Tips for New Moms
- Baby Bargains was integral in sorting through all of the "essential" baby gear!
- Watch The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp – available through the library or on Amazon Instant. Don’t read the book – you’ve got enough on your plate. Watch the hour-long video with Dad as close to birth as possible. The S’s are key!!
- White Noise Baby app!!! Luke’s favorite was the Doppler, the hair dryer, or the vacuum.
- Feed Baby – Baby Tracker app – this is very helpful, especially in the beginning, when keeping track of diapers/feeding sessions.
- Books I found helpful: Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman and On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo. I haven’t followed either to a T, but I’ve used a hybrid approach of all of my research plus common sense to figure out what works for us. I still refer to both books as we reach new crossroads in our parenting adventures.
- Bravado nursing tank tops – somewhat pricey, but comfortable, supportive, available in many colors, and worth the investment!! I literally lived in these for 10 months of nursing.
- Buy some high waist undies if you have a c-section.
- Oatmeal helps in the lactation department big time. These No Bake Energy Bites are awesome (add some Brewer’s Yeast for extra lactation oomph)! {recipe}
- Drink even when you aren’t thirsty. If you get thirsty, it is too late; you’re already somewhat dehydrated (from a lactation standpoint).
- INFANT PAJAMAS WITH SNAPS ARE EVIL. You’ll understand why at 3 am.
- Speaking of, during nighttime feeds, change diaper FIRST, then feed. Diaper change wakes Baby up, feeding puts them back to sleep.
- When storing breast milk, make sure you label each bag with the date and amount in the bag. Also, heaven forbid it happen, it IS OK to cry over spilled milk.
- Lanolin is great for the sore nips as well as any baby skin irritation/scratches (it is like the burn ointment in The Hunger Games).
- Speaking of sore nips, for the first few weeks, the latch is toe-curling pain. If you take a sip of a drink while baby latches on, it distracts you from the pain and helps your milk let down.
- For groceries, Giant Peapod pick up/delivery and Harris Teeter curbside pickup are instrumental until baby can sit up in a shopping cart.
- Nordstrom and Buy Buy Baby have phenomenal Mother Rooms for nursing in comfortable privacy. Fitting rooms also do the trick. In airports/stadiums/etc, ask an information desk where nursing mom resources are located. In a pinch, the back seat of the car will work, too.
- Scarves are awesome about hiding the unfortunate, inevitable boob leak! They are also good nursing covers and baby blankets.
- A wise woman (my mom) once told me, “No time spent with Baby is time wasted.” This has gotten me through many moments after a long day of work while confronted with a daunting sink full of dishes and loads of clothes to tend to…but all Luke wants to do is play or snuggle. Chores can wait. Baby time goes way too fast. As a result, my house tends to look like a crime scene, but oh well, Luke is more fun anyway.
- Hospital Bag suggestions (based on my comfort preferences):
Pacifier, lanolin, Velcro swaddle, newborn mittens, clothes/pajamas for baby while in the hospital, comfortable pajamas/robe/slippers for after L&D, sports/nighttime nursing bra for during L&D, soothing gel nipple pads (refrigerate before use if you can), lip balm, lotion, dry shampoo, hair ties, music, snacks/shower shoes/toiletries for Dad, pillow, Boppy pillow
- When the going gets tough, remember that this too shall pass. Motherhood is hard and far from all sunshine and roses (though, the sunshine and roses make the hard parts worth it), and you ARE NOT alone!! The days are long, but the weeks and months are FAST. Before you know it, you’ll be having conversations with your tiny little bundle of love!
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