when he wants, feed when he wants and provide plenty of cuddles.

A sling is good (stretchy wrap the best kind for newborns I think) and it will put him up at an adult level so that he can see and observe normal life, and he is facing in towards you so he can hide away and sleep if it's all too much (they mostly just sleep in slings when they are tiny - but it's good for them and good for their neck muscles like tummy time)

just cuddling, chatting (a bit one sided at this stage, admittedly) and singing

I drove myself daft "playing" with my 6 week old, when really I should have been cuddling her in front of a boxed set. I will not be making that mistake next time.

i think dd's favourite activity was sleeping on laps!