Extremely Helpful Mom Hacks For New Moms

Becoming a new mother comes with many challenges, responsibilities, and worries. It can be overwhelming. Here are extremely helpful baby tips and mom hacks that will save you time, money, and your sanity.

How To Change A Diaper Like A Pro

1. Place a new clean, open, diaper underneath your baby’s current diaper.
2. Open your babies current diaper and fold the top of it down beneath your baby, so poop doesn’t get on the new diaper.
3. Wipe your baby from front to back with a water wipe.
4. Use as many wipes as you need to clean your babies bottom.
5. Once your baby’s bottom is clean throw out the old diaper and put on the new one.

*When your baby is older and begins to roll over you can distract her with a toy so she doesn’t make a mess or roll away while your mid-diaper change.

How To Remove Baby Clothing Stains

Does your baby have massive blowouts as my baby did? Don’t throw away baby clothing! After changing your baby into clean clothes, rinse the stained clothing in cold water to try to get as much of it off as you can.

Spray the stains with a baby safe stain remover. Let the stained clothing sit in a container full of cold water for at least 30 minutes before throwing it in the washing machine.

*This tip also works for food stains. 

Teething Remedies

Stick a washcloth or teething toy in the refrigerator. When it is cool let your baby chew too soothe their sore gums.

Check out my 3-6 months old Baby Essentials for my teething toy recommendations.

If your breastfeeding, you can nurse your baby when nothing else seems to relieve her pain.

Nursing my teething baby immediately soothes and calms her while helping her (and me) fall asleep.

Mommy Utility​ Cart

Having a utility cart on wheels will save you so much time!

I use this 3 tier utility cart to move my baby essentials from one room to another so I always have everything I need close by.

This is what I keep in my Mommy Utility Cart:

• Water 
• Snacks (Lactation cookies)
• Breast pump
• Bottle
• Portable battery charger for your phone
• What to Expect First Year Book (Baby Bible)
• Baby Touch & Feel Board Book
• Diapers
• Water Wipes
• Burp Cloths
• Changing pad
• Nose Frida-Snot Sucker
• Thermometer
• Baby Nail file
• Baby Nail clippers
• Swaddle
• Mittens
• Socks
• Baby outfit (In case of the inevitable blowout)

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Baby Clothing: What You Actually Need.

When purchasing baby clothing, or adding it to your baby registry, you will need to choose clothing based on what age your baby will be and what season you’re in. 

For example, we received many 3-6 months short sleeve onesies at our baby shower. When our baby was in 3-6 months clothing, it was winter, so we needed to buy long sleeve onesies and pants due to the cold weather.

Many of the short sleeve onesies we had didn’t get worn so I had to pass them down to other moms. (Never throw away baby clothing unless it’s completely ruined, DONATE!)

*Speaking of donating baby clothing, Ask all your friends and family if they have any baby clothing you can have before buying new clothing.

We received most of our baby clothes from my husband’s sisters who have older kids.

The most important baby clothing that you should have in every size are pajamas. My favorite newborn pajamas are the Love To Dream swaddle UP. Finally after trying so many pajamas and swaddle blankets our baby slept so much longer and better when we purchased the Love to Dream Swaddle UP. She was able to self soothe because her arms were up. 

Once our baby girl could roll over ( at about 3 months) we began putting her in long-sleeved footed zip-up pajamas. (I hate buttons) They are the easiest to change diapers in the middle of the night and they will keep your baby warm and comfortable.

For more baby essential read my Newborn Essentials and 3-6 months baby essentials 

“The highest noblest work in this life is that of a mother.”  – AllHappyQuotes.com

Crib Sheet Trick

Buy two baby safe, fitted crib sheets and 2 fitted waterproof mattress protectors.

Place one mattress protector on the mattress. Layer a crib sheet over it, next layer the other mattress protector over the crib sheet, then layer the second crib sheet over the second mattress protector.  

When your baby has an accident (blowout) in the middle of the night you will just remove the top crib sheet and mattress protector. This way you can put your baby back to sleep without worrying about washing and changing the sheets!

I learned this time-saving tip from my sister in law.

Our crib sheet is from Posh Peanut.

Breastfeeding Tips

Although breastfeeding can be very difficult, especially in the first few weeks, it is very beneficial to you and your baby.

Learn how to survive the first month of breastfeeding

If your still pregnant I highly recommend taking a breastfeeding/lactation class. 

