50 Newborn Tips for New Parents

There are various things I have learned in the past 3 months that have kept me sane with a newborn. It’s amazing how each hour can be long but then all of a sudden I’m putting my little one down for bedtime. The days are going so fast that I feel like the things I’m learning are becoming a blur (or perhaps the blur is coming from sleepless nights). I’m writing these things down in the hope it can resonate with you (and so I remember because every mom knows how real “mom brain” really is)!

LL’s 50 Tips to Remember with a Newborn (in no particular order):

1. Get daylight/get outside at least 1x a day.
2. Put baby in the bouncer in the same room as you for everyday things you need to do (i.e shower). They can be happily looking around in the bathroom for 5 min while you shower.
3. Fleece swaddles are great. I love the halo micro fleece. The ollie swaddle was also good for us but I definitely love the Halo ones more.
4. Set boundaries for friends/family. We required masks the first 2 months to prevent sickness.
5. It’s ok to ask for your baby back from someone else holding them.
6. Wrap the baby and bring him places! I love the Solly wrap so much. Once you get the hang of it, it is so comfortable and I think it’s great to put on before I get into the car so I can just put the baby right in when we arrive somewhere (esp. a place that a stroller would be tough)
7. When the baby wakes up in the middle of the night, ask your non-breastfeeding partner to pick the baby up vs you. It really helped with soothing him back to sleep and spacing out feedings.
8. Put a wet, warm towel or washcloth on the baby in the bath to keep them happy and toasty warm!
9. Bring burp cloths everywhere.
10. When in doubt call the doctor. They have nurses on call for a reason.
11. The sound machine needs to be loud!
12. MAM pacifiers were awesome because he loved them and then easily took a bottle with the same MAM nipple.
13. Don’t wake the baby during witching hour. I heard it all the time to “not wake a sleeping baby” but the reality is that you sometimes have to wake them to feed, travel, etc. but right around that 5:30pm time, if the baby is sleeping, let them sleep!
14. Take some longer videos vs just photos
15. Be ready with the next size diapers (it happens quickly one day that you have to switch!)
16. Put diaper rash cream on as a preventative measure, not just when the baby has a rash.
17. For the first bottle, have the non-breastfeeding parent do it. It’s hard and emotional if the mom has been breastfeeding exclusively.
18. Make sure Mom eats a lot of protein and drinks a lot of water! Whenever I am hungry or haven’t taken care of myself, I get upset and start having a lot more anxiety.
19. Go places – get out, do things and expose your baby to different environments. It also helps to get them used to the car seat/car (if that is the way you travel).
20. Dream feed if it works for your baby! I feed my son at 10pm and he doesn’t even wake up and then he ends up making it to 7am at 3 months old.
21. Brush their hair every now and then – it helped get out the dead skin and helped prevent a lot of cradle cap for us.
22. Cut their nails short – they scratch themselves easily.
23. Talk to them – not just baby talk, have full conversations!
24. If you have a dog, when you get home from the hospital, have your partner wait with the baby so you can greet your dog and say hi for a minute before the baby comes in.
25. Take off their clothes, put a waterproof mat down, and let them kick around and enjoy being naked (esp. around 3 months old!)
26. Buy things if you need them. I splurged on a bottle/pump parts washer because I was spending my down time/”me” time washing parts vs taking care of myself. Some things are just worth it if it gives you time back.
27. Try out different books and toys – using the same things will get boring for you and your baby.
28. If you’re breastfeeding, find a good show to watch for middle of the night feedings to help keep you awake.
29. The “Bobby” is great for a breastfeeding mom when the baby gets a bit older but I loved “my Breastfriend” pillow for when they’re itty bitty. It just supports them and gives your arms a little bit of a rest.
30. Get the snot sucker – it seems so gross but you will do anything when your baby catches that first cold.
31. Keep a baby hat, burp cloth, a pacifier, and a blanket in the car. It’s great to have because you will forget one of those things at some point. Also keep a change of baby clothes in the diaper bag.
32. Put a onesie underneath a sleeper if it is on the chillier side.
33. If you are breastfeeding, get oversized sweaters/shirts vs breastfeeding tops. I put a breastfeeding cami underneath and it works great for fall/winter timing.
34. Do something for yourself and your partner every now and then (not just the basic needs, do something fun).
35. You don’t need a separate milk storage bag for each session of milk. You can combine them to make the most of the bags.
36. Use the Haakka with warm water if you have a milk duct clog.
37. Use some time to read about what’s next – learn about sleep regressions, learn about dropping the swaddle, learn about starting solids, etc.
38. Have some clothes in the next size. It seems like the clothes are huge for like a few weeks, fit perfectly for a couple weeks and then get tight so quickly!
39. Spray blowout stains immediately and try to wash quickly. It comes out easier
40. Hold the baby upright for 10 minutes after feeding.
41. Make sure to clean out the neck rolls, leg rolls, etc.
42. I personally don’t bathe my baby every day. He likes the bath but it’s a lot of work and newborns really don’t smell. I feel like I was able to establish a great bedtime routine without a bath everyday.
43. If my son was really upset (he gets mad quickly when he’s hungry) I would sometimes walk him around and look at things to calm him down enough to latch.
44. Tummy time works well on your chest or on a boppy when they’re really tiny.
45. Check their fingers and toes for hair that might get stuck around them.
46. Hold the railing when you’re carrying your baby up and down the stairs.
47. Rub the palm of their hand to keep them awake while breastfeeding.
48. Try different positions to burp them – there is a burp in there somewhere!!
49. Bring a dog poop bag with you in the diaper bag in case there is no trashcan.
50. Live in the moment – don’t stress about the next thing, it’s a waste of time.

None of these tips are guidance from a medical professional but these are things that have worked for me. I feel like I’m learning new things every hour of every day that I don’t want to forget. As I learn more I plan to update or make revised lists. Are there other tips from you that can help me with my 3 month old? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo, LL