Tips for Newborns

zellatrix

Thought it would be a good idea to share some tips for newborns if you are a STM+. Some of those really small things that would have been nice to know the first time... 

Example:

1. Take twice as many sleepers/onesies than you think they need to the hospital with you. You will inevitably have some leaking while figuring out what diaper/diaper technique works for your baby. My son went through at least 3 a day if not more.
2. If you have a boy, point his weewee down in his diaper or he will pee out of the top of his diaper (hence all the clothes changes we had)
3. Also, if you have a boy, don't bother with one of those peepee teepee things, they don't stay on good if you have a wiggly baby. Just have a diaper ready to put on top immediately after you take the other off. 
4. Put diapers and wipes in every room of your house that you will hang out in. You may make a beautiful nursery with a gorgeous changing table, but after awhile you just say screw it and change them on the floor. 
   

Okay... so all of mine are pee related... but I am sure I can think of more. What would you add? 

zellatrix

BPaws said:

This is a GREAT thread- but remember- every baby is different.... And you will find what works for you.....  

Very good point!

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INmommy871278

Giving baby something to hold like a wash cloth, and keeping their hand close to their body during bath time will help calm them.

Don't be surprised if your baby suddenly has volcanic poop during a diaper change, and if it's in the middle of the night during a DH change, laughing is not the response he is looking for when you enter the room to help. This scenario happened during our first week home, and I laughed so hard I was crying and unable to stand for a few minutes.

If you have a boy, toss a wipe over him as soon as the diaper comes off during a change so you want end up taking a golden shower. Also, keep Lysol wipes or Clorox wipes in the room to wipe the walls down if baby boy ends up peeing during a diaper change.

Utilize the nursery while at the hospital, you are not a bad mother if you send your LO to the nursery so you and DH can sleep. The nurses will bring LO to you when it's time to feed them and you will be thankful you took advantage of this once you are home.

lindslalala

-If your baby doesn't like being swaddled at first, try it with their arms out. DS only liked being swaddled this way. 

-White noise can be a lifesaver for a crying baby

zellatrix

INmommy871278 said:

Don't be surprised if your baby suddenly has volcanic poop during a diaper change, and if it's in the middle of the night during a DH change, laughing is not the response he is looking for when you enter the room to help. This scenario happened during our first week home, and I laughed so hard I was crying and unable to stand for a few minutes.

LOL! I have to add to this, when babies poop it can sometimes be REALLY loud. We called them butt-splosions. Telling my 6 year old about this now causes quite the laughing fit. 

lindslalala

TheAnne said:

also, get a lot of aquaphor.  you'll use that shit for everything.

oh, and many many infants get cradle cap.  it's kinda gross and doesn't go away super easily, but they grow out of it.  when it hits, it's totally consuming for moms.  like, taking over their brains.  there are a million solutions and none of them work really well other than time.  Most babies that get it, get a very mild version of it and only in a couple spots.  It will seem like a much bigger problem to you than to anyone else, including the pedi and the baby and DH.

signed, mom who put a lot of olive oil on her baby's head.

Just out of curiosity, what is aquaphor used for? I've never used it on DS.

BP607

We use the super thick aquaphor it kind of looks like vaseline on DD's skin, he has super sensitive skin and it gets really dry in the winter.  It works wonders.

It's all fine and well to hold a sleeping baby for a little bit like at nap time, but TRY to put them down to sleep as much as possible.   It will only make your life easier.  I have a friend who has a 6 month old who takes turns every other night with her husband holding the baby at night while it sleeps.

I may need some reminding of some things myself.  All of the sudden, even though we have a 20 month old, I feel like I'm forgetting what the newborn stage was like and feel afraid of newborns.  Just so used to  a little kid, going to be hard to go back to a baby again!

zellatrix

TheAnne said:

oh and don't worry if you have the baby sleep in your room, your bed, their room, bassinet, crib, pack n play, rock n play, car seat....etc.

I agree with all of this except the car seat. They shouldn't stay in it too too long because of the risk of their head falling forward and blocking their airway. There must be something about the way they fit in the bases in the car that keeps them leaning back farther than they naturally sit. I guess if you put a rolled up blanket under the feet side of it to keep it pushed farther back, they wouldn't be so susceptible to falling forward. 

zellatrix

If you are a formula feeder, this thing is made of angel wings and unicorn horns... 

