Hi Friends!
Now that squish is almost 3 months old (WHAT?!), I thought I would share some of the tips for new moms that have helped us survive the first few months with a newborn.
They might not all work for everyone but hopefully a couple of them will help make someone’s life a little easier.
So here we go:
1. Keep a hair dryer near your diaper changing station. Diaper rash springs up surprisingly fast and can quickly lead to super red, irritated and even bleeding skin. Our pediatrician told us to use the hair dryer on low heat or the “cool” air setting to dry baby’s bottom during diaper changes. It’s one of the best tips we’ve gotten. It helps clear up the redness quickly and Chase actually loves it! He stops crying the second you start drying. I don’t use it every time I change him but after an especially poopy diaper or if I see redness starting I definitely dry him off.
2. Be prepared for things even if they’re not in your plan. Don’t plan on giving baby a pacifier? Great…but buy one or two anyways. When baby is a few days old and you’ve tried EVERYTHING to get him to sleep at night, you may have a change of heart and at 3am you’ll be glad you have one on hand. Same thing for formula. Planning to breastfeed? Wonderful! But buy a small carton of formula or save one of the free samples you get in the mail. When baby is 3 days old and jaundiced and your doctor tells you that you need to start supplementing with formula immediately, you’ll be glad you don’t have to drag baby to the store to find some.
3. If you’re using formula, fill a couple bottles with the right amount of water before you go to bed. When you’re half awake in the middle of the night, it’s just one less thing you have to worry about.
4. Don’t buy too many diapers until you know what size your baby is and how quickly they grow. Same goes for clothes. If people want to get you diapers, ask for larger sizes that they’ll definitely grow into. My baby only wore newborn diapers for a week or two before hitting the weight limit. He’s also already wearing 6-9 month clothes at 2 months. That being said, make sure you have a few newborn outfits on hand. Many people will actually buy you larger clothes and you may find yourself with nothing for baby to wear right when he’s born.
5. Get a rock and play. We have this one. I bought a pack and play with every intention of having baby sleep in it from day one. WRONG. He’s been sleeping and napping in the rock and play since we brought him home. We carried it up and down the stairs every day for the first couple of months so it would be nearby no matter which room we were in. It vibrates gently which is especially great when they’re little and is also at a bit of an incline which can help with reflux. Now that he’s a little older, I think we’ll transition him to the pack and play in a few weeks and then eventually to his crib. If your baby doesn’t like the rock and play, try something else. Many babies love the boppy. I used ours maybe 2 times and that was it.
6. If you have a boy, point the winkie down in the diaper. If you don’t, when he pees it will go right out the top. Also- always have a clean diaper on hand and ready when changing a dirty one. You never know when he’ll start peeing and give you, himself, the floor, the walls, etc a nice shower.
7. Sleep when others are there to help you. It’s great if you can sleep when baby sleeps but I personally found that I never really slept very soundly when he was napping during the first few months. I was always half awake keeping an eye on him. However, if a friend or relative wants to do you a favor, ask them to come over and sit with baby for an hour or two while you go upstairs to sleep. You’ll sleep much more deeply knowing someone else is watching him.
8. Try baby-wearing. Ring slings, woven wraps and other fabric carriers are great when they’re little. I used the Baby K’tan first and then switched to an Ergo. For me personally, the k’tan was great when he was first born, but he was a big baby and he got bigger (and heavier) very quickly. I found that the Ergo works better for us now because it has a waist strap that helps take some of the pressure off my upper back. I put him in there, with the infant insert, whenever he’s super fussy and doesn’t want to sit still, when we’re going to a store and we don’t want to deal with the carseat or even just when I need to get things done the require my hands to be free. It always calms him down and he usually falls asleep in it. I can’t wait to get the Ergo 360 when he’s big enough to face forwards! Keep in mind that some babies don’t like the Ergo so try lots of different carriers to find one that works for you and baby.
9. Experiment! Find your baby’s favorite napping position, what makes them happy, what feeding schedule works best, what calms them down, etc…Every baby is different so don’t be afraid to try something new to see if it works for your family!
10. Break the “rules”! Think you have to swaddle your baby when you put them to bed? WRONG. My baby hated being swaddled so we stopped that after night 2 and he slept much better. Think you have to breastfeed because “breast is best”? WRONG. It’s only best if it’s best for you and your baby. You can read about my experience HERE. Bottom line is, there’s not one right way to do things with a baby. Do what works for you and your family.
Bonus: Always keep a change of clothes in the diaper bag. Just trust me.
