51 Things Every New Mom Should Know!
These are the things I wish I knew before I became a mom to my son, Ryan, that your own parents may have forgotten and that classes won’t tell you. Here are some important things every new mother should know:
Delivery
1. It’s called “childbirth”!
2. Take it one contraction at a time, and seriously, take drugs. You are a human being brought up within you; You are already a hero!
3. If you are being induced, there is a higher chance of a caesarean section, but stay calm and try and rest when you can, as your stress hormones will disrupt the labor process.
4. Your baby is adorable (at least to you) no matter what he’s covered in.
5. Trust the nurses; They are your greatest resource.
6. Keep your husband close to your side, just in case he passes out (or, in my case, lies down to catch his own breathing in between your pushes).
Nursing
7. The first few days are the hardest, but if you plan on breastfeeding, stick with it. I’m grateful that no matter how much I wanted to sleep, I never supplemented. (Formula will delay your milk supply and make it more frustrating for you and your baby.)
8. The first month hurts, even if you’re doing it right, it keeps getting better.
9. A little milk vomits and happens, and happens! If your baby is gaining weight well, it’s just a laundry problem.
10. If your baby falls asleep after feeding, you may find it easier not to burp your baby. Do it anyway (at least hold your baby on your shoulder for a few minutes), it will be very difficult when they start screaming from the gas.
11. Being able to latch and feed is a gift! As are all the calories you’re burning.
12. By 4 months, make sure you stop the feeds after baby falls asleep or you will have to train your baby to sleep without sucking (and not get as much rest).
13. Why bother with an annoying sleep bra when you can stick a nursing pad under your T-shirt?
14. If you plan to pump and feed rather than impress everyone in public, introduce a bottle around 3 weeks to avoid nipple confusion, but early enough that your baby won’t refuse.
cry
15. Babies cry – a lot! It doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong, it’s just their way of complaining (to themselves) when they need something. Eventually, they will know you are listening and will communicate differently.
16. To activate the calming reflex: Swaddle, Side/Stomach (lying down position, must be supervised), Shush (this really works), Swing, Sucking. (According to Dr. Karp’s “The Happiest Kid on the Block”).
Sleep
17. If you can meet their needs, as they see it. Give on demand, before you know it, your baby will be sleeping through the night.
18. Nap when they snooze! You keep listening to this and initially I wanted to write thank you notes, do my nails, laundry and do everything else I can’t do while holding my baby, but do it when someone else is home and when you can. Just take a nap, eat, and shower).
19. It doesn’t make sense that they need more sleep during the day to stay asleep at night, but they do. An overtired child will not fall asleep easily and will remain awake. Ask your baby to take a nap when you feel they are sleepy.
20. A sleep routine helps at night – for example, massage, bath, nurse, book, walk/rock/burp, put baby down in their bed to sleep. We do the entire routine to lullaby music.
21. Try and put them down when they are sleepy but if this doesn’t work for you or your baby, try again later.
22. Four-month sleep regression is a very real thing! Do whatever works for your child and it will pass. For example, we would nurse him to sleep while he was awake, and he would sleep through the night again in 10 days.
23. Leave off diaper changes at night unless you smell an odor. Keep it during the day though. (The wetness indicator is yet another blessing.)
24. To prevent diaper leaks, go up a size, not down! If it’s filled with gas, it’s going to leak anyway.
Health
25. Physiological jaundice is common, if the doctor tells you not to worry, ignore yellow eyes and forget about it.
26. Cradle cap is not cured with oil! Use oil to scrape the scalp, but it really gets worse with oil.
27. Your newborn’s eardrums are the width of cardboard, and they continue to get thinner (like cellophane), which means they will become more and more sound-sensitive as they grow. While he initially falls asleep despite every sound, he won’t stay for long.
28. Teething times are really painful for you and your little one. Tylenol is a savior, but just rub your baby’s gums with the muslin and your finger works quicker than anything else.
29. Ice those chubby little thighs after vaccination; It helps the muscles to recover quickly.
30 Read books to baby eventually become fun for your baby too (my son tries to grab the pictures in books).
31. A soft Mickey (or Minnie) mouse is the perfect toy – the contrasting colors will keep your child engaged.
32. Play, sing and talk, it may seem pointless at first, but there’s nothing like it when you finally get a response!
33. Tummy time, tummy time, and more tummy time (supervised of course)!
34. Mirrors and baby gyms are a great way to keep your baby occupied, especially if you want to take a shower.
35. Once your little one is wiggling and moving around, you have to watch them carefully.
Shopping
36. You can never have too many bibs or burp cloths.
37. There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to have your child tied to you until he or she takes his or her hands out anyway. Trust me, buy ready-made swaddles. It makes sense to buy a second set when the first set runs out.
38. If you have a spitter like I do, you can find creative uses for no-sew swaddle fabric. I use it as a bib for myself!
For child
39. Send a swaddle cloth home from the hospital so your baby can get used to the smell before you even get home.
40. It’s hard to distract yourself, and you’ll often be advised to ignore your pet when your baby is sleeping (so they don’t feel like they only get attention when the baby isn’t around), but I chose to do the opposite. I gave Coco even more attention when my baby was awake, even if it just involved my legs around her or an arm touching her during nursing.
41. Seeing them react to each other and get excited to see each other is a joy in itself.
42. Be careful, your little one may want to pull out that fur.
Memories
43. Categorize photos as often as you can, as this will become difficult as they get larger.
44. If you’re working on an album, print the pictures on a regular schedule so you’ll remember the occasions and note them.
45. Write stories, or put together pictures for your child.
46. Save an email address. You can also use it to send pictures and stories (and passwords when sharing) to their teen years – my hope is that this will make being an easier teen, but if not, you’ll still have a treasure bank of memories. Established to give enjoyment to your child).
47. Save those clothes, even if you don’t use them for your next baby, you can make a quilt or use them in stuffed animals.
For new moms
48. Your mother is irreplaceable and can be your greatest resource if you let her.
49. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
50. Trust your instincts!!
51. Don’t underestimate the power of information and mommy blogs.