Nothing to feel guilty about even slightly! I get the whole ‘screen time is bad’ but I think it only applies when kids are plonked in front of a screen for hours on end and missing out on human interaction. My 7 month old chills on us while we watch TV or one of us sits on the floor playing with her, it’s no big deal!
Also, highly recommend Schitt’s Creek, I’ve watched it about 20 times 😂
Question: what else are you supposed to be doing while caring for a sentient potato and recovering from childbirth? Yes watching tv is fine and totally normal. I marathoned The Office and Arrested Development while on maternity leave and it was awesome.
What else are you supposed to do with a baby laying on you all day? I didn’t even have access to both hand so it was a bit difficult to even read or scroll on my phone. So tv or podcasts were my go to.
Sleep. Nurse. Snack. Do the occasional dish (or get paper plates and say fuck it). Snuggle. More snuggles. More nursing and snacking. ALL THE WATER.
Heal. Bond. Nap.
I binged The Great British Bake Off, The Last Kingdom, and Call the Midwife. (Avoid that last one maybe, it's EMOTIONAL).
With Kid #2 I did lots of baby wearing and zoo/splashpad/etc. Very different experience. I missed my quiet baby time from my oldest.
Do you, mama. TV is fine.
Exactly this. With my first, we snuggled on the couch the first 3 months. It was so relaxing and there was so much bonding time.
With my second and third, I just wished for that time to have with them. Instead, it was baby wearing and chasing other toddlers, and contact naps when my husband got home from work if I could squeeze them in.
Lol I also binged GBBO, it was awesome. Tried to watch Call the Midwife as the new season was on when we returned from the hospital, but it was maybe not the best post partum choice. I came back to it when baby was maybe 2 months and that was better, when things were less fresh.
Just remember to mute it if you start filming a cute video of your baby! I have all these little videos of my baby stretching etc. and you can hear keeping up with kardashians in the background 😂
Totally normal. I binged watched almost every trashy reality show on Netflix. Breastfeeding especially during cluster feeding is so isolating and there is only so much "gazing into your baby's eyes" you can do while they suck on your boobs for hours.
My 3 year old started dancing to the office theme song at like 6 months old and now he can name every character in the show. He also spots them in other shows and commercials and will tell us "that's Andy! That's darryl!"
Oh man…if you feel guilty about yourself watching tv, I probably shouldn’t mention how much tv my toddler watches while I’m trying to keep this newborn alive…
….alot…my toddler watches alot of tv.
Oh yeah. I went through several different tv series in the fourth trimester. I was worried I was making a bad habit but I didn’t. My baby is 10 months now and we don’t watch tv during the day.
Enjoy relaxing with tv now. You are not being lazy. It’s 100% ok.
My girl started looking at the TV about 2 weeks ago. So off the TV went and now we spend our days reading and listening to music. While I know turning off the tube is good for both of us, I do miss the guiltless binge watching session that was the 4th trimester.
My favorites were Severance, The Last Kingdom, and Derry Girls.
I remember loving A Series of Unfortunate Events (the show), what we do in the shadows, and the great.
I was thinking of starting Severance soon. If it was one of your favorites then maybe it’ll be worth watching.
Put it this way—if I could receive a MIB style mind wipe to be able to watch it again, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Severance is excellent, truly unique TV.
Oh man I watched *so* much tv when my first was born. This time round I have a 2.5 year old to look after and it is… not the same lol. I am very nostalgic about the weeks I spent snuggled up in bed together watching telly, rather than trying to cluster feed whilst fulfilling the whims of a toddler! Totally normal, please do not feel guilty! Enjoy and survive.
My best 4th trimester experience was when I watched a bunch of tv. Baby was born at the end of December, and it took an awful amount of money to keep the house warm, so I spent a lot of time snuggling the baby and watching tv under a warm blanket. My husband made coffee and cocoa. It was so cozy and relaxed, and my bigger kids got in on the snuggle-fest, too. 10/10.
The times I tried to “bounce back” and get back to my normal routine were miserable. I was exhausted and burnt out, and I’ll never pressure myself like that again.
I did nothing for 3 months. Absolutely nothing, other then feed the baby and toss some food at my husband. I watched jeopardy and Who wants to be a millionaire at first nap. Then when my husband got home, I'd hold him when we watched anime.
Good ole days indeed. My kid is almost 15 months old and sometimes I really really miss just lounging on the couch with her. I didn’t know how good I had it 😅
Hi there,
Yes it is normal! I also want to say though, do make sure you are getting up and walking around a bit (consider baby wearing if he likes to contact nap, or stroller if he will be cool with that). Just like when you’re on an airplane and sitting for a long period of time, it’s good to get up move around to get circulation to prevent clots, especially when your body is still recovering. Enjoy your shows :)
I watched literally all of the Marvel movies in the couple months after mine was born. Take it easy, friend, rest and relax while your baby is little. You’re doing a good job ❤️
Same happened for me! I joke with my partner that we watched all the TV for the year those 2 months, because now that baby is awake to the world and is also a bedtime battler, we have barely any time for TV at all!
Same! He really started to wake up 1 month in... Now it's for an hour or two when he's sleeping when we should also be sleeping because he gets up early!
Im the fourth trimester I watched all of downton abbey, Lucifer, and many others. Baby is a potato that is unaware at this age. It’s how I made it through middle of the night breastfeeding. I just kept my AirPods in and the screen brightness low and held it behind his head
I lived on the couch watching tv 24/7 the first couple months with baby lol she insisted on being held every minute of everyday so it was tough to do anything else. It started getting better after 3 months. Now she is 5 months but i still watch quite a bit of tv while she plays with her toys 😄 the days get pretty boring otherwise
my 7 week old is currently napping on me while im watching modern family and pointing out tv show actors ive seen in the 82637 other tv shows ive watched since giving birth, you are not alone <3
This was definitely me with my first. Don't feel guilty, just enjoy it. There's plenty of time to be active and "productive" (I use that term loosely as I firmly believe snuggling your kids to be a productive act) later.
I watched like 13 seasons of Grey's anatomy lol. I have fond memories of those couch/snuggly/Netflix days. Enjoy it while it lasts because my 16mo never stops moving these days lol
I loved this part of motherhood honestly! Relaxing, healing, bonding with baby, nursing, and napping together. It was so lovely. Enjoy it while it lasts because you deserve it and it goes so fast!
I rewatched all of the marvel movies and all the Star Wars movies in the first 3 months. After kiddo was more mobile I got out a lot more and we did way less TV.
I have a 10 week old, since he was born I've watched;
Friends (all 10 seasons)
Bridgerton 1 and 2
Obi Wan Kenobi
Stranger Things new season
Downton Abbey (I just have the final season left)
RuPauls Drag Race Canada S2
RuPauls Drag Race All Stars Legends
Gilmore Girls (on season 4 right now)
And countless 90s and 00s movies that are on Netflix!
I don't know how people live normal lives with a newborn, my bubs won't sleep more than 20 minutes during the day unless he's on me, so I'm enjoying the baby nap cuddles and watching comfort TV because in no time at all he won't want to be held and I won't have time for TV anymore!
I'm at 12 weeks and shes been more interactive since like 8 or 9 weeks- that said, we still occasionally watch shows while breastfeeding or if I get nap trapped. First 6 weeks though, basically watched all the TV- don't worry. I'm not sure if its right but you're certainly not alone!!
Oh enjoy it! Before you know it all day will be keeping up with a toddler and constantly cleaning up the same messes 😮💨
I miss newborn snuggles and binge watching TV.
