What do you do with you babies during the day?

[WestieMamma]

My baby is 8 weeks old (already ). What am I supposed to do with him during the day? He's awake for most of the day and there's only so many times I can sing the muppets theme tune before I lose my sanity.

Assuming you are already breaking it up into plenty of feeds and sleeps... I remember it feels odd, finding ways to entertain a tiny baby.

Have you got any of the black and white books to show baby? Or a black and white mobile for the cot. I think I had wrist and foot rattles at that age. Oh and it's never too early for a baby gym - choose one with plenty of dangly bits for baby to look at.

Lots of walks in the pram, especially as it's summer - the fresh air is great. Ditto lying on the grass on a blanket (under a parasol/tree/gazebo if the sun is out, babies that small really don't need direct strong sun).

I took mine to baby swimming at 4 months, so a bit to wait yet (some do start earlier but not sure how old) but now's the time to get your name down for a course if you're interested.

Baby groups are good - the church hall or Surestart ones are good, all you need is to meet one or two like-minded mums and you can splinter off for coffees by yourself if you're not a fan of baby groups. If you meet some other new mums you like, and you have them round to yours/go to theirs, the babies often love "meeting" each other on a blanket on the floor.

And definitely do a baby massage group - your baby is the perfect age to enjoy it and again, it's a good way of meeting other new mums. Ask your doctors/health visitors/sure start centre for details of baby groups. There is nothing quite like chatting with other first-time mums (if this is your first) with babies of the same age as yours, you learn all sorts of things and swap tips.

Also check the local library for anything like baby singing (the mums do the singing, the babies love the rattles/actions, even the tiny ones enjoy it) or story time, or anything baby-related.

Gradually you will build up contacts and things to do which slowly fill the (sometimes long and lonely) spaces in your day.

HTH x

And you can strap baby into a bouncy chair and chat to them as you do the washing/cooking - put some music on too and sing along, they love that

He has lots of feeds but only sleeps if hanging off my shoulder like a parrot. As soon as I put him down, he's wide awake and wanting the muppet theme tune again.

I'll have to find out if there are any baby groups round this way. I'm not in the UK so don't know how things are here. I'll ask the health visitor next time I see her.

Are bouncy chairs better than swings? We bought him a swing but he doesn't like it. I sometimes think he thinks it's trickery to get him to sleep. I don't want to waste more money than I have to.

So far all he seems to like is being a shoulder parrot (sort of fireman's lift position over my shoulder) and the flippin muppets.

We preferred the bouncy chair as it kept her in a more upright position, never got on with the swing. Then I'd put her in the bouncy chair in the bathroom while I showered or in the kitchen while I made my lunch. Didn't do singing or music, just offered her things to look at. Do you do tummy time?

Baby gym
Lamaze toys
Playing piano together
Tots n Tinies group
"Let's watch mummy sort clean laundry"
Supermarket shop in sling
Push pram in park
Walk around market or fete and look at stalls
People watching in cafe while mummy reads paper
Meeting other babies
Sitting on my lap on swings in park
Feeling grass on bare feet in garden
Church (he likes the singing)

Westie - the bouncy chair is better, I think, as it's portable, and not all babies like swings. You can get very inexpensive bouncy chairs, or check out nearly new sales, or Ebay, or a friend might have one they can lend you?

As for the naps - I promise you, if your baby is tired, they will go to sleep somewhere other than on your shoulder! You need to use the time when they are napping to refresh yourself, have some time out, do some necessary bits, or nap yourself. If you are tired you are in danger of nodding off yourself with the baby on your shoulder. Not only that, but if your baby gets into the habit of falling asleep on your shoulder then the longer it goes on the harder it will be for them to learn to sleep anywhere else, and you can't carry on forever like that.

If it's your first I know it seems like babies know everything and we can only follow their lead, but honestly, you can set the lead. Pick the nap time, make sure the room is as dark as you can get it (I used to pin dark towels to the curtains! or you can buy a set of black-out curtains that just pin the the back of existing curtains). Swaddle the baby (I used cotton cellular blankets) and put them to sleep in the moses basket or cot. Hum the Muppets (if you can bear to ). Go in to reassure, there will be a bit of fussing but honestly, they will drop off if you let them.

I got a sleep teddy - Prince Lionheart Slumber Bear I think it was - it comes with a small sound-box that plays white noise/waves type thing - both my newborns loved this. I ditched the teddy and just put the box next to the cot with the sound turned down low.

You could consider reading the Baby Whisperer book for some more ideas - I never followed any book's plan in particular, but I did read lots of info on it all and then made up my own. I also liked Baby Secrets by Jo Tantum.

You are doing a great job anyone who can hum the muppets over and again is a saint!

Oh and Westie - if he likes the fireman's position, he probably likes the pressure on his tummy, and finds it comforting. You could try doing circular motions on his tummy. They teach this in baby massage, it is really good at aiding digestion which makes them more comfortable.

And another tip from one of the books (The Baby Whisperer I think) cut out the visuals as they are nodding off - you hold your hand close-ish to their face but without touching, so they can't be trying to look all around the room. They get overstimulated by the sights etc. HTH

Thank you. Lots of really useful information here. We bought him a bouncer today but he fell asleep on the way home so hasn't got to try it out yet. Awkward to the end! :o

i spent a lot of time walking round museums. they're free, plenty of room for the buggy, baby changing facilities and coffee shops for mummy ;-)

Get out out out. I broke my day up with a morning trip out, home for lunch (they slept in the sling while I ate) then do stuff in the home or meet friends in the PM.

Do you enjoy reading? I invested in a kindle and read grown up books that I was interested in aloud to my DD - she enjoyed the sound if my voice and I enjoyed the books!

We also did regular baby massage which she loved - might there be a class near you?

Story-time at the library, lots of walks in the park chatting about what we saw, art galleries and museums too.

I too have an 8 wk old that wd rather sleep on me than anywhere else during day and is generally a rubbish daytime sleeper - she often just does 4 x 30min naps btw 8am and 8pm. Do you have a sling? Means you can at least get stuff done while baby sleeps. I also find I need to get out and about as otherwise I go slowly insane trying to entertain her at home. She's a right old nosy Parker and loves having a look around while we're on the move. We did just buy a baby gym thing tho as she seems to like lying on her back with me dangling stuff over her and I thought it'd give me a bit of a break. That's my general tactic - see what she already seems to like and see if I can expand on it.