After having your baby, ask a lactation consultant from your hospital to check your baby for a tongue or lip tie. Your lactation consultant can help correct any latching or other nursing problems while you’re still in the hospital.

You can also join a breastfeeding support group at your local hospital, church, or on Facebook. I have joined several of them and have learned so many great tips from other experienced breastfeeding mommas.

Grab your FREE Printable Breast Milk Storage Guide. Print it and stick it on your fridge for quick reference!
GET ACCESS!

How To Bathe A Newborn

It is routine for a nurse to show parents how to sponge bathe their newborn baby in the hospital. New research recommends delaying your babies bath due to all the health benefits.

My husband and I delayed our baby’s first bath until we got home and realized that we didn’t know how to bath her. We watched youtube videos, did research, and learned several bathing methods.

The first few times we sponge bathed our newborn she screamed.

I dreaded bathing her because she seemed to hate taking her bath. I would cry every time she cried. (postpartum anxiety) When her umbilical cord fell off, we began giving her a regular bath and she seemed to enjoy each bath more each day. 

How to get your baby to sleep through the night

I’m sure you heard this many times during your pregnancy, but enjoy sleep while you can because your most likely not going to get much sleep after you have your baby.

I don’t like to be negative but studies show most new parents experience sleep deprivation.  Newborns can’t tell day from night and are constantly hungry because they have small bellies and they are growing so fast.

My daughter started sleeping through the night at 4 months but each time she had a new toothe or growth spur she was up all night. We had to also change our routine many times before finding one that helped her sleep through the night.

How to treat Your Gassy Baby

Signs and symptoms your baby may have gas:

• Crying while passing gas or soon after, especially if the crying happens when a baby is unlikely to be hungry or tired.
• Arching the back.
• lifting the legs.
• A swollen-looking stomach.
• Passing gas or belching.

Gas happens when air gets into the digestive tract, such as when a baby sucks on a bottle and swallows air.

Gas doesn’t always mean anything is wrong.

If you have a gassy baby as I do there are several tips Id like to share with you to help relieve their pain. 

Tip 1. Burp your baby after each feeding. If you breastfeed on both sides each nursing session burp your baby between changing breasts.

Tip 2. After feeding and burping your baby keep your baby upright for at least 10 minutes before putting your baby down. 

Tip 3. After your baby takes a warm bath to soothe her tummy by pressing down in gentle clockwise or counterclockwise motions with baby lotion or coconut oil.

Tip 4. If your baby doesn’t seem to be comfortable when lying flat try elevating the bassinet by sticking a folded towel underneath the side that she lays her head on.

Tip 5. Tummy Time is very important for your baby. It strengthens their upper body muscles and encourages them to elevate their head.

Begin tummy time by gently place your baby down on her tummy and encourage her to move around and lift her head up. I use to prop my baby up on the boppy pillow by placing her arms beneath her chin so she could push her self up.

Tummy Time can free trapped gas, help boost healthy muscle development, and prevent their head from becoming flat. (Yes, that’s a thing!)

Tip 6. For breastfeeding moms, your baby may have gas from foods that you eat.

Try logging what you eat to find the culprit. My baby seemed to have gas pain when I would eat dairy. By eliminating dairy, she seemed to have significantly less gas pain and I lost a lot of weight.

How to treat baby constipation

When we brought our baby home from the hospital she didn’t have a bowel movement for 5 days. 

I was so worried because she seemed like she was in a lot of pain.

Signs that indicate constipation in a baby include:

• Infrequent stools that are not soft inconsistency
• Clay-like stool consistency
• Hard pellets of stool
• Long periods of straining or crying while trying to have a bowel movement
• Streaks of red blood in the stool
• Lack of appetite
• A hard belly

Her doctor recommended giving her baby prune juice or a laxative. I didn’t want to do either until I tried relieving her constipation naturally first. 

I did research online and received great tips from my sister in law.

• Exercise Including tummy time and bicycle kicks (Gently move the baby’s legs while they are lying on their back to mimic the motion of riding a bicycle.)
• Warm bath
• Belly massage
• If your breastfeeding eating foods containing fiber may help relieve your baby’s constipation.
• Use rectal thermometer (carefully) it’s very important not to use this method too often, as it can make constipation worse. 

You will need to place coconut oil or lubricating jelly on the tip of the thermometer and insert the tip into the baby’s rectum about 1/4 inch deep. Gently move the thermometer side to side to stimulate.

Learn more on how to treat and prevent your baby’s constipation.

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