Real Mommy Tips/tricks/secrets for 1St Time Mom's Shower Gift

I think the very first item should be, "Don't listen to advice. Just smile, nod, and say, 'thank you.'" I found that I was so inundated with advice, but that almost inevitably, what I instinctively knew was right for my daughter and I.

Other pieces:
You can buy products like "Nature's Miracle" at pet stores - and they are less expensive than the baby stain removers - but just as natural and safe. They will eat away organic stains (poop, pee, spit up, etc.) much better than detergent alone.

Buy stock in Aquaphor and purchase some now. It worked much better on sensitive skin than diaper rash creams did for my daughter.

What a great idea - I'm sure your friend will appreciate it!

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Buy some long sleeve t shirts for the baby to sleep in for the first few weeks (like what they give you at the hospital). In the beginning, my husband and I were so afraid of putting things over the head of our newborn! The t shirt was great and made the constant diaper changing super easy!

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Here are a few of mine:
- Bag Balm (in the green tin with a cow on it) cures everything from Cradle Cap to Diaper Rash
- Cloth Diapers make wonderful burp cloths
- Keep an exrtra top or tee for YOU in the diaper bag. You never know when you will be pooped, peed, or spit up on!
- Always give the baby Children's Tylenol before you go to the doctor for shots and before bed while teething
- To get rid of the Binky... go cold turkey. Just say "Binky is all gone." Worked with both my kids.
- More teething tricks... put an ice cube in a baby sock (clean of course!) and tie the end in a knot. It's much easier for the little ones to chew and the pressure and the cold work great for molars. Just don't leave them alone with it....
- Treasure your husband! Don't get so wrapped up in the baby that you loose sight of your relationship.

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When trying to get baby into the crib, put a hot water bottle in first. Then remove the hot water bottle and put the baby in the warm spot left behind - makes the transition easier.

To get rid of cradle cap, rub baby oil into the scalp and then wash out. You can use olive oil too, but your baby will smell like a salad : )

You had a good idea with this book : )

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Use petroleum jelly during every diaper change during the first week. That will make it much easier to wipe little bottoms clean.

Use a small garbage bag for diapers and just take it out as needed. The expensive ones end up smelling just as bad, if not worse, than the diapers themselves.

Accept help.

The pizza delivery guy will soon be your best friend. Embrace it!

Here's a couple of things that popped into my head:
When faced with diaper rash, sun baby's buns to fight yeast. It works way better than the Nystatin cream the doctor will give you.

Most babies like brown paper sacks and empty baby wipes containers as much or more than the toys you buy.

Also, from the perspective of a mother of twins, people will often make sweeping statements about how babies behave and develop, and their preferences because they've had one or two children. But every child is different. What works for one will not work for another. And what works for one today, won't work tomorrow. To be a good mom, you have to be creative and resourceful. Know that all those moms giving you advice are making it up as they go along.

What a great idea for your friend! My family did the same thing for me, and I used it all the time.

Here are some of my favorites:

1. In addition to a change of clothes for the baby, have an extra shirt for yourself in the diaper bag/car and even a change of pants/bottoms for a longer trip. Babies like to spit up/poop on you when it's least convenient and you're nowhere close to home.

2. If you're at a family gathering/leaving on a long car ride/etc and it's close to bedtime, but the baby in his/her pj's before heading home. That way you can just put the baby in the crib when you get home and you don't have to wake them up by changing them.

3. If your baby likes being swaddled, get a Swaddle Me blanket. The velcro straps keep baby from becoming unswaddled, which for me meant baby started sleeping through the night at 2 months old :)

4. If you're nursing, always have a water bottle next to your chair. That way you make sure you're drinking enough water.

5. If you're going through a rough patch, remember that it's just a phase--BUT, don't get caught up in the idea that things will be perfect once you get past it. There's always something new around the corner.

6. Baby swings work great for babies that only like to sleep when they're being held. And bouncy seats are wonderful if your baby is congested or if they get reflux.

the swaddle blankets they give you in the hospital are the best, take a couple extra home with you.