Good luck! Soak up every minute, good and bad, because it really does go just as fast as everyone says it does.
Let’s chat:
Are you a mom? What tips would you add?!
[Tweet “Pregnant or know someone who is? @Leangrnbeanblog shares 10 Tips For New Moms!”]
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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These are great tips! You are a wise mama only 3 months in! I’d never heard of the hair dryer trick, but that is great. The picture is priceless, too! 🙂
Spot on haha. Fun fact – Emmie would only handle bath time if we dried her off with a hair dryer after 🙂
haha love it!
These are all so good! I keep a change for Baby D AND me in the diaper bag. Kid is a super soaker! Oh I just want to snuggle your little guy!!!!
oooh good call!
Love love love!! I love the tip about breaking all the “rules”. My husband and I never planned on swaddling our son, but it was the only way he would sleep – once we started doing that things changed. I also like the revamped “sleep when others are there” tip, that’s the only way I can sleep during the day. Sleeping when the baby sleeps when you are alone with the baby is really hard – for me at least. This is spot on, thanks for the awesome post.
it’s funny how baby just lets you know how it’s going to be 🙂
Not a mom yet, but one of my best friends had a little boy last week- will definitely pass this on to her! (and my other best friend that is having a boy in April- lots of boys all around)!
thanks for sharing!
For tip #2 our doctor had us breastfeed every hour until the jaundice cleared up. It took about 4 days, and half of the time people handed a still sleeping me a baby to feed, but we were able to bypass formula which is great since it turns out she’s not able to tolerate any dairy. If we bought formula it would have been regular off the shelf since we had no idea that she would have this issue. I even had to cut dairy from my diet. It’s been a lot of fun.
I recommend keeping at least 2 pairs of clothes in a diaper bag because… well I’ve gone through that many on a quick trip out. Blowouts and vomit happens… yay… fun mom stuff!
true…every kid is different. we had to use formula because my milk hadn’t come in yet. and good call on the two changes of clothes!
Love these tips!! I’m due in May with my first, so I’m trying to collect as many tips, tricks, and ideas as I can. I know everything is individual to your baby and his/her needs, likes and dislikes, so I want to be armed with lots of different ideas. You know, for those sleepless 3am nights when I’m desperate! 🙂
hope they help!
Yes, I agree with all these!! My son will be one in a couple weeks and we are expecting our second this summer. My son slept in a swing for about four months then right to the crib. I would add that you don’t always have to buy baby things. For example, we prefer to use regular old bath towels to dry him up after bath time. The hooded baby towels are super cute, but thin and small. Just didn’t work for us. We also waited until Ezra was born before we bought a lot of things…and with Amazon mom/prime shipping it all worked out. The only thing I would caution against (even though i know you and your readers probably already know this) is breaking ALL the rules. No pillows, blankets, bumpers on bed for the first year is a pretty important rule!
totally agree about the bath towels! and yes, that is an important rule not to break!
I have to say I don’t agree with sleeping “rules”. My son is a wild sleeper. Always tossing around in bed shifting from position to position. He sleeps well and sleeps for 12 hours without waking up. However, many times he hit his head, or arm, or leg on the crib and woke up screaming. I finally gave in a purchased bumpers and he didn’t wake up again. He has also snuggled with a blanket from day 3. He won’t sleep without a blanket to hold onto (it’s a big sensory thing for him). Interestingly enough, he sleeps on his side after he almost choked/suffocated on spit-up in the hospital about 12 hours after he was born from laying on his back. I refused to accept “sometimes it just happens” when I brought my concern to my nurse. Every baby is different, and while there may be a “best” way for “most” babies, there are always exceptions.
so so true
My favorite “tip” that worked well for us, was to put a heating pad on medium in baby’s bed when you are up in the middle of the night to feed them, then take it out when you’re done. When you lay baby back down, they’re laying on something warm. Our daughter seemed to go down faster when we did this little trick.
We’re preparing for baby #2 in April and even though I won’t be a “new mom”, I’m always looking for others tips & tricks! Thanks for your great list!
i’ve heard that one before! gotta try it once we move him to the crib!
Keeping a change of clothes is a good tip right up through preschool! I would also say don’t buy too much of ANYTHING until your baby is a month old at least. Even if you have ideas about what you’d like to happen, babies have a way of changing all of that! Your baby is now the CEO of the family, and he/she will be telling you what you need to do/buy from now on! One exception is baby wearing – do it right away so you and the baby get used to it and it will pay off!
so so true!
