Where do you stash your baby?

[Hyggeandhugs]

So I'm only a week into life with my DD and have been lucky to have family staying to offer support, meaning that there is always someone that can watch over her in her Moses basket as I get on with cleaning, washing, sterilising, showering, etc. my DH often has to work away, hence DPs stepping in.

It's suddenly dawned on me that soon its just going to be me! When I was pregnant people would say I should do everything whilst she slept, but people also say that you can't let them sleep unsupervised for the first 6 months. I'm so confused!

What do you all do with your newborn when you need to do something? I'm working on the basis that she can never be out of sight for even a minute. So are you all carrying them around in slings? Maybe popping them in bouncer chairs?

Moses baskets and bouncers. Then just did whatever I was doing. Boith DCs could sleep through vacuuming. Back then. Sadly not now. [glares]

If mines asleep I have a shower/clean kitchen, etc. She's in her Sleepyhead, bouncer, or on my bed usually. I never worry about her being in sight all the time, just earshot. I did the same with my first and never a problem 🤷‍♀️

although if they were sleeping peacefully in their cot I would leave them and pop back every 15 mins or so to check they were still breathing.

They can go in Moses basket downstairs while you crack on with anything you want to do in the house. They don't need to be in direct sight every moment while you're awake, if you need to go to the toilet or do a few minutes of washing up or food prep in the other room that's fine, just don't leave them in a different room for hours without checking on them.

Are you using a moses basket? Mine slept in there in the sitting room while I cleaned etc. Or they napped in the bedroom in basket while I showered and did laundry. You can keep popping in to check on them. If baby sleeps in sling on you then you will be making a rod for your own back for sure.

Also had playgym mat thing and would often fall asleep on that looking at toys.

When a little older we did naps in cot. Moved to cot at 2 months for both of mine and they both slept better kn there. Baby monitor and off.you go!

Portable moses basket/ pram/ bouncer/car seat or in the sling. Ds1 I couldn't really put down once asleep but generally got him to nap in the pram. Ds2 just slept wherever.

If they are asleep you can crack on in the same room or pop into another room for a few minutes. Moses basket or bouncer is fine. My LO used to fall asleep in his bouncer while I was in the shower. I think he liked the sound of the water. I brought his chair into the bathroom.
You don’t need to keep eyes on them all the time. You’d never sleep!! Just be around and aware.

@Hyggeandhugs Congratulations on your new baby 😊 Yeah, for the first 6 months they’re pretty much glued to you 😊
I actually bought a Sleepyhead for daytime naps. Never used it in a cot or anything due to the safe sleep guidelines but it was just me and DS in the house with no pets or anything so I felt happy with him lying in that in the middle of the floor while I pottered round the room doing bits and pieces. We also had the Snuzpod bedside crib for our bedroom and the top lifts off it so I was able to use that upstairs. Although I didn’t use either for daytime naps much to be honest.

My one piece of advice when they’re that young - don’t do anything while they’re asleep that you can do when they’re awake (chores especially!) 👍🏻😊 use their nap time to either get some sleep yourself or to cuddle them in on the couch and watch some tv with your feet up!

Unsupervised doesn't mean constantly watching, more not leaving them for hours. You can move the Moses basket round with you, or just pop in and out.

(In a similar situation to you, I found getting out everyday even just for a walk was good for both of us. Plus it helped her nap)

Moses basket, bouncy chair, play mat.

If I was just popping out of the room briefly, I'd just keep them where they were i.e to make a cup of tea. If I was cleaning for example, I'd just move the basket/bouncer between rooms.

My newborn would not sleep unless BF/being held. I stuck her in a bouncer in the bathroom and let her cry whilst I showered. She fell asleep in the bouncer once when I was using the hairdryer and once when I did the washing up. I don't think I did any housework really for a few months, DH just had to crack on in the evenings. If she was asleep then I was sleeping

Huh? They don't move so just get on with stuff. They don't need to be watched 24/7. How are you supposed to shower etc? Just pop them in whatever in the room and do what you need to. If they are napping just have the monitor on. Really my kids slept in their own rooms from day one and as they are now 17 and 18 they obviously did fine.

By 4 weeks or so DS was not happy being put down in anything at all. I mostly neglected cleaning, but for jobs that had to be done, it was sling all the way.

Stop a minute and imagine what mums of a newborn plus a toddler plus a four year old do.

The relax!

In theory, in her Moses basket in the same room as me (I was happy to leave the room for stuff like going to the loo). She wasn't great at that though. A sling kept her happier to start with. By two or three months she was happy to kick around in a baby gym for a bit so I used to put her there (in the same room as me) while I did some jobs.

My goodness mum, keeping a vague eye on them/keeping them in earshot is enough!

You've got years of actually having to never turn your back (crawling, toddlers etc), but when they can't actually get up to mischief is the only chance you'll have to manage a shower/loo etc without carrying them or having them hang off your legs.

So make the most of it.

If i was doing stuff downstairs, baby was downstairs, and vice versa with upstairs. Obviously I'd pop up/down briefly otherwise.

Make the most of the stationary stage.

I did use slings a lot though, but not because I felt i needed to be in the same room as them, but because they liked the cuddles and I didn't like being trapped on the sofa.

Downstairs DD went in the bassinet of her pram and I wheeled her round my house. Upstairs she was in her basket and if I had a shower I brought her in with me in the basket. When she was a little bigger I also had a bouncer chair.
Never out of my site, even for a minute.

Mine slept in cot from birth with baby monitor that supposedly detects breathing & I often napped too!

The first 6 weeks or so I put him in his moses basket in the living room and he would sleep through everything, I'd just keep an eye on him while I was getting on with things. After 6 weeks he wouldn't nap anymore unless he was being held so that was the end of getting things done while he slept!
At 5 months I started being able to put him down again but it had to be in a pitch dark room with white noise playing so he slept in his nursery for naps, given that his naps were only around 40 minutes long at that stage I wasnt too concerned about using the monitor to watch him.

I'm amazed by all these moses basket posts, not one of my four liked them! Wee buggers!

We had the bouncers that also lay flat, I never sat and watched them, so if showers/washing/cleaning needed done they were out in them, grab it while you can. 3 out of 4 of mine spent weeks in nicu/scbu where they were most definitely not watched 24/7.

I really recommend having two bouncers. I managed with one for a while then found another bouncer in a charity shop for a fiver. That was a game changer for me and really helpful as my c-section recovery has been slow and I've still got pelvic girdle pain. Meant I wasn't making multiple trips up and downstairs with the bouncer and then the baby.

On a sleepyhead

Mine would not go in a Moses basket