Newborn Notes

The newborn days are spent in a pretty foggy haze, and it really does fly by!  Here is a list of tips, advice, must have items, waste of money items, etc. while I still have one foot in enough to remember and one foot out enough to have the time, energy, and clarity to write this.  I hope it's helpful to at least a few new moms, and myself whenever it's time for baby #2 (not any time soon - but it'll come someday!) and I can't remember a damn thing about how things went down during this time with baby #1. I'm long-winded (I'm an English teacher, what do you expect?), so you're probably best off skimming for the sections of interest to you. Unless of course you just want to soak in my delicious story-telling format and read every last drop - I wouldn't blame you for that either.


Baby carrier -- Do some research and figure out which one you think you'll like best, but DEFINITELY make sure you have a baby carrier of some sort.  Strap that baby on and go about your business.  It's a little harder to do said business with your baby screaming in your ear, but a hell of a lot easier than trying to hold the screaming baby with your own arms, which leaves you unable to even pee for potentially hours on end if you have a fussy baby like mine - baby carrier = pee all day long if you like, and occasionally get quite a few other things done as well.  Another plus is that if your baby HATES tummy time, carrying them COUNTS as tummy time -- it helps reduce the risk of plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome - the reason you see all those babies in cute little helmets that you obviously would prefer to avoid if you can - and which is actually incredibly more common than you may realize), and helps build core and neck strength that they get from tummy time. As someone who became obsessed with trying all kinds of carriers, here are my notes on the different ones I tried:

  --The Ergo is a fantastic, super easy (but pricey) option.  I love how easy it is to put on, how comfortable it is, and how much support it provides.  Oh - but don't use the newborn insert!  It's actually unnecessary, newest recommendations for baby wearing suggest legs out from day 1, and that thing is HOT for both you and baby.  By the way, the link is to the one I WISH I had with "cool air mesh" - I just have the regular one, and baby carriers in general get quite warm between you and baby's body heat!

  --The Moby is my personal favorite (doesn't have to be Moby brand - any good quality wrap carrier will do the same thing for you) - the catch is that it takes a serious learning curve and you really have to be willing to not give up.  It's intimidating at first to wrap that long piece of fabric and get it right so that the baby isn't hanging down by your knees after 10 minutes.  But if you are determined, and willing to practice, and watch a million and one YouTube videos on different techniques for wrapping, this wrap will change.your.life.  Seriously.  I almost gave up the first week, and I'm so glad I didn't. It's a lot like learning to tie your shoes -- Remember how hard that was at first??  No??  That's because you practiced and then it became so easy it was like second nature!  Same for the Moby.  :)  It is by far the most comfortable wrap (for both of us), I love that I can actually leave it on all day and just slip her in and out, it will grow with us as she grows, and best of all - I learned to breastfeed in it!  Let me repeat that: I learned to breastfeed... on.the.go!  Now, I still prefer to get cozy with my little snuggle bug and enjoy the bonding of a more comfy nursing session, but when you're on the go or really need a hand free moment, this is Life Changing, my friends.  Give me a call or come on over when you're ready and I will totally help you out with this!  As a side note, I have also heard that the Solly is a very comparable, but cooler, option due to the lighter material it's made out of - I can't fully recommend having never tried this brand though.

  --I have a Ring Sling that I also quite like, but it doesn't provide nearly as much support and hurts my back, neck, and shoulder after longer periods.  Great for a quick, easy throw on carrier for just a short time though - and it's best pro is that it is really very easy to nurse in, and the long tail doubles as a cover.  I like having it as a spare, but if you only want to invest in one carrier (or two), make it the Ergo or the Moby.

  --I also tried a Mei Tei carrier (somewhat of a cross between a structured carrier like the Ergo and a wrap carrier like the Moby), and I didn't like it at all.  It was a pain in the ass like a wrap carrier, but without all the added benefits.  Maybe I gave up on it too quickly.  Or maybe it just sucks.  Either way, I wouldn't recommend this type of carrier.

Lactation Consultant -- Make this woman your best friend!  Issues with latching?  Painful latch?  Hurting nipples?  Sleepy nursing baby? Schedule an appointment with your LC.  Problems that you're not even sure seem breastfeeding related?  Baby cries a lot?  Gassy?  Spitting up frequently?  Possible reflux?  See your LC!!  I kept making appointments with my pediatrician for my colicky newborn, putting her on meds, trying elimination diets, all to no avail, and at 11 weeks it dawned on me to at least give the LC a try and see if she could help - she identified a problem the pediatricians hadn't noticed instantly and I left with a new, happy baby.  I think people don't take enough advantage of lactation consultants, and really, really, you should (not the hospital ones either - they are often not as good as independent LC's or ones that you can get through your pediatrician's office).