All great tips and so many I’ve forgotten since my daughter is now 7 (where does the time go.) I’d add one onto your pack n play – that we figured out by accident. We never really got the nursery together (aka no crib until Mia was about 9 months old) so she was sleeping in a pack n play from early on which ended up being a godsend once we started traveling. So get your baby used to sleeping in one (even if it’s just at naptime) so when your family is away from home, you know baby will be a pro at sleeping in a familiar ‘setting’.
oooh great idea!
I don’t plan on having kids for another few years, but these tips are super handy! I would never think of using a hair dryer for nappy rash- I won’t forget that one for sure. And I’ve heard so many stories of baby boys spraying pee everywhere, haha. My cousin did that to my aunt when he was a baby and he hasn’t stopped hearing about it since!
haha definitely a hazard of the job!
Loved these tips and I’m definitely planning on referencing them again when we bring home our baby boy in May!! As a new, expecting mom, I’m excited and nervous…I need all the tips I can get 🙂
congrats and good luck!
Great tips Lindsay! I’ll need you to remind me of all of these hopefully a year from now 🙂 I’ve loved seeing all the sweet pictures of the little bean. Keep em coming 🙂 xo
thanks Jes!
Really great tips, Lindsay. I think number 2 is the most important–we all expect it to go a certain way, and really, you just never know. And number 6–yep! Learned that after a few too many middle of the night changes with my son when he was a newborn!
haha definitely been there 🙂
We bought a baby breeza formula maker, best invention EVER. You hsould look into it, got it at target!
thanks! i’ll check it out!
I would never think of #1 on my own so thanks so much for sharing that! I’ll keep that in mind for when I have my own children some day 🙂
Great tips! I’m a new mom of twin girls and I believe they share the same bday as squish…10/29! I can’t believe they’ll be 3 months soon! 🙂 my husband and
I love the baby wearing- it definitely comes in handy with 2. I’ve found a group of baby wearers that meet up 6x a month around CLE where I can test new carriers and “rent” them out for the month. It’s great! I’ve also found support in private Facebook groups on tandem wearing & breast feeding twins. I love hearing other woman’s triumphs and struggles. Is been a life saver during 3am feeds!
I also had the intention of putting them in their twin pack & play right away- but they love their rock & plays! Hopefully transitioning to crib soon!
🙂
Jackie
yes! i found a babywearing group here in columbus too! fb groups can be so helpful! good luck with the transition!
Great tips Mama! I agree with so many of these. Penelope hated to be swaddled so I stopped that immediately. Also, the rock ‘n play = life saver!
for sure! funny how different all babies are!
I have not had children yet so I am still collecting all the advice I can! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your tips.
Great tips Lindsay! So impressed with your organization at 3 months in! Hope you are enjoying every moment of motherhood!
Thanks Jessica! It’s the best!
Passing on to my stepdaughter that just have her baby yesterday!
yay! congrats to her!
Loved this! Super practical advice that I know a lot of people don’t think of!
I love the tip about breaking ‘the rules’ too. My baby hated the swaddle right off the bat and slept on her stomach since week 10 (once her head was strong enough to turn to the side and other side). People would freak out and I’m like, she’s sleeping, I’m sleeping, why is everyone so worked up with this?! haha.
I actually loved the pack’n’play for her right off the bat until she went to her crib at 2.5 months, but once again, gotta do what’s best for baby!
i remember reading your post about that! good for you mama 🙂
I can’t believe he is almost 3 months already! I am already sad at how fast the time will go! I will definitely be referring back to these tips in the near future. I like the hair dryer one – really smart!
it’s crazy how fast it goes! but you’ll love it!
Time seriously flies! My baby boy is 14 weeks now and I can’t believe it. Great tips, you are right that all babies are different. I think new mums need to keep that in the front of their minds to save on worrying and freaking out.
yes! so important!
Thank you, thank you! My daughter is expecting her first any day now and I just sent this to her.
awesome! hope it helps!
Keep a spare change of clothes for yourself in the car! Spit up and poop can happen at any time. 😁
so true! great tip!
Thanks so much for writing this! My son is 11 days old and I’m adjusting to being a new mom. I’m really excited to try your tip about using the hair dryer to get his bottom nice and dry after diaper changes! And I’m starting to feel more confident with experimenting with different things to see what he likes. They gave us so much advice at the hospital before we left and while most of it was helpful, there are some things that just aren’t right for my baby and I’m learning to trust that and be okay with doing things differently.
good for you. mom knows best 🙂 congrats!
