Working moms - what's your morning routine?

I'm in my second week back at work and trying to get into a good morning groove. DS is still so young, and MIL watches him in our house, so he doesn't require much in the morning. I typically wake up, if he's up or restless I feed him and put him back down, then get ready and head out. If I get up and he's sound asleep then I get myself totally ready and then wake him to feed and put him back down. DH stays home until MIL gets there (9:30am), so DH is typically still sleeping as I do this all. I put the monitor next to him when I leave and half wake him to let him know I'm going so he pays attention to the monitor. The night before, I put out DS's clothes for the day and bring down extra clothes, bibs, burp cloths etc. for MIL. I also prepare all his bottles and leave them in order in the fridge. So far it runs pretty smoothly, and I have things organized in a way that works for me and makes sense.

Last night some things I needed for today were not where I had left them, and DH and I ended up in a silly argument because I got upset that I work so hard to keep things moving smoothly. I then realized that I really do all the 'heavy lifting' so to speak in terms of preparing DS every day. I also do his bedtime routine by myself usually.

What do your mornings (and the evening prep beforehand) look like? Does DH help out a lot?

Working moms - what's your morning routine?

On Mon and Wed I leave for work at 10:15, babysitter gets there at 10. Those mornings are tough because if he doesn't nap, its hard to get ready. Tues and Thurs are a bit easier because we leave for daycare at 8. DS wakes between 6 and 7. DH leaves at that time also. But if I am really pressed for time or just want to get ready in peace he stays home a bit longer, even though that makes him sit in a ton more traffic.

IMO you need to get your DH more involved. You guys should have a wake up time where you both prepare for the day and take turns caring for the baby and getting ready. Maybe you can show your MIL where everything is so there is less prep the night before? Maybe even have some sort of bin with all the extras MIL will need downstairs. Can you switch off the bedtime routine with DH? Its all about teamwork...

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

Seems like you have a good routine. When we had 1, MIL watched her also. I would get all the bottles ready the night before, DH would usually help to wash them so I could prepare them. Also what helped is that I would get a diaper bag together for the week (she usually went to their house) with clothes, bibs, blanket, toys, etc) so I didn't have to remember stuff every morning.

As for nighttime routine, I was breastfeeding so I did the nurse to sleep routine for a while. DH helped with the bath if I needed it but I loved that time at night. Now with 2 we each take 1 and get them ready for bed.

Working moms - what's your morning routine?

I leave before DH and DS has to be up to leave 4 days a week so it might be slightly different. Also this has basically been our schedule since he was born.

I wake at 510 shower and do my hair.
check the weather on the news.
Sometimes I would do dishes or laundry if things were messy.
at 6am Gut DS and DH up. I would take DS into my bed (when he was younger he also got a bottle at this point).
DH took shower while I cuddled with DS (my favorite time of the day)
I would get dressed when DH got done with shower and DH would get DS changed and dressed for the day.
I walk out the door at 640 and DH is there with DS until 715 when they leave for daycare or my MILs.

It has worked well. I do get up almost and hour earlier than I did before DS but I actually love the time I spend with DS.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

Yes, I should add that I'm nursing so I do the nurse to bed and nurse in the morning thing - those DH can't really help with. DH washes the bottles for me to prep them but sometimes he doesn't get it done until after I want to go to sleep (I typically go to bed shortly after DS, around 10pm, because he doesn't STTN yet). DH does help with bath when we do that, and if DS wakes up shortly after I nurse him to sleep, DH will rock him back down so I can stay in bed.

I do leave things downstairs for MIL but every few days they need to be replaced because they get used/dirty. I know I want DH more involved but as I think through my routine I can't find anywhere for him to do something instead of me, because I want it done my way

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

Posted by MandJZ

Yes, I should add that I'm nursing so I do the nurse to bed and nurse in the morning thing - those DH can't really help with. DH washes the bottles for me to prep them but sometimes he doesn't get it done until after I want to go to sleep (I typically go to bed shortly after DS, around 10pm, because he doesn't STTN yet). DH does help with bath when we do that, and if DS wakes up shortly after I nurse him to sleep, DH will rock him back down so I can stay in bed.

