So where does one... put a baby?

[macneil]

When dd was new she slept in her little crib most of the day, and it's on wheels, so wheeled into the living room. Now she's 8 weeks old and we haven't put her in the crib before night time for weeks. We've also given up on the Baby Papasan which she spent a lot of the day in in the early but not very new stages. So now she has three places - a Gymini (with extra padding underneath it), a Svan bouncer, which is lovely and soft, but I worry the sides are a little dark and she slips down it a bit, and there's an Ikea sofabed-chair that is firm but soft and has the most pathetic little pillow with it, about 8 inches across, that I plonk her little head up on, and that's where she spends the wind-down part of the day. I wonder, though, if any of this is weird/constitutes child abuse. At the 2 month to 3 month sort of stage, just where are you plonking your children?

we had one of these for putting dd2 in ....

here

Ds was either in a sling, his cot or on the floor on a rug.

LOL, DD wasn't ever plonked, she used to scream blue murder if I tried to put her down. So from 2-3 months she was mainly in my Baby Bjorn.

FWIW I don't think anything that you're doing is weird - it's whatever suits you and your baby. Mine hated her baby gym for example, and her crib, but was fine with her cot.

agree with arfishy - whatever works for you. That chair was fab - could rock dd2 to sleep and then pull leg out to stabilise it for her to nap in.

We never used ds's carry cot purely because he slept through from an early age and wanted him to associate it with sleeping at night, which seemed to work.
In the day he slept or sat in his rocker or swinging chair and occasionaly his playmat.

Again like arfishy said, whatever works for baby and you. Everyone has different surroundings and circumstances at home. I baby is happy then that should be ok.

All very interesting, thanks! I'm moving countries when she's 4-5 months so am going to save buying another chair thing till I get back to England. I tried the sling, and carefully got one that I thought was the right size - one of those sewn loops that isn't adjustable, and it 'helpfully' says that it should be tight and tight is normal, but if it's too tight that's wrong and if you feel it's too tight it's too tight. This has thrown me, I genuinely have no idea: she looks pretty bundled up and cries a lot in it unless I'm moving, and then she mostly doesn't. I think it's not for us, but she is quite needy and doesn't like being left, and I have to leave her to express milk and eat sometimes. On the other hand she's always been sick when she's moved, as, apparently, I always was as a baby. I've just been worried about leaving her too flat or too upright.

The born is good, though, arfishy? Which model do you have - |I haven't investigated them and thought they were outdoory things. I thought the 'elegant' fabric sling would be the answer.

bjorn, not born, sorry. one handed typing, of course, wish there was edit.

DD2 is 4wks and she either goes in a bouncer chair, sling, mat on floor or she goes in moses basket which is on the table but thats mainly when trying to keep her out the way of DS[3] and DD[13mths]

Wherever they will shut the hell up.

Anywhere. The floor is a very good place. Children don't tend to spend enough time on the floor due to all the seats etc you can get for them now, but it's great for their development. Change her position and put things near her that she can look at and start to try and reach for. Put her on her tummy for short periods if she doesn't mind it.
Washing baskets propped inside with cushions work quite well!

DS spent his early days in

• my arms (most of the time)
• the baby bjorn or sling
• swing (would send him to sleep )
• boppy
• bouncy chair (awake)
• occasionally in his crib
• Gymini play gym thing

mostly on the floor, either on rug or under baby gym. or in my arms, dh's arms, someone else's arms. or in bouncy chair.

When DS was a baby he slept in a moses basket ... then in a cot (daytime sleeps and night time)
DD slept in a pram during the day until she was about 1 month old ... then moses basket in my room for a couple of weeks (where she slept at night)
By 6 weeks both were in their cots in their rooms (for day and night time)

Found it impossible to lug them around in front packs (huge babies - over 10lbs at birth and c/sections meant I couldn't do that)
Didn't see the point in spending a fortune on different things (hammocks etc) to get my child to nap.

While awake I would put them in a bouncy chair or on the floor under a baby gym. I would also prop them up between pillows on the sofa (where I could see them, before they could move).

I'll second the washing basket as being a good place.

Also, if your dd is not too happy on her front, try putting on her front on one of those v-shaped pillows, with her chest on it iyswim. ds2 enjoyyed this much more than being down flat - easier to lift head up i think

My 4.5 mth old went in the bouncy chair since almost birth usually we have it up on the sofa because of draughts, she naps there too. She spends a little time on gym mat on floor too. Now, when in the kitchen she goes in an 'antilop' IKEA highchair tho I felt she was a bit young at nearly 4 mth but it was draughty on the floor in the bouncy chair and she was desperate to be up at our level (she has a 3 yr old sister and wants to see what she's doing too). I am getting a Bumbo seat for her now as she has good head control and the semi-reclined bouncy chair doesnt let her see whats going on. She should nap in her moises basket in our bedroom but the mattress gets so steamy from her warm little body at night that I have to take her bed apart and air it all day. I have the moises basket inside the cot so she gets used to the view in preparation for putting her in cot soon. She goes out in the baby bjorn front carrier sometimes (oooww, my back) but usually in flatbed pram. Going to swap flatbed element for proper seat soon when weather gets warmer (i'm in Spain so hopefuly that'll be soon...). She gets carried about or sat on my lap a lot too. Amazing how one will go on when given the chance isn't it? Do what feels right and let your baby be the guide, so long as they're not in the same place all day long I think it's ok

Car seat

Floor

Lap

Chest

Baby Bjorn chair, from about 2 months

Carry cot for about 5 mins at a time until he started screaming - he hated it

Crib, at night

DS was a sicky baby, the best thing I bought was a huge, washable padded mat, whihc he spent loads of time on, and was big enough to catch the sick when he started to roll & move.

Floor and playpen always worked, for them and for me!

har! Good question

DD is 3.5 months - she spends most of the day on her playmat (v. thickly padded) on the floor, or in her bouncy chair - occasionally in her crib if I happen to be upstairs. Her preference is definitely to be lying on the floor - playmat is warm enough that I just chuck a blanket over her if she falls asleep there. DS at the same age liked to be more "cuddled" and spent much more time on a lap or in his bouncy chair - DD gets restless if she can't stretch - and she is very sicky so the playmat catches it well!

floor , middle of the big bed ( unless they can roll), rocker chair, pram. DS did like a good bit of floor time at that stage playing with baby gym or me or anything else he could reach. he was very keen on looking at stripey things too, like radiators or fabric patterns.

DS (6.5 months) (before he could move) used to spend most of his time on his back on the floor -under his gym or just on the rug - we discovered he just loved being on his back wriggling his arms and legs - would do it for hours!

Now he moves and loves being on his front, we just put him on the rug and let him move to wherever he wants to go.

Have a swinging chair which he goes in whilst I have brekkie, but other than that, it is the floor. Also have an inflatable playnest but he can climb out of that so not much good for safety - but good for him!

For sleeping, we used the Moses basket downstairs until he outgrew it at about 2 months - we then used (And still do occasionally) a beanbag for his naps = they are fab as they mould to the baby therefore keep them cosy - though most of his naps now are on our bed or in his cot.

Beanbag sounds like a genius idea, actually. I must remember to give mine more tummy time, too, I always pity her when I put her on her tummy, as she just lies flat on her face... which is exactly why I should make her do it more.

The beanbag was a tip from my sister who has 3 kids! And it works a treat!!

Ds used to do that on his tummy then literally one day his head shot up and he has never looked back since! (Although now he won't sit up as he enjoys it on his tummy too much )