Tips for first time mum?

[nkwchu]

Hi everyone. I'm a FTM of a 16 week old girl. I am combination feeding and offer my LO the boob first followed by a bottle top-up. This means that feeds can sometimes take quite a long time. Her day is generally 7 - 7 give or take 30 mins and nap routine is: 45 mins from 0900, 2 hours from noon and 30 mins from 1630 (all approx). I try to occupy her remaining awake/non-feeding time with activities e.g. singing, sensory games, tummy time, which leaves me constantly chasing spare time or trying to do as many things as possible while she is napping or after she has gone to sleep in the evening. However, meal times and household chores take up most of my spare time with little time leftover to do anything else.

Perhaps I have unrealistic expectations about how much spare time I would have as a mum? Do you mums out there have any tips on how you manage your spare time and free up more time to do other things? Any tips on how I can make my LO less dependent on me and keep herself occupied during her awake time or will this naturally occur as she gets older? Also how do you manage to get and about around nap times? Do you adjust nap times? I put my LO in a bassinet in the stroller when taking her out but when she's not napping in it, she won't be content to lay in it for long before she starts crying to be lifted out. I am petite and cannot carry her for long periods so it means we have to schedule outings around her nap times. Any suggestions/feedback will be gratefully received!!

I timed outings outside nap times, or if I was going to be doing a long walk around shops, I'd time it for her nap time as she would sleep in the buggy.
You're doing well to be doing much else besides looking after the baby! You sound like you've it all under control.
That said, they do somewhat limit what you can do which can be hard to adjust to.

Honestly it’s a cliche but slow down and try and enjoy it.

Lower standards on the household front!! Does you other half help in the evenings or at weekends - I don't think it unreasonable to have half an hour for you over lunch, as he would have a lunch break at work. Can you batch cook so that you only have to cook once every couple of days, make meal prep easier and just make life a bit easier that way - you have weaning coming up, which often involves more mess and/or food prep and baby will start to nap less (mine dropped second pm nap very early).

I had the same issue with bassinet, but around 16 weeks it was feasible to go without it in my pram.

Hmm I think you should be realistic! It's hard to enjoy when chasing tail all the time.
Some good ideas I got from this site were to do changing bag once u come in from being out.
Cleaning bathroom when kid in bath (might not be able to do that for a while yet)
Lower expectations for house ~ so I hoover much less than I did before.
Slow cooker is your friend and so are pre cooked freezer meals.
Do your dishes when there in bed. I always tried to have the house tidy before bed (not always possible but at least washing folded and or on the drying rack for plates.
Depends how big your child is but if they hate the bassinet maybe change to the buggy? Or if a travel system whatever the difference is.
How much time are you hoping to get alone? If its for a quick shower I used to put under the play gym and put the TV on. At first nursery rhymes but then teletubbies or whatever if it kept her occupied for 10 mins while I washed or even filled the washing machine.