Post Partum (sp?) Depression for me was all of my emotions on steroids. It wasn't as scarey as everyone made it out to be. I just couldn't control my emotions and they were the most extreme I've ever had them. When I was happy I was HAPPPPYYYYY; when I was sad I was devestated. It will pass quickly be patient and know it's not going to last long, and it not always about feeling sad.

Homemade baby food is much easier than is sounds, healthier for the baby, and WAY less expensive than store bought. Super Foods for Babies is a great book to start with. Great baby food recipies, and nutrition outlines.

If you make your own baby food freeze it in ice cube containers. Each ice cube is a 1/2 serving and very quick to defost or warm up. Plus it makes it easy to mix foods like peas and carrots.

Know that you are the mom and get to make the decisions. So that makes you...the boss! Don't let people bully you into doing something you're not comfortable with just because they make you feel like you might be a "bad mom"

Good luck...this was a GREAT idea!!

I would say, go to the fabric store before your baby is born, and buy 1 1/4 yard square of baby flanel fabric and make sqaure blankets (you can use blanket binder and sew on the edges.) These make swaddleing for a new mom so much easier. (I use this to "wrap" every shower or baby gift I give- Tie it around the present, and fluff the ends- done!)

M.

- keep a couple of large onsies with your babies clothes. there is nothing like realizing one day that your baby is too big for newborn onsies and not having any larger ones cleaned and ready to go

- keep a diaper bag fully stocked and ready to go at all times. if you have to run out in a hurry,it sure does save time

-keep extra baby socks. They always seem to disappear

- when your at the store check your babies feet before you leave. For some reason they love to kick their shoes off while your shopping.

- to prevent unwanted germs from being spread to your new born, keep a container of hand sanitizer and require everyone who is going to hold your baby to use it!

- when ever you have to be somewhere, give youreslf at least an extra hour of "get ready" time. For some reason something ALWAYS comes up when you are trying to leave with a baby.

- Even if you just changed your babies diaper, check once again before you leave the house. Some little ones like to leave packages at the last minute!

In addition to all the ones below here are mine:

Save the diaper boxes because they are great to store clothes when they get to small, plus they are great for stacking.

Save the small baby jars, they make for creative ways to store things in hubby's workroom or for crafts when the baby gets older.

always go to bed with a picked up house, have bottles all cleaned that way you are prepared for anything in the middle of the night. Always have car keys, and purse in the same spot, and run your dishwasher at night before you go to bed then in the morning you can empty and reload during the day.

One that was so great for me was I recorded TV on my DVR and when I got up in the middle of the night I could watch normal TV instead of crappy reruns.

Keep a note pad and pen on the counter and mark down when you fed, how much that way if you get confused you can always check the pad to refresh your memory. I also kept track of bowl movements to make sure everything was ok

Keep all medicine in a locked container on top of the fridge

turn off the phone when you are trying to relax

Good luck and this is a fantastic idea -

If the baby takes to swaddling, swaddle in something you've worn to keep the mommy smell close to baby.
If you bottle feed, keep a stash of bottles pre-loaded with formula in the room where they sleep.....then it's a matter of adding warm water and shaking.
Don't tie yourself to traditional "baby" items....a backpack works just as well as a diaper bag and you can repurpose it later without it looking obvious.
Robyn mentioned flannel backed vinyl sheets (you can get in the fabric store by the yard and cut them to size yourself)......use these instead of changing pads (cheaper).....stack them in several layers so that if one gets soiled you can whip it out from under baby and go on with the task with a minimum of fuss. And they can be used in the car seat later when they are potty-training and may have accidents.
Buy your dress-up outfits at a resale shop (or sew them yourself)....you'll only need them once or twice and then they'll be too small. Much of the time you can find nice resale items with the tags still on because they were outgrown before worn.
Take the time to research what your doctor tells you....if something doesn't sound right or you don't understand, question it. You and your doctor are PARTNERS in your baby's care. You will quickly develop a sense of what's right for your child. Trust your instincts.

Sarah, you said it, sister!!! Smile and nod! SO TRUE!

Okay, here's my two cents:

Never ever run out of diaper wipes, Shout Spray for the laundry and ziplock bags. My sister told me that and as simple as it seems, she was right. Life was just easier with those three items always on hand.

