When I was pregnant with my daughter, I assumed that motherhood was going to be the most beautiful and magical thing that I’d ever experience until the first time that my sweet little angel threw up turnips on my shoulder! As we all know, motherhood can be magical, but it can also be loud, messy, exhausting and just plain bizarre.Here are 10 extremely helpful parenting tips for new moms.
There are days when you’re mighty and strong like Gandalf, and then there are days when you’re Gandalf clinging to the side of a cliff with a Balrog breathing down your neck.
The good news is that you don’t have to let the Balrog days get the best of you. With these parenting tips, you can handle every crisis and conflict that comes your way, and you might even learn a thing or two to prepare you for Kid #2!
1. Learn About Diapers
Diapering might seem like a straightforward task, but it’s more complicated than you might think, and it’s worth doing some research into the subject. For example, did you know that you should always wipe front to back? Were you aware that the ruffles on a diaper are for leak protection and not just decoration? These little nuggets of wisdom can save you a lot of stress in the long run.
2. Take Advantage of Naptime
Newborns nap a lot during the day and they can sleep through almost anything. It’s only after a few weeks that they start to become attuned to their environment and the sounds within it, and while that might result in a need to be quieter around the house when the baby is asleep, that’s still a ways off. Take advantage of a newborn’s deep sleep while you can. Cook dinner; do the laundry; haul out the vacuum. They’ll keep snoozing.
3. Don’t Stress About Food Intake
Babies have weird appetites. One day, it might seem like you can’t feed them enough; another day, they’ll be so picky and fussy that they barely eat at all. Unless you have reason to suspect an underlying medical condition, they’re probably fine. Let them eat when they’re hungry and abstain when they’re not. You’ll only frustrate yourself if you try to force them into a regular breastfeeding or formula-feeding schedule.
4. Keep Their Bath Warm
Bath time can be a very sweet, intimate activity between mother and child, but the trick is to keep your baby nice and warm during the process. They’ll get chilled very easily, and the cold will bring crankiness. One common tip is to place a warm washcloth over their stomach as you sponge them off; this will help to regulate their body temperature. You might also want to have a dryer-fresh towel on hand when bath time is done.
5. Ignore Everyone’s “Advice”
There are exceptions, of course, especially if you’re having trouble with your baby and you want a little help. But speaking very generally, it’s okay to ignore all of the unsolicited advice that a new baby can bring out in friends, relatives, neighbors, in-laws, and strangers in the grocery store line. They don’t know your child. They don’t know your life. As a consequence, they don’t know what’s best.
6. Baby Essentials Only
This is a parenting tip that I wish someone had told me. I spent months agonizing over carriers, changing tables, car seats, strollers, playpens, and high chairs, but when the time came, I didn’t actually use half of it. My baby got changed on the floor and the kitchen counter; I let the carrier collect dust since she vastly preferred the stroller. My advice to new moms is to wait a bit and see what baby equipment that you actually need before you empty your bank account and buy it all.
7. Drink More Water
Most people know about the sleep deprivation that a new baby brings, but fewer know about the dehydration. It’s most common in breastfeeding mothers, but even if you’re using formula, you’re still expending energy and losing fluids in the chaos of taking care of a newborn. Make it a point to carry a water bottle in your diaper bag. Every time that your baby has a bottle, give yourself a bottle, too.
8. It’s All About Preparation
Preparation will solve 90 percent of your problems. If you prepare your diaper bag before you go out, you won’t be surprised by a lack of wipes in a public bathroom. If you prepare for the 3AM feeding right after the 11PM feeding is complete, you won’t be so sleep deprived that you spill the bottle all over the carpet. Prepare for everything. Prepare for Armageddon. You’ll be glad that you did.
9. Consider The Crib
If your baby is struggling to sleep in their crib or bassinet, there’s probably a reason for it. For example, they might not like the smell or texture of the bedding, or they might miss your body heat when they’re transported from your arms to the covers. Don’t assume that they’re fussing for the sake of fussing. Figure out what they dislike about their crib experience and fix it. Not only will it help them rest better, but it’ll prevent bedtime from becoming a long, drawn-out chore as well.
With that being said make sure you follow crib safety guidelines.
10. Call For Back Up
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. There’s a misconception in our society that moms should be able to “do it all,” but not only is that a weird and gendered way of thinking, but it isn’t even applicable to our century. The modern mom has too much to do to handle everything by herself! If you need someone else to change a dirty diaper every once in a while, you call on that lieutenant, and ask them for help.
These are just a few extremely helpful parenting tips for new moms. It’s one of the craziest rides that you’ll ever take, but with a good attitude and a little luck, you can enjoy the roller coaster for everything that it’s worth!
Author
Meet Ivana!
Ivana Davies is an educator turned stay-at-home mom. She’s a proud mom of a beautiful 7-year-old girl and a playful 5-year-old boy. Since she didn’t have a clue about raising kids, she had to learn it all in a hard way. Her blog, Find Your Mom Tribe, can help you connect with other moms, as well and shares mom hacks, information, and tools to help you on this parenting journey.
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