There are quite a few work at home moms who have recently found out what it is like to work at home with a newborn. It`s not always easy, especially if it`s your first baby, but there are a few areas that pretty much every mom deals with when she has a baby.

0-3 months

These are actually the best months of your baby`s life when it comes to working at home! Sure, you`re exhausted all the time and struggling with the post-birth hormones and frequent feelings of helplessness . . . but the truth is, most babies will be more than happy to just be held at this point.

It`s a good idea to leave yourself some breathing room after the baby is born, especially if it`s your first. There`s a lot to get used to and you will need to get some sleep in there, too. So leave at least 2 weeks free after the birth to get back into some semblance of routine.

Some people have babies who sleep all the time. Good for them. Neither of my boys has EVER slept well, so I spent entirely too much time trying to rock the first one to sleep. With the second baby, I had it figured out . . . he just wanted to be close to me. Not a problem. I put him in a baby sling and learned to type with my elbows sticking out. Sometimes, he would settle nicely in his bouncy chair, with me rocking it with one foot. You`d be amazed at how much you can get done while carrying a tiny infant, just make sure it`s hands free so you can still do stuff.

4-6 months

At this age, your baby is looking for more entertainment. This is when you get an itsy bitsy glimpse of what life will be like in the future. Suddenly more alert, your little one won`t be happy to just sit like a lump on a log. He wants you to entertain him. Some babies even start crawling by 6 months.

A few ideas to keep that little person busy:

• Give the baby items of clothing to feel and chew on. Choose various textures and when he bores of one, switch it out with a new one.
• Rattles and noise makers are lots of fun for your baby at this age.
• Tummy time is important, but if your baby is like my two, putting him on his belly will just provoke a screaming fit. Try propping his chest and arms up with a rolled up blanket. This lets the baby play with toys in front of him.

7-9 months

Now things are getting interesting. And now you`ll start realizing why everyone keeps saying a newborn is so easy.

At this age, your baby is starting to get mobile. He can probably sit up on his own, scoot around somehow (my oldest scooted on his bottom for the longest time, while the little one slithered like a snake on his belly), which means you have to keep a close eye on things like houseplants and chokeables. Older babies need more attention, too, or they get bored and tend to flip out.

The good news? By now, your little one will have a proper napping schedule, probably 2-3 naps a day, which means you can schedule your working time for naptime. You`ll also have more energy than you did in the early days and will be able to stay up later at night to work if needed.

Good toys to keep a baby of this age occupied:

• Wind up or pull cord toys. You can send them zipping across the floor and let your baby scoot after them to bring them back.
• Mirrors are lots of fun at this age, just make sure they are unbreakable.
• Toys with buttons that do things, like make noises, are popular.
• Water bottles with a handful of beans or rice inside and the lid glued down are great cheap noise makers.
• Show your baby how to bang on a formula tin with a spoon and he`ll keep it up for ages.
• Most babies enjoy bopping to music at this age, too.

10-12 months

Wow, a whole year has already gone by. Trust me, toddlers are a lot of fun, and the great part is that they can really entertain themselves a lot. But if things get too quiet, don`t forget to peek in on them.

By this time, your little one is probably crawling, thinking about walking (early walkers will start now) and pulling himself up on stuff. Watch out, this is when your computer is in sudden danger. Odds and ends being shoved into the disk drive, curious fingers poking the on/off switch . . . start teaching them now that the computer is off limits. We actually got our boys a toy computer that they could play with, but ours was off limits.

Keeping a super active baby busy while trying to work is not easy. Here are a few ideas to help you out.

• Set up obstacle courses, chairs with blankets draped over them to make tunnels, cushions to climb on, etc. Babies can spend hours climbing through these.
• Snacks. At this age, most kids are able to eat finger food on their own (within your sight) and this is a great way to offset a tantrum or to keep him busy while you finish typing up an invoice.
• Making noise is a big hit at this age, so those bottles with rice come in handy, as do pots and pans.
• Babies like exploring, so set up a cupboard full of things he can get into, like plastic dishes and pot lids.
• Have lots of chunky board books available, most babies who have been read to will sit down and take a moment to flip through a book on their own. Of course, then the hard part is actually working instead of being distracted by the cute little voice “reading” aloud!

Babies are a blessing, but they are also a lot of work and it`s tough to work from home AND take care of a newborn. That being said, there are tons of women who do this every day and it`s not impossible. Make sure you take time to enjoy your baby along the way, you`ll regret it if you don`t. After all, the whole point of working from home is to be with your little one, right? That doesn`t mean you shouldn`t consider a nanny or other childcare if you have to get a lot done, but do schedule in time to go for walks together, or just hang out on the floor with your baby.

Feel free to add any advice you have in the comments.

Photo by Editor B.

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• What Are You Neglecting?
• Is Work at Home Balance Really Possible?
• Turn a Bad Day Into a Splendid One!
• Do You Ask for Help?
• Tips for Enlisting Your Husband’s Help