Mom hacks

dsty1213

When my husband and I went to register in preparation for our first daughter, we made it down one aisle before we felt so overwhelmed that we left. Now, we are on baby number 3 and starting all over bc, well, we thought we were done 4 years ago after my son. In an effort to try to help some new moms from feeling like we did as well as learn from other moms I thought I would start a thread for needs for baby as well as things to avoid. For example, we never had a baby tub. We started with just a sponge to support baby's head (think pool kickboard) in the sink and then when the baby could sit, we put a laundry basket in the tub. That way, the water goes in/out of the basket but the baby is more contained. Clearly, the laundry basket then moved on to function as a laundry basket so it wasn't yet another thing to buy and only use for less than a year. What else?

amh0411712

We loved the sponge. Used it from the day we bought it until they were sitting, it the big tub.

A thermos for warm water for bottles for when your out and about (formula feeders)

Falchas

Love the laundry basket, and think this would be a great thread.  I'm sure I'll think of more, but this is on my mind because I was just reading the bedding thread.  Those swaddles (especially if you or your fam spring for the aden and anais, they're lovely).  Can be used for so many things.  Our first is now three and we still use the swaddles everyday: I use them as the top sheet on his bed,  when I was breastfeeding and my nipples were killing me I would make a bandeau top out of them (they were they only thing soft enough to have on my skin, and yes, I kept that to an indoor look).  There was always one in the car or stroller for impromptu picnics/outdoor activities.  He uses them to play with, dressing up stuffed animals and himself (perfect toga or lawrence of arabia costume).  Don't put those bad boys away when you're done swaddling.

kmd91

Maybe I'm just dumb, but I'm not quite understanding the whole sponge thing. I'm definitely intrigued and would like to check this option out, but would someone mind explaining this to me?

dogsombrero

kmd91 said:

Maybe I'm just dumb, but I'm not quite understanding the whole sponge thing. I'm definitely intrigued and would like to check this option out, but would someone mind explaining this to me?

It is a giant flat sponge that supports the kiddo. We used ours in the sink until he could sit up the we moved on to the inflatable tub because our water pressure is long and filling the whole tub takes forever.

VexyMommy

Also based on the bedding thread earlier - layer your sheets! Waterproof, regular, waterproof, regular, waterproof, regular. Waterproof doesn't have to be fitted, the pads work well too.

It's awesome on nights when baby spits up all over or wets through the diaper. No having to change the whole thing out at 3am.

dsty1213

This isn't the one we used, but very similar so you get the point. I couldn't find ours.

kmkrushi

Don't waste your money on a diaper genie. Save the plastic bags when you buy groceries and use those to throw away stinky diapers.

knrickert

When my daughter was an infant she spit up ALL the time so I almost always had a bib on her. The Velcro on the back of the bib irritated her skin so rather than buying all new bibs with snaps, I cut the toe end off of a baby sock and used that to cover the scratchy Velcro and protect the back of her neck. Worked like a charm!

KatieSetler

I'm not buying a changing table, I'll just change the baby whereever. My mom just put a towel over the top of a dresser for us haha. And quite honestly, I'll probably use a pack-and-play as a crib after the baby outgrows the bassinet we've been given

Pontot31

KatieSetler said:

I'm not buying a changing table, I'll just change the baby whereever. My mom just put a towel over the top of a dresser for us haha. And quite honestly, I'll probably use a pack-and-play as a crib after the baby outgrows the bassinet we've been given

We bought a 6 drawer dresser and put a pad on top of it and used that as a changing table/ dresser. Took up less room and one less thing to get rid of.

I actually hate just changing a baby where ever. We always went to the changing table. It saved our backs too. Plus I didn't want to risk leaks anywhere else.

DrMommaDVM

Pontot31 said:

KatieSetler said:

I'm not buying a changing table, I'll just change the baby whereever. My mom just put a towel over the top of a dresser for us haha. And quite honestly, I'll probably use a pack-and-play as a crib after the baby outgrows the bassinet we've been given

We bought a 6 drawer dresser and put a pad on top of it and used that as a changing table/ dresser. Took up less room and one less thing to get rid of.

I actually hate just changing a baby where ever. We always went to the changing table. It saved our backs too. Plus I didn't want to risk leaks anywhere else.

I agree. Changing table is essential for us. We had wild baby boys who flip and flail during changes. That's especially fun with blowout poop diapers. You don't want to be changing that just anywhere!

Meganb005

I'm not getting a changing table either. I'm getting a pack and play with a bassinet and changing station for when baby is little. When baby starts rolling, doing diaper changes up high scares me. To prevent messes, my friend actually uses puppy pads as a cheap disposable diaper mat. No laundry and you can reuse it until it gets something on it. I'll probably do the same thing

dogsombrero

I fully admit I love my changing table. If I don't use it my kid kicks me in the gut or worse. Toddlers are mean!

kmkrushi

We got a changing pad and put it on our dresser when she was little. When she got older we put it on the floor in her room and I just use a mat for the floor in the living room.