The powdered formula is pre-measured and that plus lukewarm bottled water make it so you don't have to take pre-made bottles with you. Doesn't have to stay cold, so you don't have to worry about warming it up when you are out and about if your baby won't take cold milk. 

unaveragejane

• If you are trying to avoid petroleum products (like Vaseline and Aquaphor), Waxelene is a great alternative. It's also supposed to be safe to use with cloth diapers.
• Like PP said, white noise can be great with fussy newborns. DS cried around the clock when he was tiny. I vacuumed my house every single day b/c the sound was so soothing for him. He also liked the sound of fans, but not near as much as the vacuum. 
• A good baby carrier can be worth its weight in gold. I had no idea how much my baby would want to be held when he was little. (We later found out he had reflux, so he was really only comfortable if he was upright.) My arms would cramp from holding him all the time until I found a good carrier. I wound up with a Baby K'tan that I love, but there are lots of great options and deals to be had. Doing homework on this ahead of time can save you time, grief, and money in the long run. Carriers also hold good resale value if you decide to nix it later. Andplusalso, popping baby into a carrier when you go on a grocery run is SO much easier than toting him around in the car seat.
  
• Car seats should NEVER go on top of a shopping cart. If the cart flips over (say if someone runs into your buggy), your baby is going for a good fall and could also wind up crushed under the cart.
  

zellatrix

unaveragejane said:

• If you are trying to avoid petroleum products (like Vaseline and Aquaphor), Waxelene is a great alternative. It's also supposed to be safe to use with cloth diapers.
• Like PP said, white noise can be great with fussy newborns. DS cried around the clock when he was tiny. I vacuumed my house every single day b/c the sound was so soothing for him. He also liked the sound of fans, but not near as much as the vacuum. 
• A good baby carrier can be worth its weight in gold. I had no idea how much my baby would want to be held when he was little. (We later found out he had reflux, so he was really only comfortable if he was upright.) My arms would cramp from holding him all the time until I found a good carrier. I wound up with a Baby K'tan that I love, but there are lots of great options and deals to be had. Doing homework on this ahead of time can save you time, grief, and money in the long run. Carriers also hold good resale value if you decide to nix it later. Andplusalso, popping baby into a carrier when you go on a grocery run is SO much easier than toting him around in the car seat.
  
• Car seats should NEVER go on top of a shopping cart. If the cart flips over (say if someone runs into your buggy), your baby is going for a good fall and could also wind up crushed under the cart.
  

Yes to all of these, especially the shopping cart! Also, your avatar... the houndstooth ribbon. Are you from Alabama? 

tourqeyes

Don't be alarmed by the tar or seedy poop in the very beginning.

Glitzyklm

Coconut oil is the best baby product IMHO.

Invest in some good finger nail clippers, seriously babies fingernails are the equivalent of small razor blades.

tourqeyes

Mittens for the hospital and first few days home I also recommend as a result of the sharp fingernail comment above. Poor baby scratched up his face.

IA2TXGirl

Glitzyklm said:

Coconut oil is the best baby product IMHO.

Invest in some good finger nail clippers, seriously babies fingernails are the equivalent of small razor blades.

Someone recommended to me to file LO nails as a newborn instead of clipping. This worked wonders for me. Knock on wood I have yet to clip DD's quick. 

unaveragejane

@zarkarella - Yes, ma'am.

kmawb

- Alot of newborns (not all) will scream like you are peeling off their skin during the first few baths.  This is normal.  The best solution we found was to use the shower to steam up the bathroom before bringing the baby in so the room was nice and warm (a space heater works just as well) and running the bathroom fan for white noise can also help.

- My DD would always poop as soon as she started eating (she would just relax so much during a feeding that she inevitably pooped) and would then refuse to continue to eat until she was changed.  It got to the point where I would have a clean diaper and wipes all ready to go whenever I sat down to feed her and my DH got really good at changing her while she continued to eat.

- I completely agree with having changing supplies in the rooms you will frequent most (not just the nursery).  This is especially a good point for c/s mommas - you don't want to be going up and down stairs 10-15 times a day in the first few weeks post-surgery.

- Take all the supplies the hospital will give you and don't forget your peri bottle!!

zellatrix

unaveragejane said:

@zarkarella - Yes, ma'am.

Yay! I'm in Ttown... I recognize that ribbon. If you also live here, you gotta PM me and I will tell you about our local mom group.  

unaveragejane

zarkarella said:

unaveragejane said:

@zarkarella - Yes, ma'am.

Yay! I'm in Ttown... I recognize that ribbon. If you also live here, you gotta PM me and I will tell you about our local mom group.  

I'm actually farther north, up near the Rocket. You're the first person here who has recognized the ribbon, though!

