Summer Babies Can Come With Some Serious FOMO, Mom Explains

Summer is all about getting out, enjoying the weather, and having fun, but with your hands full with a newborn, many activities just don’t feel as doable anymore. In a now-viral TikTok and Instagram Reel, midwestern mom Emily, of @takeaminutemama, breaks down the unexpected summer blues she encountered after welcoming her third daughter just four months ago.

“I’m currently struggling with summertime with a baby in the Midwest. It’s hot pretty much everywhere right now, and it’s just hard,” the mom of three notes while rocking her baby. She explains that while she has everything to keep her baby comfortable in the heat, it’s no walk in the park to get it all done, from sunscreen to setting up an umbrella and getting on a swimsuit.

“It’s not like when you go on vacation and you have a bunch of help. This is my day-to-day, and I just feel stuck. Like we’re missing out because I just can’t be out at the beach all day. I can’t be at the pool all day,” she says. Emily equates the feeling to when it’s nice outside and you feel like you have to get outside and do something, and if you don’t, you feel bad because you missed out on a beautiful day.

“That’s how I feel every day. Because it’s just nice, and I know that it’s just a season, and I know that next summer is gonna look different. I’m gonna have a one-year-old running around that will be able to do a lot more. But I’m just here to say that if you also feel stuck this summer with a baby, as much as you love it, as much as it’s everything you wanted, it’s still hard because it doesn’t look like it did last year,” she adds.

In the comments, other parents chimed in with their acknowledgment and support. “Omg girl I felt this all last summer. But hang in there and know it’s just a blip. You aren’t missing out. Just keep snuggling her because next summer you’ll be chasing her and miss the snuggle. You’re doing amazing but you certainly aren’t alone,” wrote one mom. “I feel this! Between the naps and the feedings, it’s hard to fit ANYTHING in,” added another. “I get this!!! I wanna take the big kids places and pool all day but baby,” one parent wrote.

If you are struggling with feelings of isolation or like you can’t give your older kids the summer experiences you want, parents and experts agree that it helps to acknowledge 1) that your feelings are valid and this time can be tough, 2) that this is just one season and it will pass and 3) that there are ways to find little wins and magical moments along the way.

Remember, summer fun isn’t just beaches and pools with the family. It can look like a lot of things, from a friend or family member taking the big kids on a summer adventure to having a short neighborhood get-together with umbrellas, ice cream, kiddie pools and splash tables. Whatever your summer fun looks like, check out these tips for bringing baby along.