I do leave things downstairs for MIL but every few days they need to be replaced because they get used/dirty. I know I want DH more involved but as I think through my routine I can't find anywhere for him to do something instead of me, because I want it done my way

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

When I was working, We all got up at 7 am, DH got himself ready and left at 7:30. I fed and changed DS, got him ready. Packed his milk and food , then brought him to MIL house. We left at 7:45. I also did pick up, dinner, bath, etc.
I started to become bitter! I had to do everything, work FT, and had to deal w my MIL every single day. DH got off easy lol


You have a nice set up, it's so darn hard getting babies out of the house in the morning. Why does your DH sleep so late, does he work at night? If not, he should pitch in a bit more.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

When DD was that young my routine was similar. Now that she's 2.5 I get up and get ready and at a set time DH wake sup, wakes DD up, gets her dressed, gives her a cup of milk, hops int he shower himself, and then I prep DDs breakfast and do her hair. Then we're all out the door around the same time. I used to do the whole morning routine myself, but when we moved I had to start waking earlier due to a longer cimmute, but DH didn't so I made him start helping.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

Its just me in the morning getting DS ready and out of the house. I find it helps to pack his diaper bag the night before. I try to wake up before my DS does to try and get ready. Then, I wake him up, change his diaper and into his clothes right away, feed him breakfast, then he watches a little bit of TV while I prepare my own lunch for work, then we leave the house.

ETA your routine sounds good to me, it helps to prep everything for sure!

Message edited 12/12/2013 9:50:21 AM.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

wake at 630
kids usually wake around then too
get my 3 year old milk and cereal and change his clothes
get the baby up and dressed, feed her (bottle)

baby goes into son's room in the exercauser and they play/watch TV while I shower/hair/makeup

out the door by 8 am
drop them at daycare
off to work by 830

eta - DH will help with DS in the morning if he hasn't yet left for work. BUT, he picks them up every day so I have about an hour before they all get home (5-545) to prepare everything for the next day, start dinner, clean etc.

Message edited 12/12/2013 9:53:07 AM.

Working moms - what's your morning routine?

We've had a pretty good morning schedule since I went back to work last March. Even when DD was waking up a billion times overnight, the morning routine basically stayed the same.

I get up at 530am, dream feed DD (she's still nursing).
Get ready and am out the door by 615am.
DH gets up at 515am if he's working out or 545am if he's not.
He eats BF, gets ready, then wakes DD up around 7am. If she wakes earlier, he takes her out of the crib and let's her play until it's time for her to get ready. He dresses her and they leave by 715am (her daycare is on-site at his job).

At night, DH typically prepares dinner while I play with DD. If she's in good spirits after dinner, he'll play with her while I clean up the kitchen. If not, we'll go straight into bedtime routine and DH will clean up the kitchen while I give DD a bath. He also prepares her room for bed. We get her dressed for bed together after bath, I throw together an outfit for her for the next day, I nurse and put her down. Then I put together her bottles, DH prepares her food for daycare, we prepare our own food for lunch and get to sit and relax on the couch and cuddle with the cat for maybe 30-45 minutes before we're exhausted and ready for bed.

It's a fast paced life, but we're making it work so far!

Working moms - what's your morning routine?

sounds like you have a good routine that works for you so i would stick with it. i did the same thing when i first went back to work - picked everything out, organized bottles, etc.
After a month or so, i finally broke down. i told dh he has to help. i taught him my routine and told him this is OUR routine now and he needs to pitch in. at first i didnt want to ask for the help - how hard is it to put bottles in the fridge, grab clothing etc. but after a long day of work and making yourself dinner and nursing a baby...it all adds up. im glad i asked for his help and of course in the beginning i had to remind him of things...xx ounces per bottle, the clothing is in this draw, etc. but it was worth it. now we just play it by ear...if hes just watching tv while im giving dd a bath i tell him to get the bottles and stuff ready for tomorrow and he does.
get DH on board with the routine and have him help, it should help things continue to run smoothly.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

I do all the heavy lifting. It's better for you to just take the reigns on it and let it be. Embrace it. Don't get mad at DH.

