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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

How am I supposed to do housework when BF...?

33 replies

Sparrowlegs248 · 17/08/2015 10:40

I'm on maternity leave with first child, 24 days old. He is breast fed and hungry!!

How on earth am I supposed to Di anything around the house? I know its early days but some days he won't be put down, wakes immediately etc.

I am struggling to even wash up, do laundry let alone any actual cleaning. Any tips?

OP posts:

Coffeemarkone · 17/08/2015 10:42

" Any tips? "

your partner does it

2.you get a cleaner

you let things slide a bit

MrsAukerman · 17/08/2015 10:46

Wow.
My baby is 8.5 months and with naps, bf, cooking and eating and clearing up (weaning is messy) there are still some days when a wash doesn't get done or we don't leave the house.
Chill out. Mat leave is like being off sick. There really is no expectation that you'll get anything done other than get fed and rested.

MrsAukerman · 17/08/2015 10:46

Oh, get a sling.

Original poster

Sparrowlegs248 · 17/08/2015 10:48

Ah that'll be number 3 then. Husband is working very long hours 6 - 7 days a week, can't afford a cleaner.

I wouldn't mind letting it slide a bit but I've done none in nearly 4 weeks!

OP posts:

mummypig3 · 17/08/2015 10:49

Agree with coffee. It's only going to be like this for a few months until you can get back on top of it. In the meantime just leave it til your partner gets home, handover baby and do the bare minimum. Do you have a dishwasher? Mine was a lifesaver. Chuck everything in and Switch on in the evening. Same with washing machine, then peg out next morning

Elledouble · 17/08/2015 10:52

You don't have to. It's a get out of jail free card!

I have found a sling useful when a bit of hoovering or something really has to be done.

I do tend to run round doing bits of housework when my partner gets home of an evening, he gives our son a bottle while I cook the tea (used to be expressed breast milk but now we're topping him up with a couple of formula feeds a day due to poor weight gain). At least gives me a chance to load/unload the washing machine and quick things like that.

It might be too soon for you to start expressing though - but it's still so early, people really aren't going to judge if your house isn't up to your usual standard!

Original poster

Sparrowlegs248 · 17/08/2015 10:53

We do have a dishwasher but don't use it as we can't fill it. Its just bugging me, the bathroom.needs a clean and I notice every time i go in there.

I have a carrier but wasny sure about cleaning with it on, will give it a try. Only just started using it as baby is large an i had a c section.

Might have to adjust my expectations. Or enlist MILs services.

OP posts:

WingsClipped · 17/08/2015 10:56

A sling and wet wipes are your friends!
Have a 4 month old who only sleeps on me so I use most of the time to MN and then occasionally run a wet wipe around the counters

GoooRooo · 17/08/2015 10:57

I just ignored the mess. It gets easier as they get older but those first few months it's impossible to have even a vaguely clean house in my experience.

jaggythistle · 17/08/2015 10:59

A) do as little as possible
B) sling

Sling also handy for getting to eat your lunch in peace. :)

Congratulations on your wee one!

MythicalKings · 17/08/2015 11:03

If MiL is happy to help let her. Grasp any help you are offered.

RedCrayons · 17/08/2015 11:04

people who say 'let me know if I can do anything for you', get them round and give them a job that needs doing.

I'd trade mopping up the bathroom floor for a hour of baby cuddles . Mine are big gangly non squidgy teens.

Pteranodon · 17/08/2015 11:10

Yes yes to MIL and asking friends.

And as the evenings draw in get dimmer switches. I find serenity in imagining my tidy house when they've left home. So easy and annoying to say but treasure this time, hold your baby.

Daffodil1210 · 17/08/2015 11:11

YY to the sling and see if there's a job you can give your OH to do every week, even if it's just the hoovering or running a duster over things (my DH has become the self-proclaimed "hoovering expert" .... )

jaggythistle · 17/08/2015 11:17

Definitely enjoy baby cuddles.

