Real advice to the brand new mom…

real advice for new moms

real advice for new momsAt my baby shower, my sister had all the guests write a little something to me on an index card and then she spread them in a diapers so that I would have a little something to make me smile at 2am when I was up changing my newborn.

After I joined the parent club myself, and have since had 3 babies of my own, I’ve had some friends I wanted to take this new-mom-index-card idea a little further with.

My idea, though, was to offer tips that weren’t fluffy “savor the moment” kind of words, but more real-life practical guidelines that a new mom might not come across otherwise.

Here’s the list we came up with so far. Help us add on in the comments, would you?

Real-Deal Tips for New Moms:

  1. When you go to the store with baby, don’t be fooled by those “new mom” parking spots nearest to the store because they are farthest from the cart return! Cut out the hassle and go for the parking spot nearest the cart return.
  2. Be sure to put hand sanitizer in your diaper bag… it’s very difficult to wash your hands after changing baby when baby is in your arms!
  3. Remember: all the people you’ve ever seen your whole life– all of them!– were once babies too.
  4. Remind yourself that everyday is a new normal. Just when you think you’ve got something figured out (nap time, feeding schedule, etc.) it will change for sure.
  5. Take everyone’s advice because something is bound to work for you.
  6. All the benefits of breast feeding are negated if you’re not bonding with your child.
  7. When your baby is taking the afternoon nap, put your phone on silent and shut it in a drawer in the other room and take a nap too.
  8. Don’t try to make a happy baby happier. If the kid is sleeping peacefully in the swing, don’t try to move her to her crib!
  9. Kids need a lot of slow to grow. You don’t have to be doing something structured or educational every second… enjoy it for what it is.
  10. When the baby is still small, go to restaurants, stores, coffee shops, sporting events, or whatever still interests you… they’re still very portable, and will probably fall asleep anyway. Enjoy it while you can! It gets much harder when they get mobile and vocal!
  11. If it works well for your family then it is right no matter what anybody else says.
  12. If someone offers to help, say “thank you,” and LET THEM HELP!
  13. You don’t have to have everything (or anything!) “figured out” to be a good parent. All we can do is our best. And on some days, simply tucking them into bed at night is our best.
  14. If baby is screaming, but safe in his/her crib, taking a nice hot shower to drown out the cries for a few minutes can do wonders. It’s also the perfect place to have a full body cry yourself.
  15. It helps to talk to other new moms about it. You usually learn you are not the only one going through it. Look for moms clubs, library groups, play groups, anything to get connected to other moms!

Have more real tips to share with new moms?  Comment below!