A typical day with baby « Back to Group Discussions

[persephassa]

I am curious about how people spend their day with baby (if yr baby has been born'd!).

Today we woke at 9am, though for the past few weeks (Orryn is 1 month old today!) we get up for the day around noon. Nurse, and diaper change (I am glad I set up a changing table, cause I use it all the time--I don't get how you do it if you change the diaper in bed in the middle of the night? I walk over to his nursery and change him on the table, it's easier for me that way--Orryn becomes a pee fountain pretty much every time I take his diaper off, it is easier to control the spray at the table, haha). Play for a bit on his gym mat or on my lap--maybe my husband takes him to play while I get breakfast (OJ, mother's milk tea (I made my own blend with herbs I ordered), cereal, fruit). By play I just mean we interact with him, sing, read a book, talk to him, play music (we got some Elizabeth Mitchell albums, they are so lovely and sweet and nice to listen to while nursing). Then he sleeps... Usually on me; I am lucky if i can put him down and he stays asleep. I need to get more used to babywearing--I did wear him at Jungle Jim's this weekend (it's a crazy, massive grocery store with everything under the sun) in a ring sling from Sleeping Baby & felt like I had it on right for once.

While he nurses I browse on the iPad or read a book or watch Netflix... Baby Orryn nurses a lot throughout the day. Usually I sit in bed, in the rocker in the living room, or on a chair at the dining room table while I edit photos / chat with my mom on my laptop. Sometimes it seems like he nurses nonstop (cluster feeding, I guess). If I manage to stash him in the swing or with husband for a good twenty minutes or so I do laundry, or get dinner ready so we can eat it later (or my husband makes it if I can't get to it). Maybe I take a shower / brush teeth & wash face at some point. Try and do a sitz bath.

I think we need more of a bedtime routine because as of now it's very haphazard, we just continue nursing/changing/playing/sleeping until about midnight. Then I go to bed and he lets me put him down on the bed next to me... Waking about every 2 to 3 hours to nurse and be changed. Last night we went to bed a little earlier and I turned all the lights off, except this one lamp we have that isn't very bright, and read him a book and nursed him and he fell asleep a little deeper. I think I will start giving him a bath or at least a sponge bath before bed, too.... & oh, had to get a night light for our bedroom, it was too dark in here without it. We also run a box fan all night; my husband's mother did it for him when he was a babe and now he can't sleep without it.

I am taking my road test next Wednesday (for my driver's license) & I am excited to start going out a little more. There is a story hour for newborns at the library & I want to go to some babywearing meetings, and go yard sailing and for walks and etc...


Edited by persephassa - 5/30/12 at 9:09am

[Just1More]

nak.

Sounds about right to me.  Just enjoy this time of awe and innocence.  Don't worry about schedules and the like, they are growing and changing so fast at this point.  Mostly, at this stage I'm just reading their cues and figuring out what they need, and trying to get as many snuggles as I can.

[persephassa]

oh, not worried about a schedule at all :) i think a routine for bedtime would be nice, though, whatever time it happens, just so it feels more ritualistic and calming for both of us. i was thinking it would be nice to do, whether sleep happens after that or not.

[H Jane]

persephassa- such a great idea for a thread! I've been wondering what everyone else is doing all day too.

Millie is a month old too (5 weeks this Friday). I'd say it took us until the end of week 3 to get a handle on everything... and that's when the nipple pain and engorgement got much better.  

DH leaves for work at 7:15am.  Millie and I are up for the day between 7:30 and 8:30.  She goes from sound asleep to wanting to nurse pretty quickly, so I sit up in bed and nurse her on one side immediately.  Once she falls off (usually 20-30min) we get up and change diapers.  I also like having a changing table set up, and she loves to study the artwork on the wall next to it (pic below, 2 of our pets painted by a 7-y-o).  After diaper we sit in the nursing chair and she nurses on the other side.  We spend a LOT of time in the chair... she falls asleep for about 5-15 minutes then wakes up pretty upset that the nipple has fallen out of her mouth!  She nurses again, cat naps, nurses, cat naps, and this continues until about noon.  Somewhere in there I carry her downstairs so I can grab breakfast and bring it back up, then change her diaper again and nurse again. I try to talk to her while she nurses, since there's not that much time that she's awake and not nursing.

In the middle of the day (like right now), she sleeps for a longer time, but ONLY on my lap/ in my arms.  If I try to put her down on the bed she immediately starts squirming and wakes up crying or screaming.  So, she chills on my lap and I use the computer/watch netflix. The afternoon is same as the morning- nursing and cat napping.  I haven't been able to do laundry or make a real dinner yet.  She screams when I try the sling, and I know I'm doing it wrong anyways.  We really need to figure it out.

DH is home at 7pm.  He holds the baby and walks around with her while I use the bathroom/brush teeth/etc.  Then she nurses again while he makes dinner.  We eat at about 8pm (me with one hand...), then by 9:30/10 we start the bedtime routine.  I'm really enjoying this time and so is Millie.  I undress her and carry her naked bum into the bathroom while DH runs a bath in her little tub (which sits in the big tub).  We've been doing cool baths while it's sweltering here, and she LOVES it.  After the bath we put a nighttime dipe on (sev. gen. disposable).  Then one of us rocks and sways her, pacing the room and singing her baby song- "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby" from O Brother, Where Art Thou?.  She gets pretty sleepy doing this, but still wants to nurse one more time, so at about 11 we sit up in bed and nurse to sleep.  When she falls off I scoot down and lay her next to me.  For the past two nights she's slept from 11:30-4 (yay!), then up to nurse on one side, diaper change, nurse on the other and back to sleep for about 2 hours.  Then we're up!

I'm wondering how much time she spends really getting milk, and how much is just comfort sucking.  I'm not sure how to tell besides the swallowing, which isn't always clear.  

Weekends are completely different, but that's a whole 'nother post! Can't wait to read about everyone else's day.

tummy time on the changing table

[H Jane]

Originally Posted by persephassa 

i think a routine for bedtime would be nice, though, whatever time it happens, just so it feels more ritualistic and calming for both of us.

I definitely agree with this.  Everything feels so "up in the air" and unpredictable, it's nice to have a little rhythm to look forward to.  And I highly recommend bath time as part of it.

[persephassa]

cute artwork & geometric banner-things, h jane! 

your baby sounds a lot like ours :) at the hospital (a nurse) and pediatrician's office (the ped, but we switched to a different one) we had people tell us that he shouldn't use me as a pacifier & that we should put him on a 2 hour schedule/give him a paci! it made me mad, cause everything i've read says that can interfere with production in the early weeks, plus they're not using you as a pacifier, they're using you as mom; they need you as mom. & we're in the 'fourth trimester.' i also think the day would be easier if i was an awesome babywearer, but it will come with practice!

i am lucky, my husband is a professor & classes ended right before baby was born, so he's on summer break & can help a lot. he has writing to do so mostly we're alone but he comes out of his office & holds baby when i need to pee or whatever.

[Just1More]

Okay, baby is sleeping on me and the other kids are banished for quiet time. 

And, as long as you're not stressed about schedules, I'll play. :)

It seems that she is on about a 2 hour rotation.  She nurses a little, then I take her potty.  She looks around, I talk to her or walk her around and show her interesting things on the wall.  Sometimes we stroll a bit outside.  Sometimes I put her on the floor and talk to her with her on her belly.  Sometimes she's fussy for a while, and needs to potty again.  After a bit (15 minutes, max, unless she's fussy), she gets sleepy again, and nurses back to sleep.  Then I put her in a carrier, or sometimes in the bassinet so I can tend to the bigger kids.  If she's fussy, that can go on for an hour or 3, depending on what's wrong with her. 

Repeat every 2 hours around the clock.  Unless I get lucky, and she sleeps a middle of the night chunk, or at least lets me stay in bed without needing to change or burp her.  I've been hard pressed to get her settled before midnight or one, and then she's fussy at least once and I (or sometimes dh) have to get up with her for an hour or so.  And the other kids are up at 7, so there's that. 

