How do I get anything done?!

[wastingmyeducation]

DH back at work this week, gets in at 6pm. Before this, he was home for a month, and before that, he was home by 3pm.
DS is 18weeks old, and will not be left alone, in fact, he wants to be held most of the time. He sleeps very badly, and usually needs to bf to sleep and lately, he wakes up when I try to put him down. The last few days I've had no evening either, just feeding and trying to put him in his cot.
How on earth am I supposed to get anything done?!
I've washed the nappies and taken the huge pile of rubbish out today, there's a pile of washing-up and nothing for dinner.
MIL is coming round tomorrow for a couple hours, but she starts a new job with more hours soon, so I don't know if I'll have that help again.

It's all getting to me a little now, not just the mess, but I can't do anything for myself.

xx

sorry terrible spelling mistakes etc..little one is trying to climb on me plus turn on the printer!!!!

have u a "baby gym" - the thing they lie under?

i have a vtec light and sound thingy over ds2 cot which has really worked for him.

craniotherapy? manybe yr wee one has a head ache when lying flat - worth a try.

You have my sympathy my DD2 wouldn't let me do ANYTHING without her. Tried a sling but she hated it. The only thing she liked was to go in her bouncy chair (with music and lights on the toy bar) and sit in that with a Baby Einstein Baby Van Gogh DVD on. She would often (at 4mths) sit and stare mesmerised at this quite happily. This would give me 25 mins or so in which to run around the house like a crazy woman doing everything super-fast. Could get the dinner on etc washing, clean kitchen etc
It does get better and to be honest I did also sometimes just let her howl for a few mins while I did essential things. As long as she was safe on her playmat/bouncy chair or wherever and could see me then sometimes I had no choice but just sing or talk to her whilst peeling potatoes (for example) while she just howled. Hard but sometimes no choice.
It does get better. Try and get some help in the house if you can. And try to get out and about so that your baby is stimulated and with you when you're out.
Sorry don't have any better suggestions. Just do your best, that is all you can do.
Also sorry if I'm repeating what has already been said, haven't read entire thread.

+1 for crappy routine!

DS is 6 months and still clingy, but I find I put him somewhere where I'm working so he can see me but still hopefully gets the message that I have something else to do, so he doesn't cry so much. Have left him alone to cry sometimes, but have to answer call of nature/find a 2 minute break at some stage. He is starting to get a little mobile (rolling around like a champion, commando crawling at a rate of 1yd/hr) so I can honestly say that he is getting less clingy. He peaked around the beginning of 5 months, and my mom spoiled him by carrying him around all day too.

If only I could figure out a solution for his bad sleeping...

Can strongly recommend the Fisher Price 'Jumperoo' (hence my name) - great entertainment centre - expensive but worth it. Entertains them and bouces them tired!

I suddenly realised recently that I WASN'T showering whilst singing to entertain a little one (and my ds is nearly 3!). From when he was very tiny, I used to lay him on a towel in front of the shower and sing away whilst I scrubbed.... I'm no warbler but it certainly stopped him crying!

ds went through stages like this. On days when he might sit in his bouncy chair thing, i'd do stuff and on days he wouldn't I'd go out in the buggy,the car, see friends for coffee - just something to take me away from the constant whingeing. He found his thumb at around that time so would settle quite well for .I also would leave him to whinge at night and he learnt to settle himself and then also did a dream feed at about 10.30.....It is hard though and a lot of tears were shed and dh thought I was the witch from hell some days.....It will get better !!!.......honestly.Just hold that thought.

Ok not read of of the thread but here is my two penneth.

I have 2 ds youngest 20 weeks and sounds very similar. DH often out for 12 hours a day.