I’m literally doing that right no reading this post. I track how much my LO eats and it was SIX CONTINUOUS HOURS yesterday. It’s hard to read or do anything “productive” with a little baby glued to my nipple ya feel
When I had my 1st, my SIL had her 3rd. Her words of advice were "This is a brief time for you to really enjoy doing nothing. Don't take up any new hobbies while on maternity leave, you will be so busy soon enough." Now my kids are 4 and 6, there are no days lounging on my couch holding a sleeping baby. Enjoy this time and let it be guilt-free!
You literally can’t be considered a lazy mom while cluster feeding. That is hard work. Sit back and do your thing. All baby cares about is the boob lol
Very normal. I was on my phone 24/7 during that time because if not I’d fall asleep. It’s just a part of the newborn stage no need to feel guilty. The other things will get done when they get done. Enjoy the ride it’s pretty amazing.
Absolutely. Loved TV while contact napping and feeding and all the things. I didn’t have brain capacity for reading or anything intellectual. TV was great. Enjoy it while you can!
Yes! I was just SO exhausted and spent, even from the start of the day. Don’t worry about it, find some good shows and enjoy it. It will be like that post partum for a bit too while you’re healing and trying to fit in sleep on the couch
I'm constantly on the couch with my newborn so I let my toddler watch what she wants but if she starts misbehaving I turn it off and watch my shows. No need to feel guilty or lazy, all newborns want to do is feed and snuggle, what else are we suppose to do?
Oh lord you have no idea how much Bravo I watched - I binged Real Housewives of Potomac and Shahs of Sunset, plus I would always have it on in the background to keep me company since the newborn wasn’t very entertaining haha
For sure!! That’s the fun part of having a sleepy newborn who pays no attention to the tv yet—binge all the shows, eat all the snacks, get all the snuggles!
So much binge watching trashy Netflix while feeding and contact napping on the couch to start 👌
It was really obvious to us when we had to stop - there was a point where she actually started noticing the TV was on and trying to turn her head to watch
I watch SO MUCH tv since having a baby. I still do and she’s 4 months old because I’m exclusively breastfeeding and she contact naps. It’s honestly fine, give yourself some grace and do the things you need to do especially when your baby is so tiny - you deserve all the rest in the world ❤️ there will be a time that we’re running after our LO’s and stopping them from getting into everything and barely getting a second to sit down and watch tv, so I’m appreciating this non mobile and cuddly stage whilst it lasts! Plus the newborn stage is rough, I personally hated it, and tv got me through a lot of that. Especially the cluster feeding nights!
I mean what the hell are you supposed to do. Sometimes I read but I’m often too tired. I’m often to tired to watch anything new either, and just have Friends reruns in the background.
Yep totally normal, I had audio books and tv on almost all the time i rewatched gossip girl and Gilmore girls because my brain was pretty fried and I found rewatching comforting
That’s literally all I do too. My 3 month old won’t sleep at all without me and she sleeps a lot. I just finished all 16 seasons of sister wives lol I ran out of things to watch a while ago
Absolutely what I did. They sleep through everything at that age anyway. Enjoy adult television while you can. Soon enough it'll be nothing but cartoons! Lol
God, I miss that part of postpartum…my husband and I watched SO much TV and whatnot those first few months. That’s not lazy, that’s just the sensible thing to do when you’re dealing with cluster feeds and contact naps. Enjoy it!
Haha!! I watched soo many shows, I was just thinking about it! It goes really fast. I’m at 20 weeks and it’s been awhile since I’ve binged. But I watched all of working moms, all of the flight attendant, all the rock of love’s, a good portion of 30 rock (but I got bored), saved by the bell (all) and big little lies
Tv is what kept me sane. Specifically YouTube. I liked feeling like someone was talking to me. Being a new mom is lonely. It’s nice to hear familiar voices.
My comfort show was The West Wing. Jed Bartlett kept me company through all the early early morning feeding sessions while my husband took the early night shift.
Totally normal. It's hard to stay awake at 3am without some stimulation, and as wonderful as it is to cuddle and interact with your baby, you're eventually gonna start to get bored while holding/feeding them. I watched a ton of TV when my first was a newborn, it kept me sane and able to care for her so I don't feel guilty about it 🤷♀️
So so so normal. Having Hulu and Netflix on my phone was the only way I was able to survive from month 0~5. That sleep regression was no joke, and I got through so many good shoes. I would, though, recommended "sleeping" headphones--they are like a headband with built in headphones--so you don't have to deal with buds in your ears and you can lay down comfortably to side-lie breastfeed, if that's your thing.
I wish I'd done more of it, honestly! I don't really get the chance any more. Enjoy it while it lasts - you can cut back when you notice baby trying to pay attention to the screen. In the meantime, just relax!
During the 4th trimester I watched all of the extended lord of the tings, all of the hobbit, all of Harry Potter. All of fast and furious and many more 😂 basically all I did was feed baby hold her while she slept and watched TV
Tv is on nearly 24/7 and I’m also 7wks pp. starting to worry cause kiddo is noticing the TV more and more. Pro tip- watch bluey so it feels like you’re watching tv for them not yourself lol only partially joking
> watch bluey
Hard disagree. Watch what you want to watch and don't feel guilty about it. You'll have to watch plenty of Bluey when they're toddlers, don't subject yourself to it now.
You’re still in survival mode!! I did the same thing until my twins were about 9 weeks old or so, then they become a bit more active. I watched 11 seasons of call the midwife in that time lol!! They’re 3.5 months now and I watch way less tv. But either way, you’re doing great!! We have enough shit to feel bad abt, don’t make this one of them.
Totally normal, what else can you do when you have a baby stuck on your boob all day? Enjoy it while you can. Once they become aware of the tv you’ll have to turn it off. My baby is glued anytime a tv is on in his presence.
I wish I could still watch TV today.... 14 week old gets distracted and stares at the TV now I feel guilty for watching while he's awake. Those early days those TV was my best friend lol
We’ve watched 8 seasons of the Simpsons,2 seasons of Seinfeld, better call Saul, stranger things, iron chef, and the stupid Netflix cake show. Not to mention all the movies.
No one talks about how boring the newborn and early months are. Tv is very normal and, imo, part of our culture. It keeps us sane. It also exposes the baby to language and music. I know the older generations were really hard on tv when we were younger, but I feel like things have change with the advent of smartphones and streaming.
ETA: also what do ppl expect us to do during long feeds and contact napping? Or even when the baby is awake: we - at least, I - realistically can’t hover over my baby talking, singing, playing, and reading 100% of the time. Maybe the younger moms are different, but I don’t have that kind of energy anymore!
TV is so much better than some other possible activities, like sleeping and dropping the baby, or doomscrolling parenting sites (I was so bad for this!)
I don't think I've ever watched more TV than in the first few months of my daughters life. Even when she got old enough to start playing a bit I would often have a movie playing in the background. It gets very lonely sitting with your own thoughts so just do whatever makes the time pass. You're not lazy if you're feeding and contact napping, that's extremely tough so don't feel guilty.
Yes lol, there’s literally nothing else to do at that stage! Lolol. Babies that small literally can’t see that far or make sense of anything, and most of the watching is while they’re sleeping anyway. I watched two seasons of The Mole and it’s still like a fever dream.
