6/12/12

Best tips for new moms!

I have come up with a few mommy tips of my own. I'm not saying I made them up, since I am sure other very brilliant mommies have figured these things out too.   But, just in case you have not here are a few of my faves that I have come up with, on my own.
When dressing Oliver in the morning
 I always put one arm in first,
pull the shirt over his head
then put the other arm in.
It's so much easier than head first.


Now, at 4 months, he hates being on his back,
he lays there fussing trying to sit up.
He loves his play mat and his Bumbo,
so I married the two!
Voila a new docking station!
He spends ten minutes plus playing there.
For a baby, that is EPIC!


I did not come up with this, but I love it!
Before bath I put him on his belly
and wipe the gunk out of his neck.
Then once in the bath I use my soapy hand
to wash his neck.
The combo works like a charm!




  •  I have safety Q-tips (cotton buds) on the table next to where I feed him at night. That way I can gently clean his ears out without him moving his head around.
  • During nap time I put a dark red blanket over his mobile to darken his crib.  It helps him sleep longer.
  • When he is WAY over tired and miserable, I take him into my room, lay on my side on the bed, pull him close cradling him in my arm and put my free hand on his bottom.  I push him up and down quickly while SHHHHHing loudly.  He is asleep in less than two minutes! 

I look forward to coming up with more of my own tips, because the satisfaction is AWESOME! 



If you have a tip please share.  Trust me I need to hear it.  4 months in and I am just now using the diaper to wipe the poo before using my first wipe... It's a process... ; )




Two confused parents=One amused baby Hopelessly we are trying raise a baby who is clearly smarter than both of us. April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com

26 comments:

Kiwi mum said...

Ooh I love the getting dressed one! Hadn't thought of doing it that way.
To avoid clipping off the ends of bubs fingers, when I trim his nails I hold the bottom blade on top of the free edge of his nail, then press it downwards so the nail flicks up between the blades before cutting. Works like a charm (touch wood)
Also, I take a thermos of hot water pretty much everywhere with me - that way if we get delayed I can heat a bottle in the car wherever we are. :-)

Alissa said...

Thanks for the tips! Here are a couple I use:
- I have 2 diapers, small pack of wipes, and a nuk packed in my purse so I don't have to drag the diaper bag with me all the time.

- To avoid the high pitch scream when it's time to burp, yet the little guy wants to eat more, I pop the nuk back in his mouth and burp him while he's sucking away, works every time!

Anonymous said...

Our baby girl Matison has that same playmat and that ladybug is a lifesaver. Since she has learned to pull the ladybug with her hands, she's moved on to trying to grasp it with her toes. And thanks for the neck cleaning tip, it worked like a charm.

Esther said...

Love the onesie tip, thank you! And to add on to that, here's something from a mommy friend of 3 boys: if they have a blowout diaper that gets onto the onesie, take it off/pull it down from top to bottom so you don't smear poop up their back/head. Their diaper/bottom is dirty anyways. Thanks for sharing all your tips! :)

Amy said...

The onesies that have snaps all the way up the front (like a button up shirt) are great for changing baby after a blowout as well, and they are also good for babies who don't like things pulled over their head and doctor appts where you will have to undress baby. Another time saving trick - To avoid constantly walking back and forth, I have all of my baby care and mommy necessities in all of the places I may need them. I have bins with a few diapers, wipes, burp cloths, bibs, a receiving blanket, nursing pads, anti-gas drops, baby nail clippers, chapstick, and a water bottle, all conveniently placed anywhere I might feed/change my daughter - next to my bed, the rocking chair, the couch, and the changing table. It means you have to buy multiples of everything, but it is so worth it, especially since I have 2 other daughters to deal with and can't waste time walking all over the place all day!

Kitten said...

I tend to pull a blowout diaper onesie over their head, but by the front, if that makes sense? Usually the onesie is loose enough that you only have to pull over one part of it and the back can stay in place while you get the front of the onesie over their head.

But, my real tip -- if they won't take a pacifier, but you want a comforting object for them, when you nurse them, hold a stuffed animal or blanket close to both of you every single time. Put their hand on it, and let them touch it. Eventually, they'll find the object itself comforting.

And always clip a baby's nails while they sleep.

FirstTimeMomandDad.com said...

Hiya Kiwi Mum! I'm trying the nail clipping tip on his next nap time. Thanks for that!

I was just thinking about he thermos the other day. It's really hard to go out when Ollie needs to be nursed every three hours. Having the pumped bottle and a hot thermos makes it much less stressful.

Thanks for the great tips!

FirstTimeMomandDad.com said...

Hi Alissa!! It's so great to hear from you. I hope you and the fam are doing well.

The nuk during burping is brilliant! Thanks for that! I too have the mini bag with me at all times, that diaper bag is too much for a quick trip out.

Hugs!

FirstTimeMomandDad.com said...

