What does daily life with a 6 week old usually look like

[Flora26]

What does your life look like? The mum guilt has fully developed and im worried im not doing enough. At 6 weeks old he still only really sleeps feeds and nappy changes. Although the awake periods are slightly longer (only really long enough for a bit of chat) he will sometimes look at me but much more interested in light fittings or light from the tv/window. Still havent had any on purpose smiles even though I am enthusiastically trying my hardest.

That sounds pretty normal to me! Enjoy the sleepy milk cuddles.

Love, what you describe is exactly what you'd hope for with a 6 week old. No need for the guilt! With a first baby, soak up this time where you can snuggle up and watch tv while they sleep on you, go for walks and sit in the garden in the shade. They don't do much and it can be boring if you are trying to focus too much on them and everything you "should" be doing. Milk, sleep, cuddles and a bit of chat is everything a baby needs (for quite a bit longer than 6 weeks tbf - my third baby is about to turn 8mo and I feel like only really now does she NEED more than that daily in terms of play, prior to now she's enjoyed play silks and comping on teething rings and watching her siblings and figuring out how to roll but that is it really and that is for 5 min here and there).

That is absolutely all babies do at 6 weeks old. Please, I beg you, don't get sucked into this idea that you have to constantly 'stimulate' them or never fail to do tummy time or you must start showing them flash cards in French at 3 months or whatever. You really don't need to do any of that that stuff, babies have done just fine without it for millennia. The whole world is stimulating to a tiny baby, it's utterly mind boggling. Let them enjoy it and let yourself enjoy your baby. 🤗

At this point they just want to be cuddled and have lots of milk, I think! There will be time for books / toys / rhyme time etc when they got older and are awake for longer. Honestly I would prioritise whatever is restful for you - watching films or reading during contact naps, or going for walks, or having lots of coffees with friends and trips to museums! The window when they are just happy to snuggle and sleep on you wherever you are is short.

I remember panicking with my first.

He hadnt been to the park yet or seen the ducks- at a week old!

The second.d amd third we sat about watching box sets, feeding and cuddling for the first few weeks.

Much happier babies for it.

Youre overthinking.

I think I just... Did what I would have done anyway! I met up with friends for coffee, took lots of walks, ran errands.... I was fortunate that there was a local baby group (as opposed to a toddler group) so I went to that once a week too. I didn't do any paid classes but lots of people do. I might have considered baby massage if there was an affordable one locally.

I'm on my second baby who is 7wks now and again, she just tags along to whatever we would have done before so toddler groups, museums, walks, errands.....

When they're awake I narrate what I'm doing, pull silly faces, maybe read a book aloud. Sometimes they just have to lie under a baby gym thingy and look at the shiny toys for a bit.

Don't overthink it.

Six weeks in was survival for me!

Sounds totally normal. All babe needs right now is you. ❤️

Thanks - its really reassuring, the Health visitor mentioned he wasnt doing Fix and follow so rapidly doubted what I was doing

6 weeks post partum with baby #1 my life was sitting around feeding the baby, changing the baby, feeding myself, finding some clean clothes, dealing with pp bleeding, leaky boobs, clothes not fitting, everything aching. I was definitely in survival mode still. By 12 weeks things looked very different and we had significantly more routine and got out a bit more.

6 weeks pp with baby#2 involved the same but also involved toddler wrangling and attempting to pack a house for moving.....total blur, no idea how I did it.

Yes - definitely the sleepy thing is normal!

When ds was 6 weeks old we flew back to the UK for a family party. Night flight and ds slept the whole way from take off until we got to my parents house (7 hours!)

He then was easy to transport around the UK to visit various family as he slept! He was an alert baby when awake and would charm the arse off whoever had him but those liners were very short lived inbetween eating and sleeping 😂

I don’t remember doing much of anything. I would have only started going out of the house a couple of weeks earlier as I spent the first month at home breastfeeding, watching box sets and sleeping, quite honestly. Such is the luxury with the first.

I remember he’d wake up in the morning and I’d pull him into bed with me from his next-to-me. We’d just lie about in bed looking at each other and I’d blather away chatting to him. I read him books for no reason, just to pass the time and for him to hear my voice. Sometimes we’d lie in bed so long just breastfeeding and cuddling and looking at each other that we’d fall asleep again.

It was a wonderful time. Really lean into it OP because it disappears so fast.

How very helpful of her 🙄

Fix and follow you might start to see from 6 weeks, but develops over time to 3 months. If he’s not doing it at 12 weeks then maybe it’s time to get checked, but for now just enjoy your baby cuddles 🥰

I remember feeling like this. The HV would come round and say are you singing to her are you reading to her? How do you play with her? Are you taking her for at least one walk a day?
and I was desperately trying to find toys and books that interested her, and turning the tv off so she didn’t see it, and take her out for walks and different activities even though my stitches were still agony and I’d cry after, so she could get fresh air and see the world, and I made sure to show her different things and textures and talk at her constantly. I was checking her eyes followed me and was I showing her enough expressions and so on and so on, all whilst trying to figure out breastfeeding and recovery and all those nappy changes on exactly 14 minutes sleep a night. I was convinced if I didn’t I was going to intellectually stunt her for life.
If I am lucky enough to do it again I’d just carry the next baby round with me whilst I live my life tbh and try not to worry about any of it - obviously assuming you’re within the range of normal person that interacts with their baby and talks out loud sometimes.
theyre 6 weeks old, everything is sensory input for them, they just want to be close to you and for you to be as ok as you can be. So focus on getting healthy and recovered if you’re not already, trying to get as much sleep as you can, get some nutritious food in you, and anything that helps your MH. Then with any time you’ve got left after all that, read a little book, show them some toys, let them do some floor time if they’re willing, get some fresh air where you can, even if that’s sitting in some shade in the garden - But i don’t mean all of that every day!