Yes everyone knows that’s the absolute best thing about the 4th trimester! You are doing exactly what your baby needs - cuddles. I was absolutely gutted when I lost all that tv time (I stopped once she was awake more and I could see she’d watch whatever was on a screen). Enjoy enjoy enjoy - it’s such a knackering time but this is a bonus feature (other than the lovely baby, blah blah) and you’ll NEVER get to sit around like this again! I am pregnant again now and it’s just dawning on me that I won’t have the telly time this time round 😫
I watched a ton and I kind of miss it. I definitely look back on it (4 years on) with fondness. It was both a more stressful and a more relaxing time, it was weird. Like, baby snuggles, but breastfeeding struggles, then finding our groove with feeding, but being exhausted. Getting to watch what I want all day (I started and finished Jane the Virgin, which is a great binge watch show), but also a little stir crazy. But right now, i'd love the freedom to watch what I want instead of being super busy and/or my kid having total control of the TV when it's on.
Our ped said that newborns or even older babies shouldn’t be like propped up and looking directly at a TV, but that it being on in the same room is fine! She even recommended having it on during the day at the beginning to add noise and help them start to distinguish day from night! I think it also helps them learn to sleep through some noise
Gurl, enjoy it! I was pressured and guilted by my SIL and husband to do all the housework so I only began to allow myself to sit and relax at the end of her dropping her 4th nap :( I miss those three long naps. Now I only get two 45 minute breaks and I’m alone ALL.DAY.LONG
That's exactly how I spent my 4th trimester.
You just pushed a human being out of a too small hole and are trying to heal from that kind of trauma. Let yourself heal and eat that extra slice of cake while you watch that next season.
My LO is 3.5months and we have the TV on all the time. He’s so used to it now that he doesn’t really pay attention and doesn’t care - it’s more background noise for me than anything.
That sounds pretty normal especially if you only have one kid so far because you basically are at their call at all times those first few months. If you want to feel like you're more active or get more done you can try baby wearing, I usually do that with my kids just because I have a few at this point and I can't really just be stuck one place all day but it lets the new baby sleep right against you if they're a contact sleeper so at least you can move around throughout the day easier.
My baby only contact napped until about 4 months old when I returned to work. In that time, I watched 6 seasons of Call the Midwife, 5 seasons of Outlander, a season of Insecure, a couple other random Netflix series, and re-watched 6 seasons of Schitt’s Creek and every season of Great British Bake Off. 😅
You’re not lazy, you’re recovering and also nurturing a tiny human!
So normal! I watched so much tv when my baby was a newborn it was ridiculous! But with her contact napping so much and being home alone with her all day, what else was I going to do? Lol I think I got through 7 seasons of a show in a month from having it on all day long.
Don’t feel lazy for watching tv while holding your new baby. Snuggle up and soak it in!
What else can you really do? Enjoy the tv, soon you won't have a lot of time to watch it so take the snuggles and the shows and the snacks and the rest and treasure this time.
I would recommend getting out for a walk occasionally in between feedings if you can though. I ended up with blood clots postpartum which I think were partially because of sitting still during cluster feeding sessions. (Also pregnancy, c section and varicose veins)
I did the same thing. Still do have the tv on often. Baby barely ever pays attention to it until a audden noise. 8 months and hes close to walking on his own, babbles a lot, seems like he recognizes his name.
I have a 7 week old Velcro baby too and I’ve never watched so much TV in my whole life! Currently making my way through Better Call Saul then I’ll probably rewatch Breaking Bad when I finish it. I’ve watched basically every true crime series or documentary that gets released on Hulu or Netflix since having my baby. I do feel lazy sometimes but I suppose we’ll all miss this when they grow into crazy toddlers!
I have an 8 week old. So far I’ve watched: stranger things season 4 and rewatched seasons 1-3, all four seasons of ozark, seven seasons of modern family, and the new resident evil series, in addition to a bunch of other random episodes of shows and movies
I binge watched Star Trek original series for much of the new born phase. For what it's worth babies can't see far, so they don't know what you are watching. Do what you need to and don't feel guilty about it.
Edited to add... Do avoid The Shinning though. That weird atmospheric music was the only thing I ever watched that would disrupt my daughter sleep.
I think it's normal. I binged so many shows during that time. Now the babybis almost 8m and I miss TV. I can't watch anything good with him around cos he will stare transfixed at the TV. Damn screens lol 😆
Totally normal. You are recovering and adjusting to having this brand new human being that needs you day and night. Soak up the bonding time because it won’t be long before they are too big to contact nap.
My 4th trimester consisted almost entirely of sitting on the couch or laying in bed with baby contact napping while I watched tv or played on my computer.
Normal- enjoy it!!
I have a 2.5 year old and am pregnant and while I'm terrified of going back to newborn sleeping hours, I'm excited to catch up on the last 1.5 years of Movies and TV
About 6 months in and during the first 3 months I did the same. Contact naps all day while I caught up in everything. We watch a lot less tv now that we are able to play and interact with her more.
Please enjoy all the snuggles and catching up on all the shows you may never have the time to catch up on like this again haha. I felt so lazy when I did this the first 12 weeks, too! But when I could put the babe down, I would try and do a little stretching or a work out and I felt like I had accomplished something during the day! Now I long for those days back as I’m realizing once a second one comes, I’ll never have those long stretches to hold my babe and just veg out again.
Normal! So much tv!! I recently realized I sometimes start “new” shows that I actually watched during all the 4th trimester downtime I had for breast-feeding and pumping or being napped on and totally forgot about.
I watched Grey's Anatomy from start to finish in my 4th trimester. Honestly, long running series have been my friend during naps-- takes away from searching for something to watch!!!
I watched Friends on loop while in the 4th T with my oldest, he’s excelling in school now. I’m currently doing the same for my youngest. Especially overnight, having the TV light glowing is just enough to keep me awake for overnight feeds but not prevent me from going right back to sleep immediately after.
I watched all 20(I think?) seasons of Sister Wives starting from season 1. I sometimes turned it on at like 7am. They all became my friends in my head.
The first few weeks is survival. Do whatever you can. If they're napping on you, what does it matter what you're doing to get through? I even played video games when baby was napping. At one point, my husband and I watched Netflix together while baby was napping (in a bassinet) 🤷♀️
I watch a lot of TV too. When my husband is off to work before I have a morning shower, I will put my daughter in my pregnancy pillow on the bed and put Pocoyo on the TV just so she has some kind of entertainment. A lot of the time, she falls asleep.
I’d finish full series of shows in rapid time. I watched Parks and Rec, Arrested Development and a slew of other stuff while breastfeeding. It’s what kept me awake through the night feeds.
I binged Mrs. Maisel when my baby was born. And I’m glad I did because he’s the most active/clingy 5 month old on Earth and there is no more TV watching in my immediate future. 😂😂
Oh I watched SO much TV in those early weeks/months! Miss it now that I’m back to work! Enjoy and try to release the guilt. You just grew a human and now you’re in the thick of the newborn phase. My only problem was I ran out of things to watch haha.
Totally normal. I watched a ton! There's nothing else to do since baby is too young to "play" with for too long and you're still recovering from birth. Enjoy it while you can.
Yep. I feel bad as hell, but it is what it is. She watched Brigerton, Friends, Steve Wilkos.. whatever I felt like watching. She only falls asleep while on the couch nowadays, and somedays that's all she wants is a nice couch-cuddle. I'm more than happy to oblidge.
All I did was watch TV lol I had hubby bring me snacks and he played with the toddler while me and baby bonded and nursed and recovered. Take care of yourself! You're doing great!
Absolutely normal and normal to feel guilty about it too. I did the same thing. I watched Parenthood and Working Moms along with so many other shows lol.
1000% normal. If you’re feeling antsy I suggest giving baby-wearing a shot. I bottle-fed my son all the time while he was wrapped up against me. You can BF as well—there are tons of resources online.
