Baby Parenting Tips & Hacks
Parenting is intimidating. Especially for first time parents. Here are some practical baby parenting tips I’ve found helpful.
Boppy Pillow
This baby parenting tip is multi-use. Get a boppy pillow. This soft semi-circle can be used for: 1) nursing support, 2) elevating baby’s head for bottle feeding, 3) tummy time, 4) helping baby sit up, 5) a pillow for you for nap time.
Medela Storage Bottles
This baby parenting tip is another multi-use AND it’s a lifesaver for to-go bottles. Medela storage and collection bottles can be used for their intended purpose: collecting pumped breast milk. And/or for formula feeding (or combo feeding) parents. We fill these with water and put powdered formula in a baby bottle. Keep these “prepped” bottles on the night stand for night feedings. Put these prepped bottles in your diaper bag for on-the-go feedings.
Layer Bedding
This is a baby parenting tip I read on another blog. It’s so simple, but so smart! On the bare mattress, you put a mattress protector, then a fitted crib sheet, then another mattress protector, and finally a last fitted crib sheet. This way you can strip the top two layers when your baby spits up or has a diaper leak. I would do anything to avoid making a crib at 3 am. You gotta lift up that mattress to get the protector on properly. Then again for the fitted sheet. Nope. Not doing it.
Baby Tracking App
Anything that helps new sleep-deprived parents remember details is definitely a baby parenting win! Using a baby tracking app makes knowing how long it’s been since your baby’s last feeding or last nap so much easier! I have been tracking Bennett’s bottle intake since day 1 with Glow Baby app. I currently track his sleep, solid foods, and measurements. I use to track every nursing session, every pumping session, and all diapers too. That was just in the beginning, while he was struggling to gain weight – actually he kept losing weight (so terrifying!) – and while I struggled through my short breastfeeding time. [read more about my passion for Fed is Best.] It was so helpful to pull up all the data with his pediatrician.
Now, it is helpful to see if he’s developing any patterns for sleeping. They say that happens… still waiting on that one…
Glow in the Dark Tape
We put baby gates at the top of each staircase. Baby is now protected from falling. Great. I soon saw a problem for us parents. Our nursery is right off the stairs. So, we didn’t want the lights on in the stairwell/hall all the time when B was sleeping. Ok, fine. However, I chose beautiful black gates. Naturally, they do not show up great in the dark. So, I hacked it! I took glow in the dark tape and put a bit around the top and bottom rungs. Now, when one of us comes up the stairs, we can see where the gate is so we don’t run into it. File this baby parenting tip as a safety win for parents (and siblings, dogs, grandparents, etc).
Amazon Baby Registry
This one is a tip you need to implement during pregnancy. Sign up for an Amazon baby registry. Here’s the main reason why: you get 20% off diapers if you subscribe and save. To be clear, I am still getting 20% off a box of diapers that arrives to my door every month. That alone is amazing. They also give you a welcome box of samples, other discounts, and you can add products from any store or website to your registry.
