What do you DO with a newborn all day?

[BTB]

This is by no means a 'problem' but I'm looking for some mama insight. DD is almost 4 and I was in such a haze after she was born I wouldn't remember her early weeks even if they'd just happened.

Since he's only a week old, DS sleeps a lot. And when he's asleep, I go ahead and swaddle him and put him back in his crib. But since his days (and nights) at this age consist of eat-sleep-eat-sleep-eat-sleep, he's in his crib most of the time. He's clean, warm, safe, and has a full belly, but somehow this just doesn't feel right, like he should be out more and getting more interaction or at least be held; on the other hand I don't want to get him "used" to sleeping in his swing or bouncer or on me just for the sake of having him sleep in the living room instead of sleep in his bedroom. So far I'm spending most of the day playing with DD, which is great, but feels like DS is getting shorted somehow.

Where did/does your newborn spend his or her days?

[Kanga]

Dd2 spent most of her naps in the living room. I wanted her to get used to sleeping with noise which worked great until she had the same nap schedule as dd1 and now she wakes up at the slightest noise since it's generally quiet during their naps. Also, her crib was in our bedroom upstairs and I really didn't feel like running upstairs 6, 7, 8 times a day to put her down for a nap and get her when she woke up. She slept everywhere - the swing, the bouncy, the carseat, the stroller, the sling, the boppy, the floor, our bed, you name. Once her naps became more consolidated we started putting her in her crib. She never had any problems going from one "contraption" to the next for sleeping. If something wasn't working, no biggie we just tried something else.

As far as what we did all day, it was just whatever dd1 wanted to do. If she was playing with a toy, I'd ask her to pick out one for her sister and she'd stare at it, chew on it, etc. Dd2 has always been pretty advanced in gross motor skills, so she spent a lot of time learning to do the next milestone. Starting with scooting around the floor on her belly at 5 or 6 weeks (which was more like spinning in circles for her), then rolling over at 3 months, sitting at 4 or 5 months, etc.

[Sevilla]

DD is three weeks old and I try to hold her a good portion of the day - I did with DS and want her to have the same benefits as much as possible.

I think you could hold him sometimes while he sleeps and put him in the crib other times so he stays used to sleeping in the crib but isn't there all day (like alternate with each sleep-eat cycle). I know one reason I hold DD is b/c she has such a perfectly shaped head and I don't want it to get flat, so that helps me be motivated to vary her position and how she sleeps.

Does he have awake periods yet? DD has those a few hours total each day and I try to prioritize holding her those times for interaction (or letting DS play with her) so I don't feel badly when I put her down and she's asleep so I can get things done around the house and with DS.

[jennylou]

I keep DS out in the main living area with me - and have since he was a newborn. I wear him some, but he's so content to nap wherever, that I didn't have to hold him non-stop like I did with DD.

[KiKi'sMommy]

I remember those days fondly! :) Now I have an almost 2 year old and a 4 year old.
We had a co-sleeper/cradle that was on wheels, so I would just wheel that into the living room, so he could be with us while we were doing our normal daily stuff. I also let him get down on a sheet in the middle of the living room when he was awake and let him interact with his sister. I think if I could go back and do it again I would get a sling, so I could carry him around while I did stuff. I did have an Ergo, which I would use when we went outside. I also used my boppy to lay him down and let him have a little different view of the world. At this point, I say, just enjoy it. It won't last long! :)

[cactus]

Hm. My kid goes through a rotation, pretty much--swing, bouncy, Ergo/Moby, boob, changing table, tummy time, yoga ball, etc. It's been this way since the beginning, only now we've added in the crib because now he LOVES the mobile. I'm lucky in that I live in a warm place, so since he's been a couple of days old we go on a ton of walks outside with him in the carrier (I also have a dog, so this is a necessity).

I'm a bad one to ask, though, because I am so brand new at this myself that I often wonder what to do and if what I'm doing is "right."

[Annette]

The first month, which is foggy for me as well, he spent a lot of the time nursing and sleeping. The nursing sessions would take awhile and I would just hold him afterwards. We'd put him on the playmat and hold toys in front of him and do tummy time. We'd take him out for walks in the stroller.

[Pookie]

I remember thinking the exact same thing. My 2 are 3 1/2 years apart as well. We pretty much do whatever DS whats and DD is just kind of there. I realized the other day, we really don't play with DD's toys. DS just kind of holds his toys up to her and she just hangs out. I felt kind of bad the other day when I realized we never use her stuff. OTH, DD is so enamored with her big bro and wants to keep up with him, she's really into gross motor stuff, rolling at 2 1/2 months, sitting at 4 months, trying to scoot now, etc, so maybe it's not as bad as I think?

[mamax2]

I hold my babies a lot. Mostly because they spend so much time nursing, but I like wearing them and just looking at them and snuggling them. It's such a short time in their (and our) lives and it just feels so good to have them close.

[jh124]

I hold my babies a lot. Mostly because they spend so much time nursing, but I like wearing them and just looking at them and snuggling them. It's such a short time in their (and our) lives and it just feels so good to have them close.

I did the same thing. Only I watched tv and read books while holding/wearing/snuggling/nursing with the babies. Newborns are sweet and cute and smell oh-so-good, but they are also pretty boring.

[hub1176]

Congrats! :)

The first few weeks, DD 2 ate, slept and pooped, and I let her. When she was up I would engage her (unless it was 3:00am) large blankets on the floor with some toys, the bouncey seat, lots of arm time (which had the extra benefit of keeping her safe from DD1) :) Like other posters, I had "stations" set up so DD 2 could nap where we were. I wish I had gotten in the habit of wearing her, but I'm somewhat clumsy and that was never comfortable for me. One thing I was able to do for DD2 was follow her lead, and let her tell me what she needed and I have really fond memories of that time with DD2.

[amew]

At one week old, my DS spent most of the day napping in a moses basket next to me (and DH, my mom, whoever else was around), being held by me or another relative, or nursing. I would sing to him or talk to him when he was awake and walk him around to show him things, just so he got a little change of scenery. When he was a couple weeks older, we did time on the playmat, looked at toys, I started wearing him, we did a few minutes in the bouncy seat, etc. We also did a lot of walks outside, but it was September, and I live in Texas, so we didn't have to contend with cold or anything like that. DS didn't really sleep in his crib at all until he was a few months old.

[moderngal]

I hold my babies a lot. Mostly because they spend so much time nursing, but I like wearing them and just looking at them and snuggling them. It's such a short time in their (and our) lives and it just feels so good to have them close.
Ditto. There's something so calming and sweet about holding a sleeping babe.

[BTB]

Thanks y'all. I am just going to need more time to adjust to a kid this complacent - and to hope it's his personality, and lasts, instead of just being newborn sleepiness. :o He nurses for half an hour every three hours, and then just tuckers right back out again. I just don't remember having this 'problem' with DD, but then again she was much more high-needs even at this age. I just feel like, after a feeding, I'm putting DS back on the "shelf" (in his crib) until his next feeding. I know these days will go fast, so I will try to hold him more - while still keeping him protected from the tornado that is his sister. :)