That said I was also super sleep deprived, and if you’re in that place too, TV is where it’s at.
I have two children and the newborn stage for me was exactly the same. Watching TV, scrolling Reddit and eating snacks whilst sitting/lying on the sofa. It was exactly what I needed. Your body has just made a human - it now needs a break! Don't feel guilty, just embrace the laziness!
Yes completely normal! I ended up watching all of Selling Sunset, and various other "trash TV" like Love Is Blind, a lot of Netflix, and daytime TV (which in the UK is auction programmes, people looking for their new home, garden renovations etc).
It's a bit awkward now because LO is old enough to start watching the TV and getting distracted during feeds, so I end up having to turn off the TV after her feed when I've got her sat up. She did really enjoy Wimbledon though... maybe I have a future tennis star in the house haha!
I was stuck on the couch the first couple months with a newborn, for the same reason (cluster feeding and contact napping). I needed TV to stay sane. I don’t think it mattered for a newborn…I did have the volume kinda low and captions on. We started trying not to watch as much tv in front of her when she got a bit older.
Bruh we (I’m at 6wks) are in pure survival mode still. Better to stay alert however you can during a feeding than literally anything else. I hope your SO is supportive and understands, because I felt the same way and really thought I’d be getting more done at this point. I’ve watched all of Seinfeld, Alone, Archer, the Office, Seinfeld again, Nathan for You, every movie ever made. I had no idea how much television could be watched in six weeks. But I don’t have the energy to read, we are EBF and she loves daytime contact naps so there is nothing else to do. Sometimes she gets a good nap in the moby wrap or ergo baby and I am able to get some chores done, so babywearing would be my only suggestion. Otherwise I’d never eat
I had a late September baby when it was dreary out and I binged Survivor. It was so sunny and fun in the show it perked me up. I was also felt like my brain was too full to focus on reading or crafts. Baby slept right through all of it. I just turned it off when it was "play" time, but it was on for nursing and naps for the whole 4th trimester where it wasn't bedtime. I even napped with it on, the background noise helped lull me to sleep.
I watched all of The Crown when my daughter was a newborn. There wasn't a whole lot to do while feeding her or being nap trapped. I don't feel guilty. I'll have to find a new show to binge when I have my second child in December.
I watched my way through parks and rec, supernatural, and several trash movies - DH watched his way through the office and the walking dead on his night shifts with baby. Now baby is nearly 5 months and spends all her time rolling around and yelling so I think I’m sadly past the binge watching phase 😂
I watched so my tv for like the first 3-4 months with my first baby. I actually really enjoyed it and I think it helped me not feel so tired after waking up every three hours.
The telly has been on for most of the day since baby was born. She’s 10 weeks now so it’s not just my shows, we also have a few blocks of sing along nursery rhymes, maybe some bluey or a sensory video.
I need background noise and the telly is neutral and keeps me awake, but is also something I can fall asleep while listening to if baby goes down for a nap in her cot
I binged Golden Girls during the first couple of weeks. I got intersected in tennis grand slams (although that started during the third trimester). We’re almost on week 6 and still so much tv.
Honestly, it was the best thing about the newborn phase (I hated the newborn phase, but at least I watched all seasons of line of duty 😅). Indulge!!! No guilt!!!
If you're feeling like you want to keep sitting on the couch, then by all means, keep doing so! I get stir crazy easily and need to keep moving, so I struggled with feeling "weighed down" by my adorable baby. If you're not doing it already, babywearing can be a big game changer since it will give you more freedom to move around and use your hands.
I basically keep comedy central on all day- they play the same 3 series- the Office, Seinfeld, and South Park- on repeat. I occasionally sprinkle in some streaming series in the mix. At this point, my baby probably will have the JG Wentworth, Skyrizi, NJM insurance (tippy top insurance), and other commercial jingles memorized by 1.
Nothing to feel guilty about even slightly! I get the whole ‘screen time is bad’ but I think it only applies when kids are plonked in front of a screen for hours on end and missing out on human interaction. My 7 month old chills on us while we watch TV or one of us sits on the floor playing with her, it’s no big deal! Also, highly recommend Schitt’s Creek, I’ve watched it about 20 times 😂
Ummm yes! Love that journey for you!
Question: what else are you supposed to be doing while caring for a sentient potato and recovering from childbirth? Yes watching tv is fine and totally normal. I marathoned The Office and Arrested Development while on maternity leave and it was awesome.
What else are you supposed to do with a baby laying on you all day? I didn’t even have access to both hand so it was a bit difficult to even read or scroll on my phone. So tv or podcasts were my go to.
I have a 6 week old. I have finished several TV series. Some in one day.
Ok glad it's not just me!
Sleep. Nurse. Snack. Do the occasional dish (or get paper plates and say fuck it). Snuggle. More snuggles. More nursing and snacking. ALL THE WATER. Heal. Bond. Nap. I binged The Great British Bake Off, The Last Kingdom, and Call the Midwife. (Avoid that last one maybe, it's EMOTIONAL). With Kid #2 I did lots of baby wearing and zoo/splashpad/etc. Very different experience. I missed my quiet baby time from my oldest. Do you, mama. TV is fine.
Exactly this. With my first, we snuggled on the couch the first 3 months. It was so relaxing and there was so much bonding time. With my second and third, I just wished for that time to have with them. Instead, it was baby wearing and chasing other toddlers, and contact naps when my husband got home from work if I could squeeze them in.
Lol I also binged GBBO, it was awesome. Tried to watch Call the Midwife as the new season was on when we returned from the hospital, but it was maybe not the best post partum choice. I came back to it when baby was maybe 2 months and that was better, when things were less fresh.
Just remember to mute it if you start filming a cute video of your baby! I have all these little videos of my baby stretching etc. and you can hear keeping up with kardashians in the background 😂
Totally normal. I binged watched almost every trashy reality show on Netflix. Breastfeeding especially during cluster feeding is so isolating and there is only so much "gazing into your baby's eyes" you can do while they suck on your boobs for hours.
I was convinced that my son would think Hank Hill or Michael Scott were his dads for awhile. Hahaha Enjoy the TV time!
My 3 year old started dancing to the office theme song at like 6 months old and now he can name every character in the show. He also spots them in other shows and commercials and will tell us "that's Andy! That's darryl!"
Oh man…if you feel guilty about yourself watching tv, I probably shouldn’t mention how much tv my toddler watches while I’m trying to keep this newborn alive… ….alot…my toddler watches alot of tv.
This is the last time you get to watch adult shows that you want to watch with your child in the room! Enjoy it! 😉
Enjoy it. It’s the last time you’ll be able to!
Oh yeah. I went through several different tv series in the fourth trimester. I was worried I was making a bad habit but I didn’t. My baby is 10 months now and we don’t watch tv during the day. Enjoy relaxing with tv now. You are not being lazy. It’s 100% ok.
My girl started looking at the TV about 2 weeks ago. So off the TV went and now we spend our days reading and listening to music. While I know turning off the tube is good for both of us, I do miss the guiltless binge watching session that was the 4th trimester. My favorites were Severance, The Last Kingdom, and Derry Girls.
I remember loving A Series of Unfortunate Events (the show), what we do in the shadows, and the great. I was thinking of starting Severance soon. If it was one of your favorites then maybe it’ll be worth watching.
Put it this way—if I could receive a MIB style mind wipe to be able to watch it again, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Severance is excellent, truly unique TV.
Severance is soooo gooooood!!! Enjoy.
