Alone with Infant during ML

mummy with a baby and 5 yr old. no help from both family and engaging part time cleaner and all that will really put our financial on the edge. it will get crazy overwhelming at first. but take everything slow and steady. you will most def hate the messy house and the mountains of clothes to wash, fold and iron but please do take note that mental health is important. here's what i did, all my meals are prepared in advance, kept in freezer, individually packed and cooked in the oven all the time. these foods are easy and take lesser time to prepare. what i have on most meals are, salmon, cod, chicken breast, veggies, mashed potatoes, rice. ill cook the rice in advance, portion it and keep it in an air tight container individually. and the rest are all ready seasoned also packed individually in aluminium foil/parchment paper. i always make sure that i have bread, spreads, cereal grains, milk, fruits, nuts, dates, veggies( cherry tomatoes, cucumbers) in the pantry ready for my quick bites or quick breakfast or snacks in between to munch or fill me up when the baby is awake or during latching. house chores is only done whenever i have the time or when the baby is sleeping or is awake but being quiet. ill wash my clothes at night so it will be dry by morning. any clothes to iron will be put aside and iron only what to wear. and fold the rest. ill sweep and vacuum at night and i got myself the magic cleaner wipes and use it as a floor moper if i dont have the time to mop. and finally, my son eats whatever i eat so i only keep stock on his snacks. and my husband eats what i cook for him when got time or tabao food for himself cause he dont like salmon and all that. i hope everything goes smoothly for you.

Are you able to latch baby? That will help a lot to save time washing/pumping and way less stressful. I also was home alone with little one and no helper nor family near. I would meal prep the night before, something I could just gentle prepare the next day. Usually I would prepare and eat while baby wearing, when necessary, so I could eat while baby rested. Drink lots and lots of water to maintain milk supply. My hubs helped a lot with house chores and we had a cleaner come in bi weekly. Usually chores were done at night though after baby was asleep. Establishing routine when possible is good. Had our little one in bed around 8 pm. That gave us time to settle chores and prepare for the next day. Take care and you can do this!!

I've learnt to go with the flow. Initially I got so stressed out when I couldn't do the chores according to my timeline. After a few days, I realised, it's ok if the laundry took 3 hrs to get done cos halfway through bb woke up and wanted attention. it's ok to make the bed much later, it's ok to skip on certain chores cos bb is fussy. After a while you'll find the pockets of timing to be able to plan your chores! Hope it helps. BTW I'm FTW with 8 weeks old bb, alone at home too!

establish baby's sleeping pattern, so you will have a constant rhythm of work, I shower when he is asleep. I do housechores when he is sleeping, when he is awake I attend to his needs, but not carrying him all the time. So the baby won't get used to being carried always, I pump after I shower, or when baby just fell asleep while sitting next to him,. this can assure you that you will have enough time to finish pump, cos he can have a long nap. Be strong! and embrace Motherhood 😊

Do you have a baby carrier? Baby wear when you need to do stuff and baby can’t be put down. I found it helped a lot. If you’re alone with baby best you just latch. Pump only when you have no way to latch. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner and other gadgets to automate your housework but don’t expect too much from yourself by way of housework for the first year or so.

I’m a mum of 2, currently my husband as return back to work . Handling 2 kids alone is never easy . But you can cope with it . Just don’t rush yourself . Take time and do things one by one . Put baby to sleep , when you have that time you can clean the house or cook . It’s tiring but you’ll get use to it .

I didn’t had help after confinement too. Hired part time cleaner, depended a lot on oven and rice cooker to prep my meals. I latched mostly during the first 3 months so lesser things to wash and don’t have to keep track of pump time.

I didn’t had help since after I give birth . But I’m blessed my husband cook confinement food for me after confinement I handle my baby until my husband is back home . I only can do house chores when baby is having a nap .

get parents or in laws to help. forget about household chores, get part time cleaner. try to pump less frequently but maintain high volume. my own experience is that the first 3 to 4 months was the hardest.

Hi Mum, I think it is best to take the help of your in-laws and your husband for the household work. With distributed work responsibilities, you will feel better and well rested