#1. Although we are breastfeeding, we sometimes need to top Adelyn off and every once in awhile I want Adam to take that 5:00 feeding. We LOVE Dr. Brown's bottles, but they have so many parts it is hard to assemble and prepare when you are tired or have a hungry baby, so my sister had the great idea of storing the bottles almost made. Now all we have to do is dump in the pre- measured formula and shake!
#2. I use these Quick Clean sacks to sterilize EVERYTHING... from my breast pump supplies, bottles. pacifiers, and toys. It is so easy and works in 3 minutes... All you do is dump in your stuff, add 2 oz of water, and put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. You can use the same bag for up to 20 times!
#3. The swaddle... both of my babies will settle down in seconds when they get a good swaddle. But we do have a few tricks... first try to keep a few of the blankets from the hospital. These blankets are just a bit bigger than the ones you can buy. Then, before you wrap them up, put the blanket in the dryer for a few minutes. This works so well! Next, don't be afraid to get the swaddle good and tight... the tighter the better. Adam is really good at this! Lastly, remember you can still swaddle at 6 months... actually Mike still likes to be tucked in extra tight!
#4. This tip came from one of Adam's co-workers. He is from India and gave us this bottle for a baby gift. I know what you are thinking... it looks like booze... I too was "not giving that to my baby" However, desperate times call for anything that might work! Mike had awful acid reflex and at times could not be settled for anything... I broke down and tired it.
Woodwards Gripe Water, also known as 'baby crack' to us! We have tried other brands and trust me they are not the same. We get ours from amazon and now we like to give as a gift.
#5. I am sure we have all read
Happiest Baby on the Block- the best baby book ever. (check out the link) However, what we discovered about the "sushing step" is that the noise has to be loud and constant. We tried the teddy bear with the heart beat and the noise machine that attaches to the crib, but they just were not loud enough. With Mike we had to run the hairdryer or the vacuum... what a hassle! But my mom came across a great noise machine that gets really loud. Although, we never found her exact one we did find this Sharper Image one at Macy's. It was $50, but worth every penny. It has 20 sounds, including Adelyn's favorite "white noise" and "heartbeat". Bottom line, if your "sushing" is not working... turn up the volume!
I hope these tips are helpful. If you have good newborn tricks of the trade- leave me a comment! We mommies have to stick together!
Tips and Tricks for Mommies of Newborns.
#1. Although we are breastfeeding, we sometimes need to top Adelyn off and every once in awhile I want Adam to take that 5:00 feeding. We LOVE Dr. Brown's bottles, but they have so many parts it is hard to assemble and prepare when you are tired or have a hungry baby, so my sister had the great idea of storing the bottles almost made. Now all we have to do is dump in the pre- measured formula and shake!
#2. I use these Quick Clean sacks to sterilize EVERYTHING... from my breast pump supplies, bottles. pacifiers, and toys. It is so easy and works in 3 minutes... All you do is dump in your stuff, add 2 oz of water, and put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. You can use the same bag for up to 20 times!
#3. The swaddle... both of my babies will settle down in seconds when they get a good swaddle. But we do have a few tricks... first try to keep a few of the blankets from the hospital. These blankets are just a bit bigger than the ones you can buy. Then, before you wrap them up, put the blanket in the dryer for a few minutes. This works so well! Next, don't be afraid to get the swaddle good and tight... the tighter the better. Adam is really good at this! Lastly, remember you can still swaddle at 6 months... actually Mike still likes to be tucked in extra tight!
#4. This tip came from one of Adam's co-workers. He is from India and gave us this bottle for a baby gift. I know what you are thinking... it looks like booze... I too was "not giving that to my baby" However, desperate times call for anything that might work! Mike had awful acid reflex and at times could not be settled for anything... I broke down and tired it. Woodwards Gripe Water, also known as 'baby crack' to us! We have tried other brands and trust me they are not the same. We get ours from amazon and now we like to give as a gift.
#5. I am sure we have all read Happiest Baby on the Block- the best baby book ever. (check out the link) However, what we discovered about the "sushing step" is that the noise has to be loud and constant. We tried the teddy bear with the heart beat and the noise machine that attaches to the crib, but they just were not loud enough. With Mike we had to run the hairdryer or the vacuum... what a hassle! But my mom came across a great noise machine that gets really loud. Although, we never found her exact one we did find this Sharper Image one at Macy's. It was $50, but worth every penny. It has 20 sounds, including Adelyn's favorite "white noise" and "heartbeat". Bottom line, if your "sushing" is not working... turn up the volume!
I hope these tips are helpful. If you have good newborn tricks of the trade- leave me a comment! We mommies have to stick together!
where were you with all these great tips when bobby and lori were babies? our life would have been so much easier. i didn't learn about swaddleing until bobby was born and a friend showed me what to do.
ReplyDeleteyou are doing a real service to your readers!
hugs,
aunt h
Adam is the #1 swaddler!!! LaLa like her white noise to keep her asleep. I was trying to Michelle about your grip water at Thanksgiving, maybe you should email her. You Moms today have alot more goddies then I ever did. I could have used some grip water with you. XOXOXO LaLa
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeletemy secret weapon is the baby sling--he'll stay calm (or sleep!) and my hands are free. great for shopping and running errands, too--no precariously perched (and super heavy!) carseat to lug about. i almost never use my stroller, either.
ReplyDeleteI tried and tried to use the sling and I could never get it to fit right... maybe you could post a tutorial on how to wear one- i would LOVE that!
ReplyDeleteWe love the gripe water just as much as Ryan :) It's our "Holy Water." Missed you at Thanksgiving...hope to see you soon!
ReplyDeleteMy tip would be to go outside! with both of my kids, I noticed that going outside would calm down even the fussiest baby. Even when it was freezing cold in the winter, if I couldn't calm down my son, I would wrap a blanket around him and go for a quick stroll down to the mailbox. being outside would instantly stop the crying!
ReplyDeleteI'm seconding the sling or the Ergo baby carrier! my kiddos would conk out in the sling when they were newborns and then no one could touch them either when we were out and about.
I'm also a swaddler... my 6 1/2 month old is still swaddled most of the time!
Great tips. Wish we'd had your Sharper Image Noise machine. We used the vacuum and you're right...big hassle but like you said, desperate times call for desperate measures.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! Click my name for mine.
ReplyDelete