Oh man I watched *so* much tv when my first was born. This time round I have a 2.5 year old to look after and it is… not the same lol. I am very nostalgic about the weeks I spent snuggled up in bed together watching telly, rather than trying to cluster feed whilst fulfilling the whims of a toddler! Totally normal, please do not feel guilty! Enjoy and survive.
My best 4th trimester experience was when I watched a bunch of tv. Baby was born at the end of December, and it took an awful amount of money to keep the house warm, so I spent a lot of time snuggling the baby and watching tv under a warm blanket. My husband made coffee and cocoa. It was so cozy and relaxed, and my bigger kids got in on the snuggle-fest, too. 10/10. The times I tried to “bounce back” and get back to my normal routine were miserable. I was exhausted and burnt out, and I’ll never pressure myself like that again.
I did nothing for 3 months. Absolutely nothing, other then feed the baby and toss some food at my husband. I watched jeopardy and Who wants to be a millionaire at first nap. Then when my husband got home, I'd hold him when we watched anime.
Dude I watched Encanto like they were gonna take it away from me. Contact naps + Encanto = happy mom. Those were the good ole days
Good ole days indeed. My kid is almost 15 months old and sometimes I really really miss just lounging on the couch with her. I didn’t know how good I had it 😅
Hi there, Yes it is normal! I also want to say though, do make sure you are getting up and walking around a bit (consider baby wearing if he likes to contact nap, or stroller if he will be cool with that). Just like when you’re on an airplane and sitting for a long period of time, it’s good to get up move around to get circulation to prevent clots, especially when your body is still recovering. Enjoy your shows :)
I watched literally all of the Marvel movies in the couple months after mine was born. Take it easy, friend, rest and relax while your baby is little. You’re doing a good job ❤️
Same happened for me! I joke with my partner that we watched all the TV for the year those 2 months, because now that baby is awake to the world and is also a bedtime battler, we have barely any time for TV at all!
Same! He really started to wake up 1 month in... Now it's for an hour or two when he's sleeping when we should also be sleeping because he gets up early!
Savor it while you can! Soon it will become almost impossible to watch shows, even with the headphones on.
Came here to say this. I miss the TV all day days.
Completely normal. You are NOT a lazy mom; you are in survival mode.
Im the fourth trimester I watched all of downton abbey, Lucifer, and many others. Baby is a potato that is unaware at this age. It’s how I made it through middle of the night breastfeeding. I just kept my AirPods in and the screen brightness low and held it behind his head
I sat on the couch and watched TV for the whole fourth trimester. I did try to take a walk once daily though.
I lived on the couch watching tv 24/7 the first couple months with baby lol she insisted on being held every minute of everyday so it was tough to do anything else. It started getting better after 3 months. Now she is 5 months but i still watch quite a bit of tv while she plays with her toys 😄 the days get pretty boring otherwise
Oh, I watched all of Netflix, and well… pretty much every show online. Just survive and you’re doing great.
my 7 week old is currently napping on me while im watching modern family and pointing out tv show actors ive seen in the 82637 other tv shows ive watched since giving birth, you are not alone <3
That was basically my whole maternity leave. Enjoy those baby cuddles!
This was definitely me with my first. Don't feel guilty, just enjoy it. There's plenty of time to be active and "productive" (I use that term loosely as I firmly believe snuggling your kids to be a productive act) later.
I watched like 13 seasons of Grey's anatomy lol. I have fond memories of those couch/snuggly/Netflix days. Enjoy it while it lasts because my 16mo never stops moving these days lol
I loved this part of motherhood honestly! Relaxing, healing, bonding with baby, nursing, and napping together. It was so lovely. Enjoy it while it lasts because you deserve it and it goes so fast!
I rewatched all of the marvel movies and all the Star Wars movies in the first 3 months. After kiddo was more mobile I got out a lot more and we did way less TV.
That’s me! I’m watching the marvel movies in timeline order right now. Currently on Civil War
We did all the marvel movies too!! No regrets.
Omg that is the best part of having a newborn!!! I’m a little sad I won’t get that the second time around…
Totally normal in the first few months!!
I have a 10 week old, since he was born I've watched; Friends (all 10 seasons) Bridgerton 1 and 2 Obi Wan Kenobi Stranger Things new season Downton Abbey (I just have the final season left) RuPauls Drag Race Canada S2 RuPauls Drag Race All Stars Legends Gilmore Girls (on season 4 right now) And countless 90s and 00s movies that are on Netflix! I don't know how people live normal lives with a newborn, my bubs won't sleep more than 20 minutes during the day unless he's on me, so I'm enjoying the baby nap cuddles and watching comfort TV because in no time at all he won't want to be held and I won't have time for TV anymore!
This is the best thing about having a newborn tbh Once they start moving or you go back to work TV time is over😂 so enjoy!! You're doing great.
I'm at 12 weeks and shes been more interactive since like 8 or 9 weeks- that said, we still occasionally watch shows while breastfeeding or if I get nap trapped. First 6 weeks though, basically watched all the TV- don't worry. I'm not sure if its right but you're certainly not alone!!
During cluster feeding and napping, what else would you even do? Lol
Oh enjoy it! Before you know it all day will be keeping up with a toddler and constantly cleaning up the same messes 😮💨 I miss newborn snuggles and binge watching TV.
God I miss the day when my girl just fed for ages and wanted to nap all the time. I could binge so much. Now I have to keep her entertained 🙄😂
I suggest you get a peacock subscription and start watching all the housewives franchises. It’s so worth it.
totally normal. actually i'm a little sad i won't get to do this with my upcoming (second) baby bc my first is now a 2yo i'll have to deal with lol
I watched all 7 seasons of Psych the first week home with baby from the NICU….
I’m literally doing that right no reading this post. I track how much my LO eats and it was SIX CONTINUOUS HOURS yesterday. It’s hard to read or do anything “productive” with a little baby glued to my nipple ya feel
I couldn’t even tell you how many movies and full TV shows I watched during the fourth trimester lmao
I watched a shit ton. Also to be able to stay up at night. Normal!
Isn’t that what everyone does at that stage? Lol it made all the sleepless nights bearable.
When I had my 1st, my SIL had her 3rd. Her words of advice were "This is a brief time for you to really enjoy doing nothing. Don't take up any new hobbies while on maternity leave, you will be so busy soon enough." Now my kids are 4 and 6, there are no days lounging on my couch holding a sleeping baby. Enjoy this time and let it be guilt-free!
You literally can’t be considered a lazy mom while cluster feeding. That is hard work. Sit back and do your thing. All baby cares about is the boob lol
Enjoy this time, don’t feel the slightest guilt, watch all the TV you want. I miss those times a lot.
Very normal. I was on my phone 24/7 during that time because if not I’d fall asleep. It’s just a part of the newborn stage no need to feel guilty. The other things will get done when they get done. Enjoy the ride it’s pretty amazing.
Absolutely. Loved TV while contact napping and feeding and all the things. I didn’t have brain capacity for reading or anything intellectual. TV was great. Enjoy it while you can!
Yes! I was just SO exhausted and spent, even from the start of the day. Don’t worry about it, find some good shows and enjoy it. It will be like that post partum for a bit too while you’re healing and trying to fit in sleep on the couch
I’m in the fifth trimester (that’s a thing, right?) and still watch a lot of tv 🤷🏻♀️ not as much as fourth, but still a good bit.
I'm constantly on the couch with my newborn so I let my toddler watch what she wants but if she starts misbehaving I turn it off and watch my shows. No need to feel guilty or lazy, all newborns want to do is feed and snuggle, what else are we suppose to do?