Great tips! Such a good one about the hairdryer, never heard it before but I can see how it works! My 2 year old still gets red and sore when wearing her pulls ups at night!
give it a try! hope it helps!
So I’m just going to build on your number 3. I’m a mom to FOUR. I came up with this trick with number four and wished that I’d thought of it sooner. Get an extra one of those formula dividers that you probably already have for your diaper bag. You know where you prescoop your formula in? I kept one on my nightstand for night feedings. I would pre pour the water in the bottles and take the divided formula holder with them. The water is automatically at room temperature (perfect) and you just dump the formula in and shake. WALAAAA perfect bottle and you didn’t even have to get out of bed at 2am.
you inspired me to buy two of those formula divider containers! i was using a ziploc bag so these are way better!
The picture of you meal prepping “wearing” baby Chase might be the cutest thing ever.
haha thank you 🙂 i’m teaching him early!
For Mom’s sanity I would say to not compare your little one to others. I have trouble with this, but am working on it because it can drive you CRAZY!
yes it can! hang in there!
I love this! My little one will be turning three months this week and I agree with all of your tips. One thing that I never really thought of until our baby was born was to avoid clothes with hoods…I find it kind of frustrating and annoying to our baby when he has a hoodie on, plus a hat, plus the hood in his winter coat/bunting outfit…I feel like his poor little head is getting squished in the car seat! They will be much easier when we don’t need to bundle up in the winter. Also – a nose aspirator, while it may seem rediculous – was a total lifesaver with his stuffy little nose.
ooh good ones! we haven’t had to use the nose aspirator yet but i’m sure its’ coming!
With my little one making it’s debut soon, this is a great list! Love it. And I’d never heard of the hair dryer, good to know, perhaps I should invest in one, ha.
hope it works for you!
I couldn’t agree more with you! Especially about being prepared even if it isn’t your plan. Just like you, I had full intentions to breastfeed but things didn’t work out and formula worked best for us too. It really is all about finding what’s best for you and your baby. There really aren’t right or wrong ways to do things. It’s all about finding balance and know that your best is good enough! Great post.
so true! balance is key!
i didn’t “want” to use binkies either but now william loves his!
same. funny how that works out eh?
I am SO proud of you! It has been one heck of a 3-months and you’ve handled it with grace and poise. Chase is a lucky baby boy to have such a loving and nurturing mom and dad. You hit so many high points but to go along with the hairdryer “noise,” we relied on white noise to get us through Ellie’s colicky witching hours. We would run the vacuum or hair dryer for hours (in addition to the sound machine) to get her to quit crying. I think flexibility is key and remembering that each baby is unique so “rules” never apply!
Thanks friend! White noise is a must for squish too! we have a machine on my nightstand!
I totally agree on the rock n play and diapers. My nearly 3 month old is also still sleeping in one.
it’s a lifesaver for sure!
Great tips! We have that same rock and play and plan to do the same! Two more weeks.
good luck!
Great tips! My babe loves the ergo, and I’m mastering the art of cooking in it now 🙂 I totally agree, experiment and remember its not “one size fits all” when it comes to babies 🙂
so true! and so important to remember!
All such great advice! I’m also a first time mom and just have one thing to add that has been helpful I haven’t noticed in the comments yet. For us, I try to pack snacks I might need in the diaper bag. I keep a small stash of protein bars for the hubs and I just incase I forget to pack a snack. A protein bar has been handy in traffic and for breakfast on the way to the peds so far! I’m known to get hangry, so these can make things better haha
great tip! i always try to keep something in my purse for both hubby and i!
I’m not in need at this time, but these tips were fun to read through! PLUS YOUR LITTLE ONE IS SO ADORABLE I couldn’t look away 😀
aww thank you so much!
I love these tips!
I can’t believe how big your little boy is getting already though!
We keep a diaper bag in the car. I update it often with the current size clothes and diapers. You never know when you will run out of the house without your normal diaper bag or you used your last diaper in the diaper bag without replacing it. It’s a nice back up to have just in case. We keep an outfit, diapers, wipes and a blanket in there. It’s my gift at baby showers now : a stocked diaper bag for the car!
that’s a brilliant idea!
My husband is ridiculously organised and applied that to our change bag. I’m a huge fan of baby-wearing so traditional change bags just don’t work for me, and let’s face it they’re not great for posture. So we use a back-pack with Eagle Creek inserts, one each for changing kit, spare clothes and feeding kit.