Could use your help with my newborn - re sleeping, clothing, etc

What do you dress your newborn in during the day? Do you swaddle or let them free with their arms and legs? Also, what do you do with your newborn during the day? Do you always lay them down to sleep or do you use a swing, bouncer, etc ? How long do you actually "hold" your DC?

Seems so boring and I wonder if there is something else I should be doing? She seems very content with sleeping all day on her back after being fed, changed, and held for a bit here and there. It's just me wondering if I am doing the right thing or not.

Message edited 3/25/2010 10:44:04 PM.

Re: Could use your help with my newborn - re sleeping, clothing, etc

I'm in the same shoes as you, first time mommy here and DS is going on 4 weeks this coming week. He is very content sleeping all day and only wakes to eat. He gets his diaper changed, eats then back to sleep he goes. I am BF and supplementing so I feel like he is in my arms the majority of the day or sleeping on my chest when I take naps with him. He is up every 2 hours at night so I nap during the day with him. When I put him down when he is sleeping, I put him in his bouncer seat which sits on the couch right next to me. He is very happy in there, it plays music and vibrates. I only put him in his swing when he is alert and seems very playful, so he's used that only a few times but he uses the bouncer every day. It's so convenient having him right next to me.


As far as clothes, we keep the house warm but I put him in the zip up fleece outfits, he seems very comfy in them and nice and warm. If I put him in a onesie it's a long sleeved one and I keep his legs covered with a blanket, but we seem to just be using the zip up fleece outfits lately. We also only swaddle him at night.

So I think what you are doing is perfectly normal! We are both knew to this but I know our mommy instincts guide us the right way

Message edited 11/29/2008 6:52:56 PM.

Re: Could use your help with my newborn - re sleeping, clothing, etc

They'll start spending more time awake soon. I felt the same way the first 6 weeks. I actually just held her... a lot. It's great if the baby is content sleeping on her back by herself. I would give her as little or as few sleepytime "comforts" as possible because then she'll always need them. I actually looked up "things to do with your baby" and came across this site.

Baby activities

Around 6 weeks we'd do one or two activities each time she was awake. 10-15 mins on the playmat, swing, TV, bouncy, whatever, like a little circuit.

Things are MUCH more fun now at 12 weeks.

Re: Could use your help with my newborn - re sleeping, clothing, etc

ds is 11 wks now but when he was very small I would swaddle him mainly at night. not during the day. He would sleep in his boucer and swing. he wants to be carried all the time so I held him almost all the time, very tiring!

now he sleeps in his swing and carseat. he will not go in his bassinet or crib for naps very annoying! he still likes to be carried but not as bad as he was before. I try to read book to him now, or play w/ toys but he is not that interested yet

Re: Could use your help with my newborn - re sleeping, clothing, etc

When DS was a newborn we swaddled him (in a blanket) most of the time. Not sure when we stopped....maybe when he started to break free. We did it mostly to keep him warm (it was the middle of the winter). He wore PJ's -99% of the time - and outfits only really when people came to visit. Made life much easier...and the PJ's are warm too.

ETA: he spent ALOT of time in his infant seat for the first few months. This was great bc he had bad reflux and he was able to sleep upright in the seat. He slept in it during the day and bassinet at night.

Message edited 11/29/2008 6:02:39 PM.

Re: Could use your help with my newborn - re sleeping, clothing, etc

If she's content, you're doing everything right!

I only swaddled at night and then when their naptimes were more defined once the initial sleepy phase passed. We relied on the swing a lot to get them to sleep but if she will just sleep/stay asleep without it, that's great.

She'll definitely be awake more soon and it will be less boring. The first thing my kids were interested in was the Gymini, probably when they were five or so weeks old. Until then it's just a lot of holding, feeding, sleeping, pooping.

Re: Could use your help with my newborn - re sleeping, clothing, etc

Oh I am sure you are doing everything right.. I could see how it could be boring though.. We want them up and playing!!! or just up looking at us!! Hang in there time will pass and the fun will begin! Cant wait to be where you are!!!

Re: Could use your help with my newborn - re sleeping, clothing, etc

Posted by mikeswife06

They'll start spending more time awake soon. I felt the same way the first 6 weeks. I actually just held her... a lot. It's great if the baby is content sleeping on her back by herself. I would give her as little or as few sleepytime "comforts" as possible because then she'll always need them. I actually looked up "things to do with your baby" and came across this site.

Baby activities

Around 6 weeks we'd do one or two activities each time she was awake. 10-15 mins on the playmat, swing, TV, bouncy, whatever, like a little circuit.

Things are MUCH more fun now at 12 weeks.

Message edited 11/29/2008 7:31:29 PM.

Re: Could use your help with my newborn - re sleeping, clothing, etc

Posted by dilb712

Oh I am sure you are doing everything right.. I could see how it could be boring though.. We want them up and playing!!! or just up looking at us!! Hang in there time will pass and the fun will begin! Cant wait to be where you are!!!