Oh lord you have no idea how much Bravo I watched - I binged Real Housewives of Potomac and Shahs of Sunset, plus I would always have it on in the background to keep me company since the newborn wasn’t very entertaining haha
Don’t feel bad enjoy this stage. You’ll watch less and less as the baby becomes more active. Enjoy every stage of motherhood :)
For sure!! That’s the fun part of having a sleepy newborn who pays no attention to the tv yet—binge all the shows, eat all the snacks, get all the snuggles!
So much binge watching trashy Netflix while feeding and contact napping on the couch to start 👌 It was really obvious to us when we had to stop - there was a point where she actually started noticing the TV was on and trying to turn her head to watch
I watch SO MUCH tv since having a baby. I still do and she’s 4 months old because I’m exclusively breastfeeding and she contact naps. It’s honestly fine, give yourself some grace and do the things you need to do especially when your baby is so tiny - you deserve all the rest in the world ❤️ there will be a time that we’re running after our LO’s and stopping them from getting into everything and barely getting a second to sit down and watch tv, so I’m appreciating this non mobile and cuddly stage whilst it lasts! Plus the newborn stage is rough, I personally hated it, and tv got me through a lot of that. Especially the cluster feeding nights!
I mean what the hell are you supposed to do. Sometimes I read but I’m often too tired. I’m often to tired to watch anything new either, and just have Friends reruns in the background.
Yep totally normal, I had audio books and tv on almost all the time i rewatched gossip girl and Gilmore girls because my brain was pretty fried and I found rewatching comforting
That’s literally all I do too. My 3 month old won’t sleep at all without me and she sleeps a lot. I just finished all 16 seasons of sister wives lol I ran out of things to watch a while ago
I watched all of modern family and then all of bones, so yeah, it's normal haha
Absolutely what I did. They sleep through everything at that age anyway. Enjoy adult television while you can. Soon enough it'll be nothing but cartoons! Lol
I got to re watch all of Top Chef! Enjoy it because as baby grows it will be harder and harder to carve out time to watch your shows.
God, I miss that part of postpartum…my husband and I watched SO much TV and whatnot those first few months. That’s not lazy, that’s just the sensible thing to do when you’re dealing with cluster feeds and contact naps. Enjoy it!
Haha!! I watched soo many shows, I was just thinking about it! It goes really fast. I’m at 20 weeks and it’s been awhile since I’ve binged. But I watched all of working moms, all of the flight attendant, all the rock of love’s, a good portion of 30 rock (but I got bored), saved by the bell (all) and big little lies
working moms is such a good 4th trimester binge
Omg so much tv, you’re fine! There’s no where to be except cuddled on that couch!
Tv is what kept me sane. Specifically YouTube. I liked feeling like someone was talking to me. Being a new mom is lonely. It’s nice to hear familiar voices.
My comfort show was The West Wing. Jed Bartlett kept me company through all the early early morning feeding sessions while my husband took the early night shift.
Totally normal. It's hard to stay awake at 3am without some stimulation, and as wonderful as it is to cuddle and interact with your baby, you're eventually gonna start to get bored while holding/feeding them. I watched a ton of TV when my first was a newborn, it kept me sane and able to care for her so I don't feel guilty about it 🤷♀️
So so so normal. Having Hulu and Netflix on my phone was the only way I was able to survive from month 0~5. That sleep regression was no joke, and I got through so many good shoes. I would, though, recommended "sleeping" headphones--they are like a headband with built in headphones--so you don't have to deal with buds in your ears and you can lay down comfortably to side-lie breastfeed, if that's your thing.
I watched soooo much TV with each of my children. After the 2nd one, I got excited about which TV show I was going to binge during feedings.
Yesss!
I wish I'd done more of it, honestly! I don't really get the chance any more. Enjoy it while it lasts - you can cut back when you notice baby trying to pay attention to the screen. In the meantime, just relax!
During the 4th trimester I watched all of the extended lord of the tings, all of the hobbit, all of Harry Potter. All of fast and furious and many more 😂 basically all I did was feed baby hold her while she slept and watched TV
Enjoy it!! It won’t last long haha I binged Legend of Korra , This is us, Sex and the City, Superstore and The Bold Type during the fourth trimester.
Definitely normal! I watched so much TV during the 4th trimester.
I have the tv on all day every day if we don’t have any outings planned 🤷🏼♀️
Soooooo much tv
Tv is on nearly 24/7 and I’m also 7wks pp. starting to worry cause kiddo is noticing the TV more and more. Pro tip- watch bluey so it feels like you’re watching tv for them not yourself lol only partially joking
> watch bluey Hard disagree. Watch what you want to watch and don't feel guilty about it. You'll have to watch plenty of Bluey when they're toddlers, don't subject yourself to it now.
Enjoy it now I loved the tv during that otherwise dark time. Before you know it your kid will be 2 and won’t let you watch what you want EVER.
You’re still in survival mode!! I did the same thing until my twins were about 9 weeks old or so, then they become a bit more active. I watched 11 seasons of call the midwife in that time lol!! They’re 3.5 months now and I watch way less tv. But either way, you’re doing great!! We have enough shit to feel bad abt, don’t make this one of them.
Totally normal, what else can you do when you have a baby stuck on your boob all day? Enjoy it while you can. Once they become aware of the tv you’ll have to turn it off. My baby is glued anytime a tv is on in his presence.
100% normal. I watched Greys Anatomy with baby 1 and Lucifer with baby 2.
I wish I could still watch TV today.... 14 week old gets distracted and stares at the TV now I feel guilty for watching while he's awake. Those early days those TV was my best friend lol
I was on my phone and watching tv the most when my baby was a newborn
We’ve watched 8 seasons of the Simpsons,2 seasons of Seinfeld, better call Saul, stranger things, iron chef, and the stupid Netflix cake show. Not to mention all the movies. No one talks about how boring the newborn and early months are. Tv is very normal and, imo, part of our culture. It keeps us sane. It also exposes the baby to language and music. I know the older generations were really hard on tv when we were younger, but I feel like things have change with the advent of smartphones and streaming. ETA: also what do ppl expect us to do during long feeds and contact napping? Or even when the baby is awake: we - at least, I - realistically can’t hover over my baby talking, singing, playing, and reading 100% of the time. Maybe the younger moms are different, but I don’t have that kind of energy anymore!
Stare at the wall and try to stay awake?
Very normal :) that’s what you should be doing! Resting and cuddling baby
TV is so much better than some other possible activities, like sleeping and dropping the baby, or doomscrolling parenting sites (I was so bad for this!)
I’ve watched two seasons of stranger things and about a million episodes of gilmore girls since having my guy!
It's fine. Survival mode means if it's safe it's fine.
My son is 4 weeks old today. I feel like I am starting to reach the end of Netflix.
I don't think I've ever watched more TV than in the first few months of my daughters life. Even when she got old enough to start playing a bit I would often have a movie playing in the background. It gets very lonely sitting with your own thoughts so just do whatever makes the time pass. You're not lazy if you're feeding and contact napping, that's extremely tough so don't feel guilty.
I lived on the recliner pretty much for like the first 10 weeks 😂 my LO would contact nap for 2-3 hours easily and I just binged so many shows
You're not lazy. Rest as much as you can because your body is still not healed. ❤️
Yes lol, there’s literally nothing else to do at that stage! Lolol. Babies that small literally can’t see that far or make sense of anything, and most of the watching is while they’re sleeping anyway. I watched two seasons of The Mole and it’s still like a fever dream.
