I'm not a single mum but I need your advice...please

[lavenderpegasus]

Sorry for crashing your space, but I could really do with some advice.

I have a newborn baby and no family or friends for support, so what I'm asking is what do you do with your time, to have fun with a newborn?

How do you go to appointments/hairdressers and just how do you pamper yourself.
I don't really want to be putting my little man in daycare, but I would like to do something fun, I have a baby swim classes starting soon but that can only take up an hour or so of a whole week...

Sorry for the blabbing

Would love anyones advice

LP in WA

[moonblossom]

Find my passion, my dream, and follow it :hugs:

[Freya]

Hairdressers?? Lol I can't afford that but I did get my nails done as a special treat and he was there.. Walked around the shops for an hour before so he would fall asleep then had them done whilst he slept... Doctors appointments he is with me... I actually have never left him with anyone at all.

[SweetSerenity]

Fun for me is when he's asleep (he's not a newborn anymore though lol)... I watch a dvd all by myself with a coffee.

Or I will go for a nice hot shower, put a treatment in my hair, do my nails, an at home facial and then have an early night.

You could always just go for nice walks with the pram at a local park, beach, river etc... that's quite relaxing too.

Even though I'm single, I still have my family and friends all here, so they also fill my week up.

A suggestion regarding your hair, why don't you get a mobile service that comes to you?

Sorry I couldn't be of much help :hugs: It's hard to remember back when he was a newborn lol.

[Harlequin]

Whereabouts in WA are you?

I'm in a similar situation... hardly any friends, hubby at work all day (sorry for crashing too). I pretty much just hang out with Ava all day. It gets boring. :)

[Inforapenny]

Ask your CHN about your nearest play group, not only does that give you something else to do - it normally leads to a whole new social life where bubs are part of the action. My playgroup do lots of things - swimming, baby gym, tupperware parties, lunch, etc...
As for appointments, I have always taken DD and she has learnt to fit in. Sometimes I take a few books and toys - especially if I know it is going to be a long one.
Have fun :)

[punkbaby]

when i was on my own with dd she basically come everywhere with me and even though i have dh now my kids still tag along with me wouldnt have it any other way. I guess since i have become a mum i figure ok hmm if the kids are having a good day i will do this if not then i will do it another day!

As for hair well i do it myself clippers work wonders LOL

[pegasus]

I'm not a single mum either, but the things you're talking about are as relevant to any mum as well as any single mum. (In my case anyway)

I never ask my DH to look after the kids while I get my hair done or whatever.

For me, I just get my hair done when I can get someone to look after the kids - can be up to 4/5 months.... even then - it's just a trim and no wash. Very different to when I didn't have kids. I get mum when I can and I've now discovered the lady who lives over my back fence sold her hairdressing saloon to look after her daughter, so may chat to her about if we can do a mutual baby sitting thing soon for us both to get some pampering.

Some people think this stuff is unique to single mums, but when your hubby/partner is working 40hours a week or away then it's not much different. No matter what I do - it's with two kids in tow. It was easier with one child - there were times when I breastfed him while I was getting a hair cut, but not an option with a 3year old and a one year old.

We have our week taken up with lots of things. I do work mondays and Tuesdays, then Wednesdays is Playgroup in the morning, I do grocery shopping on Wednesday afternoons, Thursday mornings is swimming lessons (DS goes by himself, but I put DS in the creche when I do a lesson with DD), Fridays is our only day we have to us, so I try to do us stuff..

PM me if you want more details of how to get time to yourself.

I know you're near where my MIL lives so maybe I can swing a visit/meet to see you and do some mutual babysitting.... while seeing my MIL ....

[mythreelittlemonkeys]

I am not a single mum either but DH works away, I have no family in Australia and only friends I have made since DD was born so they have littlies too and although that good when we meet up, they cant really help out on babysitting as have hands full...I find doctors the trickiest - I tell you having to have a smear done with an active toddler is interesting!
Swimming is great fun to do with them...I took my DD from 8 weeks, and now we doing classes...are you am I right thinking you near to Kwinana? They run an active parents thing for 6 week - 1 year olds, floor exercises with baby, fun in hydro pool with baby and also have people from Ngala, health orgs and others come and talk, plus lots of other mums and dads to meet! Call Kwinana Recquatic to find out more :) I also did a thing called Mother Goose - for under 1's too (again in Kwinana) where you sing songs to the baby and do action games with them...really good.
It is hard to find time for a pamper esp when you dont have anyone around to help...but I have found a salon that was really cool with DD being in the room in her pram and last year I got to have a wax! for first time in a zillion ages.
I also find weekends really hard as everyone I have met has a partner/husband and I am all alone as they busy doing stuff obviously. Never thought I would hang for a weekend to be over...
Ngala in kwinana run a really nice playgroup on Tuesdays with babies and toddlers, not sure if same in Rockingham? Perhaps your CHN would know?

[Mum2Bug]

LP:hugs:

I agree with all of the suggestions the other members have given so far. In fact I am planning to use some of them myself. If you would ever like to just get out of the house to go for a cuppa, etc feel free to pm me, I would be happy to come out to see you:D

Take care:hugs: