When Nunu first came home from the hospital, I was lulled into a false sense of security. Motherhood seemed easy! Baby slept for most of the day so I could also sleep, watch series and paint my toe nails. I even gave myself an 'at home spa day', where I enjoyed a hair mask, foot treatment and an undisturbed, peaceful cup of my oh so precious Nespresso coffee.
Well.
All that changed.
Week three happened.
Suddenly this baby was awake for more hours than expected and I had absolutely no clue how to entertain him. I just wanted the crying to stop, but my Pinterest articles told me to start doing Tummy Time and other ridiculous exercises. In the beginning I went into survival mode, just trying to establish some sort of routine (haha "routine". Let's be real. Newborns have no routine even if we pretend there's one) and ensuring he was eating enough.
But for those of you adventurous enough, here are the best ideas for practising some gross motor development with your baba. I'm no expert, just skilled with pinning ideas on Pinterest and lying to myself that I know what I'm doing.
• Firstly you need to decide where you'll be laying your precious caboodle for these sessions. I have this awesome play mat that I use.Â
Tummy time- lay baby tummy down. Be sure to position their arms and hands on either side of their head, bent at the elbows. Basically the idea is for them to lift their heads and use their neck muscles. At first it will be a sad state of affairs and, if your baby is anything like Nunu, will hate this and cry. When they're very little, their legs will be bent underneath them in fetal position and slowly straighten out over the days. Slowly you will see progress! Nunu went from his head bobbing up and down to actually lifting his head and shoulders for short periods of time! You can roll a towel up and place under chest for support.
Bicycle legs- lie baby on back and make circular motions with their legs.
Leg pushing- put your hands at baby's feet and let them push on your hands. Add more resistance as their strength grows.
Otherwise, his bouncy chair from Mamas & Papas has literally saved my life. I turn Nunu to face the great outdoors so that he can study the patterns in the leaves and clouds. The chair vibrates and plays a tune, so it's really a winner and I would be lost without it. The cats love it too and sleep in it when Nunu isn't looking.Â
I hope this has helped you a little to kill those hours between sleep and feeding!