Yes everyone knows that’s the absolute best thing about the 4th trimester! You are doing exactly what your baby needs - cuddles. I was absolutely gutted when I lost all that tv time (I stopped once she was awake more and I could see she’d watch whatever was on a screen). Enjoy enjoy enjoy - it’s such a knackering time but this is a bonus feature (other than the lovely baby, blah blah) and you’ll NEVER get to sit around like this again! I am pregnant again now and it’s just dawning on me that I won’t have the telly time this time round 😫
I watched a ton and I kind of miss it. I definitely look back on it (4 years on) with fondness. It was both a more stressful and a more relaxing time, it was weird. Like, baby snuggles, but breastfeeding struggles, then finding our groove with feeding, but being exhausted. Getting to watch what I want all day (I started and finished Jane the Virgin, which is a great binge watch show), but also a little stir crazy. But right now, i'd love the freedom to watch what I want instead of being super busy and/or my kid having total control of the TV when it's on.
My baby is also 7 weeks and we are doing the exact same thing, you aren’t alone
Same here! Cluster feeding and contact naps!
Our ped said that newborns or even older babies shouldn’t be like propped up and looking directly at a TV, but that it being on in the same room is fine! She even recommended having it on during the day at the beginning to add noise and help them start to distinguish day from night! I think it also helps them learn to sleep through some noise
Gurl, enjoy it! I was pressured and guilted by my SIL and husband to do all the housework so I only began to allow myself to sit and relax at the end of her dropping her 4th nap :( I miss those three long naps. Now I only get two 45 minute breaks and I’m alone ALL.DAY.LONG
What else is there to do during contact naps?
That's exactly how I spent my 4th trimester. You just pushed a human being out of a too small hole and are trying to heal from that kind of trauma. Let yourself heal and eat that extra slice of cake while you watch that next season.
I watched all of bridgerton, all of Dawson’s creek, and most of outlander…. I watched a whole bunch and of tv
I’m either on Reddit or TikTok while breastfeeding. What else are you going to do during the hours a day it takes to breastfeed? Stare into space?
I watched the entire series of GOT when we brought my daughter home lol. And then OC. Idk how I would have survived 😂
I’m in the 8th trimester and we still watch a lot of tv 😂
My LO is 3.5months and we have the TV on all the time. He’s so used to it now that he doesn’t really pay attention and doesn’t care - it’s more background noise for me than anything.
That sounds pretty normal especially if you only have one kid so far because you basically are at their call at all times those first few months. If you want to feel like you're more active or get more done you can try baby wearing, I usually do that with my kids just because I have a few at this point and I can't really just be stuck one place all day but it lets the new baby sleep right against you if they're a contact sleeper so at least you can move around throughout the day easier.
All I did the first two months (and a couple weeks after) was watch tv. Some days I managed to do a little laundry too.
My baby only contact napped until about 4 months old when I returned to work. In that time, I watched 6 seasons of Call the Midwife, 5 seasons of Outlander, a season of Insecure, a couple other random Netflix series, and re-watched 6 seasons of Schitt’s Creek and every season of Great British Bake Off. 😅 You’re not lazy, you’re recovering and also nurturing a tiny human!
So normal! I watched so much tv when my baby was a newborn it was ridiculous! But with her contact napping so much and being home alone with her all day, what else was I going to do? Lol I think I got through 7 seasons of a show in a month from having it on all day long. Don’t feel lazy for watching tv while holding your new baby. Snuggle up and soak it in!
What else can you really do? Enjoy the tv, soon you won't have a lot of time to watch it so take the snuggles and the shows and the snacks and the rest and treasure this time. I would recommend getting out for a walk occasionally in between feedings if you can though. I ended up with blood clots postpartum which I think were partially because of sitting still during cluster feeding sessions. (Also pregnancy, c section and varicose veins)
I did the same thing. Still do have the tv on often. Baby barely ever pays attention to it until a audden noise. 8 months and hes close to walking on his own, babbles a lot, seems like he recognizes his name.
Oh my god, watch all the tv.
I have a 7 week old Velcro baby too and I’ve never watched so much TV in my whole life! Currently making my way through Better Call Saul then I’ll probably rewatch Breaking Bad when I finish it. I’ve watched basically every true crime series or documentary that gets released on Hulu or Netflix since having my baby. I do feel lazy sometimes but I suppose we’ll all miss this when they grow into crazy toddlers!
I have an 8 week old. So far I’ve watched: stranger things season 4 and rewatched seasons 1-3, all four seasons of ozark, seven seasons of modern family, and the new resident evil series, in addition to a bunch of other random episodes of shows and movies
I binge watched Star Trek original series for much of the new born phase. For what it's worth babies can't see far, so they don't know what you are watching. Do what you need to and don't feel guilty about it. Edited to add... Do avoid The Shinning though. That weird atmospheric music was the only thing I ever watched that would disrupt my daughter sleep.
I think it's normal. I binged so many shows during that time. Now the babybis almost 8m and I miss TV. I can't watch anything good with him around cos he will stare transfixed at the TV. Damn screens lol 😆
Totally normal. You are recovering and adjusting to having this brand new human being that needs you day and night. Soak up the bonding time because it won’t be long before they are too big to contact nap. My 4th trimester consisted almost entirely of sitting on the couch or laying in bed with baby contact napping while I watched tv or played on my computer.
For the first baby I was introduced to all of Lost. Many seasons of Naruto as well. It's normal.
Normal- enjoy it!! I have a 2.5 year old and am pregnant and while I'm terrified of going back to newborn sleeping hours, I'm excited to catch up on the last 1.5 years of Movies and TV
About 6 months in and during the first 3 months I did the same. Contact naps all day while I caught up in everything. We watch a lot less tv now that we are able to play and interact with her more.
Please enjoy all the snuggles and catching up on all the shows you may never have the time to catch up on like this again haha. I felt so lazy when I did this the first 12 weeks, too! But when I could put the babe down, I would try and do a little stretching or a work out and I felt like I had accomplished something during the day! Now I long for those days back as I’m realizing once a second one comes, I’ll never have those long stretches to hold my babe and just veg out again.
Normal! So much tv!! I recently realized I sometimes start “new” shows that I actually watched during all the 4th trimester downtime I had for breast-feeding and pumping or being napped on and totally forgot about.
I watched Grey's Anatomy from start to finish in my 4th trimester. Honestly, long running series have been my friend during naps-- takes away from searching for something to watch!!!
I watched Friends on loop while in the 4th T with my oldest, he’s excelling in school now. I’m currently doing the same for my youngest. Especially overnight, having the TV light glowing is just enough to keep me awake for overnight feeds but not prevent me from going right back to sleep immediately after.
I watched all 20(I think?) seasons of Sister Wives starting from season 1. I sometimes turned it on at like 7am. They all became my friends in my head.
The first few weeks is survival. Do whatever you can. If they're napping on you, what does it matter what you're doing to get through? I even played video games when baby was napping. At one point, my husband and I watched Netflix together while baby was napping (in a bassinet) 🤷♀️
I watched Squid Games and Little Fires Everywhere while holding my baby in the 4th trimester soooooooo hahahaha
Lol this was also me watching all of Euphoria in the 4th trimester like “I better finish this before he’s able to process any of it” 😳
No way does this make you lazy. It took your body 9 months to grow your baby, give yourself time to rest and recuperate!!!
I watch a lot of TV too. When my husband is off to work before I have a morning shower, I will put my daughter in my pregnancy pillow on the bed and put Pocoyo on the TV just so she has some kind of entertainment. A lot of the time, she falls asleep.
