Just how much are you getting done?

[ChristSavesAll]

So Seraphim is 3 and a half weeks right now and has been going through a big growth spurt for over a week now. She was on her own schedule before that of eating over a period of 3 hours then sleeping for 3 hours. Now she eats almost all day then other days she may sleep all day and still through the night then she's back to eating all the next day with just 5-10 min. cat naps in between. I'm homeschooling ds who is 5 next month and has a very short attention span so something that should take less than 15 min even going slow takes an hour... I'm busy with the kids and so the house is not so clean, it's not a pig sty (well some days it is ) theres just dishes to be washed beds to be made and some clothes that get left on the floor. Then there's the messes ds makes while I'm busy tending to dd.... And of course the downstairs is hard wood floor so it must be swept and washed like everyday or it gets gross from ds with his food or people tracking dirt in... Unless dd takes a decent nap I dont have time to get to that, I'm stuck in a chair bfing her. Thankfully she doesnt have issues with being held while sleeping so I can just lay her anywhere.
Hubby gave me some crap about it the other day and I explained to him that I'm kinda waiting (have to) for dd to get back on schedule (basically takin longer naps) and that was it with him. But now my mom mentioned this afternoon that I don't do anything! : Hello, I am, I'm a human bottle at the moment and a teacher. It ticks me off cause I've been cleaning when dd does take a nap and she's always in her room or at work anyways so she doesn't see what our day is like. She just sees dishes in the sink and ds toys on my bedroom floor along with some school stuff, clothes, whatever and assumes that I don't do anything. She tells me I stay in my room too much, umm that's where my rocking chair is for feeding dd and I have ds come in here to do school work, until he's done with schooling we have no reason to leave or he will be more distracted than he already gets.


Grrr. Sorry for the rant but just how much are you ladies getting done? Anyone else waiting for baby to take naps to clean?

[AKA_PI]

For the most part, when Kendall is napping is the only time I can get stuff done and he's 5 weeks. For the most part he's ok just sitting or in his swing but its hard. Especially when he doesn't want to sleepall night and i'm exhausted the next day.

You're doing the best you can considering the circumstance. Tell them that and to leave you alone.LOL

[hookahgirl]

Uh, you only had a baby three weeks ago! You shouldnt be doing anything other than loving that babe and your other child.
Tell them to do it themselves if it is bothering them!

[zoebird]

we're mastering baby wearing. hawk is 13 days old (soon to be 14), and i'm doing well. my husband is here and very helpful too--extremely so. working together, our house is in order, we're able to do cool things together, and we even went on an outting today.

by baby wearing, i'm able to get a lot done while he sleeps, and then we have our maraton feeds--45 minutes to as much as 2 hours.

and he's funny. some nights, long feeds every 3rd hour, other nights, he just sleeps and we have to wake him. during the day, lots of eating--particularly in the morning after long sleepings.

and he just finished a two hour feeding, so who knows how tonight will go.

but we are feeling rested, getting into a sort of dance with this little guy! we love him so much!

[hyz]

It sounds like you're doing great, if you ask me.

My little girl is 5.5 weeks old (b. August 5), and I'm just starting to get stuff done. When she was 3 weeks she was going through a growth spurt and ate all day, I was lucky to eat and shower and feed the dogs. Actually, I'm still lucky if I get those things done at a reasonable time. She finally stopped eating all the time, but now she's got some kind of minor GI problem, green poop and lots of gas that keeps her awake and a bit fussy--the only way I can get anything done is make sure she has all of her needs met (fed, changed, etc.), and then put her in the swing a couple times a day which will lull her to sleep and keep her that way so I have an hour here or there to work. She does great in the carrier, too (we're liking our Beco Butterfly the best for doing active stuff around the house), but that doesn't work in all situations (like if it's hot, or if I'm doing something that involves a lot of motion, or potentially dangerous stuff like chopping veggies, standing over the stove, etc.)--hence, the swing.

[maryeb]

Doing laundry is a must so that is getting done. We still have friends making food for us, I don't have tons of time to be doing that...thankfully we eat simply anyway so when I do make stuff it's quick. I am really focusing on nursing babe with awareness since I've had plugged ducts/mastitis twice and he is almost 4 weeks. So my main focus is nursing, making sure ds gets to a park once a day, eating, and laundry. Dh is helpful with dinner/bedtime for older ds, and he also makes our breakfast. The sling is a lifesaver...baby naps in it day and evening and I can get some dishes done/make simple food/eat/laundry. He won't nap anywhere else, so I'm stuck with it for now! You are only 3 weeks postpartum, I don't think it's fair for others to be expecting so much of you!! Be easy on yourself. It's okay if the house is a sty for a bit. It will change. Good luck! Mary

[holothuroidea]

Baby Evelynn is 3.5 weeks. She doesn't like to be put down so getting stuff done during the day is difficult. The house is mostly clean (as in that it's not noticeably dirty ) and the laundry gets done (usually folded by DH-- folding is just too time consuming). I cook dinner every night, but I usually start when DH gets home so he takes the baby.

I will say, though, that the floors have not been cleaned since she was born. That's pretty gross but what are you going to do? It's not like we eat off it or anything.

I got a pouch sling because she just hates being put down but it's too small and I need to return it. Hopefully once I get a sling that fits I'll be able to vacuum!

There's still some risidual organizing of our home that needs to happen from the move. I've been chipping away at it in pieces. It's so hard because I only have 15 minutes at a time to get things done and still manage to feed myself!

[ChristSavesAll]

Ok I just love you ladies!

Everytime I'm down about something or irked you ladies are here and make me feel better every time. Thanks so much.

