I guess I'm feeling a bit guilty, because when he's asleep I'm usually on my phone or watching TV. I guess I worry all of the TV as background noise is bad, but when he's asleep there's not a lot else I have energy to do!
When he's awake (and not nursing), I talk or sing to him, put him on his playmat or hold him and try to get him to focus on me or on a black and white toy. It's hard because he's so young, and I'm still nervous to take him out on my own.
pomelo / 5524 posts
I used to do the same things you do! If he were sleeping, I would try to pump (I was an exclusive pumper), and I would always have the TV on. When he was awake the first 3 months, he was screaming. I had a pretty colicky baby, so it was tough...I had some small, half hour stretches where he would be ok and would sit in his bouncer or under his activity mat, but I would do a lot of carrying him around.
Anything I could do to get through the day until my DH got home and had someone to talk to! I also had him at the end of September, so it was starting to get colder towards his 3 month mark. I would try to take him out for walks as often as I could when it was nicer outside.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
I struggled with this but it hard cause they don't really do much at that stage. She would sit in my lap, facing me while I watched tv and I would sing and talk to her.
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
I was very similar to you, I watched a lot of TV because she slept a lot. Eventually we would go for walks in her stroller and go visit family at work for lunches. I had to get out of the house at least once a day to keep my sanity. I also cleaned, got dinner ready, laundry, ect. when she slept.
When she was awake I did my best to engage her.
pomegranate / 3275 posts
I watched so much TV when DD was born. I was too exhausted to do anything else. I couldn't even concentrate on a book because I was so tired! When she was awake all she wanted to do was nurse, I would attempt to put her down, but she didn't like that. I don't remember much beyond that. I remember even less from when DS was a newborn.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
Same thing! I didn't worry about the TV because she couldn't focus on it anyway. Even now the days I don't go out I watch a lot of tv - DD only naps while I wear her so I spend a LOT of time sitting on the couch.
pomelo / 5093 posts
I did that, and I just went about my life. My daughter went with me in a moby wrap to a ton of fun things. Restaurants, mommy and me movies, parks, art museums, hanging with my friends, tons of exploring around the new city we'd moved to. She was my little sidekick then - we had a blast. Or when we were home we'd hang out, or I'd let her hang out on her own near by, if I was tired.
I explicitly did not feel required to provide her with stimulating activities - at that age, just looking at the world is a lot of stimulation. I personally feel that 'entertaining' or 'teaching' a child that age is wasted effort. A newborn needs to learn to focus her eyes and to exist outside your uterus - and that's about it. Laying on a warm blanket near a parent with a nice room to look at is plenty of stimulation.
pomelo / 5093 posts
Also, I really beg people to cut themselves a ton of slack in that period. The pressure to be a perfect mom starts before birth, but when you're in the newborn sleep deprivation period, you need to drastically lower your expectations to remain sane. Taking care of your baby? Feeding yourself? Feel like watching tv the rest of the time? Do it! And don't feel bad. You'll be more rested soon.
pomelo / 5820 posts
I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with this. It has been so hot out, I haven't taken him out for walks nearly as much as I'd like to! We spend the majority of our days indoors. Once it cools off, I'd love to wheel him around the neighborhood more. I also need to get more confident about taking him out to a store by myself too.
@sarac: I think that's great advice... advice I need to hear! It is hard when you're sleep deprived, and sometimes I just want to watch TV and zone out.
GOLD / cantaloupe / 6581 posts
@Pepper: I've been stuck inside because of the heat as well. 
such a bummer! I'm still too scared to take her anywhere...so we cuddle a lot and I nom on her fingers and toes lol.. I'll admit I'm still in survival mode so I zone out in front of the TV while snuggling her a lot. I'm trying to cut myself some slack these first few weeks!! It's hard just keeping us both fed and clean!
