So bored being a mummy.

[Headlikeafuckingorange]

Am I alone? My dd is delightful and I love her to bits but it's only half 10 and I'm clock watching already until my friend comes over at 2.
She's 4 months. Does it get better?

DD is 5.5 months and getting more interesting. I felt like I was living Groundhog Day for a long while...

yes. they start doing things quite soon. I'd say a couple of months will be all it takes to get more fun.

what do you do together? I used to take my son for a walk, then sit on a bench and read my book and have a cuppa. I also went to a sewing class where he sat on the floor and watched/napped.

try and get some of the things you enjoy in now while your daughter doesn't need playing with!!!

k

Not really sure what else I can do at this age but I still feel guilty that it's not enough! I help her explore her toys and interesting objects, let her kick about on the play mat, bit of tummy time, massage, show her books, nursery rhymes and she sits and watches while I tidy up/cook etc. we go on walks with buggy or sling and see friends but not every day.

We've been out for a walk to the shops this morning and she's now having a kick about on the floor chatting to her seahorse, while I think about doing housework. Haven't taken her to any playgroups yet, just a coffee morning thing a few times.

I think it will be easier when she can sit up by herself.

Hmm, by myself? Nothing really! Occasionally her dad looks after her while I go shopping for an hour or two but that's about it. I should do that more often, or have lunch with a friend. I bf so don't like to leave dd too long. Perhaps i should make an effort to do something myself every weekend when dp is around.

Wasn't planning to go back to work as the shifts aren't very family friendly but I'm taking the whole year so plenty of time to decide otherwise!

I found this stage hard too. Much preferred it when they can actually start to talk and walk a bit.

However, stop feeling guilty. You don't have to "entertain" her all the time. Yes to letting her explore toys - but she'll get more out of it if she explores them herself rather than you helping her. I found it interesting to watch them exploring themselves and see what they can do - some quite small babies can surprise you with their determination to reach something.

Secondly what she will find most interesting of all is being taken around with you, held at adult interaction height (slings are good for this) and being able to see the world and how it works. Even if it's boring or mundane to you - she will love going to the corner shop or watching you hang washing or walking into town. Even better if you talk to her about what you're doing.

Try to join groups etc but more for you than her. She won't care at this age, but it's important for you to get out of the house and see people and get support.

I think the by yourself comment might have been more what did you do before you had a baby? You might be surprised how many things you can work her into or include her in.

it IS boring (and then goes through sine waves of development every 2 months from boring/interesting/annoying back to boring forever as far as i can see!). at that age pretty much just being with you while you do stuff is entertaining. buses, drives, shopping, friend's houses, walks, cafes etc. go for a swim? i did a lot of child-friendly cinema :)
tbh i would do the shopping with baby and use your free time when her dad has her for something just for you.
i did once leave a young DD to her own devices on her playmat/chair for pretty much a whole day while I read a really un-putdownable book

I do not think you are unusual, I think a lot of new mums feel this way. It is completely natural to feel bored, given you have probably been working outside of the home, with frequent interaction with others. Suddenly you are at home with this baby who you are entirely responsible for but who does very little beyond sleeping, crying, feeding and pooing.

The stage you are at now, is probably the last time you will get to do anything for you for a long time. If you want to get fit, now is the time. In a few months time, it will be hard to keep your little one in the buggy without them throwing a great big wobbly about it, so get those long walks in now.

Catch up with friends or make new ones, it will be a lot harder when your child always want to talk to you, or demands your attention to play.

Do not be too hard on yourself. Treat yourself, go for coffee and read a book, maybe sleep.

Get your child used to being away from you for short periods, it is invaluable that you do given there may be times when you have to be away from them, get your baby to at least take a bottle of expressed milk, you could go out for the evening with your partner then.

My DD is 5 months, and I can really identify with how you're feeling, as I sometimes feel bored too. It's not because I don't love DD too bits, I just sometimes find being at home gets pretty mundane.
I try to go out every day, even if it's just to the local shops. I find I get myself in a foul mood if I stay in all day. I go to groups 3 mornings a week, which is good as I get to meet other mums and DD seems to enjoy the stimulation.
She is starting to get more interesting now, and I am starting to find it a bit easier, but I find it difficult thinking of things to do with her at home (other than playmat/bouncy chair/nursery rhymes etc).
At weekends, I sometimes leave her with DH for a few hours and 'escape' for some me-time at hairdressers or shops - if I leave a bottle of expressed milk, I don't feel like I am in a mad rush.

I'm the same as Ditsy.

Felt huge guilt about it when I have the most beautiful and relativity easy dd who arrived in August after 8 years of hell ttc, miscarriages, several rounds of ivf and a really easy pregnancy AND an easy birth.

Couldn't work out what was wrong with me. Then spoke to a new mum friend and we had similar 60+ hours per week work - it's a total head fuck and a massive culture shock

I've now worked the week so I have something to do every day including meeting a friend for lunch and meeting DH in town once a week.

It really helps - after working so hard for so long I really need the structure in my day.

And I'm about to treat myself to a sneaky vino because I've had lunch out and she's finally asleep

It's a tough one. I would find some classes and things I did post natal yoga when ds was about that age as he wouldn't crawl off and baby cinema saved my sanity. Also went and met friends when the were working for lunch. At tat age they don't get bored and want to run around but need a bit of wriggle time and to see interesting things. Do you have any surestart centres near you they offer heap baby classes and library sing a longs actually meant I chatted to adults in the day!

Definitely get out of the house and have adult company as much as you can. There should be a children's centre somewhere near you that runs groups, local community centres and churches often do cheap ones too - your dd will enjoy the stimulation and you get to talk to other mums. I used to spend quite a bit of time pottering round the shops when my dd was that age - if I timed it for nap time I'd get a couple of hours with her snoozing in the sling. We went swimming sometimes too or just for walks somewhere different.

It definitely does get better, I found the baby phase quite hard and didn't really enjoy it. But in saying that, once my DD was on the move she seemed much happier too, so not entirely sure she loved it that much herself.

Definitely get out to mums and tots groups and things, if for no other reason than to break up your day.

Thanks for the replies! I'm going to go to a group at the children's centre tomorrow. They seem to have quite a lot going on and there is even a crafty group for parents which I quite fancy.

Join your local NCT group - they always need help organizing things and volunteers to help out for a few hours a week

They are all boring until they actually do stuff and need less!

i was back at work by 4 months full time. That is how most men and women deal with the boredom. I recommend it.