When DD was an infant this was my routine (I also didn't breastfeed)

Night before: we split bedtime routine (some days it's me, some days it's him), I prep daycare stuff, lay out clothes. Even if you're bone tired - DO THE PREP WORK. Suck it up Nancy. (That's my pep talk for you)

Morning: She would sit in her Princess Mouse (FP infant to toddler rocker) chair with a morning bottle while I showered/got ready. I always just took the chair in the bathroom with me. Or her papasan chair but that thing was big/bulky. Bring that baby in the bathroom with you.


YES - my DH helped out a lot. Your DH should totally take care of your baby while you get ready. If it's not gonna happen, can you give him a bottle of pumped BM while you get ready?

And you need to split bedtime routine. If you nurse at bedtime, try to establish something like you nurse downstairs, then go up to his room, sit on the chair and read a book, sing songs, whatever, then put him to sleep. That way you can nurse and DH can finish up the routine, kwim? I have zero experience with bfing and routines so take my advice with a grain of salt.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

Sounds like you have a good routine, but if you need help from your husband, then ask!

We have a nanny so she makes bottles before she leaves for the night. Then she makes them again when she comes in the morning so DH and I rarely make bottles.

At night I usually put DS to sleep, but DH will do it sometimes, too. You need to get your husband on board! While one of us bathes DS, the other is cleaning up his toys. Then one of us feeds and puts DS to bed. The other then puts the bottle in the dishwasher. It's just a balance we found that works.

Can you show MIL where things are so you don't have to lay everything out? If she's in your house, just let her grab extra clothes, burp cloths, etc, as she needs them. It will take the burden off you.

I typically wake up first and get ready. Then I make DS's sippy cups and take out his food for the day. DH doesn't usually do much in the morning unless DS wakes up earlier than usual. I like to get cuddle time in before work so I don't mind not having his help in the morning.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

Sounds like you have a good routine!

The only thing DH does is gets DS dressed in the morning.

When I come home from work at night I:
Wash the bottles; prepare the bottles for the next day; prepare DS lunch; snacks. Pack his bag (change of clothes; bigs; diapers; wipes; bowl; spoon).

Give him dinner (which DH has been helping with more but not all the time).

Get him in the bath; nurse to sleep. Lay out DS clothes for the next day.

In the morning. If DS wakes up before me I nurse him and put him back down. If I get up before him I shower; iron; get dressed; then DH will get DS up and dressed. Afterwards I nurse him and then finish anything else I need to do before walking out the door. DH will put my bags (purse; pump; diaper bag) in the car on his way out; and a few minutes later I walk out with DS (w/the bottles and food).

I definitely had to set up a routine from the beginning and do it regardless of the help I was getting from DH. Things run very smoothly and DS always has what he needs the next day. I try to do as much as possible the night before.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

My schedule changes weekly. I am never going into work at the same time every day.

The night before I re-stock his diaper bag with clothes, diapers, wipes, formula and bottles.

In the morning, whenever he wakes up, he gets a bottle and then goes back in his rocker. If its an early work day for me I get ready during this time then get him in his carseat and head out. If it is a late work day for me, I might do some chores or go back to sleep.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

My parents come to the house Mon & Tues - so those days are cake. I get up and get ready and kiss them goodbye and go.

Weds - Fri are daycare days. 90% of the time DH is on a 6:15 train, so he's out the door. I get up, shower, get them up and dressed, face/teeth brushed (They get baths the night before) then let them hang in fromt of the TV and relax while I finish getting ready - out the door by 6:45 to daycare.
And I'm on a 7:15 train.

