In this blog, I will be sharing tips on how I stay sane when I’m home alone all day with my baby. These tips are actually achievable, I promise.
I work as a nurse but I really only work a couple days a month, which means 99% of the time I’m with my baby. Don’t get me wrong, it is truly a blessing to get to spend so much time with him, but it can be so mentally and physically exhausting.
My baby was very colicky, probably up until he was about 6 months. I would often say if he was awake, he was crying. I wouldn’t wish a colicky baby on my worst enemy. He was inconsolable most of the time. He wouldn’t sleep, he wouldn’t want held but also wouldn’t want put down. Let me tell you, it was ROUGH. Some days I would put headphones in and blare music in my ears and pace the house holding him while he was crying.
I feel like it took months for me to figure out how to stay sane while I was home with my baby all day. For the first few months, I would just cry with him.
I did a lot of research trying to figure out how to stay sane while being a stay at home mom. They would say “take time for yourself” or “get a hobby”. Well to be honest, I was just trying to survive, I definitely did not have time for a hobby.
So I’ve decided to come up with ways to stay sane that are actually obtainable.
Get ready for the day
No, I don’t mean a full face of make up or a blow out. Sometimes that just means washing your face or brushing your hair. I have a 6 step routine that I start my day with that takes less than 5 minutes. Brush my teeth > wash my face > lotion > foundation > blush > brush my hair. It’s seems simple but trust me it helps me start my day off right.
Get out of the house
Unfortunately, this is hard a lot of the time for us because my baby absolutely hates the car. He always has ever since we brought him home. The ride is not always relaxing or enjoyable, but getting out of the house is essential for my mental health. I would love to be able to say I’m the mom who gets to target everyday and buy all the things we don’t need but thats not financially realistic. Most of the time we are just window shopping. If it’s warm outside then we will go on walks. It’s free and it’s good for both of us. Staying inside of the house all day can make a person go stir crazy.
Some days are hard because postpartum depression takes over. This makes it hard to want to do anything, but I can say I’ve never regretted leaving the house.
Take a dang shower
I hear Mom’s all the time complain that they haven’t showered in days. I am here to tell you that getting a shower every day is completely realistic. I had a baby who didn’t like to be put down, and I still was able to shower every day. No, I’m not gonna tell you that you won’t listen to your baby cry the entire time but I will tell you, you will feel 10 times better after you shower. I would always put my baby SAFELY in a bouncer in front of the shower. I could watch him the entire time and still be able to get a shower in. As he’s gotten older, it has been easier. He is on more of a schedule and I am able to shower during a nap. But it is possible, I promise.
Take the help
I still find myself struggling eight months later with this. I was against all help at the beginning. I had a lot of anxiety and didn’t want other people touching him. I was afraid someone would hurt him or get him sick. I think this is normal especially for new moms, but I will say I wish I would’ve taken the help. You are completely sleep deprived, exhausted and literally just trying to survive.
People only reach out to help for the first month or so. After that you’re pretty much on your own. So, if you have somebody reliable wanting to help just let them. You will thank yourself later.
Take advantage of naps
This is a tough one because newborn naps are unpredictable. The nap may last 30 minutes or it may last three minutes. Baby wearing helps. If you are able to get at least one thing done during a nap, I call that a win. As your baby gets older, and is on more of a schedule this gets easier. I am very intentional with what I do during my babies naps.
Baby wear
I always thought my baby hated the baby carrier. it turns out I didn’t have him positioned the correct way. Sometimes you have to mess around with the specific carrier to figure out a way that works for both you and the baby. Once you have that figured out, you will be able to get a lot more done. I still wear my baby at eight months especially when I need a vacuum or mop the house. Baby wearing helps to lessen the stress and pressure of getting things done during a nap.
Encourage independent play
Independently is when you allow your baby to play without you in their sight. Obviously you need to make sure your baby is in a safe place when attempting this. My baby may last five minutes or he may last 20 minutes, but being able to step away, take a breather or scroll on my phone helps me to decompress a little bit.
Do the closing shift
This is probably my most important tip. Every night before I go to bed, even if I’m exhausted, I take 5 to 10 extra minutes to tidy up the house. I don’t mean vacuuming and scrubbing the floors. I just mean putting the dishes away or getting the junk off of the counter. I notice myself get incredibly overstimulated when my house feels cluttered. I feel like when I am overstimulated, I cannot give my baby 100% and that is just not fair to him. So being able to wake up to a semi-clean house helps immensely.
I hope these tips help and always thanks for reading!
Xoxo,
Sydney
