You can never have enough newborn hacks. So here are some more. Having a baby for the third time doesn’t make things a surprise, as you already know how hard life is going to be. Well, there is no one size fits all situation.
I have learned some newborn hacks with my third child, along with tips and tricks that still work even after 5 to 7 years of having my second and first one.
Every child is different so not all parenting methods apply to everyone. Here is a refresher for baby hacks that make life a lot easier with these simple hacks that you might have to relearn, maybe for the third or fourth time, who knows.
Simple easy hacks make life peaceful with your first baby if you learn from our experience.
Newborn Hacks that make life Easier for Parents
New parents can save this post for some super helpful newborn baby hacks that will keep you sane on your parenting journey.
So, here goes..
Use disposable sheets on top of your changing station
Newborns poop a lot. So instead of having fancy changing pad covers use a disposable cover on top of your changing pad to save yourself some laundry every other minute.
Hoping for a Fuss-free diaper change at night?
Are you wondering how to make diaper change fuss-free or quiet at night time when the other kids are sleeping? After struggling with crying for two nights during diaper changes with the added stress of waking up everyone else in the house.
Pacifier
A pacifier is an excellent way to have a calm diaper change session without waking your other kids. Even though I’m not a huge fan of pacifiers, especially when you are establishing breastmilk supply, but still keep one binky handy for the middle of the night crying spells.
This is the only one that worked for us.
Circumcision Care
Do not use wipes on a circumcised penis.
Cover the penis with gauze with a big blop of petroleum jelly.
Change poopy diaper right away so the poop doesn’t get on the penis.
If poop does get all over the circumcized penis, do not use wipes; use lukewarm water instead to wash the area. Gently pat dry.
Gas drops
You can use gas drops for a newborn once a mother establishes her milk supply, and the baby has to adjust to what a new mom eats through the breast milk.
Mylicon drops are the best for the newest newborns.
Mommy bliss gripe water is still the best.
Head support pillow
I have used the boppy head-support pillow. It has good support and ensures no flat spots on the baby’s head. My baby slept on the side from day 1, and he would turn himself to sleep on one side. That could result in flat spots on one side of the head.
So after I ordered this pillow, I’m at peace that the baby’s head would not stay on one side throughout the night. The pillow is soft, super lightweight, and doesn’t slip away as it is well-supported under the baby’s back.
Using Organic Mother’s Milk Tea
Establishing better milk flow right from the start is essential if you plan to breastfeed or exclusively breastfeed. Organic mother milk tea helps milk flow right from the start of a nursing journey. This tea is made of fenugreek leaves and fennel seeds, making it taste so good.
Keep an electric kettle in your room to prepare tea without going back and forth.
Sound machine
Can’t emphasize enough to use sound machine if you have a light sleeper at hand.
Minimalist diaper bag
Do not overpack your diaper bag. Here are the tips to pack your minimal diaper bag.
Onesies with zippers
Stop buying onesies with buttons; onesies with zippers are practical and incredibly functional. Double zippers are preferred for easy night change.
Cruisers 360 Degrees diapers by Pampers
Once we moved to size 3, my husband accidentally bought 360 degrees cruisers. I was reluctant to use it initially, but I loved it. These diapers significantly improved leakage and side leakage during sleeping.
Im sure you’ll love the ease and functionality of Pampers Cruisers 360. Definitely a must-try.
Halo Swaddle
Halo swaddle is great for swaddling babies, especially moms not-so-great at swaddling.
Newborn wearing cuffed sleeves
Use newborn onesies with cuffed sleeves instead of trimming newborn nails, as they are too tiny. Let them grow a tad bit more before you even try to trim those cute fingernails and toenails.
Changing Caddy
Keep a changing caddy with diapers, wipes, etc. Here is diapering essentials that you know to know.
Newborn Crying
Know why your newborn could be crying and the simplest techniques you can use to calm a crying baby. No matter how experienced you are as a parent, remember newborn cries and that’s their only way of communication. Educate yourself so you can possibly decode baby’s crying language.
Know the difference between gas and colic
Gas is different than colic. Breastfed babies are more vulnerable to gas issues as they are to digest various types of foods that moms are eating. Learn How to soothe a colic baby.
Cluster feeding is a thing
After delivery, newborns tend to get hungry more often after 24 hours. They only want to cluster feed, which helps milk supply faster. I don’t remember anything like cluster-feeding my babies a few years ago. But with my third one I experienced cluster feeding and it is hard.
Witching hour
Once the baby got a month old, I experienced a witching hour when my baby started crying around 5 pm until bedtime.
What to expect during those few hours every day?
- Cluster feeding for sure
- Baby wants to be held all the time
- Unconsolable crying
- And Cluster feeding again
- And a lot of spit-ups.
Day and night routine from the start
Do not fall for those tempting newborn talks at night. Once it’s bedtime, keep it that way. Days should be louder and brighter. Babies can nap anywhere. Nights should be quiet, calm, and dark. That’s how you have to set a cycle.
Sleep begets sleep
Babies who tend to sleep well during the day in the form of naps could sleep better at night.
Breastfeeding? Eat eat eat
If you are a breastfeeding mama, eat or if you are too busy to eat, make snacks.
Vitamin D drops
Breastfed babies need vitamin D drops every day for one year. Give vitamin D supplements. This is the one I use.
Comb baby hair
Use baby combs to comb baby hair after bathing, as babies may tend to develop cradle cap. Know more about cradle cap in babies.
Pull down a Dirty onesie instead of pulling it up
Take down dirty onesies in case of a blowout instead of removing it in a traditional way.
Use a nasal spray for a dry nose.
A lot of times you see boogers or dry mucus inside the baby’s nostrils that you can’t take out. Here is the trick, spray a couple of times inside the baby’s nose (this doesn’t have to be for sick days only). This will help moisten the baby’s nose to relieve any discomfort during the night.
I highly recommend Little Remedies nasal spray for infants.
Wearing a baby is not for everyone
I tried several baby wraps or carriers but somehow, it didn’t work for me. Heavier babies usually don’t fall within the weight limit of these products. So it didn’t work for us.
Newborns spit a lot if they do
All three of my kids spit a lot until they were 6 months of age. First, ensure you have enough well-sized burp cloths to manage huge throws ups. Use muslin blankets or big absorbent burp cloths to cover your nursing chair to protect against milk stains and smell.
Baby skin gets triggered with fragrances or shaved skin
Babies have gentle skin or are extremely sensitive to fragrant irritants. Ensure you use fragrance-free products for the baby and spray less perfume when holding a newborn.
Baby bath portable shower head
Once your baby is not that tiny anymore, you can use this shower head on the sink faucet to bathe your baby. My son loved this and enjoyed his bath time in his tub. Fischer Price bathtub with a sling is perfect to place on your bathroom sink.
I hope you learned from some of my newborn hacks that I also got to learn as a third-time mom.