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
I watched a crapload of tv. babies don't need anything anything except to be held and taken care of at that age! They're still just blobs. Being near you is enough 
And I didn't start taking mine out regularly until about 6-8 weeks...and only b/c she had a chill personality (and i would take her to the gym daycare verrrrry early when she was the only baby there. it was sweeeeet relief)
I slept. I ate. I watched tv. As she started getting up less at night, i was not so tired and could clean/make dinner/etc. But otherwise....my ass was on the couch all day long! It's ok When they get older, they like to interact and do more, so you can make up for it then!
pomelo / 5820 posts
@Bookworm: Keeping us fed and clean is a FULL time job!! I hear you on that
@blackbird: Thanks All things I'm happy to hear! Feeling a lot less guilty.
pear / 1823 posts
I watch a lot of TV as well. I do try to get out of the house once a day for my own sanity even if it's just to walk around Target or borrow a book from the library.
pomegranate / 3768 posts
I always had the tv on as background noise when LO was a newborn too. Now that she's older I turn it off because she actually focuses on it, but before I needed SOME noise. DH was on a business trip for two weeks when she was 2 months old so there was only so much baby talk I can do every. single. day. And she's a winter baby so I did NOT leave the house. Omg I thought I was gonna go cray cray. At that age LO spent a lot of time napping on me (while I'm watching tv or on my iPad), "playing" in her activity gym mat, hanging in her swing, tummy time...hmmm...I think that's about it! Oh and lots of kisses and snuggles of course!
pomelo / 5093 posts
I really like background noise too - I usually listen to pandora, or sometimes I'll stream NPR. Or books on tape, even. Tons of good stuff out there.
honeydew / 7586 posts
I also watch a lot of tv and snuggle/sing/talk/nom his toes. We also do tummy time, play on his playmat, and read books. I have to get out a few times a week so we go to target, to lunch, or to my mom's house to keep from going stir crazy.
nectarine / 2177 posts
I would loved watching more TV but I find it too stimulating for me in my sleep-deprived state! LO is 7 weeks and between naps we read books (mostly the black and white ones), I sing to him and stretch his legs and arms, play with him on the activity mat, usually on his back but I also try to get in tummy time once a day. If I need to eat or shower while he is awake he goes in the bouncy chair and I talk to him and tell him what I am making or doing. I try to get out of the apartment at least once a day for my own sanity and to give him "active" time where I don't have to be the entertainer--that can be a walk around the neighborhood, coffee with friends, a trip to the grocery store or BRU, etc. Each week it seems more exciting to fill his waking time as he is more and more responsive.
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
I put him under his play gym, had him do tummy time, held him, let him lie around, put him in the swing.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts
I watched a lot of TV and did a lot of sitting when LO would sleep as a newborn. Sometimes, even when she was awake and content in her swing or bouncy seat I would lay on the couch. I felt bad but I was so sore and tired. There really isn't much you can do with a newborn, and she got plenty over interaction throughout times of the day, so I tried not to stress about it. Sometimes even now at 10.5 months I feel guilty when she is independently playing, but there is only so much interaction you can give....
grapefruit / 4291 posts
@sarac: I remember my midwife telling me that expectations were the enemy of new mothers and she was so right!
When A was a newborn I would quite often pop her in her bouncy chair and put it up on the table while I ate breakfast etc and just give her a running commentary on what I was up to. Once she got bigger and more alert we would sit on our front door step and watch the world go by or lay out on a blanket on the lawn and take walks around our yard.
We also tried to get out and about every other day just to get out of the house and have a change of scenery.
squash / 13764 posts
I started a thread about this very same thing Your feelings are TOTALLY normal, and it's also super normal to not do very much with newborns--like @sarac said, being alive is a ton of stimulation at that age.
http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-your-newborn
pomegranate / 3452 posts
We do a lot of floor/play time, read books, naked time after diaper changes and practicing new carries with our woven wrap. We get out a few times a week to go to library time or to run errands.
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