[cookie_]

First, can I just say what a tremendous joy and surprise it is to have a baby who seems to enjoy both eating and sleeping? My first was not keen on either concept. I'm actually getting to really enjoy and cherish these first newborn days because of Z's enthusiasm for both. And also, my mother (baby/toddler-whisperer-type person extraordinaire) is here for a few more days, which makes things much simpler than they surely will be next week. For the past three nights, my mom has been "baby nursing" for me so I can heal and get some sleep before all the chaos starts next week when she's gone and my husband is back to work. She sleeps on the couch with Zachary in the co-sleeper next to her. I usually feed him around 11:30pm or so, and then she brings him in to me around 3:30 when he wakes up, then comes back in to get him after he's done nursing. She does all the burping/reswaddling/changing/dancing back to sleep business in the other room, so I can just go instantly back to sleep. He wakes up usually around 5:45 for another meal, and she does the same thing. It might seem like anathema to some, but I'm enjoying it while I can. I feel like my body has bounced back so much quicker this time.

Around 7am, my toddler starts banging on the wall (charming habit), so my husband jumps out of bed to get him. He gets DS1 up, my mom heads into his room for some much deserved sleep. Husband brings in Zachary & the ipad to me around 8am when he wakes up. DS1 informs me that "baby need nu-nus, mama".  I get Z settled in to nursing, DS1 climbs up next to me and we watch train videos on youtube or play with some toddler apps, try to discourage him from poking poor Z in the eye. After Z is done, my husband is usually out of the shower and dressed. He takes Z for some one on one time, I drink some iced coffee and spend solo time with DS1. Z falls back to sleep on husband, I eat some breakfast. Around 9/9:30, my husband takes DS1 out for a few hours, either to his Waldorf playgroup or just to the playground/park. I pop Z into the ring sling, he usually sleeps right through it. I read the paper/answer emails/read a book/enjoy the most peace and quiet I've experienced in several months. He's been waking up around noon, so I nurse him and continue to read or maybe watch some Masterpiece Theater movie on Netflix. My mom is usually up at this point, and she straightens up/does laundry etc. (I told you she was awesome.) DS1 comes back around 12:30, I hand the baby over to husband if he's done eating. I get my older son down for a nap, then husband and I enjoy some time together with Z who usually spends a good 40 minutes at this point awake and looking around peacefully. Once  DS1 gets up around 2:30/3, I fix him lunch, then Mimi (grandma) or husband take him back out to play. I take a brief nap while Mimi or daddy coos over Z. He wakes up to nurse around 4pm, stays up for a little while after that before passing out, wakes up to eat around 7pm. He usually nurses for a good 45 minutes at this point because he seems to like to get a really full tummy and sleep from 7-11/11:30.

So, yes, I'm really enjoying all the ease and comfort of this week. Next week, I imagine my day will look like this: 8am, wake up, 9am-8pm (when husband gets home): complete chaos. 8pm-11:30, some kind of relative peace, midnight to 7am: some kind of chaos since I'm positive Z will "wake up" at this point and decide he is not into sleep after all.

I'm super happy I've finally mastered nursing in the sling and the tummy to tummy hold this time. It's too hot here to wear the moby, but my linen sling has been a godsend.

[Astraia]

Everything you describe is what I did with DD. Now things are a bit different, especially when DH is out.

We're hoping eventually Everett fits into our routines. He's already figured out that 6 am is time to wake up (boo! I liked sleeping in until 9).

Everett does NOT like being worn in carrier unless we are outside and I'm walking, fast, the entire time he's in there so if I'm on my own then things are a bit weird.

Right now, since DH is off work for a while still, we rotate who gets up with the other kids- so every other day I'm out of bed by about 6:15, usually with Everett in tow. He wakes up to nurse usually about 6 am, and by the time the kids come in he's done and he comes down with me. I put him on the change table, change him, and he's happy while I get the kids their breakfast and start my breakfast (coffee, oatmeal). Usually for the last few minutes he starts shrieking, and I just finish what I'm doing as fast as I can. I eat my breakfast juggling a mostly screaming baby while walking around. Then he needs to nurse again and I check emails and MDC while he does that. Then I read books and play with the kids, usually while standing and juggling baby again, until he looks like he's going to fall asleep in my arm- then I swaddle him, put him down awake and he goes to sleep where it's (finally!) quiet. Sometimes he's awake 5 minutes later and then I bring him down, juggle and walk and do stuff for the other kids until he seems ready to fall asleep again, then I swaddle him again and put him back down in bed.

