New mom, home alone with newborn, any suggestions?

[Anatidae V]

Things I'm doing the first few weeks include going for a walk absolutely every day. To start with, it was around our tiny courtyard while DH snuggled the baby. After 2 weeks I could make it to the local bakery to buy myself a treat. DH helped me prioritise my walks over housework, because my walks have a huge mental health benefit that housework doesn't.

On visitors: we've introduced him to our parents, siblings and grandparents. Everyone else was informed that they can visit after he's had his 6 week vaccines, to give us time to settle in as a family.

As I'm home for a year, we also got an annual family pass to the local zoo. There's lots of other parents the during the day, plenty to look at, and I'm very fond of it. Our library has baby time, and the gym has a crèche. Between those and the local parks, I've got lots of options whenever I feel the need to leave the house.

[merula]

Good for you Anatidae! Maybe you can even get your husband to do housework while you walk! :)

the gym has a crèche

When I read this, I thought "Why do they still have their Christmas decorations...oh. Nursery. Got it."

[chaskavitch]

My husband started a new job two weeks before I had my second child. It was a contract job after he's been laid off a year in the middle of the recession. Extra time.off was not an option.

There are always options.

Would it be better if we had more paternity leave in the US?

The federal government gives you 3 months by law... and I don't personally know any non-female who's used it all. I know it doesn't apply in your specific case, because it was a brand new gig. Just saying, cause you brought up paternity leave.

But for many/most families it isn't an option and the income is desperately needed. It isn't a matter of "Manning Up"  it's a matter of keeping your job to provide for your family.

It's a matter of priorities and planning.  Someone who wanted to stay home with their wife, no matter what, could spend 9 months hustling together some extra cash to float the few months of not working (or more time, if you knew in advance that you wanted to have kids).  And it's not like you can't occasionally hustle some cash when you're on paternity leave.  You don't go from job to zero.  You go from job, to whatever you can scrape together in the spare time between naps/bottles/diaper runs.

This is just such a shitty response. In all ways.

I'll leave it at that.

A-freaking-men.

[Sibley]

@Emily34  You did post in the thread. However, in doing so, you also brought back to life a 3 year old thread, which is poor internet etiquette. The warning is there for a reason.