What do you do with a 6 week old?

[ImStayingInside]

DD is 6 weeks old and I feel like my life is a blur of feeding, changing, sleeping (being optimistic here!) and repeat.
She has a play mat, so I try to get her on the play mat each day on her back and for tummy time. I read to her and sing to her, but what else should we be doing?
I did make it out to a baby group on Tuesday, but all the other babies were much older than her and she slept in the sling for the whole time and aside from asking her name and age I couldn’t really get involved in the other mum’s chat about weaning and crawling etc.
I just don’t want my maternity leave to pass me by and I feel like I’ve wasted it.
What do you do with your young babies to keep them and you entertained?

OP feeding, napping and cuddling sounds perfect! Before you know it those days will be over even though they might seem long now and I promise you won’t regret spending all that time cuddling. You have plenty of time for baby classes unless you have a very short mat leave. I only started taking mine at 6 month ish, now 8 months and I already feel like we’ve done tonnes of classes even though we’ve only been doing it for 2 months x

23 years ago now, but I remember watching ALL of Ally McBeal and a lot of Red Dwarf on VHS not much else though! Enjoy the quiet time...

It’s not wasted at all! When they start moving you’ll look back on these days with longing!! I would definitely recommend making the most of going out for dinners etc, as they are so portable now. Once they have an established bedtime it makes it more difficult. We had some lovely meals out whilst they slept in the pram, or fed quietly.

Nothing OP… at 6 weeks they mostly sleep and poop and eat. You should take this time and do something for yourself, watch Netflix, have as many coffees as you want, glass of wine, put them
in pram and go shopping. Classes are overrated and they are for parents not for babies they are way too small. Believe me, you’ll have plenty to come.. once they get bigger and are on the move your hands will be full and you will be jealous of those blissful sleepy days

I had a march baby so from about 2 months when the weather was nicer i was going for walks, mooching about national trust properties etc and doing what I wanted. Good sling, spare nappy etc in little rucksack and off we went.

We had plenty of totally exhausted days too, but until she was about 5/6 months and wanted a crawl about, she was v portable

What @GladysAndFred said. Try to make the most of now for what it is. The baby needs to be warm, fed, healthy and loved - that's it. Don't stress about entertainment. In a few years they'll be whining and demanding things!

At 6 weeks, they need love, food, being kept clean and sleep. Not much else for a while yet.
Baby groups are mostly for parents, which is fine but she won’t care either way for another few months. She certainly won’t remember in years to come.

To be honest I felt in a blur all the time with a small baby. Just running to keep up and creating washing.

My go to was putting them in the sling and going anywhere I could. Walks, shopping, walks with friends, more walks. Yes it was a bit dull, BUT at 3 months everything changed and it all got a LOT easier.
Hang in there.

Pop her in her pram and go out for a coffee and cake.

Cuddle baby, feed baby, eat biscuits and enjoy!

Sounds like you are doing really well. Try to enjoy the chance to sit still with them for cuddles, feeding and sleeping. Mine are now 6 and 8 and never still. At the time I felt frustrated at them having long naps on my chest, now I miss those milky cuddles!!

Mine were 6wks many years ago but I remember watching Big Brother for hours on end because my tired brain couldn’t follow anything else 😆

@konasana

I used to go for a little walk, have a coffee, go to the beach, browse the charity shops, meet friends for lunch... the whole of my six months maternity leave!

This is basically what I did too minus the beach! They're so portable I just went out wherever I wanted. Saw almost every exhibition in London in the first 6 months!

If I could go back to 6 weeks I'd have read more books! Ate healthier and nicer meals, done more walking, just chilled...as 6-12 months was hard work !

You snuggle and snuggle and then snuggle some more. Watch TV eat biscuits go for a daily walk, bit of shopping. I love and miss those snuggly newborn days

@konasana

I used to go for a little walk, have a coffee, go to the beach, browse the charity shops, meet friends for lunch... the whole of my six months maternity leave!

I did this too! Except the beach bit, because I live in a city. I used to go on nice long walks, meet friends for lunch/breakfast/coffee, go to the park, go to museums, mooch around the shops. It was fab.

I didn't think I did a single baby centered activity though, which I know is sacrilege to say on Mumsnet.

I second the suggestion about going out for dinner. It may seem like a big undertaking to you now but actually a newborn is easier to take out with you than any other age. We had a lovely anniversary dinner in a restaurant with PFB aged 2 months fast asleep in the pram. Looking back, I wish we'd done more of that.

I think I will try to make an effort to leave the house more. I had a c section, so only recently feel able to drive again and I even struggle with the pram, as the pavements where I live are very bumpy and it hurts to keep the pram going in a straight line and on and off the sides.
I do have a sling which DD is quite happy in, so I am able to get out and about, I just struggle with the effort of getting us both dressed and out.
There is a small cafe very close to my house which I have been meaning to visit, so I will make that one of my goals for next week.
I am off work until September, so still have a while left of my maternity leave, but these 6 weeks have flown, so I do really want to make the most of my time off with her.

@GladysAndFred

She's 6 weeks. Babies are not doing anything at this age. They don't need baby groups, classes, entertainment, etc. If you have a bit of free time, do something for yourself!

I feel like my life is a blur of feeding, changing, sleeping (being optimistic here!) and repeat.

Yep, this is what it's supposed to be like at this stage.

Yep. This is it.

I went on holiday 🤷

Other than that, I met up with friends that i have got round to seeing for ages, went in day trips, the beach, shopping, and did some bits like baby massage and lazy lunches with nct friends.

This is the point where you can do what you want and baby tags along. You won't have that opportunity for many many years, and in a few months, baby will get bored of tagging along so make three most of it now. Or sir on your bum and eat biscuits - that's a perfectly valid choice as well.

You'll spend the next decade or more with every weekend and non working day being dominated by what your child wants to do, going to the park, soft play, parties, activities. This is time for you, to do as you please. The parenting calm before the storm.

I don’t have any friends or family who aren’t in work during the week and cos of Covid NCT classes were online, so I didn’t bother.
This does mean it is just me and DD, but trying to escape the house a few times a week - even for a trip to the local shops and continuing to snuggle and eat biscuits sounds doable.

@Soundwave

Put them in the pram and go shopping.

I lived in Sainsburys and coffee shops.