Lunch and dinner - since DH is usually home, one preps dinner and the other juggles the baby. OR, if we're thinking ahead, we do most of the prep work while Everett is sleeping. If DH isn't home and I haven't planned anything, I make dinner in stages - put the baby down for 10 minutes where he (often) cries until I can pick him up again. I would put him in a sling, but then he just screams in my face which makes me more agitated and more likely to get frustrated.

DH usually gets the kids into bed. If he's not home, then I try to get the kids into bed at a normal time if Everett is sleeping. If he's awake but has hit the screaming stage (instead of nursing or laying around looking at stuff) then the kids stay awake until he settles down because I can't get them to sleep while he's crying. Last Monday when DH was at ultimate, all three kids were awake until 10 pm :/

[rozziemama]

This is my second day with DH back at work (Kai is two weeks) so I am mostly just reading this out of curiosity - interested in how you mamas are spending your days...
One pattern that's emerging is morning - DS1 wakes 6:45/7 and comes into our bed where DH, Kai and I are finally asleep and wake up typically strung out from lack of sleep - but we spring into the morning routine for DS's sake - he's in preschool so we have to get dressed/breakfast/pack lunch... Then DH bikes DS to school.
I'm alone w Kai and ideally, I nurse him and we nap together right away... However... That just happened this morning so it's not a routine yet!
I can't get anything done at home.
I'm feeling ready to start going for walks I think - get my body slowly moving... I've been avoiding caffeine in the hopes that I'll get a morning snooze but I might start coffee again and see if it makes me function better.
The only other thing that's emerging as a pattern is nighttime - I nurse Kai through dinner with our new fam of four, eat w one hand, and then read books to ds while nursing until his bedtime - then I put Kai down for his long stretch of sleep - 7:30 til 11-ish and watch tv with DH... We try to sleep by 10 but of course I'm up nursing pretty soon after I lie down...

[Rowdie]

Not much "typical" emerging yet. I try to rid up around the house during her first breastmilk-induced food coma of the day--or try to nap if it's been a rough night. At first, she wouldn't let me "cheat" nurse (nurse while both of us are lying down), but she seems to be okay with it now.  She's starting to sleep through the night--longer than four hours, yes, but when she's out, she's OUT.  There's no waking her. And I wake up with serious engorgement.  

She's pretty certain about what she wants and doesn't want. The only way she doesn't wail during diaper changes is when DH and I work together: he changes her while I stick my boob in her mouth. Even then, she growls her displeasure at dad if he starts taking too long. She's already outgrowing the newborn size! 

I Moby her for errands as I'm within walking distance from the grocery store, post office, etc. If DH is free, we'll do the stroller. She loves movement (Moby, car seat, stroller) unless she's hungry. 

A day without cluster feeding is a joy. We'll often go for a three-hour stretch (sometimes in the evening, sometimes in the morning). I read or sing to her while nursing (or work on the computer, like now). If it's evening, DH will often take up burping duty, and he gets pretty creative with it, beat-boxing on her back or while bobbing her.  We're at three and a half weeks, and she's been spending more time just being awake and interacting with us.

Oh and we recently switched from sponge baths (which she hated worse than changing) to bringing her in bath with me,  which she loves, or is hypnotized by. I'm not sure if she's remembering the womb or birth, but it's the only time she gets this cute expression of awe.

Edited by Rowdie - 6/1/12 at 12:08pm

[BubbleMa]

Not much routine here either.  I do think a bedtime routine is important, so we've started that now.  When she's awake I either hold her and talk to her, or lay her on the bed and let her look around.  I think it's important for babies to have some independent time as well as "mommy/daddy" time.  The last couple days it's just been me, SO, and Layla so we've been running lots of errands and doing things out of the house which is nice. 

[Just1More]

Originally Posted by Rowdie 

... to bringing her in bath with me,  which she loves, or is hypnotized by. I'm not sure if she's remembering the womb or birth, but it's the only time she gets this cute expression of awe.

 I've had one that did that.  She would get this far away look in her eyes, and peaceful bliss on her face.  If I held her under her neck so the rest of her was just floating, she would twist and sway like she hadn't forgotten the water before she was born.  It was absolutely amazing to me.  I so loved to see her happiness and her contentment in what was obviously so safe a place for her.  It made me really cherish being pregnant.