This post is in with partnership with Mirum.
There’s nothing more exciting or terrifying as becoming a mother. When that doctor puts your newborn in your arms for the first time, it’s the most incredible and indescribable moment. But what happens after you leave the hospital? You get home and realize you now have to figure out how to care for this little bundle of love. So what do you do? You reach out. You reach out to your mom. You reach out to mom friends. You reach out to online mom communities.
The two most worrisome topics for newborns tend to be ‘how the heck can I get her to sleep’ and ‘is my baby getting enough nutrition?’ Luckily you can look online and find so many amazing suggestions. Unfortunately you’ll find SO many suggestions that you’ll have to try and figure out which one works for your unique little one.
Sleep. Sleep. Please Sleep.
A few favorites that worked for my kids that I learned from an online mom group (thanks, Jill!). Swaddling. This is truly a lifesaver. Almost ALL babies love being tightly wrapped in a thin swaddling blanket. Swaddling simulates their home in the womb. Hopefully someone showed you how to do this in the hospital, but if you were like me, it was all kind of a sleep-deprived blur.
So, to refresh. To swaddle (keep in mind there are several ways to do this, this way worked best for mine), lay your baby blanket out on a flat surface. Fold one corner down and lay your baby’s head on it. Fold the opposite corner of the blanket (at the bottom) up over your baby’s feet. Fold the right corner of the blanket, tucking your baby’s arm in and securing the blanket underneath your baby’s left side. Then take the left corner and fold over the baby’s left arm, securing the corner into the crease on the right upper side. NEVER cover your baby’s face! Always check that your baby’s airways are open and free. Also make sure the blanket is not wrapped tightly around your baby’s neck. You’re welcome 🙂
White Noise. There is something about white noise that soothes a crying baby. Probably because white noise is what your baby heard in utero for the last nine months. You can download white noise apps on your smart phone, buy teddy bears that make white noise, or (what I have found to be just as effective) making the “sushing” noise in my baby’s ear. I always paired this technique with holding my baby up on my shoulder while gently bouncing and walking around the room. I’ll admit it’s a little exhausting, but for my children it was always soothing.
Eat. Please Eat.
We all want a healthy well-fed baby. Breastfeeding is incredible and my son latched on in the hospital without to much difficulty. When my second son came along 2 years later I just assumed he’d be just like my first. Not. Even. A Little. He couldn’t latch on right. I went to countless lactation specialists, my nipples were bleeding constantly. I pumped but my milk supply was barely there. Same mom, completely different baby. I was devastated. But a wonderful mom friend gave me the best advice which is that the most important thing is that my baby get fed. Sounds simple, but as an exhausted hormone-filled mother of two, those words were brilliant.
I started researching formula and found love & care Infant Formula was inspired by mother’s milk; it features DHA, a fatty acid that may support brain and eye development, and is found in breast milk. It also contains choline, which is found in mother’s milk and supports brain and eye development. The milk-based powder has iron and are non-GMO and gluten-free. It’s also the same nutritional value as Enfamil Premium Infant Formula, but at a better price. And, by purchasing love & care Infant Formula on Amazon, you can get it delivered to your door and use Prime shipping and subscription options. I never will run out of formula.
My baby is now a well-fed, happy baby. And that’s what’s important. I will always cherish my mom tribe and how they helped me through the tough times. We’ll continue to rely on each other’s experiences as our little one’s grow and change.
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What was a useful piece of advice that you got from another mom?
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