Cooking and house chores

Babies don't need entertaining the whole time they are awake 🙂 its good for them to 'play' on their own - they are fine to be left to play on their playmat with toys in the room youre in for example whilst you do what you need to do? You can also pop them in a carrier and have them do it with you! If you've got a little seat then pop them in that and have them near you and sing to them or talk to them whilst you're doing something 🙃 I'm a single mum so I have no choice but to get it all done plus eating

At about 6 months my baby started to nap in her cot and learnt to nap for more than 30 mins at a time (before then it was contact naps/sling naps). Once she did this I could actually get some things done - still not a huge about as weaning was quite a bit of work - but something. For the first 6 months we had food at home for breakfast and lunch and my partner cooked when he got home (often we ate at 9pm as he also got home around 8). Also as babies get older they get more interested in ‘helping’ with chores like laundry and you can do it with them - eg my two year old will pass me laundry to hang up and when she was younger would help me load clothes into the washing machine. Don’t feel too bad, if you are getting by for now then it will get easier as they get older.

When my baby was that young…forget it. No time for anything! I did, however, cook while baby wearing her (I used to nurse her while in her carrier), but I couldn’t do a lot of things (like cutting veggies or frying something). Basically, the first few months I lived off of sandwiches, noodles and oat bars. 🤣 Things didn’t get easier until my baby was mobile and able to find me if she needed me. I know some people’s babies were content sitting in a bouncer near them while they cooked and cleaned, but mine was not. 🤣

Baby might nap in the pram if you take them for a walk. Then they will still be asleep to give you some time or sling (baby carrier) would help you by sounds of it

Crockpot meals are the BOMB for trying to cook dinner with a baby. They aren't super helpful for lunch, though 😅 It's common and normal to feel pretty low energy and overwhelmed during this time. My son just turned 1 and I feel like I've barely started to be able to get stuff done while my husband is at work in the last couple of months. It's okay if what you have to do right now is play catch-up on chores when the husband is home/available, and do your best the rest of the time.

It’s okay to put bubs down to get food for yourself while they are awake and do the dishes too, even if you have ready to heat meals or leftovers. If you have a carrier see if they will sleep in it while you do something like put washing on or hang it out. See if you can get some things prepared while hubby is home food wise and that can help, I found having them in the same room while I clean with some toys helped as well then you can still play with them while cleaning that room.

This isn't to sound bad, but I just put her down. If I'm in the sitting room, she has two play mats with dangle things, one sings so I can tidy/sort/restock from there. In the kitchen, we have a highchair with a newborn insert, which i strap her into. It also has dangle things, but I put the radio on and dance and sing whilst doing the dishwasher/making lunch she's learnt to blow raspberries, so there's a lot od that back and forth. Upstairs, i have a bouncer and an activity centre, and she goes in one of those whilst I do the washing. I'm always chatting to her, showing her what I'm doing, but it's fun. We do stuff together! For bigger stuff like cleaning bathrooms, that does usually waits until nap time or dad's home, though!

I meal prep when my husband is home on the weekend so I have things to just grab and go. And I found life got easier when I could place my LO in an activity centre and clean with him awake.

Baby wear

I had help for the first 3m, after that my baby was very independent happily playing on the floor and if I needed to step outside like to hang laundry I’d just clip the baby monitor to my hip and I can hear him if he cries but most times he doesn’t. He did nap for 2hrs at a time 3* a day so I can do chores at those times…(no contact naps, I was able to put him down) but I got Everyplate meal kit service delivered for like 2yrs, the ingredients comes in a box w the recipe cards, and I take what I need out for the day and choose one and that’s what I cook, meals are quick it’s usually pan frying some meat and a salad and maybe a mash and that’s it, they are only 30min meals, healthy.. And when hubby comes home I’m nearly finished cooking he’ll take baby off my hands so I can set table and serve and we eat together. Then he’ll take over baby bath and play while I clean up kitchen and he’ll pass baby baby at about 8 when baby’s tired and needs a BF