I'm snuggling my 'definitely last baby' among a sea of duplo and with various things that need doing. I'll put baby in the sling to feed the other kids though. I can't really skip that one or there'd be protest.

WorktoLive · 17/08/2015 11:34

I don't understand what you mean by 'you don't use the dishwasher because you can't fill it'?

Just put it on when it's full, or when you start running out of things. Buy a few more plates and cutlery from somewhere cheap like Ikea/Wilkinson/Argos/Charity shop.

Original poster

Sparrowlegs248 · 17/08/2015 18:12

Well there's just me and husband, it would take us several days to fill. In which case it would be pretty grim in this heat, or I'd have to rinse everything off in which case i might aswell wash up properly. The dishwasher came with the house and we've not used it in 5yrs. We are getting rid of it to make way for a dryer which i feel will. be more needed esp in winter.

OP posts:

mummypig3 · 17/08/2015 18:20

How big is your dishwasher? I just put mine on a quick wash if there's not much in it. You don't have to wait til it's completely full

PigletJohn · 17/08/2015 21:08

the dishwasher should have a "rinse and hold" program which uses cold water and hardly any electricity. You can do that when you put your plates and dishes in, it will wash away milk and stuff that smells quickly. Surely you get through more than a dozen mugs and plates in a day?

Washing by hand uses more water, more energy, and is less hygienic that using the dwr. The stuff that comes out is sterilised and you don't dry or wipe it.

Gunpowder · 17/08/2015 21:12

I think I'd put the dishwasher on every day/every other day even if not full. It's just a temporary measure, things will be much easier in a few weeks when you can pop your baby in the bouncer/on play mat/in swing while you wash up.

Original poster

Sparrowlegs248 · 18/08/2015 08:20

I will investigate the dishwasher. We use 3 plates, 2 bowls, 2 cups and glasses in a typical day. Plus saucepans.

OP posts:

Kryten2X4B523P · 18/08/2015 08:38

When DS was born, the washer went on at least once a day, even if it wasn't totally full. If I didn't, it would have piled up by the next day. It was only for a few weeks whilst we got to grips with things. And that was with both our mothers competing taking washing home for us.

Run your dishwasher/get husband to wash up, bathroom can get away with a quick swish round the toilet and a baby wipe around the sink and taps (I find that clean taps make a bathroom look instantly cleaner). Hoover the bits you can see, it doesn't need to be perfect. Accept any help that is given to you.

Your baby is tiny and you are also still recovering. Try the sling but don't overdo it, enjoy your baby.

NoParking · 18/08/2015 08:43

If you do get a sling (which I highly recommend) get one with I built head support such as a stretchy wrap. Otherwise a little newborn needs your hand to hold their head still and then you don't have both hands free.

If you google your area and 'sling library' you should be able to find your local sling library and borrow one for a few weeks to see whether it works for you.

Milkyway1304 · 18/08/2015 09:08

Definitely use the dishwasher! Throw some things into washing machine in the evening when husband is home. Ask him to turn it on first thing before he leaves. Hang out while baby is in sling. And get out of the house if you can. If you go to a mummy+baby group with a newborn people will bring you drinks and biscuits while you feed! Enlist all help you can, and definitely lower your standards. My DD napped on me, I'm 45minute segments for months do I do know how hard it is.

Ilovecrapcrafts · 18/08/2015 09:15

Please don't use a sling to clean. Ds slipped out because of the positions I got myself in cleaning.
You can't not do any
House work for months as pp suggested, it will obviously just get worse and worse. So ideas:
1.forget about needing dishwasher full and run every other day. Relax about the wastage for a month or two. Ditto tumble drier use it if easier regardless of weather.

Bathroom- clean when you go to use loo etc? Just use wipes and bleach or a quick spray and wipe. Take one bin liner up when you next go upstairs and empty all bins (I found there was always tons of waste in the bathroom due to pads and so on)
Put old sheets on bed and change less or just change the fitted sheet- you'll be sweating and so

Can you Hoover in a sling- some babies even like it!

Congratulations on baby and the successful BF

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