Hi Anonymous! That playmat is the best babysitter right now. lol The neck cleaning tip was a big lifesaver for me too!

FirstTimeMomandDad.com said...

Haaaay Miss Esther! Top to bottom makes perfect sense. Thanks for that!

FirstTimeMomandDad.com said...

HI Amy!

Actually it sounds like the only extra money spent is the bins to hold everthing. I've bought 3 lots of gas drops already. If I had the bottles all over the house I'd probably make less trips to the store too!

Thanks for leaving your tips!

FirstTimeMomandDad.com said...

Kitten!!!

The onesie tip makes perfect sense.

While Oliver has a favorite pacifier, I'm going to start puting his "softie" with us at every feeding. I want him to have something to snuggle when we are out to help him fall asleep. Thanks for that!

This is sad but I still get nervous clipping his nails even when he's asleep.

Esther said...

I hate trimming my sons nails- I'm traumatized after I clipped a chunk of his skin off and it bled. Now I use the Zo-li Buzz B Baby Nail Filer- it's an electric filer w different pads as the baby gets older. He fell asleep while I used it on him the other day!

Unknown said...

Oh girl... now I know why you guys were using so many wipes! Lol. Yeah, I always put a clean one underneath before ever opening, then use the diaper to get most off. I almost always succeed with one wipe, bad one makes two...

My tips from my girl don't apply to Chase- two totally different creatures... soooo I can only fly with trial and error...

britmouth said...

I have learned to hand over baby/monitor duties to my husband after our 4 month old goes down for the night & then I go and take some me time by taking a shower to clean off the day's spitup, etc. It definitely helps me unwind & feel more prepared for any nighttime wakings.

Also, white noise really helps my son sleep longer & it is now his cue that it is sleepy time. Definitely one of the best apps I have downloaded on my phone.

FirstTimeMomandDad.com said...

Hi Britmouth!

The night time shower sounds heavenly, and anything to make the nighttime wakings easier sounds even more heavenly.

Is there any one White Noise app you like?

Thanks for the Tips!

britmouth said...

I was using White Noise Lite, but have recently found (& now love) Relax Melodies (free version).

By the way, I found your pregnancy blog last year & then followed you here. Our sons are just a week or so apart and it is nice to get some perspective from someone else on such a similar journey. I thoroughly enjoy your bog - it is very funny, informative, and relatable. Thanks for sharing so much with your readers.

FirstTimeMomandDad.com said...

I just downloaded it. Oliie and I thank you for that!

And thank you so mmuch for your kind words about my blogs. It really mean so much to me. When I started the first blog I was just talking to myself and outer space. It's nice to know I am talking to people who care and get as much from my blog as I do.

Thank you.

FirstTimeMomandDad.com said...

Thanks for this one Esther. I am so afraid to clip Ollie's Nails. This sounds like the perfect solution! I'm going to get one tomorrow!

Layes Landing said...

Love these tips!! Brilliant!
Thank you!!
Becky

Anonymous said...

If your child has a cough than you'll be happy to know that researchers at Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine found that honey was more helpful for children than cough syrup when
treating a nighttime cough. Buy one now from the leading Vaporizer stores online.
' But, the word 'sinus-itis' literally translates to mean an inflammation of the sinuses.

Anonymous said...

I know this is an older post but still thought I'd share a tip for any new readers who might be reading your "classics". Mylanta works wonders on my daughters irritated bum. After trying countless creams and letting her hang out "bare back " for extended periods of time failed to heal it, I dabbed a little Mylanta on and cotton ball and voila. P.S. I love your blog.

debra said...

Wow! I have not heard of Mylanta for diaper rash! Thanks!

debra said...

My favorite tip? Black out blinds in the bedrooms! SO cheap at Amazon or Home Depot too. This, along with white noise (and I am NOT particular- even static on the radio works), gets us more sleep at night/early morning and longer naps!
My Latest post

Danelle said...

Just a friendly reminder. Honey is a big no until your baby is at least 12 months old. It can cause botulism, a fatal illness. I know you said child not baby, but thought I would just remind us mommy's that it can be really harmful!

Anonymous said...

I got the "baby got colic" white noise from iTunes. It's an hour long. At first I found it really annoying but it worked awesome and then I eventually found it was helping both me and my husband sleep better too. You can listen to it for free on youtube. We were able to stop using it once my baby was around 2 months old.
Also when my baby was a newborn she pooped ALL the time! Like seriously, after every feed. She was getting a bad rash and nothing helped. I ended up using the diclofenic cream that is 40% zinc. I don't know if it matters what brand, but most creams only have 15% zinc. The 40% kind seemed to not smear off so easy. It's much thicker and the increased zinc is really soothing. I also blow dried her bum really gently on advice of my mom and nurse (not too hot!) because it helped her bum dry out and the rash went away really quickly! I know, sounds crazy!