How Much Is Your LO Held In A Day?

matitice

Maybe I'm nuts but I don't feel like I have enough time to hold LO enough during the day. I mean I hold him when he nurses which is often but I feel while that's quality time spent between the 2 of us I generally put him in his glider or bassinet to sleep immediately after. Then I start busying myself with household chores or getting ready to run out the door someplace. If he wakes & is content I just leave him there while I continue with whatever task I'm doing. I feel like I need to make a better effort at holding him just because. Especially when he's awake & in a good social mood. He's only this little for so long & 7 weeks have already passed that I won't get back. Then there's DH who I feel never willingly wants to hold him. He's always trying to set him in the glider or get him to sleep. Maybe it's his inexperience with babies that he feels LO should be sleeping when he's not eating or getting his diaper changed. I think he may see me do this & assume that's what's supposed to happen. I know I need to talk to him about this but he's sensitive when it comes to the new dad thing & I don't want him to feel like I'm criticizing him. I just need to find the best way to approach the subject without him feeling vulnerable. At least now when LO is having a screaming fit DH toughs it out & finds a way to soothe him unlike before when he would hand the baby off to me thinking the only way he would calm down was to nurse.

Does anyone else feel this way or am I just a basket case mom who realizes this is the last time she'll ever have a baby to enjoy so she's overthinking the issue?

BTBergstrom

I feel like all I do is hold her. My wrists and arms are so sore. I get very little time where she will be content on her activity mat but only if I am right there with her, or on our daily walks where she can look around. I get next to nothing done around the house!

nlane0723

I work all day so as soon as I get home, she's in my arms. DH holds her often during the day, but he does tummy time and the activity mat as well.

maganonymous

BTBergstrom said:

I feel like all I do is hold her. My wrists and arms are so sore. I get very little time where she will be content on her activity mat but only if I am right there with her, or on our daily walks where she can look around. I get next to nothing done around the house!

This exactly! My left hand goes numb a lot because that is the arm I am always holding her in! From about 10am-5pm, I don't get to put her down much. I put her down in her swing for about 30 minutes today so I could shower, but I even had to hold her in one hand and eat my lunch with the other today. I'm going to pull out the baby carrier tomorrow though because my bedroom needs some serious TLC...there are clothes EVERYWHERE.

matitice

Well now you ladies have me feeling bad for you! I don't by any means want to hold him all day I just want to make more time to hold him & hang out talking to him & playing. I do get to do these things just not often it seems. I definitely have had days where he's a fuss-bucket if he isn't in my arms.

novelblessings

I can't put my LO down. I wish I could. Like PPs I get next to nothing done all day. The only time she seems ok to be put down is when I take a shower in the morning, but even then sometimes she is screaming at me. I have worn her around the house in my Moby a few times but even then she is still attached.

akflutterby

I'm another "all I do is hold her" mom. I put her in the bouncy seat while I'm in the bath, but if she fusses I strip her and have her with me. I'm also not doing much in the way of housework at this point... Hubs has no qualms holding her and will sit and talk to her and try to soothe her if she fusses. (Changing her diaper never occurs to him though unless he hears her poop.)

sebullows

I feel the same way as you. I wonder if I hold him enough. He spends most of his day in rotation around his things- RNP, swing, mat. I'll pick him up every now and then so he knows I'm there, but I'm mostly busying myself with chores to do. I think it's bc if I held him all the time, and just sat there, I'd go stir crazy. DH holds him a lot when he gets home. But otherwise, i feel like you

rachmckenna

I wish I could put him down during the day. I'm lucky if I get 15 minutes to shower, and then I usually have to wait at least an hour to attempt to dry my hair/make it look reasonable. I'll trade you!

tsmith312

I feel this way daily . After she eats she usually goes right back to sleep . I'll hold her for a little bit then I'll lay her in her swing , bassinet or boppy to nap . I just don't want her to get used to us holding her . But in second thought I get bummed because she is growing so fast and I know I'll never get these precious moments back . But between house work , cleaning and tending to other stuff she just doesn't get held often . Of course until her witching hours between 8-10 .

rachthebaj

I'm relieved to know I'm not alone, and there are so many others with babies who refuse to be put down! I love my little one, but I also really love going to the bathroom without having to "shhhh" LO in the next room.

You are lucky to have such an easy going baby. Although I do catch myself lovingly gazing on him several times throughout the day thinking what a lucky mama I am. I'm sure when I look back on this time I won't remember all the things that I need to get done, but instead the time I've been able to bond with him. I suggest putting down the broom and picking up the baby!

kls33145

Camden's going through a phase right now where he even wants to be held when he's sleeping. If I put him down, he's awake crying within 10mins. We're going on to day 3 of this.

Naturally I've looked it up and it ses normal for LOs to go through phases like this.

I love that he loves to cuddle! As exhausted as I from nonstop days, I'm enjoying every moment we snuggle because I'm sure snuggle days are numbered!

bingbongsmama

I hold her all day and let her nap on my chest since DH is home. It's been nice but when he goes back to work I'll have to put her down in the swing more since I have a toddler to care for as well.

clo1982

I hold him as much as possible! But I do out him down to do stuff with dd when he is asleep and he is on his playmat or the boppy a good bit too. When dd goes for a nap i put him down so I can eat and get some stuff done then I hope to get some snuggle time in while he is sleeping before dd wakes up. If we are out I typically wear him.

My dh does the same. He is always trying to get DS to sleep and did the same with dd. He is much better with them when they are a bit older and more interactive.

matitice

Thanks for all the feedback ladies. I definitely feel fortunate that I don't have to hold LO 24/7 like some of you are doing due to that being your only option for sanity purposes. But I am seeing many of you make a real effort in getting that cuddle time in & I need to do more of that. The floors can wait but Maverick growing at a rapid pace won't. Starting today I'm going to get a few good cuddle sessions in before he doesn't want to be cuddled anymore. As for DH well, I'll try to lead by example & see if I can't get him to spend more awake time with the baby as well.

jazzyexpo

The housework will always be there, this small time that they're little won't be.

myfriendscallmemeg

Whenever my husband gets home from work and gets changed I hand him the baby. She's half his, and he never gets to snuggle and adore her all day. He's fine with sitting next to a sleeping baby, but i just make sure they get some time together before she wants to eat again..

jwls84

I put her down in her swing or bouncy chair a lot. I have a toddler and I have too, thankfully she is content to be alone. We also do tummy time, but I am laying on the floor with her, we try the activity mat, but DS climbs beside her and says my turn lol

scrumpfy

I'm jealous of the people with easy babies that can make themselves look presentable and do chores. If I shower and get 1 other thing done- groceries, dinner, whatever- I consider it a fabulously productive day. We have a swing, rnp, bouncy chair,boppy, she wants none of that. She wants to be held, always.

MA&CB

I hold him most of the day (or wear him).  I did with my DS1 also, and I don't regret how much I held him at all.  I just love to snuggle with him, and will miss him when I go back to work, so I want to hold him as much as I can right now.

Arieltnc

When am I not holding LO is a better question! I can't seem to put him down! And when someone else has held him for a while I want to ask for him back. I don't know how I'm going to go back to work! I don't know how to make my day go without having a baby in my arms! Is that bad?

katykatykaty

lmalear01 said:

I wish i could hold her more but with DS being so young still once I am done nursing i usually have to put her down and play with him.  I have constant mom guilt between the two of them.

This. I'm lucky to have an easy-going baby, but i feel like I'm not holding him enough.

Charissale

My LO wants to be held all the time. I love the snuggles but it makes getting anything done difficult. Baby wearing is the only way I get to eat or do any chores.

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