My mom has high expectations when it comes to cleaning, yet she has never helped out much with it. I miss when dh and I had our own apt. soo nice to not have to worry about someone judging you and the cleanliness of your home. I actually love to clean, I found out when ds and dnephew were a few months old that it is my escape, my personal quiet time. I havent been up to doing that much since I got preggo, I've been relying on dh to keep the place clean and tend to the pets. I thought once dd was born I could get back to our old routine but it is just that, old and now we have to come up with a new one (totally forgot how much time it takes when you have a newborn and bf, its not like you can just hand them off to dad when they are hungry).

[~Megan~]

not a whole heck of a lot. If Ivy will sleep long enough without me then I scramble to do what I can. Otherwise I do somethings while holding her. I am unable to nurse in a carrier so I can't clean while I do that.

[lil_earthmomma]

It's so hard isn't it!!! I second baby wearing, I'd be lost without my ring sling and wrap. I can do almost anything with the babe in the sling. I can't believe how secure they are in it. The only thing I don't do is lean over the stove or oven with ds in the sling.

That being said, I have a mountain of laundry that I'm working away at slowly, and my 18 mo ds has been getting a little stir crazy because I'm still sore and our daily outside time has turned into 15 minute walks.

I've been told by the wise kind people on this board to be gentle with myself, and not stress. I too have my mother living with me and she is not gentle or understanding about much of anything so I totally feel ya with the critical treatment.

[Surfer Rosa]

The house is what we've let go. I am still on top of bathrooms/laundry, and I like to tidy at the end of the day, cause I hate waking up to mess, but our floors are grody, our sheets need to be changed, and there are piles of books, mail, etc, that need to be dealt with and put away.
I am a little ticked b/c we hired a cleaning service (gift from my mom for 6 months) that was supposed to start this week, and they bailed last minute due to low staff/high demand. Boooo. And I just don't have the energy to find another. I was stoked about them b/c it's an enviro cleaning company ;(

It sucks being criticized when you're doing as much as you can! I keep forgetting that the baby is only 3 weeks old. There's only so much I can do. Luckily DH's standards are much lower than mine. I think I would lose it if he so much as whisered a criticism of the job I'm doing!!! Priority #1 is childcare. Everything beyond that is gravy

[foogoomomma]

http://www.mamatoto.org/LinkClick.as...id=121&mid=616 I highly recommend making a wrap. Basically all you need is a 5-6 yard length of t-shirt type material. Cut it in half so it's half as wide and then you'll have 2 carriers. There are videos on that site and on youtube. Wearing my little guy is the only way I get anything done at all.

[not now]

I'm pretty much getting everything done. When I go back to work it will be different.

[Klynne]

I'm getting diddly squat done most days. (but I do manage to get my mdc fix in ) If I get dinner made and dd gets some lunch in her I'm happy!

yesterday evening I got all the laundry done and half put away:, that was amazing!

[zoie2013]

nak
thank goodness for this thread. i've been feeling so guilty about not getting everything done i want to do. for some reason, tandem bfing, parenting (and chasing) a 2yo and newborn, healing and getting a little exercise, feeding us, basic personal hygiene, laundry, dishes, and organizing some local holistic moms chapter activities, plus dealing with a touch of ppd, still makes me feel like i can't get anything done. everything just takes so long to do. when i'm only nursing one, i can reach my keyboard with one hand, but typing one-handed takes forever. i'm hopelessly behind on emails. yikes!

[Laniemama]

I'm with you and everyone it seems! And I have one of the oldest babes on the board (b. Aug 2nd). I Feel like I'm not getting much done at all, especially going through this growth spurt! All I do is nurse, nurse, nurse! It is especially hard with 2 lo's, although my dd is a big help. I do try to get out every day with them, while its still nice and dd has preschool 3 days a week, so that gets us out too. I'm so thankful for my slings too! I couldn't live w/o my pouch and wrap especially. I would get totally nothing done, if I didn't babywear!

All that is getting me through, is that I know that this stage will pass. My baby is almost 8 weeks old and it really has flown! I just can't wait until he is interacting with us more and when my dd can keep him entertained for a bit, so I can get more things done!

[ChristSavesAll]

Lanie I totally agree, and actually thanks to the other momma who posted the babywearing website I went out to walmart and found some great and cheap breathable fabric ( $1 a yard!!) I then proceeded to make a wrap and since yesterday have learned tons of great positions to put her in, including one where I can bf her and I have giant breasts so thats a big accomplishment for me (you know bfing without suffocating babe lol), anyways today I tried that out and I was able to sweep the kitchen and livingroom floor and wash both while bfing!!! woohooo! :And babe loved it, she's getting fed:, getting motion, and studying my face or the ceiling, walls pictures, whatever was nearby.

Thank you Momma for the website!

[triana1326]

I'm so busy being a human pacifier and feeder that I barely have any time to do anything. I manage to squeeze in a shower and a change of clothes, but that's about it. DH has really stepped up to the plate. He washes dished, does the laundry, makes all the meals, cleans the house, and still works a full time job and is starting back at a part time job next week. He is an amazing man and I don't know how I'd be able to function without him...

[AKA_PI]

Originally Posted by triana1326

I'm so busy being a human pacifier and feeder that I barely have any time to do anything. I manage to squeeze in a shower and a change of clothes, but that's about it. DH has really stepped up to the plate. He washes dished, does the laundry, makes all the meals, cleans the house, and still works a full time job and is starting back at a part time job next week. He is an amazing man and I don't know how I'd be able to function without him...

Lucky you to have a great hubby.