Tips for new mommies

megan&john2007

Hi everyone!  So glad to see new faces and old faces coming around again!  Let's try to keep this board going.

One of the bumpies asked me if I had any tips for new moms.  I wanted to write a new post to let other new moms share their tips as well.  Let's help out the bumpies who are pregnant with their first!

I actually gave my cousin who was 22, (pregnant with her first and not expecting to have a baby so young) a homemade book with tips and advice from myself and a few other new moms I knew at the time.  I'm going to copy and paste a lot of that into here, but I have some new stuff to add.

==========================================================

Follow a set of elimination when fussy:

? Dirty diaper?
? Need to be held?
? Need to suck on something?
? Hungry?

Babies are upset for a reason.  If they are upset only during a certain time of day, it is most likely the unexplained ?colic?.  Just try your best to relax and keep baby relaxed (rocking, white noise such as a vacuum, etc.)

If you get frustrated, take a break.  Give the baby to someone else, or set them in their crib for five minutes.  Breathe, calm down, and remember they don?t know how to control their emotions.

Never leave her unattended, even if it?s just for two seconds.  Anything can happen.  Put her in a crib, bouncer, swing or any other safe place where she cannot fall or roll over.

Clip nails on a regular basis.  They are given mittens to keep from scratching their faces, but these do not stay on the hands very well.  A lot of outfits you are given do not have the mittens.

A pacifier is not the worst thing in the world.  Babies like to suck and the only thing that will be somewhat of a problem is weaning them off of it later.

Feed baby until they are satisfied, even if it takes them an hour to eat.

Babies will be very sleepy for the first few weeks.  They will even fall asleep while eating.  Tickle their neck right below their ear, but stop when they wake up.  Do this again if they fall asleep.  You can also undress them to make it so they are not as warm and cozy.

Music and white noise is very soothing.  White noise: ocean waves, rain, vacuum, static.  Find something like this to play at bedtime (this also helps disguise any noises you are making that might wake up baby).

Once baby starts to kick out of the swaddle, it is time to remove the blanket out of the crib and put them in sleeper outfits during the night.  Do not leave blankets in the crib with them, it is a suffocation hazard.

Always lay them on their backs to sleep.  Five to ten minutes of tummy time a day helps strengthen their neck.

Take naps when baby is napping.  Do chores and other things while baby is awake so you can relax and enjoy nap time.

If you decide to breastfeed, ASK FOR HELP FROM A LACTATION NURSE AT THE HOSPITAL!  This is the most crucial advice I can give.  Forget your pride and embarrassment, they?ve seen it all.

Don?t be afraid to ask for help.  Babies don?t come with instruction manuals.

Bringing a new baby into your life is the hardest, thankless and challenging thing you will ever do. It's also the most rewarding and important thing you'll ever do and in the end you will come to know the greatest love of your life; a love that can't even be described by words.

Trust your gut. Listen to your instinct when it comes to your child. It will guide you.

Don't let what all of the other Mom's are doing make you feel bad about the choices you make for your child. Everyone does things differently. Find out what works for you and your child. 

Enjoy every minute. They grow up so fast. I know everyone says that and when you are in the thick of it it's hard to imagine that they will ever be independent. But it happens faster then you'll want it to, once it happens.

Video camera and hand sanitizer are musts.

A tumbling dryer can sooth and settle down a baby.

It's OK to cry everyday, being a new mom is hard so ask for help if you need it.

Ask your pediatrician for a number to reach him or his nurses if you have questions. Most doctors offer this service and it is a life saver to be able to talk to a medical professional when you have questions. It will possibly save you a doctor?s appointment because they can usually advise you what to do over the phone.

When baby is ready for baby food, make your own. It is very easy and ten times better for your baby. This will save you a ton of money and you will know exactly what your baby is eating. Visit wholesomebabyfood.com for a ton of recipe ideas.

Only keep the baby in the bassinet for the first month.  If you wait any longer, the baby gets used to you being there and it makes it harder to transition them to the crib.

Write down everything in a baby book as it happens.  You will one day forget when they first smiled at you.

Resinol is the cure all for diaper rash, over everything.

There is always someone willing to help you or listen to you cry when you feel like you have reached the end of your rope.

Every baby is different. What works for one might not work for another. You're the mom, do what feels right to YOU.

Temporal thermometers are great to take the baby's temperature if needed on their forehead. When they're running a temp and then they go to sleep it is piece of mind to be able to check their temp without waking them up.

Zip-up sleepers are much easier to deal with than snap ones.  At 2:00 am the last thing you want to deal with is snaps!

Being a mom is the most important thing you will ever do. Society will tell you it's a drag and that you're not missing out. Don't believe the lie! Your baby will thank you.

Children are very loving and loyal even when you are not the best parent. But they will grow up, like we all have, and look back at their childhood and how they were raised. Make sure they see that they were loved unconditionally, kept in a safe environment and that they had the best role model ever... you!

Praise your baby! Tell them how wonderful, pretty, smart they are. There's power in your words, power to tear down and power to build up, choose to build up.

Don?t waste money on expensive toys.  They will not last long.  The more money you spend on the toy, the less likely the baby will like it.

Remember to take into consideration the age and weather when choosing clothing.  If they are going to be 3-6 months in winter, be sure to get warm clothes.

Being a mom is natural.  Even if you don?t feel it right away, it will come to you eventually.  God would not give you more than you can handle.  You will be as good of a mom as you want to (and are able to) be.

The middle of the back seat is the safest place for the baby?s car seat.

Newborns eat when they are hungry, not on a schedule.  Even if it has only been ten minutes since they last ate.

Gas relief drops are important to have.  If the baby is not burped correctly or enough, they will be in pain and the gas bubble will travel down under the intestines.

If baby doesn?t burp within 2-3 minutes, continue feeding them.  Just make sure they at least burp during the feeding.

If you find baby has trouble sleeping when first home, try elevating the crib/bassinet. Since they were elevated while in the rolling bassinet in the hospital they may become used to it.

Must have diaper bag items:
? Gas relief drops
? Little noses nasal spray/drops
? Booger Sucker (nasal aspirator)
? Medicine dropper
? Diaper rash cream
? 2 changes of clothes
? 12-15 diapers
? Box of wipes
? Hand sanitizer
? Small disposable trash bags for diapers
? Burp rags and bibs
? Extra pacifier (if you use one)

When teething - I recommend the Sophie the Giraffe teether.  It was $18, but worth every penny (see pic of DS eating it in siggy).

DISCLAIMER: All of these are just suggestions/recommendations/tips/advice/opinions.  Others might have different opinions, these are just my own.  Some of these tips might not work, but they are here to at least try to help.