Playard -- I didn't realize there were options other than a standard "pack n play" when we registered, so I searched Pack 'n Play and put one that looked good on our registry.  That thing is a PAIN IN THE ASS to set up and is SO heavy!  There are WAY lighter and WAY easier versions that are much better for travel if that's what you plan to use it for like we did. We ended up going with the Guava Lotus Travel Crib (just recently bought this so now we have this AND a pack and play - if I had a do-over, we would have just started with this), but I've heard great things about the Babybjorn Travel Crib too and think we would have been happy with either!

Infant Massage -- Gassy baby? YouTube "infant anti-gas massage" - there are tons of videos for super quick, easy to do massages. I started doing a quick massage routine at each diaper change (>1 minute) and she would pass gas almost every time I did it.. It really helped!

White noise -- LOUD is key here.  I actually find our iPad on a docking station is the loudest option and there are a million YouTube videos of hours of white noise, so if you already have an iPad, this is a totally free way to go, and will probably be better than a lot of the ones you can buy anyway.  Someone told me that it is rock concert-loud in your belly, so don't be afraid to crank that white noise up, and I have found this to be soooo true... loud white noise = longer sleeping baby.  Don't waste your money on some sweet gentle sounding one - if you do buy one, make sure it has good volume.

Socks -- Get 1-2 pairs of Zutano brand socks/booties in a good neutral color (go with the 6 month size - these fit Adelyn at a really young age due to the way they actually snap around the ankle and gives her plenty of room to grow into them as she gets bigger).  These things STAY ON like nobodies business and are so warm and snuggly.  Then get a 6 pack of Robeez brand socks - these are more regular, everyday socks, and they stay on quite well too.  Zutanos and Robeez are expensive.  If you'd rather buy other, cheaper socks, I'd recommend just throwing some money in the garbage first and then breaking down and buying the Zutanos and Robeez anyway ... seriously, the rest are all a complete waste of money, they fall off so quickly they're not even worth putting on.

Bottle Drying Rack -- We have a drying rack by our sink. Marketing somehow convinced me I needed a special, separate drying rack for bottles. Turns out the bottles can MIRACULOUSLY sit on the plain one too and I don't need two drying racks taking up space on my counter...

Bottle Sanitizer -- Do you have a dishwasher? With a "sanitize" option? Yeah, me too... Get a dishwasher basket for small parts and save your money on the special sanitizer.

Baby Advice Books -- Do you already have some of these? You do, don't you? Okay, then you need to listen very carefully to this next part. Go now, quickly, to get your books. Pick them up... Are you following? Now light a match and start a bonfire with these books (outside recommended). You and your neighbors can have a great little party with the bonfire and those books would have made you crazy because they all contradict each other and you're probably always doing something wrong - except you're not. You got this, mama, follow your instincts and ask your pediatrician (or your mom) when you have questions. This article about sleep advice says it perfectly!

Snuza Movement Monitor -- Maybe you're a totally, laid back mom who doesn't worry about anything (ahh we laugh, do such moms really exist?), but for me, the Snuza Hero was SUCH a worthwhile purchase. I also love that this one vibrates to attempt to rouse baby along with alarming the parent in comparison to other similar devices, none of which have that feature to my knowledge. It gives me so much peace of mind to know she's breathing and happily sleeping at night as long as I don't hear an alarm. Now apparently there is also a setting where the monitor beeps with every breath the baby takes so you can actually "hear" her breathing all night long. I don't know how on earth a constant beep all night long would help you sleep better and if you feel like you need to turn this feature on, you be crazy!

No Bake Energy Bites and Lactation Cookies -- Make a wholeeee bunch of these and maybe some of these too before baby arrives. Put 2-3 in individual ziploc baggies, put the individual bags in a gallon freezer ziploc, and pop them all in the freezer. When you need a quick snack midday or at 2 am, just grab a pre-portioned bag out of the freezer and you're set with a healthy snack! Personally I love both of these recipes frozen, but you can also pull a bag out a little while before you eat them if you prefer them to thaw first - it doesn't take very long.

Bows -- Okay, now this one is important. I want you to take a look at your financial situation very carefully. Now, spend every single dollar you can spare in your budget on bows for your baby girl. You won't regret it, trust me. (Go to eBay for super cheap options!).


There are so many products and so much advice - including mine ;) - readily available that it can be a bit overwhelming ("a bit" - hahaha) before baby arrives.  But seriously, the best best BEST thing is about to happen to you, whether you're doing this for the first time or the fifth.  So get the stuff you think you need to prepare, and then remember the most important thing for you to focus on is just loving on that new little life you just made, because the only thing they really need is YOU - and you're going to rock this, mama!