4-6 month routine, help!

[daisyfloweragain]

Hello
I'm finding myself at 2am in the morning in my kitchen feeling already anxious about tomorrow.
I have a perfectly lovely and perfect baby (to what I think is normal)
I just feel...completely inadequate!
What does anyone do with a five month baby??
Help, routines, thanks & happy new year! Xx

Hi @daisyfloweragain I'm sure you're doing great with your lo. Why are you feeling anxious and inadequate?
My baby is 20 weeks, our only "excitement" is that we go out on a daily walk in the park (and even this not always happens). Feels like my days are built around trying to get him to nap enough and it's really daunting.

Mum to a 5mo here too. Echo everything Flickflack said above.

We also did baby sensory classes and library sessions. Been to the swimming pool. Obviously we don't do this kind of stuff every day! But every now and then, it breaks up the week nicely. On a regular basis, I also catch up with my friends on maternity leave, NCT girls, my other friends who work part time. Lots of walks & coffees. DS has various arches/play mats/sensory toys. I talk to him lots and read to him every day. Singing, dancing. Bit of exercise, obviously very gentle. Bit of baby massage if he occasionally struggles with digestion. That's it really!

Just do what you fancy doing and take baby along for the ride and enjoy it!! Other than a weekly swim I did bog all ‘specific’ with DS at that age. I did stuff I really enjoyed - long walks (DS in sling) and bike rides (DS in trailer) mainly 🤣😂 making the most of the time off work and having a portable/ easily pleased child. I met up with friends for coffee, he napped or would sit and coo and enjoy the fuss they made of him. It never failed to amaze me how he wasn’t bothered by specific baby toys… but was fascinated by normal household items/ kitchen utensils. I didn’t let his naps dictate my day either… maybe I was lucky as he’d always just drop off when he needed to in the sling, buggy or trailer. Of course I chatted to him a lot of the time (when awake) and always read a bed time story.

I also did stuff like going to museums, galleries, country parks etc… stuff I wanted to do and found interesting/ enjoyable but wouldn’t have normally had the time to do when I was working. It’s great being able to go places weekdays/ out of school holidays when they aren’t rammed.

My advice… think about how you’d most enjoy spending your day, then adapt it to fit baby in - happy mum, happy baby. And just enjoy it!! It’s a lovely phase (they all are actually)!!

I could never be bothered with any of the classes (could think of nothing worse!!). I never felt the need to make friends/ hang out with other new mums. To date I only have one mum friend… although we met through are similarly aged children who are friends, we actually never discuss our kids as we have so much in common.