With our first girl, Yaelle, we were so worried about doing everything right and keeping her alive and healthy that we didn't stop to really enjoy it.
During the pregnancy of my second, Zhara, I was not looking forward to the newborn phase at all. I had remembered it being fairly stressful and a constant game of guess work.
Now, we're two weeks into Zhara's life and I am loving every minute of it :)
So, I decided to create a Newborn Survival Guide and share the methods and products that have made my newborn experience oh so pleasant. Some of which I used with Yaelle, and some that I added. There are links to each for more info.
SLEEP CAN HAPPEN
The biggest complaint of every new parent is a lack of sleep. Despite sleep accounting for roughly 70% of a newborn's life, parents just aren't getting it.
Here are 3 methods that have allowed us to get sleep through the night, and feel fairly rested during the day.
The 5 S's: Swaddle, Side, Shush, Swing, Suck
This method comes from a book called "Happiest Baby on the Block" and I've found that the Swaddle, Shush and Swing combo to be the most effective. The science behind is that it's made to mimic the comfort in the womb. This method has worked for both my girls like magic.
Burp, then burp again
Almost every time Yaelle or Zhara have been hard to put down, or awoke from a peaceful sleep, gas in the belly was the culprit. As annoying it is to burp after every feeding, I remind myself that it will save me the headache of having to do it later when they wake up screaming.
Send Daddy to the Guest Room (or Couch)
It's bad enough when one parent doesn't get sleep, but it's even worse when both are sleep deprived. This time around, Shobab has been sleeping in the guest room so that he can get a full night's rest. I can also sleep in without being bothered when he has to get up.
He's then able to get some work done in the day, help me out more and manage Yaelle. He gets her up, ready for school and allll that stuff that would especially difficult to do without any sleep. It also allows me to take care of Zhara through the night without worrying about waking him. It has been an incredible stress reliever in our parenting and there's no more of that groggy, "it's your turn". I imagine we'll do this during the first few weeks of her life until she starts sleeping longer at night.
STAY NOURISHED
It seems I'm always hungry and thirsty, especially when breastfeeding. Even though I have family and friends in the area who are thoughtful enough to cook and drop off food, it's usually not enough to make up for all our meals.
Sign up for Pre-made Meal Delivery Service
I decided to try Freshly this time. I've tried other meal delivery services like Blue Apron and Home Fresh, but this one involves no prep work and I just have to heat up. It's like a fresh and healthy TV dinner. It's never frozen and there are variety of different meals every week to choose from. So far, every one we've eaten has been delicious!
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| Drinks and Pre-made Meals |
With Yaelle, we were all about making shakes and juicing. This time around...not so much. With a Costco practically down the street, we keep the fridge stocked with Protein shakes (Ensure) and Smoothies (Odwallas) to quickly satiate hunger. Fruit is also great for snacking; Cuties and bananas are my go-to.
MY TOP TWELVE
Babies really don't need much and there is SO much baby stuff out there for every phase and activity of their little life. I chose those that I found most helpful to me during the newborn stage:
1. Diaper Caddie - Fits everything you need for diaper changing and easy to take room-to-room.
2. Kindle - Because there is so much down time when taking care of a newborn, it helps relieve boredom. The Kindle unlimited subscription makes it even better if you're like me and don't like to commit to buying books.
3. Water Wipes - I discovered these only recently. They are 99.9% water and supposed to be the purest wipes and best for sensitive skin. When changing a newborn who poops almost every 2 hours, it makes me feel better I'm using wipes without all the extra.
4. Surgical Face Masks (Adults & Kids) - Both of my girls were born during the flu season, so it was incredibly important to keep the germs away. For the first 3 weeks of their life, we require anyone who holds them (or within 5 feet) to wear a mask. It may seem a little much, but I can say that Yaelle never got sick as a baby.
5. Bag Balm - A miracle cure for diaper rash. I use bag balm instead of all other diaper rash creams with better results and less ingredients. Bag balm is mostly lanolin but has an anti-infective ingredient that stops growth of bacteria and fungi.
6. Boppy - Although it's mainly marketed as a nursing pillow, I bring the Bobby with me to every room in the house when I want to put her down and not worry about rolling.
7. Swaddles - I've found that the hospital blankets work the best! But if you don't have those, the next best thing are the muslin swaddles. There are so many brands out there, I haven't found much of a difference between any one of them.
8. Bassinet in Common Area - I have a bassinet in our bedroom, but since we live in a 2 story home, I like to keep a bassinet in the common area where the rest of us hang out. I prefer the noise around her so that she doesn't become a light sleeper. The bassinet shown here is the Arm's Reach Co Sleeper. I like this one because it's really sturdy and Yaelle can hang off it without me worrying about it tipping over.
9. Breast Pump - A MUST if you are producing more than your NB is eating! Store it up for when she moves to a bottle, or when your milk starts to run out. We got ours for free through our insurance at Kaiser, which is an Ameda Purely Yours. According to reviews, it's not the best pump, but it gets the job done!
10. Dedicated Water Bottle - To stay hydrated! It's amazing how much you can drink without peeing since it's all going to breast milk now. If you like techy things like I do, I got the Hidrate Spark, which is a bluetooth water bottle that tracks your intake and blinks to remind you when to drink.
11. Numbing Spray - For pain relief of your lady parts during the recovery period. If you had a hospital birth, they should have sent you home with a can or 2.
12. Ring Sling - I have the ergo baby as well, which I love, but a ring sling is much less bulky, good for around the house, and can also be used while nursing. There are many brands to choose from, I just found one on Amazon and went off the reviews. I've been told that cotton is better than linen because it holds better. I got this one because it a little more versatile, but like the reviews say, the tail is really long when using as a ring sling.
Feel free to share your tips and tricks that have helped you with your newborn! In a few months I'm sure I'll produce a new list for the 6-12 month phase ;)