At 3 months you can start to introduce a routine which is what I did. She would always sleep a lot but I struggled to find the motivation to do things because I never knew if it’d be a 20 minute nap or 2 hour nap. The day she turned 3 months I set a strict routine and she got the hang of it straight away. Then I knew how long she would nap for at what times so could say to myself during her first nap I’ll wash up and hoover and during her second nap I’ll put clothes away or whatever it is. I always had a plan for the day and I’d normally write it in my notes the night before. Then I also wouldn’t feel guilty about trying to do things when she was awake and leaving her to just lay down because we’d spend all of her wake windows doing Tummy time, reading books, singing and dancing because I knew soon enough she’d go for her next nap and I could get things done. It’s tough at first trying to do the routine and it may take an hour for them to go for a nap the first week but they get used

When your husband gets home, throw food in a crock pot to cook over night so you’ll have food most of the next day. Eat sometime quick in the morning like oatmeal (oats are also good for producing milk) Meal prep as much as you can weekly or a couple of times a week when your husband is home so you can have other meals besides crock pot meals & oatmeal. Also have lots of fruits/veggie snacks/cheese sticks/bagels/maybe some frozen foods you can pop in the microwave or air fryer or oven to switch it up. Try to do your best to clean the dishes right after you use them. Clean everything as you go throughout the day, little by little everyday will make a big difference.

Another vote for crock pot / slow cooker meals. Loads of recipes online and majority require minimal prep (if any) so can literally be thrown in in a few minutes in the morning and then can be forgotten about until tea time. For dinners, keep it simple - sandwiches / pastas / salads / soups etc - Again only take minutes to make and could be prepped the night before once baby is settled for bed xxx

Definitely meal prepping. I did it to cover 2 wks in advance of my baby arriving, worked out some more meals for the weeks after that, made shopping lists on my phone for those meals and either did click and collect or home delivery. This takes out a lot of the time and stress and can easily be done while nursing or holding baby. If you can get someone to watch her for a few hrs and stop every now and then for feeds it should be okay. Even prepping slow cooker dump meals, things like overnight oats or breakfast wraps/muffins for morning and easy snacks like protein balls, lactation cookies, slices etc.

I always cook because nutrition is what I think is the most important but my house is always a mess 😆. Having said that during the week I ensure it’s quick and simple healthy meals (fish, sweet potatoes and veg all shoved in oven, a healthy quick pasta etc) or I try to make double. I put baby play seat until she gets sick then in high chair and give her some finger food. Sometime healthy meal boxes are good and I select the 15 minute meals. I barely clean. Just about manage the kitchen. I ended up getting a cleaner once a week for 2 hours to help as was a struggle but realise that isn’t an option for everyone.

I got a cleaner for the first time ever for my boys first four months. He only contact napped then or out in the pram so meant I was really stuck. Now I can do jobs while he’s awake and bring him room to room with me and chat to him. Others wear a sling but I found I couldn’t bend down as well and do washing or hoovering 😂 the other is just don’t care! But I am not good at that, especially when it comes to eating !!!

I relied heavily on my baby carrier! Just did everything with her in it pretty much when she was little. Now I make it a point to get dressed in the morning, Pick up if any need left over, Start a load Unload dish washer and red load It feels constant but it’s keeps my mind a peace, I don’t allow myself another task until the one I’m working on is completed. Set days for things like bathrooms But the common areas are kinda just clockwork, and it does get easier! At least less overwhelming

And meal prepping! Or I set out what I’m going to make in the counter night before or in the morning.

Get a decent baby carrier so you have hands free to make food/clean etc. their naps will eventually get longer giving you some time to get stuff done. Also agree with others they don’t require entertaining every moment they are awake. Just looking around is a learning experience at that age. Could you get a chair for baby so you can take room to room so baby can watch you as you do other things?