Another tip for any FTM, really think about your stroller before you buy it. A heavy travel system isn't always the best just because it's expensive or a good name. Try them out, think about where you would use it, consider weight, length, etc.

dsty1213

We registered for bottles with my first. We used the medals so it would fit with my breast pump and then I could theoretically send them to daycare. However, she wouldn't drink from medals nipples. So, I wouldn't register for those. For my second, we bought a few different nipple types to see what he would use and then bought those bottles. We also never bought bottle sanitizer bc the dish washer works for that. I think wipe warmers are some of the most ridiculous things that I've ever heard. But, we also ended up making our own wipes bc my daughters skin was really sensitive. ( at the time I thought she was a really easy baby but reading this reminds me she was really high maintenance. )

VexyMommy

dsty1213 said:

We registered for bottles with my first. We used the medals so it would fit with my breast pump and then I could theoretically send them to daycare. However, she wouldn't drink from medals nipples. So, I wouldn't register for those. For my second, we bought a few different nipple types to see what he would use and then bought those bottles. We also never bought bottle sanitizer bc the dish washer works for that. I think wipe warmers are some of the most ridiculous things that I've ever heard. But, we also ended up making our own wipes bc my daughters skin was really sensitive. ( at the time I thought she was a really easy baby but reading this reminds me she was really high maintenance. )

Wipe warmers also contribute to bacteria growth on the wipes and dry them out more quickly if they're not covered properly every time and a sleep deprived mamma at 1am may not always check that they closed the baby wipes.  I know I didn't always.

VexyMommy

Cross post from another thread, but thought it might do well here.  A number of us are in situations where we're not together with the child's father and hopefully this is helpful to someone. 

Just a thought for the ladies who are not with their children's fathers,
but do want them to be involved.  You may want to sketch out some rough
custody agreements to avoid headache down the road.  Not visitation or
anything like that, but who is responsible for what kind of decisions
such as medical decisions, school (daycare), and religion. 

I
hope that each of you ends up in a great co-parent relationship with
your child's father, but having the rules set up ahead of time could
save you a lot of headache down the road.  The person with medical
responsibility can be especially important if there are issues of
concern such as vaccination or any kind of interventions needed after
birth.  It could prevent you from having to fight a legal battle while dealing with your recovery and a medical emergency with your newborn.  If your child's father isn't
terribly interested right now, it may be a better time to make sure you
have the decision making power in these situations.  These are often
used as tools in contentious custody situations to thwart one side or
the other and getting it out of the way when there aren't emotions involved could be helpful. 

Also, just because you have the power to make
unilateral decisions does not mean you should use it constantly or
arbitrarily.  It's good to have in your back pocket though in case the
other side tries to force decisions on you/your child that you feel
strongly against. 

gabiluci

How did you make your own wipes?

gabiluci

@dsty1213 how did you make your own wipes ? Am curious!

knrickert

I'm not sure how @dsty1213 makes hers but I make my own too and they are super easy and more cost efficient than buying wipes.
1 roll of bounty paper towels (I only use bounty since they don't seem to mold as quick as others and are thicker)
1 c. Boiled or distilled water (tap water tends to mold fast)
1 heaping tablespoon of baby oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of baby shampoo
A container with a lid.

Cut the roll of paper towels in half and stuff into a container. I use a brand called ClickClack. It is a square 2qt. Container but really any that you can get the half roll to fit into will work. Mix the baby oil and shampoo and water in a separate cup and pour mixture over paper towels. Put the lid on and turn upside down for about 5 minutes to let the mixture absorb through the paper towels. When the paper towels are wet, pull the towel from the middle of the roll and you've got yourself some homemade baby wipes.

You can add more or less baby oil, shampoo and water depending on how moist, sudsy or oily you prefer your wipes but the above is what I have found to be a pretty good balance. They tend to stay good for about a week so if they are older, keep an eye out for the musty smell and mildew. Mine never last long enough to have this problem though!

dsty1213

That's the same way that I do it except that I add one from of lavender oil for the smell. My husband cut a gazillion paper towel rolls in half with his saw to make them easy and ready. You also need to remove the cardboard from the center so that the liquid soaks all the way through.

Bootsie81

Not exactly a hack, but something I didn't realize with my first - onesies shoulders are split like that so you can take them off down their bodies rather than over their heads.  So much better when there's been a blow out diaper.

olga1311

We loved our diaper genie. Have to disagree that its a waste of money.

Also, the best thing ever is sleep sheep!! DD is almost 2 and still has to have it for every nap/bedtime to fall asleep

BlueWaffleSpeshul

*still lurking, always lurking*

I say the wipes warmer and bottle warmer are both things to pass on. I got the wipes warmer because my mom wouldn't let up on how cold the wipes were all the time, but we don't even plug it in any more. A cup of hot water works just fine to warm bottles if/when you bottle feed. 

I love my changing table, but it's getting scary now at 9 months because he wants to vault off of it. The swing was a lifesaver for us when my son was colicky, I know not everyone likes it. We got one that plugged in so we didn't eat through batteries. Bouncer, eh. It was nice to have but not a must-have. More rather than less when it comes to fitted crib sheets and waterproof mattress pads, DS has random leaks now and used to spit up a ton due to reflux. My son never really got into his mobile on the crib, but he did like the one on the swing. 

brizer21

Our rock n play and quick zip zipper sheets got the most use. The sheet sets are a little more costly but they are so worth it- it's a fitted sheet where the top zips off so if there are any accidents, spit up/vomit you don't have to take the entire mattress off to change the sheet. One night we went through 3 changes. We keep a waterproof pad underneath so we never have to take the fitted off. Lifesaver!

katie24l

My son turned 2 in February and just a few weeks ago stopped using a Halo sleep sack. We swear by them in our house from the swaddle all the way to the one with feet for walkers. He's still quite happy in his crib so that's probably why it worked for so long for us.

agerstner

Bootsie81 said:

Not exactly a hack, but something I didn't realize with my first - onesies shoulders are split like that so you can take them off down their bodies rather than over their heads.  So much better when there's been a blow out diaper.

Are you serious??? How did I not know this!! Thankfully we are low on the blow out count but still... So glad you told me lol!