New Mom Tips and Tricks

I've only been a mama now for 5 lovely months, but there are so many things I've learned during this time that I wish I would've known from the beginning! Being a parent means you learn something new every single day (or hour?) and it goes without saying that there will be times you wish you would've done something differently. It happens. 

If you are pregnant or looking to start a family in the future, here are some of my favorite tips and tricks that were passed along to me one way or another: 

Rock 'n Play Users: Place a small towel or lightweight blanket under the fabric cover but over the hard plastic part to help prevent a flat spot on baby's head.

I never knew this was a concern until reading some mama's talk about their loved ones getting a flat spot from sleeping in the RNP. Luckily we never had this problem with Cam (I read about this fairly early on so we did do this a few weeks after he was born), but it doesn't hurt to do it. Another good thing to do is to alternate which way your loved ones head is turned every other night.

For babies with acid reflux, elevate one side of the crib with a pillow under the mattress or stack books under the crib legs on one side.

We also made a "crib nest" to imitate the feeling of the RNP. You can look up how to do this with a simple google search. Once they get used to the crib, remove the blankets one by one.

Give baby a Probiotic and Vitamin D drops.

These are great things to give to your baby once a day! A probiotic helps with digestion and reduces the risk of gastrointestinal disorders, especially when given within the first three months of life. I researched quality probiotics for a while and decided to use this one: Klaire Labs Ther-Biotic. Ther-Biotic® Infant Formula powder can be mixed with expressed breast milk, formula, or solid food at room temperature as appropriate. It's also wise for mama to take one as well!

Take advantage of the quick clean micro-steam bags for sterilizing bottles and pump parts.

Sure, it may be another expense but they are worth it. My favorite are these ones. They save so much time and can be used up to 15 times per bag. 

Speaking of pump parts, another awesome trick I heard about is to just rinse them off, store in a ziplock bag, and place in the refrigerator for in between uses during the day then at night wash them completely and switch out the bag for the next day. This has saved me SO much time, which we all know is super important those first few months (and even now.)

Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit is a great product to use when transitioning out of the swaddle.

Magic sleep whaaaat?! I had never heard of this puffy, astronaut looking thing before until I saw other mama's RAVE about them. They do not overheat the baby in the summer (we use the cotton one now) but still gives a cozy, calm feeling for babies. Cam sleeps through the night so well in this magic suit! You can read more about them / buy one: here.

There you have it!

Also, if we're blessed with another little babe I'm pretty positive that next time around we will transition out of the swaddle way earlier, and if baby doesn't have reflux start having them sleep in the crib after the first few weeks. It just makes much more sense since you will have to eventually transition from both of them at some point, so why not start with them early on or in the first place?! 

What tips and tricks have you picked up along the way? Hope this can help some of you in the future!

PS: If you are on FB, try to join mommy groups in your area where you can post questions/read about other situations other mommy's are going through! I can't tell you how many tips I've picked up from some of the pages I belong to! Right now, since Cam is almost 6 months old and will be eating solids soon, I love "Feeding The Littles" :)