What do you do with your days with a new baby? Share with Fairy Non Bio for chance to win a £300 voucher NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

As part of our partnership with Fairy Non Bio, we’ve produced the Mumsnet Babies podcast. There are ten episodes in the series, and episode 8 covers what you can actually do with your days when you have a new baby. Fairy Non Bio would like you to listen to the podcast here and then post on this thread with your experience.

A new life as a stay-at-home-parent may feel daunting and bewildering, and though you’d likely prepared for the ‘stuff’ you have to do with a baby, you may not have planned for how you intend on filling your days with a new baby, and potentially preventing loneliness now that you’re not at work every day?

Whatever your experience, share your stories of and tips for making the time you spend alone with your baby feel fun and fulfilling, and share any advice you have for when you’re out and about. Do you have any ideas about what you can do at home, when your baby is at different stages? Perhaps you have tips on making being out and about more enjoyable, despite the organisation it now requires with a new baby in tow? Maybe you have creative ideas for being able to do the tasks you need to be able to do around the house, while keeping your baby entertained?

Whatever your experience and tips, share below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

If you’d like to rate the Mumsnet Babies Podcast, please go to the iTunes store to add a review.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

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Try to get out everyday as DD is a lot happier when I do Meeting up with mums from NCT, groups, even just down to see DM, fresh air works wonders even if we've had a bad night!

With both of my children I took them swimming from 8 weeks old - one loved it and one didn't! But it was mainly enjoyable, although remembering everything for swimming when you are sleep deprived is quite hard.
I meet up with my NCT mums and babies friends at each other's houses and at local parks and baby groups. And generally try to involve cake on these occasions.
My little one enjoys being carried whilst I do the vacuuming at home...

I'm not sure what I will be doing as I'm expecting my first baby in 8 weeks time

I used to love lying down with him on my belly listening to music

I did a lot of coffee dates with friends, walking to shops to have a mooch, walking to see family. I tried to get out a lot. Second and third time, they just slotted in to whatever toddler groups we had that morning.

I was caught in this loop of trying to get me and my baby fed, cleaned, dressed and could never break the loop until after lunch. It seemed like as soon as one of us was fed/cleaned/dressed the other one needed the same again!

Dd1 was all about her, lovely lazy mornings to start off with, getting to know other mums, joining different groups. But by the time dd2 came along we had playgroup, coffee mornings, swimming etc. to get to so she had to come along.

We do just as much, if not more now DS (4months) is here. I still manage to tidy, do washing, bath, eat, see friends and go out. Yes it's more difficult but as long as you plan ahead it's all doable. Though saying that, I have a very content baby!

Things to make life easier:

One handed meals
Sling
If bottle feeding, readymade milk for our and about

Things to do:
Baby groups
Long walks with the pram

Apart from caring for my baby, I have a plan for the week that helps me keep on top of housework and managing my money. I love listening to podcasts while I'm doing housework and am learning so much.

I visit family with my newborn, it gets us out of the house and allows her to bond with our extended family. I have 2 changing bags 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs, I make sure both bags are full of essentials so I can just grab everything I need when we're leaving. I make sure I get some quality alone time everyday with my baby girl to strengthen our bond.

Baby wearing was an absolute godsend and I think was the only reason I got anything done at all in those first few months. Not only did my son love it and would quickly settle in the sling, it allowed me to potter around the house doing light housework and a bit of meal prep.

But I also just loved those quiet moments in the day when he'd curl up on my chest and fall asleep...I often wouldn't pretend to be productive then, and just sit and enjoy it and know it wouldn't last....

I read as much as possible with my first baby. I found a list of 100 books to read before you die or similar and rattled through them at the end of my pregnancy and early baby days. Read through the night feeds and in cafes during the day. Definitely took my mind off the relentlesness of it all.

Getting out and about in the fresh air every day, leaving the cleaning & sitting down together were special times

I found that getting a routine really helped otherwise my days would just roll into each other. Plan something for each day such as a walk or meet a friend so each day has a purpose. Try and meet other mums with babies at similar ages to share tips and for company. The days are long but they don't last long.

I sat on the sofa eating cake and breastfeeding for the first year!

Baby groups and snoozing in the sun in the garden were how we filled our days! So lovely to get to know your little one by having naps together 😊

Baby massage! Read up lots on this and mine, when tiny, loved this. A relaxing and beneficial activity. Different play activities as they got older but we were never short of things to fill the day!

I think it's about establishing a routine that you're happy and comfortable with, not staying indoors constantly and enjoying your time with your new baby

With my first and second I got out of the house to all the various groups. It was quite frankly exhausting!

This time around I've mainly chilled out. I've learnt that those friends you meet at baby groups often more on around the 9 mths / year mark as they return to work. Unless someone I meet is exceptional and a likely friend without our children focus I don't invest too much time or energy.

I walked alot and fed alot. Stressed too much too. Wish I could turn the clock back and relax more.

We spent a lot of time napping together and going for walks. I didn't bother with any baby classes but did go to a couple of nice groups once my first was a couple of months old. With my second we did lots of naps and snuggles too but I was out and about every day from from early on.

When my first born was tiny I would spend most of the day snuggling and feeding him. I slept when he slept and didn't try to be 'super woman' by cooking amazing meals and cleaning the house etc. Don't think I even got dressed for the first couple of weeks!! I then joined some local baby groups and enjoyed meeting up with other mums and their babies.

We went out to a class or group every morning and then out to a park/for a walk each afternoon. Getting out of the house kept me sane.

I went to baby groups run at our local health centre where I met other mums who became good friends and we then got together oter days of the week for coffee and we've stayed friends even though or boys are 11 now, With Dc 2 and 3 I found I didnt have time to be bored with a baby as there was always somethinh that needed doing when Baby was alseep