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I remember this feeling well! We didn't do much, to be honest. Lots of walks, hanging out on the play mat, and sometimes "reading" books. I mean, mostly just showing her the pictures, but it was something. And we would often walk around the house and I would point out objects. It will get better in a month or so.

Awww... I think at this age it's a common feeling you're having. I'm subscribing so I can get tips too.

I don't do much with her! The talking thing is easier now that in on my second child though. With my first sometimes I would read aloud to him from whatever I was reading. Novels, hahaha. Obviously the subject matter didn't faze him. Sometimes I also do little exercises like opening an closing babies' arms and bending and stretching the legs.

As newborns its all about survival. I still talked to my baby a lot. But there wasnt much I could do with her till she was about 5 weeks and started responding to me

Not much. I talked to her, fed her, put her in the swing, in the bouncer, etc. There wasn't much TO do with her at an early age. I like the idea of just survival.

They don't call the first three months of a baby's life the fourth trimester for nothing! In the early days it's mostly about keeping them alive and once LO gets closer to 3 months you'll get so much more out of it.

I would just add that my son became more interested in "playing" probably around 6 weeks. 8 weeks was like a lightswitch went off in terms of personality - started smiling, etc. 12 weeks was another big jump. Biggest jump wsa probably around 4 months when his personality really started coming out and he became much much more engaging.

I'm right there with you. I just make myself talk about random things (which was hard at first since I'm not that chatty). Like today we took a "tour" of our refrigerator magnets and I basically just talked in a stream-of-conscious way about the significance of each one ("This magnet is from the Ben & Jerry's factory when Mommy visited Vermont. Ben & Jerry's is ice cream. When you're older, you can eat ice cream! My favorite flavor is..."). It's silly but turns out I have plenty to say.

My other trick is turning on Pandora's toddler radio station and singing to him all animated like a crazy person.

Feel free to resist the idea that you need to provide activities for your newborn. Meeting their needs, loving them, providing them with a world to practice focusing their eyes at. These are the kinds of activities your newborn needs. I mostly just went on with my life at that age. I went out to eat, to book stores, for a lot of walks and little hikes. I met mommy friends and hung out. Basically I just fit her into my own life in a way that provided lots of real world stimulation until she was old enough to do her own things at around 5 months.

@sarac: I do exactly this!

she's basically my little buddy. she comes with me, I talk and sing to her, hold her often. just this week we started fun tummy time and she really loves just chatting - she social smiles now, which is awesome.

the past couple weeks she'll play on her play mat (it's set up in her crib, she sleeps in our room right now). she's getting more and more into it as the days go by, though.

@Hummusgirl: Yes! Pandora toddler radio = such a help. We still do that a lot today, at 5.5 months. Lots of chatter and just relaxing and hanging out.

The early days were pretty dull: feed. Diaper change. Cry. Hold/rock. Sleep. Rinse. Repeat I barely took her out until she was over six weeks old nd even then, the outings weren't very enjoyable since she was fussy and I was so terrified of being out with her. I talked to her a lot and although it was weird at first, it slowly became normal. I would just narrate whatever I was doing. Now it's second nature

I think once your lo is a little older and interactive, there will be more to do.

@hilsy85: I just wanted to add that I felt silly talking to LO at the beginning and it was easier for me to sing to her about what we were doing or looking at. So I would hold her and make up a little song about whatever--the weather, the books, her clothes, her room--to some silly tune. Might be worth a shot?

PPs gave you lots of good advice too!