Pretty much the same routine since they were babies - any prep I need(ed) to do was always the night before -

Message edited 12/12/2013 12:30:00 PM.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

depending on the day dh or the nanny does bathtime, pjs. i come in and nurse,then he does books and bed.

in the AM, he wakes up with them when they get up and i come in to nurse at 6. dh is with us until 6:30 but we're just playing. we play till 8:30 when i make breakfast, change clothes/diapers, nurse. nanny comes at 9 and she puts them to nap.

it took 8 months to get all the working parts in order! (partly bc we didnt have the nanny or the sleep sorted out yet).

eta sounds like you already have a great routine down, im sure dh will get into the groove soon enough! you could also give him specific tasks, like in charge of replenishing bibs, or whatever

Message edited 12/12/2013 12:34:27 PM.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

DS snuggles with us in our room after 630am...

715 - i hop in the shower, DS sleeps/snuggles with DH in our bed.

I get out of the shower, DH makes bottle. DS lays in my bed with sesame street on having his bottle while i dry my hair.
He crawls around or goes in exersaucer while i do make-up and get dressed.

I get him dressed and we get out the door (DH is making coffee and heating up cars and loading his laptop in his car, daycare bag in mine, etc).


This schedule has been modified as he grows! First he sat in bouncer while i got ready, then exersaucer. We just started the bottle i bed thing last week... since he can do it himself, it was silly for me to sit with him when we are rushing around!

Message edited 12/12/2013 1:54:44 PM.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

I shower at night because mornings I move quick. Logan is 2 yrs 8 months so he our schedule works well for us now, it used to be longer.

I get up at 645 and pack up our lunches, make him a milk for the road, and do anything else last minute I need.

I do my hair, wash face, brush teeth and wake logan at 715. I get him dpressed while he is waking up and we walk out the door at 730.

We stop a drive through starbucks at around the corner so i can caffinate....

then drove to daycare to be there by 8 and I get to work by 9.

Working moms - what's your morning routine?

I get up at 5:45 and have breakfast. Sometimes, one or both kids are up and I put the TV on for them. At 6am, DH gets up or my father in law arrives. I get myself dressed, bring their clothes downstairs and pack my lunch. I'm out the door at 6:22 at the latest to make a 6:34 train. I shower at night.

When the boys were on bottles, I would pack the bottles each night (one was on RTF so I would make them, the other was on powder so I would put the water in and put the formula in the separator...)

It takes a bit of time to figure what works best and after a few weeks, it will seem normal. It's hard in the beginning since they aren't on a set schedule yet themselves.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

Mondays are easy because the babysitter comes here and I leave before dh sometimes the kids aren't even up.

Tues-Thursday I have to get everyone out by 730
Dh leaves at 715.
I get up by 6 and get myself ready.
My 3 year olds (almost) are sometimes up while I get ready but they know they have to stay in bed until their light goes off (best alarm clock ever)
Baby (8mo) wakes up anytime after 630 or if wake him by 7.
Everything is packed the night before.
Baby has a bottle in his car seat while I dress twins
Dh brings all my bags to the car before he leaves. Twins drink milk and watch Mickey for 10 min while I put shoes etc on
You will figure out a system that works for you!
Eta: at night dh is a huge help. One of us cooks the other hangs with kids. I do baths he cleans kitchen . We put kids to bed together someone does baby someone does twins

Message edited 12/12/2013 6:06:10 PM.

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

I'm up at 4 am, DH and girls are sleeping. My husband works the night shift so he does it all in the morning - breakfast, school, etc. I have the girls at night- I'm home at 3:30, so dinner, bath and bed I do solo. The schedule works for us!

Re: Working moms - what's your morning routine?

Night before- I get my lunch and DS' lunch packed up. Take a shower and dry my hair.

Wake up 6:30 and start getting ready.
DS is up between 6:30-7. He has in bottle.

He watches sesame street while I get ready for work (hair, makeup, breakfast).

I get DS dressed quickly, pack up the car and I'm out of the house by 7:45.