K., this is a fabulous idea I would love to see how this turns out. Is there any way you can post it for us to see?

stuffed animals can take over very quickly and just collect dust
you don't need all those "cute" outfits, as infants they spend most of their time in onsies and sleepers
keep a diaper bag stocked at all times
keep a blanket in the car
baby wipe containers make great storage containers for toys when they get older
always have baby tylenol or motrin in the medicine cabinet

pin the socks together, you won't have to waste time mating them and you will never loose just 1 sock.....they don't rust or put holes in the socks.....I use size 2 saftey pins

Her world is about to change in a HUGE way!
1. Baby wipes used all over (mom) can sub for a shower when you just can't fit it in!
2. Keep a jar of peanut butter and a stash of soft tortillas handy on the counter as a "grab fast" meal/snack since you will be up at all hours!
3. Be prepared to want to maim your spouse and run away! The infant months are relentless. It's normal to feel like that.
4. Get out of the house on the days that the planets align perfectly! Realize that even the smallest tasks will not require LOTS of extra time. Don't try to do it all, or be it all!
5. Enjoy every second because the only 100% true baby advice is the days/months/years FLY by!

Here are some nursing tips, if she'll be doing that:

1. Give baby to Daddy to burp after you finish nursing. Usually they will burp easier for dad because they don't think they have to keep eating (smell the milk on mom) and they relax and let the burps out. It gives you a chance to rest for a second too.

2. For nursing lying down in bed, get some of the white fleece coated vinyl soaker pads to put under you and baby so your sheets don't get soaked. They are also helpful for an extra liner on the changing pad when it's a messy one, or if you are sweating a lot the first week home from the hospital from all the hormones dropping. You might feel like you're going through menopause!

3. When you get to your wit's end, pump a bottle and have it ready for daddy to give baby at night so you can sleep for a longer stretch. Having my husband take a turn helped me get recharged so I didn't lose it due to sleep deprivation. It really helped having a pinch hitter!

4. Carry a waterproof bag in the diaper bag that can be used to store a dirty change of clothes in case of blowouts. It's also a good idea to leave extra clothes, jammies, diapers in the trunk so you don't haul so much in the diaper bag but still have it in case of emergencies.

5. Consolidate your purse and diaper bag into one for a little while! It's too stressful to carry a million extra items around, you will feel like a pack mule!

Always have a glass of water for you every time you nurse the baby.
For the first few weeks write down the time of each feeding and which side you started the feeding if you are nursing (there will come a point when you are so exhausted that you won't be able to remember anything!)
When the diaper isn't holding everything, try the next size even if the box says it should still fit.

If your not opposed to used stuff, for free, go to www.freecycle.org to see if there is a freecycle group in your area. I didn't have to buy clothes for my daughters for the first three or so years, plus all the extras that I got - from toys to high chairs.

Some more...

Pretreat and wash in HOT for poop stains and they will almost always come out. I've found that if I'm washing it in hot, I don't have to do quite as much pretreating.

For pretreating poop stains, any kind of soap seems to work as long as the water is hot. And an old toothbrush is great for brushing off excess poop and scrubbing the spot.

You don't want to run out of diapers, but do not buy too many at one time. Babies grow fast and outgrow their current size pretty quickly (at least for the first few sizes). And if your diapers suddenly start leaking a lot, it might be time to move up a size. And not all diapers fit the same, so if one brand are leaking a lot and don't seem to be fitting well, try another.

Start putting Lansinoh on your nipples after every time you nurse right from the beginning, even if your nipples are not hurting yet. You will still end up a bit sore, but it is much better than if you wait until you are already hurting. Also, keep in mind that the pain only lasts for a couple of weeks and then nursing is so much easier.

Keep a book on hand for while you're nursing.

If you can nurse lying down (especially in the middle of the night), you will be much more rested.

If your baby is fussy, baby massage or baby yoga is great! A couple of really good books for this are:
Helen Garabedian: Itsy Bitsy Yoga (yoga for your baby)
Laura Staton and Sarah Perron: Baby Om (yoga for you with your baby)

If you're in the shower and your baby starts crying, do not worry. Your baby will not die if they cry for a couple of minutes while you finish your shower and get dressed.