A clumsy weakling!

[Winter07]

My dd is currently 5 weeks old. On the whole things are going well - we had some issues with colic and a rough first couple of weeks but we changed her milk and she has been much more settled. I'd like to think I'm coping fairly well, trying to establish some form of routine and getting us out and about etc. My only concern is that I still feel a little 'un natural' handling her. I'm generally a very clumsy person and don't have much newborn experience but I expected that by now everything would be feeling like second nature, dressing her etc still seems to take me forever. I'm also worried that I don't have the physical strength to sustain her gaining weight she's only a little over 9lb now bless her and I already struggle to carry her far in the car seat etc. I guess that my strength will gradually improve and to a degree it already has but I envision my back being broken before long! I feel really self conscious sometimes that she's more comfortable when other people are holding her as they seem so much more comfortable than I ever do. I'm so clumsy with the pram still and feel self conscious that people are judging me when we're out. Am I expecting too much or should things becoming more familiar to me by now?

Thank you Camomila that's really reassuring to know! Nature must make sure us weakling mummies build up our strength as baby grows it's nice to know I'm not the only clumsy one out there too! Honestly sometimes I think it's just me!

My baby is mahoosive - 9lb15 at birth and he was 10lb 5 when the HV weighed him on Tuesday. He is precisely two weeks and four days old!! My back is absolutely killing me, I can't feed him unless I've got a cushion and when he starts crying I can manage about 5 minutes of standing, holding and juggling him before I have to change position or sit down - you are definitely not alone feeling like a weakling!

I've binned off cardigans and the like for a Morckk blanket as you can just wrap and unwrap as needed and you can use it in the pram and car seat, much easier. I am also typing this as he sleeps in the sling, which took me an hour in front of the mirror to master this morning wish I'd tried it sooner!

Do try a mei tai style one - DP used ours (mine was home made - but it's not a lot different to the babyhawk etc. in principle) all the time and he's the least co-ordinated person I know (besides my eldest son :) ) - neither of my kids liked the feeling of being constrained in the fabric wraps either (or kids sleeping bags, or blankets/quilts unless really cold!) - but with the mei tai I could put them front facing to look around and wave at the world, then spin them round when they got sleepy (mine was a legs in one at that age)

Careful with baby lifting - I gave myself 'mother's thumb' in both hands with my first because I was lifting him by gripping wrong - last thing you need on top of everything else is painful hands!

Wow daisygirlmac he's a growing boy! The pacing and jiggling is what tires me out too. I think a sling is definitely the way to go. Will have a look at the Mei Tai ones thank you. I'm also going to book an appointment at the sling library 👍🏻