Possibly going from FTWM to SAHM....need help & advice!

Looks like I may be out of a job soon...my company is filing for bankruptcy. Since I'm only a few months from my due date, I dont think I'll be looking for a new job at this point. DH & I agreed that I would just stay home until after the baby is born and we'll see if we can swing it. The thought of being home full time is a little daunting though...any advice or tips? For the SAHMs....do you have a (loose) schedule you can share with me?

Re: Possibly going from FTWM to SAHM....need help & advice!

The nice thing about being a SAHM is.........you don't need a schedule, all your time is your own!! My kids put themselves on feeding/sleeping schedules at 8 weeks old but as far as the household chores and things I need to get done, I just do them throughout my day as time permits. Sometimes I prep dinners while my DS naps and my DD is at school, I straighten up throughout the day and do bigger cleaning during naps or at night when they are in bed. I schedule appointments and errands around my DS's nap schedule but other than that, I just take each day one day at a time.

Good luck with the new baby and becoming a SAHM!!!! I LOVE it, I don't miss working one bit!!

Re: Possibly going from FTWM to SAHM....need help & advice!

Being a SAHM is the best job ever!

I feel like the schedule should be based on your own routines and then your LO. My daughter is a very early riser and wasn't a good sleeper so I had to unfortunately adapt to her schedule but within my own guidelines.

I try to break the day up between playing with DD, cleaning, chores and/or errands, personal time (which usually gets left out lol), cooking, etc. I try to make sure DD gets some cuddle time with me, some reading time, active physical activity time, art time.

She doesn't nap anymore, but I loved it when she did. That used to be my personal time and/or my own nap time.

I feel like you have to see what works best for you and your LO. When their most active times of day, when they like to eat (DD at 2.5 loves to eat lunch at 11am and dinner at 5pm-- i used to eat lunch at like 1 and dinner at 8 so its very different)

Possibly going from FTWM to SAHM....need help & advice!

i'm a SAHM.... DS is 4 now. its EXHAUSTING and definitely a job... but i wouldn't trade it!!! like somebody else said, its great that the days are yours. you'll figure out a schedule based on your DC and you and what works.
for us, DS wakes up around 8AM. then we do an activity every morning. 3 AMs a week, he goes to preschool from 9-11:30 (this is when i do all my cleaning, earrands, laundry, etc). another AM we go to swim lessons, and other AM we do open plat a gymnastics place. after those we either do a playdate or errands or grab lunch out or whatever. From 2-3:30 i do "quiet time" for DS. he doesn't necessarily nap anymore... but i put him in his room with the lights out, bedroom door closed, and a few quiet toys in his bed. i make it part of his day, so he doesn't usually fight me on it. i think we BOTH need that little bit of a break!!! after quiet time, we play around the house r in the yard until DH gets home around 5.
i love hanging out with DS every day! and its neat bc even silly things like going to the playground or spending some time at the beach playing in the sand are so good for them!! like i said, its tiring being responsible for entertaining him all day, every day... but its fun
DEFINITELY make a big effort to make other SAHM friends. it can get kind of lonely being home... so having a friend to meet up with the chat with can really save your sanity!!! have fun and good luck

Possibly going from FTWM to SAHM....need help & advice!

After DS was born I decided to become a SAHM. I did it for 18 months and it was excellent. I am blessed to have been able to be home with him for that time however it is not for me. I have always worked and feel I am a better mom and appreciate my time more with my son now than I did when I was home. As far as schedule I would try to work things around his naps. In the am we would get ready and I would take him to the gym with me. In the afternoons when he would nap I would cook dinner and every Thursday was cleaning day for me. I felt like having a schedule was good for us. If you can do it give it a shot. It is great to be able to be home with your child and I am blessed that I was home with him for as long as I was. I definitely have a new respect for SAHM as it is the hardest job out there.

Possibly going from FTWM to SAHM....need help & advice!

The best thing for me was meeting other SAHM's We do play dates, go out without kids, with kids, bounces ideas off each other, talk about bad days etc... It helps me keep my sanity

Re: Possibly going from FTWM to SAHM....need help & advice!

Re: Possibly going from FTWM to SAHM....need help & advice!

It will definitely be great as long as you don't have money worries. You will fall into a natural schedule with the baby. Just see a lot of friends and family at first. When your LO is older you can join groups and take classes. There are a lot of mommy and me classss out there. Your whole life will revolve around your child's schedule.

Re: Possibly going from FTWM to SAHM....need help & advice!

I was let go an 9 months pregnant and stayed home with DS until he was 7 months old. No matter what, it's going to be an adjustment. Work or not, you will have a new baby to care for and that's just a totally different lifestyle.

I will say, when asking about schedules, it's really hard to schedule newborns. They will probably change weekly, if not more often. Follow your baby's lead for the first few months. Once they're 3 months or older, it's easier to get them onto a schedule.

Possibly going from FTWM to SAHM....need help & advice!

For one, I would try to start banking your salary for the time being. The extra savings is nice of course but it will also give you an idea of what it's like to live off one salary. We did this for a year before I had my first and left my job.
As far as what to do, get out! If you want to breastfeed, find some support groups. Those are a great safe place to go with a very young baby to meet other moms and just get out of the house. We started library classes at 4 months and thats really where I met my mom friends and we now do play dates, other classes, and nights out together. It's great meeting moms in your immediate area with kids the same age and the library is a great place to do that.
As far as a routine, I would just wait and see what works for you. My second is 2 months and we've fallen into a similar routine as with my first. Get up and feed the baby, play, have breakfast, etc. Then when she goes down for a nap I get ready, do some cleaning or whatever. Once she wakes up I feed her and we go OUT. It may be errands, may be play dates or a doctor appointment. Doesn't matter but I need to get out of the house almost every day. We get home by the next feeding and have lunch and the rest of the day is usually spent at home doing whatever!