Ylvelill

tourqeyes said:

Mittens for the hospital and first few days home I also recommend as a result of the sharp fingernail comment above. Poor baby scratched up his face.

I find socks work just as good and you have more use for those

Skeemer

unaveragejane said:

I'm actually farther north, up near the Rocket. You're the first person here who has recognized the ribbon, though!

I'm about 45 minutes South of the Rocket. RTR!

Skeemer

There's been a lot of great advice here. I'll just add to some of what others have already said.

1) If there's room put the lotion bottle in the tub with baby while you bathe him/her. The water warms the lotion & it's not as cold on their skin.

2) Two words. Baby. Swing.  :x

3) My favorite thing ever is this sleep sack. Yes, it's a little pricey but once my babe outgrew the cutesy sleep sacks I was constantly worried about him freezing at night.

https://www.babydeedee.com/

4) Try so hard not to let the newborn make you sweat. When that shrill cry lets loose it will make your nerves unravel like no other sound on this planet. Just try to stay calm, soothe, change or etc the baby & everything will be well.

5) Remember how tiny your newborn is & that it won't last for long. It can be very stressful for a new parent especially but this too shall pass & those tiny feet won't be tiny for long. Kiss them, play piggies & breathe in that newborn scent as much as you can.

 

unaveragejane

Skeemer said:

unaveragejane said:

I'm actually farther north, up near the Rocket. You're the first person here who has recognized the ribbon, though!

I'm about 45 minutes South of the Rocket. RTR!

Don't tell ITK! She'll be so ashamed that I am not guarding my online privacy more closely.

zellatrix

Takes pictures and LOTS of videos. It goes fast and videos are precious later on. 

Skeemer

unaveragejane said:

Don't tell ITK! She'll be so ashamed that I am not guarding my online privacy more closely.

I'm not sure about @zarkarella but I'm too tired & too cold to come find you. LOL :P

Jbosarge85

Giving baby something to hold like a wash cloth, and keeping their hand close to their body during bath time will help calm them.

Don't be surprised if your baby suddenly has volcanic poop during a diaper change, and if it's in the middle of the night during a DH change, laughing is not the response he is looking for when you enter the room to help. This scenario happened during our first week home, and I laughed so hard I was crying and unable to stand for a few minutes.

If you have a boy, toss a wipe over him as soon as the diaper comes off during a change so you want end up taking a golden shower. Also, keep Lysol wipes or Clorox wipes in the room to wipe the walls down if baby boy ends up peeing during a diaper change.

Utilize the nursery while at the hospital, you are not a bad mother if you send your LO to the nursery so you and DH can sleep. The nurses will bring LO to you when it's time to feed them and you will be thankful you took advantage of this once you are home.

Stuck in box

When I had LO they refused to take her to the nursery. They said the parents needed to learn to take care of the baby. In fact they don't even give the baby their first bath in the nursery, they do it in the room with the mother. The only time she went to the nursery is to do the pku test and hearing and vision test and that was it.

Jbosarge85

For the cradle cap we put baby oil on her scalp for 15 minutes then used diluted head and shoulders and then used a soft bristle brush all different directions (the pediatrician recommended all of that) it worked the first time cradle cap all gone.

If there is a little bit of blood in the first few diapers don't freak out it's completely normal and it's because of our hormones. Nobody told me this so we were calling the nurses freaking out.

If you are breastfeeding use nipple cream, your nipples will crack and bleed.

tourqeyes

Ylvelill said:

tourqeyes said:

Mittens for the hospital and first few days home I also recommend as a result of the sharp fingernail comment above. Poor baby scratched up his face.

I find socks work just as good and you have more use for those

Not a bad idea. My hesitation with socks is the mittens give them more room to move their fingers and not constrain their hands as much as socks would unless you go with bigger socks and then they can slip off. Not that you would keep them on all day, but still. Plus mittens can be found at Walmart for like $2.

seells

zarkarella said:

Takes pictures and LOTS of videos. It goes fast and videos are precious later on. 

Yes!!! My mom was taking a video of me and DD playing and all of a sudden she spit up ALLLLLL over me. It's hilarious to watch now. My face is just like wtf kid?!?

I have a video of DD playing with this noisy wrapping paper when she was like 6 months old and she's just laughing and laughing. I love it. You can never have too many!

jensavicci

You guys gave great advice already

So the only thing I have left to say is, do not let your husbands swing your baby's around like footballs. It will give you a heart attack every single time.

