X.M.
Sleep, eat and poop! That's pretty much it at this point....some tummy time as well. Let's face it. They are boring at this age. I remember being bored out of my mind LOL. They will get more fun with time :)
I'm looking for input on what other mom's days are like with their young babies. I'm wanting to start adding a few more fun things into the daily mix but don't know what exactly to do. This is my first baby so I'm not really in the loop as to "what to do" with a baby. But it seems like we're at a time where we can do more than just sit on the couch and eat and sleep. Thanks Ladies.
Sleep, eat and poop! That's pretty much it at this point....some tummy time as well. Let's face it. They are boring at this age. I remember being bored out of my mind LOL. They will get more fun with time :)
Take the baby out for walks. Not sure there is much else you can do. They are still in the eat, sleep, and poop mode.
I carry them on me in a baby carrier and continue about my day taking care of my other ones and new baby. Often my daily challenges (beyond food for everyone and feeding baby) is trying to find time to pee and shower! :-)
A 6 week old....
nursing constantly and on-demand ALL day and night, 24/7.
They nap a lot.
My kids as infants did.
Infants get REAL over-tired and over-stimulated, REAL quick.
After even 2 hours of being awake, they get tired.
An infant needs to nap.
It helps with brain development too.
At this young age... they do not need "activities" and entertainment.
Just bonding.
Don't think you have to "entertain" an infant... when they get older, it will then be more appropriate.
Put baby on the floor on a blanket. Talk to her. Sing. Use infant safe 'toys'. Rattles etc.
But at this age, it really is not about playing.
They don't even roll over yet. Nor fully 'grasp' things yet.
When my third was 6 weeks old we went to the San Diego Comic Book Convention and a Wiggles concert LOL
I had my 6 week apt with the midwife the day before she turned 6 weeks and the day before the con started. I even told her that was what we were doing. We got the thumbs up! My daughter was exclusively breastfed so I would stop and sit where I could find a place to sit or I fed her in the sling.
We had an absolutely amazing time!
My daughter's first trip to Disneyland was when she was 17 days old!
Use common since. We didn't let every stranger (or close friend) hold and handle her and get up in her face. She was either in the stroller or sling or in our arms. We didn't use public diaper changing tables at first when she was really little, we changed her in the stroller with a changing pad underneath her to protect the stroller and pulled into a quiet corner. Breastfeeding meant I didn't have to bring anything along besides some extra water and a few more snacks for myself. She didn't get sick in any way, she took naps in the stroller or sling.
The reason for my story..honestly the sky is the limit. What do you want to do?
Walks in the carrier/stoller--hit the store, meet some friends
Read books or sing to baby
Tummy time
Take lots of photos!!!
at 6 weeks.. babies eat and sleep. that is it.. they are not interested in fun activities. you can read a short book to the baby if he seems to be in a hppay mood.. wehn he is older you can do more things.. you can take him for a stroller walk. but he will fall asleep.
stay home. Feed. Shower when husband gets home. walk aboud in PJ's. Feed baby. Feed baby. Feed baby.
At 6 weeks, day = night = day = night
Don't expect any schedule, or even necessarily joy! (sleep deprivation is what they do to inmates at Guantanamo)
It will get better. Just get outside as much as you can, even if you're just sitting there. Vitamin D works wonders! And like Julie said, take those photos, even if you don't feel like it. You'll kick yourself later if you don't.
(I read a lot of magazines when nursing. They're lightweight to hold, I don't care if they get beat up, and I don't have to stress out if I can't finish a whole chapter.)
Eat sleep poop for the kid....trying to sleep, eat or shower for me....rough time but it will get better.
I think it was around that age I would start walking my babies around more often. We would walk around the house and outside if weather permits. Just in the front yard, nothing extensive.
I would meet a friend for lunch maybe once a week. At that age, they usually sleep through the whole thing!
For the most part, eating and sleeping are it! Sleep now while you can woman!
I was out and about with my daughter when she was six days and haven't stopped since. LOL.
Apparently she took after mom and was more fussy lolling around the house. Besides, if she wasn't going to nap, I had to keep moving to stay upright.
Therefore, she got early exposure to the mall, supermarket, endless trips to Target, visiting gramma and grampa, friends, etc. The best advice I got was from my sister, a mother of two: "You incorporate baby into your routine."
Now, at 15--months, she incorporates me into her routine :-)
Good luck!
Infants nap a lot. Nap, eat, sleep. They can't do a whole lot. I would take my daughter on walks in an infant stroller around the neighborhood. When she was awake and not eating, I would lay her under the play mat arch (fisher price play mat that has the arch). She couldn't play, but I would play with it a little and she could see what I'm doing and hear the noises. I used to put the baby in one of those baby carriers that criss cross behind your back and the baby sits in the pouch up front, and I would go to the store and walking and everywhere so she could sleep close to my chest or be awake and see things (obviously her chest was against mine because she could not support her head and the carrier has a head support for when they are facing your chest, you can't turn them out since they can't support their heads). Just think of little things that you can do and she/he can see, but a 6 week old is not going to play or do much besides look at the world around him/her, eat, pee/poop, and sleep. Read to the baby when he/she is awake. Sing. Play with toys where he/she can see. It will mostly be observation than play, when he/she isn't sleeping and eating of course lol.
I can hardly remember--it was so mundane I must have completely blocked it out! LOL
Seriously, I used to aim for an errand or two per day (outings included: park, walk, etc) and I scheduled those around nap times.
By 6 weeks, you're probably dying to get out more!
We'd take our little one to eat, we went bowling... pretty much anything with no smoke. I think we even went to Moody Gardens in Galveston, TX when she was like 3 weeks... I had my in-laws in town so thats why we were so adventurous.. while I was home alone I pretty much ate, slept, housework, held baby.. not much else. The fun went down when daddy got off work :)