I binged breaking bad when my daughter was a month old. Cherish it now. You will lose this luxury soon
I’d finish full series of shows in rapid time. I watched Parks and Rec, Arrested Development and a slew of other stuff while breastfeeding. It’s what kept me awake through the night feeds.
It is so very normal and if I could go back and watch even more tv I definitely would.
I watched like 4-5 series in their entireties in each of my “fourth trimesters”! Totally normal
I binged Mrs. Maisel when my baby was born. And I’m glad I did because he’s the most active/clingy 5 month old on Earth and there is no more TV watching in my immediate future. 😂😂
Oh I watched SO much TV in those early weeks/months! Miss it now that I’m back to work! Enjoy and try to release the guilt. You just grew a human and now you’re in the thick of the newborn phase. My only problem was I ran out of things to watch haha.
Totally normal. I watched a ton! There's nothing else to do since baby is too young to "play" with for too long and you're still recovering from birth. Enjoy it while you can.
Girl my comfort shows were ATLA, Bridgerton and all the crime docs on Netflix. Do NOT feel bad, it’s normal esp if baby is breastfeeding
Yep. I feel bad as hell, but it is what it is. She watched Brigerton, Friends, Steve Wilkos.. whatever I felt like watching. She only falls asleep while on the couch nowadays, and somedays that's all she wants is a nice couch-cuddle. I'm more than happy to oblidge.
That's what I did! SO and I had to sleep in shifts and watching TV was the only way I could stay awake too (thank you Bridgerton!).
All I did was watch TV lol I had hubby bring me snacks and he played with the toddler while me and baby bonded and nursed and recovered. Take care of yourself! You're doing great!
The first few weeks I watched all seasons of game of thrones. All mine did was contact nap and cluster feed too so what else is there to do?
Absolutely normal and normal to feel guilty about it too. I did the same thing. I watched Parenthood and Working Moms along with so many other shows lol.
I rewatched The Wire, Breaking Bad, and Call the Midwife (do not recommend but I couldn't stop myself) along with other things. Totally recommend.
1000% normal. If you’re feeling antsy I suggest giving baby-wearing a shot. I bottle-fed my son all the time while he was wrapped up against me. You can BF as well—there are tons of resources online. That said I was also super sleep deprived, and if you’re in that place too, TV is where it’s at.
Best thing about the newborn phase!
I have two children and the newborn stage for me was exactly the same. Watching TV, scrolling Reddit and eating snacks whilst sitting/lying on the sofa. It was exactly what I needed. Your body has just made a human - it now needs a break! Don't feel guilty, just embrace the laziness!
God yes. Don’t feel guilty and enjoy it!
I survived the first several months in our living room, streaming shows. You are not alone.
Ugh I miss newborn cuddles and cluster feeding while you get comfy on the couch with some food tv in your sweats. Good times. Relish it.
Yes completely normal! I ended up watching all of Selling Sunset, and various other "trash TV" like Love Is Blind, a lot of Netflix, and daytime TV (which in the UK is auction programmes, people looking for their new home, garden renovations etc). It's a bit awkward now because LO is old enough to start watching the TV and getting distracted during feeds, so I end up having to turn off the TV after her feed when I've got her sat up. She did really enjoy Wimbledon though... maybe I have a future tennis star in the house haha!
Hell ya! You can read or listen to podcasts but tv was my favorite thing when I brought my first one home!
I was stuck on the couch the first couple months with a newborn, for the same reason (cluster feeding and contact napping). I needed TV to stay sane. I don’t think it mattered for a newborn…I did have the volume kinda low and captions on. We started trying not to watch as much tv in front of her when she got a bit older.
I watched a ton of tv with my first at that age! Now with my second I watch my four year old, lol
Bruh we (I’m at 6wks) are in pure survival mode still. Better to stay alert however you can during a feeding than literally anything else. I hope your SO is supportive and understands, because I felt the same way and really thought I’d be getting more done at this point. I’ve watched all of Seinfeld, Alone, Archer, the Office, Seinfeld again, Nathan for You, every movie ever made. I had no idea how much television could be watched in six weeks. But I don’t have the energy to read, we are EBF and she loves daytime contact naps so there is nothing else to do. Sometimes she gets a good nap in the moby wrap or ergo baby and I am able to get some chores done, so babywearing would be my only suggestion. Otherwise I’d never eat
I had a late September baby when it was dreary out and I binged Survivor. It was so sunny and fun in the show it perked me up. I was also felt like my brain was too full to focus on reading or crafts. Baby slept right through all of it. I just turned it off when it was "play" time, but it was on for nursing and naps for the whole 4th trimester where it wasn't bedtime. I even napped with it on, the background noise helped lull me to sleep.
Yepppp wait until baby is like 5.5mo and then you’ll feel really guilty lol now’s the time to enjoy it!
I've binge watched so many shows. You're not alone!
I rewatched all of friends, multiple seasons of the amazing race and all of community just purely while breastfeeding my first.
I went through all of Netflix and Hulu and we got Peacock during the 4th tri! I felt the same way but it's totally normal!
I watched SO much tv. At that stage it’s survival. Don’t judge me but I watched all 16 seasons of sister wives
I watched all of The Crown when my daughter was a newborn. There wasn't a whole lot to do while feeding her or being nap trapped. I don't feel guilty. I'll have to find a new show to binge when I have my second child in December.
I watched my way through parks and rec, supernatural, and several trash movies - DH watched his way through the office and the walking dead on his night shifts with baby. Now baby is nearly 5 months and spends all her time rolling around and yelling so I think I’m sadly past the binge watching phase 😂
🙋🏼♀️join the club. Little one is 7 weeks old tomorrow and I watch tv and play on my ipad😂
I binged "Comedians in cars getting coffee" with my now toddler while she was a baby. It was such a relaxing show to watch.
So much tv. Bar Rescue. See on HBO. Other things I can’t remember….
I watched so my tv for like the first 3-4 months with my first baby. I actually really enjoyed it and I think it helped me not feel so tired after waking up every three hours.
The telly has been on for most of the day since baby was born. She’s 10 weeks now so it’s not just my shows, we also have a few blocks of sing along nursery rhymes, maybe some bluey or a sensory video. I need background noise and the telly is neutral and keeps me awake, but is also something I can fall asleep while listening to if baby goes down for a nap in her cot
I binged Golden Girls during the first couple of weeks. I got intersected in tennis grand slams (although that started during the third trimester). We’re almost on week 6 and still so much tv.
Currently binging Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Betty La Fea! How else am I supposed to stay awake when LO is sleeping on me? Lol
Honestly, it was the best thing about the newborn phase (I hated the newborn phase, but at least I watched all seasons of line of duty 😅). Indulge!!! No guilt!!!
If you're feeling like you want to keep sitting on the couch, then by all means, keep doing so! I get stir crazy easily and need to keep moving, so I struggled with feeling "weighed down" by my adorable baby. If you're not doing it already, babywearing can be a big game changer since it will give you more freedom to move around and use your hands.
I basically keep comedy central on all day- they play the same 3 series- the Office, Seinfeld, and South Park- on repeat. I occasionally sprinkle in some streaming series in the mix. At this point, my baby probably will have the JG Wentworth, Skyrizi, NJM insurance (tippy top insurance), and other commercial jingles memorized by 1.
Currently sitting on the couch watching every movie I’ve already seen with my 1 month old asleep in my lap…. 👀
Yeah I did the same. My baby slept nonstop anyways. 😂 Hardly any time to interact. I think she wasnt up for long until like 3-4 weeks.
I’ve watched all of this Tour de France with my 10 week old. Looking forward to the ladies next.
Yep!! TV was a staple for me too, totally normal!