By the time 3 am rolls around, you’ll be glad you saved the following advice for new parents.
New baby hack #1 – Keep a basket of essentials on every floor
You’re going to be changing a LOT of nappies during those first few months. Don’t make your life any harder by having to search for what you need every single time!
This means you should reconsider having only one designated area for nappy changes. Instead of spending money on a fancy changing table, buy a few cute baskets to leave on each floor of your home.
Make sure you keep the baskets well stocked with the following items:
- Nappies
- Nappy sacks
- Wet wipes
- Rash cream (yellow metanium is a lifesaver)
- Hand lotion
- Muslin cloths
You can also keep a changing mat at each “station” to avoid having to drag one around the house. Don’t bother with anything expensive—buy mats that are lightweight and easy to wipe down.
Another product you’ll be glad you bought is a decent hand cream to soothe parched skin. It’s amazing how fast your hands dry out from repeated hand washing after all those nappy changes.
Finally, keep a pile of soft muslins within easy reach to mop up any spit-up or drool with ease.
New baby hack #2 – Always keep your changing bag packed
There’s nothing that will sink your heart faster than a half-empty changing bag when you need it to be full.
The good news is, once you’ve forgotten to pack the essentials once, you’ll never do it again!
Whatever you do, don’t tempt fate and decide you don’t need to lug around those extra nappies or spare clothes. I can assure you that the universe is watching, and it’s waiting for you to make this rookie error.
New baby hack #3 – Make good use of nap times
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “sleep when the baby sleeps”.
I can confirm this is excellent advice, and you are going to want to catch some z’s at every available opportunity.
But what about those times when you can’t sleep? You should still take advantage of your free time!
This is your moment to do things that are impossible while your baby is awake. Think relaxing baths or Netflix marathons.
It’s easy to put your baby down in their moses basket while you hoover or catch up with laundry. Carving out time for yourself, however, is hard. Even more so as your new baby grows into a toddler!
So be smart, and take advantage of any sleep or self-care time, whenever you get the chance.
New baby hack #4 – Buy a dimmable light for night feeds
The last thing you want at 4 in the morning is a newborn baby who’s wide awake after you’ve fed and changed them. But never fear, a simple night light can prevent this from happening!
There are many options including red night lights that stimulate melatonin production. This is the hormone that your body produces to help you sleep.
If you don’t want a red light, another option is a dimmable touch lamp next to the bed. These are great for making the room bright enough to care for your baby without making them too alert.
New baby hack #5 – Keep a thermometer in the bedroom
Safe sleeping guidelines state that a baby’s bedroom should stay between 16-20 degrees. This is the optimal range to keep your baby safe and comfortable through the night.
The best way to make sure that your baby’s room is a safe temperature is by keeping a thermometer in their bedroom. This also makes it easy to adjust your baby’s clothes and bedding when necessary.
For example, in a room that’s 15 degrees, you might need to add extra layers so your baby isn’t too cold. But in a room that’s 27 degrees, your baby can sleep in a nappy to prevent overheating.
New baby hack #6 – Don’t remove that nappy until you’re ready!
Picture this:
Your nose alerts you to the fact that your baby has pooped. You immediately lie them down on their changing mat and remove their nappy.
You try to take a few wipes out of the package, but they are a bit stuck, causing you to yank on them until they are free.
After tearing the wipes from their package, you try to remove one nappy sack from the holder. A clump of bags comes away in your hand, and they are impossible to separate.
You finally manage to free one bag from the bunch, only to find you can’t open the thing…
And then there’s pee everywhere. Mixing with the poop into a mess that will now take you ten minutes to clean up instead of two.
Save yourself the tears—and have everything ready to go before you remove that nappy!
New baby hack #7 – Groom them while they sleep
Don’t let those tiny bodies fool you, babies are strong! Never is this more evident than when you are trying to cut and file their nails.
After they yank their hand out of your grip for the 50th time, you might even break into a sweat.
Do yourself a favour and wait until they are sleeping. Grooming is much easier when your client isn’t wriggling around causing you to cut the nail too far down. Which will always end in tears, sometimes from both of you.
New baby hack #8 – Have somewhere to put baby down in every room
You’re going to spend lots of time cuddling your new baby, but what happens when nature calls? Or, you have to accept a large package?
Make sure you have several safe places around the house you can put your baby down, like a moses basket or rocker.
Keep in mind that your safe places will change as your baby grows and reaches new milestones. While it’s ok to leave a newborn in a moses basket for short periods, once your baby can sit up this option is no longer safe.
New baby hack #9 – Save the chores for tomorrow
Being a new parent is one of the busiest but most rewarding times in a person’s life.
You might look around your house and see nothing but the chores you haven’t been able to complete. You might even feel like you are failing by not being able to get everything done all the time.
I promise you, that isn’t the case.
While the mess will still be there the next day, your new baby is going to grow oh, so very fast.
So live in the moment and let go of the guilt. You are doing an amazing job…if you need proof, just look into those big eyes that gaze up at you every day in adoration.
New baby hack #10 – Take lots of photos
While pregnancy can sometimes feel never-ending, life as a new parent often passes in a blur.
Don’t forget to take photos.
Even if they are midnight couch selfies with no makeup to cover your eye baggage.
Those magical newborn days are fleeting, and you’re going to want memories to look back on someday. And a newborn photo shoot is a wonderful way to capture that special time in your baby’s life!
When your children are grown, you can either tell them stories of what they were like as a baby…
Or you can give them a window into those memories.
For priceless memories that stand the test of time, get in touch with PhotoBaby today.
