I just brought home my third baby and there’s nothing sweeter. I love hearing the little noises she makes in her sleep, gazing at her darling little feet and stroking her soft cheeks. Here are ten tips for new moms who are bring a baby home:
- Stock up on hand sanitizer. With all three of my children, I made sure to have a bottle at the ready for guests who wanted to hold the baby. It’s easier than asking them to go wash their hands first!
- Don’t buy too many diapers in one size before the baby is born. They grow SO fast. All of my babies outgrew the newborn size diapers after only one package.
- Same goes for clothing. My youngest daughter is one month old tomorrow and has already outgrown most of her newborn clothing- so sad! I just want to keep her little forever!
- Sleep when the baby sleeps. If this is possible- do it! You’ll feel so much better and more capable of handing things.
- Don’t be hard on yourself. Don’t feel guilty when you take that nap and the laundry or dishes pile up a little. Babies are only babies once- soak up those bitty baby snuggles!
- Use Lanolin– if you plan on breastfeeding, make sure you have some lanolin on hand to help prevent or treat cracked nipples. I had forgotten about this, this time around and had to run out and get some after two days of breastfeeding! Don’t forget breast pads either!
- Use fragrance and dye free detergent– babies have very sensitive skin. To avoid irritating it, wash their clothing with fragrance and dye free detergents.
- Be flexible– I refused to give my first two babies pacifiers because I had heard it wasn’t good while trying to establish breastfeeding but my third clearly had a strong sucking reflex and on our first night home I tore the house apart looking for the one I had brought home from the hospital just in case. And she did just fine.
- Accept Help– If someone offers to bring you dinner or help around the house- let them! They wouldn’t offer if they didn’t truly want to help and it will take a little pressure off of you. Your friends and family will feel great helping a new mother out.
- Make time for yourself– Don’t forget that you are more than a mother. You are also a friend, daughter, sister etc. Make a little time to socialize and get out of the house, even if only for 30 minutes!
Enjoy that new baby! There’s really nothing better!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Lysol® Wee Wisdom blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.