Things That Make Working From Home With a Baby Smoother Than My Baby’s Bottom

Can I keep the baby happily playing near me while I finish something? Can I capture an idea without putting him down? How do I keep both me and my baby on the schedule that we need? If you're working at home with a baby in tow, I bet you've asked yourself similar questions.

While trial and error plays a huge role, there are a few things that have earned permanent spots in my WFH setup since having a baby that have really helped. Once crawling enters the chat, I suspect I’m going to need to rethink some of them, but for now, here’s what has helped during these first six months.

(Oh, and nothing in this article is sponsored. It’s all stuff I genuinely use and love, or am curious about giving a shot.)

What I Use to Make Working From Home With a Baby Easier

Baby gym and play mat

This is probably the most obvious baby item on the list, but it’s also one of the things I use most.

We keep our baby gym and play mat right beside my desk, so he has his own space to play while I work and I can stay close and keep an eye on him. It works for us pretty much any time of day, which is part of why it’s been so useful.

If he’s happy to play, I can put him down there with a few things to look at and reach for and get a bit of work done beside him. It doesn’t turn into hours of uninterrupted work, but it gives me a setup where we can both do our own thing for a little while.

Contrast banner

I think you'll find contrast cards on most baby shower gift lists, but I really like the banner format. It's the same basic idea, except I don't have to sit there holding up individual cards. I tied ours onto the baby gym so he can look at it while he's lying there. Very high-tech.

Baby monitor with its own screen

I specifically wanted a baby monitor with a separate screen instead of one that uses my phone. If the baby is sleeping in another room, I can keep the monitor beside me and still use my phone normally for work, messages or whatever else I need it for.

I also like that this doesn’t have to be an expensive purchase. Mine certainly wasn’t.

Baby carrier

There are times when my baby wants to be close and I would also quite like the use of my arms. I use my carrier, the Tula Baby Go Anywhere, for those times. You can use whichever carrier you like, but I particularly like mine because I can easily switch it so my baby faces in or out, depending on his mood, and it has comfy, adjustable straps that keep me supported.

This goes hand in hand with my standing desk. I can sit and type while wearing him, but sometimes he wants a little movement too. Being able to raise the desk means I can stand, give him a bit of a bounce, and keep working while he settles or sleeps.

I haven’t used the carrier for calls yet, but I suspect most of my clients wouldn’t object to a tiny sleepy baby joining.

Standing desk

I liked my standing desk before I had a baby. I appreciate it even more now.

Sitting at a desk for a long uninterrupted stretch is not always how my days work anymore. Sometimes I have the baby in the carrier. Sometimes I just don't want to sit because balancing on one leg might be the best form of exercise I get that day.

I spend a lot more of my day standing, swaying and moving around than I used to, so being able to bring my desk up with me fits the way I work now.

Voice dictation

As a writer, I tend to come up with ideas at random times. Since having a baby, quite a few of those times seem to involve having him in my arms. Voice dictation means I can capture an idea without putting him down or waiting until I’m back at my computer. I use it for article ideas, sentences I don’t want to lose, or quick notes I know I won’t remember later.

It’s simple, but it has become one of my favorite ways to make sure having my hands full doesn’t mean losing a good idea.

Calendar blocks

Calendar blocks help me turn a very unpredictable day into something I can at least plan around. I put my baby's "time blocks" in there too, which helps me plan my deepest work around his naps and lighter work or breaks when I know he usually needs me the most.

Of course, the baby doesn't care what is on my calendar. A nap can be shorter than expected, a feed can land right in the middle of a work block, and some days the whole plan shifts. But I like giving myself something to work with, whether I follow it flawlessly or not.

Yoga mat

I like having a little zone for myself during the day that isn’t for work or the baby. For me, that’s a yoga mat that I leave out in another room.

I sit a lot for work, and having a baby comes with plenty of time spent feeding, carrying and generally holding my body in whatever position works for him at the time. I get stiff. Having the mat out and ready lets get moving when I have the chance.

I might stretch out my back, do a few yoga poses, or take a few minutes to breathe and decompress. I find I’m much more likely to do any of that when the mat is already out and waiting for me. It’s a small thing, but I like having a space in the middle of the day that feels intentional and mine.

Meditation

This is not really a thing, but it has become part of my workday. Meditation in any form has become really helpful when I just need five or ten minutes to get my brain and my breath back. Working from home with a baby means I can move between very different kinds of attention all day, and I’ve found that short pauses help me reset.

Sometimes I follow a meditation on YouTube or use an app. But lately I’ve also been using music, and right now I’m obsessed with Nordic chants. Maybe it's the wintery weather settling in, but the rhythm and intensity is mwah—chef's kiss—right now.

If you want an app, Insight Timer is a good free option with lots of guided meditations. Otherwise, YouTube is easy to search depending on what kind of practice or music you’re in the mood for.

For me, the important part is simply having a few minutes where I can be still, breathe, and come back to the day feeling more grounded.

Things I Want to Try for Working From Home With a Baby

I haven't tried these yet, but they're on my radar because I can see where they might fit into my day. If you use one, I'd love to hear how you like it.

Walking pad

I'm interested in a walking pad mostly because I want more movement in my workday. There are plenty of tasks I can do while reading, researching, or working through lighter admin, and I like the idea of being able to walk while I do them.

Privacy screen filter

My baby is getting much more interested in screens, which has made me think more about how visible my laptop is when he's nearby.

Privacy screen filters are designed to make a screen harder to see from the side. I don't expect one to hide the screen completely, especially if he's looking straight at it, but I’m curious whether it could make the laptop a little less noticeable while he's playing next to me.

You Don’t Have to Spend a Lot to Make WFH With a Baby Easier

Making the day easier doesn't have to mean buying a lot of new stuff.

A lot of the things on this list can be found secondhand, especially baby gear like play gyms, carriers and monitors. I'm also part of a local mom group, and items get swapped around a lot between families, either for free or for very, very cheap.

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