Tips & Tricks

For those of you tuning in and not looking for posts about babies, sorry to disappoint.  My life right now revolves around a ten pound peanut and so I find my topics tend to center around him as well.  Any who,  with that impromptu disclaimer out of the way let's continue on to "Tips & Tricks."

★  When getting up to nurse (or bottle feed) at some ungodly hour it's helpful to change the diaper first.   The benefit here is two-fold: I found that Jayson will feed more productively when not concentrating on what's in his pants and if he falls asleep while eating I can put him back into the crib without worry of a dirty diaper leading to diaper rash.

★  If you have a male child it's advisable to keep a small wash cloth handy at the changing table.  My husband and I use it as a "pee-pee teepee."  Essentially a urine deflector.   Your floors,  face, and furniture will thank you.

★  This tip is exclusively for breast feeding mothers (sorry).  Tuck a burp cloth into the drop down portion of your nursing bra to catch his chin dribbles and avoid a saturated midsection or soggy bra when feeding time is over. 

★  Small mesh laundry bags are a must to keep from losing his tiny socks,  mitts,  and anything else miniature in the washer and dryer.

★  If your child has relatively slim legs, go with Pampers diapers.  We found that Huggies should be synonymous with husky so if you want to avoid blowouts Pampers are the way to go.

★  If you are breast feeding you may find a nipple shield makes for better latching and easier transition to a bottle later on.  Having two shields in rotation also limits the number of times you have to visit a sink following late night feedings... those moments add up when you are already sleep deprived and just wanting to crawl back in bed.  Plus your lady bits will be less painful.

★  You can tell your baby is eating enough by the number of dirty diapers you go through each day.

★  Babies cry.  Sounds more like a fact than a tip, but its helpful to remind yourself of this when you are feeling guilty about taking a ten minute shower even though your little bundle of joy won't go down for a nap.  He/she will live and actually its good for the lungs.

★  One of the nurses actually said this to me and it sort of piggy backs off the prior tip: "The safest place for your baby is always the crib."  That goes for sleeping and for any moment you just need a break.  Again, babies cry and it won't hurt them.

★  If you choose to pump don't be discouraged if you get only an ounce from each side in the first few tries.  Pump sessions are better if they are short and frequent  (10 minutes long, whenever you can squirrel away the time). They will become more productive over time.

★  No one tells you this but just about every two weeks your baby will go through a growth spurt where it feels like he is feeding every hour.  If you are nursing your chest will go through that whole engorged state again.  Don't give up on feeding though, the milk is there.  If you need to it is ok to supplement during his every hour feeding stage with formula until your milk production catches up.

★  This last one I will share today I learned the hard way.  Don't hold your baby or allow your baby to be held through every nap,  etc.  Yes, babies are meant to be cuddled and loved but if you ever want to have two hands for a task again he/she has to learn to self soothe at times. Especially true if he/she is going to daycare eventually... the daycare provider won't be able to hold your baby 24/7.

Any tips I've forgotten or that you'd like to share feel free to comment below.