I survive by having shower before he leaves (however early). If I don't shower I just feel grumpy all day. Bumbo works well for me but I do have to just move him round to keep him happy eg under mobile in cot or on baby gymn. I do spend a lot of time doing things one handed and I confess I always seem to eat standing up. But the most importany tip ( and it has taken 3 children to really get this) is that he would come to no harm in his cot crying for 10 mins while you go to toilet/have a shower or grab and sandwhich. I hate doing it but sometimes for nmy own sanity I just put him down ( as long as I know fed etc) and leave him while I do what I have to do.

Well, for the last two days DS has gone in his chair at the bathroom door and stayed happy enough while I've showered, and we went out for a walk yesterday, which is good as Mondays are usually the toughest after a busy weekend with DH and all the family.
I've been checking out Baby Einstein DVDs too, shall order one later.

xx

Hi wastingmyeducation, how are things now? My ds2 is now about the same age as your baby boy was on this thread, and sounds very similar (not wanting to be put down etc) and so have been reading the responses you got in september with a lot of interest.

PLEASE TELL ME IT GOT BETTER!!!!!

Oh, I've just spotted that Minkus
Funnily enough, I was looking back at this as I've just started a thread about DS only napping on my lap!
In the morning, I feed him and then get him dressed, and then pop him in his chair in the bathroom while I get showered.
I got a Baby Einstein DVD that keeps him happy for 25mins, and sometimes Cbeebies, though it's not as good.
He won't play by himself, on his gym or mat, for any length of time though, as he rolls over and can't roll back.
I've got a Gracco Fun Rock Giggles entertainment centre being delivered on Monday, which should give me a little more flexibility.
DH does half the bedtime routine at the mo, which gives me a chance to clear the kitchen, tidy the toys up and get ready to feed DS to sleep.
His night-time sleep has gotten better, but only after it got worse! So 2-4 wake-ups a night is brill for me . I've slowly been doing NCSS, but still feed to sleep, and because she advises to get night sleep sorted before naps, his naps are still conducted on my lap. Which sucks.
Unfortunately, I've not had MIL round more than twice since, though it was a help when she was here to mind him. Getting out for a walk is really good, but the weather's been bad so I've not been able to very often.
I think if I'd taken up some of the other suggestions on this thread, I may be getting more done etc., but the sleep deprivation made it too overwhelming. This week I've got more done with less stress, just because I'd had more sleep.
Getting the morning and bedtime routines in place has really helped me get through it.

xx

Poor you wastingmyeducation. And here was me hoping you would come back and say "oh yes at 20 weeks everthing just clicked and he was a lot more contented"

Their attention span is so small isn't it. DS2 is now 19 weeks (I think, he might be 18 or he could be 20 or even 21 I've copletely lost track amidst the fog!) and will happily "play" on his mat for 20 mins now, but is really only happy when he can see me. This is a lot better than it was before though. Agree that going out for walks makes things much easier to manage- they're happier outside I think.

My mum sounds like your MIL- she came down for the afternoon once when I needed to get some housework done and either attended to ds2/helped me depending on whether he was alseep or not and this was great, I got loads of housework done. But just as she was going she said "it's just a case of getting motivated isn't it?" and I thought "NO IT'S BLOODY NOT!!! I AM MOTIVATED! I WANT TO DO IT! BUT I CAN'T WITHOUGH SOMEONE ELSE TO MIND MY DEMANDING BABY!" In essence she thought I was just being lazy. Thanks mum!

I do remember from ds however that I had to adjust my thinking and accept that babies are not happy to let us get on with stuff in the same way as pre-baby. So basically everything gets done in chunks of 20 mins- interspersed with some restorative cuddles and baby chat. I can't believe how much I can get done in 20 mins now- what was I doing before!!!!

Hope it gets better for you- sounds like you've got quite a few little tricks in your bag to whip out to keep him occupied for a while. Keep me posted, maybe we should have a "More-demanding-than-the-norm babies" support thread!

Oh, when I think of all the time I used to waste before the baby arrived! Makes me sick to think of it.
I think he may play happier when he is more mobile and can sit completely unsupported, he gets fed up when he rolls over and gets stuck. There is still hope!

xx