AutumnBonfire

If you're nursing, make sure you have lots of good movies and load up your DVR with your favorite shows. It gets really boring when you're up for hours with a baby attached to your boob. My sleep deprived brain couldn't handle even the stupidest of books after the first two weeks. Also have snacks for these times. You get hungry at weird times when your sleep schedule is off. 

Keep burp cloths everywhere. You'll need them. 

TexasGirl81

AutumnBonfire said:

If you're nursing, make sure you have lots of good movies and load up your DVR with your favorite shows. It gets really boring when you're up for hours with a baby attached to your boob. My sleep deprived brain couldn't handle even the stupidest of books after the first two weeks. Also have snacks for these times. You get hungry at weird times when your sleep schedule is off. 

Keep burp cloths everywhere. You'll need them. 

This! Sometimes a new nursing baby can nurse for up to two hours. You are literally stuck in the same place. I put the Netflix app on my phone and watched OITNB along with others. DD is allergic to all lotions right now since birth and coconut oil and aquaphor have done wonders! I know I have some more. I'll post as my brain gets rolling.... :-/

Eta: the boppy is tha shizzzzzz!! DD is 7 months and we still use it everyday.

drunkenhandstand

Don't be afraid to ask for help. 

Trust your instincts. 

Take it one feeding, one diaper change, one snuggle, one day at a time.

Cherish every moment. It goes by so so fast. Those sleepless nights will be a distant memory in no time. I PROMISE!! 

 

iris427

If your baby has a diaper rash that doesn't seem to be getting better with regular cream, it may be a yeast rash. Signs of a yeast rash include lots of little red spots, open sores, or redness in the creases of your baby's skin. You need an anti fungal cream like Lotrimin, which OTC is in the athlete's foot section at the pharmacy. I think it's good to just have a tube on hand with your other supplies. It's ok if your baby has to cry a few minutes while you take a shower or take a breather. It's also OK if you have to put the baby down somewhere safe and walk away for a few minutes if you are feeling overwhelmed. Take care of yourself so you can take care of your baby. And the beginning is all about survival and adjustment, so don't stress too much about stuff like dishes in the sink. Likewise, it's OK if you don't feel bonded with your baby right away or don't feel like you're enjoying motherhood at first. The hard stuff is all temporary, so just hang in there!

Nichole8787

For this post...

littlesparrow602

My tip contradicts your very first... don't take any sleepers, onsies to the hospital! use what they give you and only bring the going home outfit. You won't have any option to wash them, they'll stink, and stain.

unaveragejane

As great as the advice is in this thread, I need TTM's to tell me how on earth I'm going to cope with a toddler and a NB!

Soon2BMrsN

If you breastfeed, don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you you should limit how often/how long baby nurses or insists "there's no way he/she's hungry again already"...newborns' tummies are tiny so they need to be fed on-demand. This is also important for for ensuring your supply builds to what it needs to be. Yes, it will seem like you're constantly nursing for the first few weeks, but baby will eventually not need to eat so often or take so long when eating.

BBColt78

These are all great tips!

I wish someone would have told me that no matter how rough it seems to get with a newborn, it WILL get better. DH and I felt like we were living life in shifts. I was going to bed at 7pm to take over by 2am so he could go to work. And so. many. hormones.

The good news is life gets back to normal eventually. And take those damn pictures! Also, I had bought a Baby's First Year book and I logged everything. EVERYTHING. If you ask me how many ounces my kid took at 4 weeks, I know it. Ha! I love going back and reading about DD when she was little. Somehow, you easily forget!

Here is that book I used. I will certainly use it again with this little one.

abrazz

unaveragejane
My first two were 20 months apart. It was hard because she wasn't really talking much and still seemed very much like a baby.  The first time we changed DS on the changing table she started bawling, it was awful.  She ran up to me and hit me on the legs then hid in the corner and cried.  I didn't realize how traumatic it would be to see someone else changed on "her" changing table.  I'll add that her behavior was completely out of character for her and actually did not happen again.  I tried to talk to her about the baby and explain that he was staying and that I still loved her very much.  It got better after a few months and people were great.  Whenever they brought over a gift for DS they had something for her.  I would have never even thought of that but I'm glad other people did.  They were so generous.  Nursing DS and keeping her occupied was difficult at first.  She tended to get into things she shouldn't while I was feeding him.  He got good at just scarfing down his meals. He could drain me in 7 minutes lol.  So finding something to keep the toddler occupied while your feed your newborn is something I recommend.  I don't know if any of that helps.  It's not really advice, but more my experience.