Following on from the '3 things I wish I'd known...' - 3 tips for new parents - what are your life / time savers?

[Babycameearly]

• Fasten bibs / babygrow poppers before they go in the wash - saved me much frustration!
• Use a bedside light for nightfeeds - saves waking up completely with the big light on
• set up change station with an open nappy bag, open nappy and wipes for night changes - saves faffing about when you're -dying with tiredness- sleepy

I'm new and would -inhale- love any tips that would make things nicer / easier :)

dying with tiredness
inhale

When your baby gets a little older, getting out and about with plenty of fresh air and play is far more important than having a tidy, spotless house. Have a receptacle (I used open wicker laundry baskets) in each room so you can just put things in for a quick tidy up. Get together with other first time mothers for trips out, coffee etc and find places to go where no-one minds a group of mothers and babies/children. Perhaps somewhere with a safe, enclosed garden. When weaning, put pureed fruit/veg etc into ice cube trays in the freezer (a larger quantity takes little longer than a single portion to prepare). When cooking for yourself and DP/H if around make twice as much and freeze the extra for days when you are paralysed with fatigue.

*nice little box or basket in the living room with nappies wipes toys and a fresh babygrow so everything is to hand and can be easily tidied in tge evening
*keep change bag stocked each time you get home and put it with the buggy or carseat. It drives me mad when dh uses the stuff in it in the house and then its empty next time I go out
*nice as it is to have a snuggly baby sleeping on you, those hours they are napping are perfect for you to grab a shower...lunch...mumsnet...dishes.

Baby clothes, bedding, your bedding, tea towels, and many clothes do not actually need ironing. Partners are able to iron their own work shirts!

Second WMD on the double up / freeze stews, curries, spag bol etc.

Small babies are portable! If it's your first, and you feel up to it, take advantage of this fact by going to things that you want to do e.g. exhibitions, parent+baby cinema screenings etc. They will sleep in the pushchair/sling while you get a bit of mental stimulation.

1 there is nothing more important than sleep - grab any anywhere you can and ignore housework/cooking
2 in winter use tights even on boys to keep babies and toddlers warm
3 3 tommy tippee nappy holder thingie (sorry forgot what it's called but the one that seals the nappy inside) is probably the worlds best invention

Dry shampoo. Means you can have a quick shower and still look/feel clean :)

BLW - no pureeing, mashing or freezing in cubes.

Don't bath them every day

Be prepared to eat lots of convenience food in the early days. Oven chips and various accompaniments are fine.

Warm the crib before putting baby into it, hairdryer hotwater bottle, sheet over radiator or simply sit on a sheet to warm it while feeding. Different people use different methods. It doesn't matter.

But if baby has fed to sleep on your warm knee, they will wake instantly if placed in cold bed (water proof mattresses are really cold)

Throw out your iron. Just shake the clothes when they come out of the machine and fold them up once they are dry :). This helps if you don't overstuff the machine (DH, pay attention!!)

1. dont bother with outfits, just stick them in babygrows that dont need ironing. Get loads of them so you are not forced into washing because you are gonna run out. They are cheep, plentiful, comfy, doesnt matter if they get stained/manky/discoloured, just chuck um out.

2. sleep when ever you can...sleep, everything will be better if you just get 30 mins.

3. MOST IMPORTANTLY accept help if someone offers to take the kid for an hour..hand it over, as your dp/dh comes in...you get into a deep bath, and tell them what they are making for your tea. Take just a short amount of time for yourself, 10 mins with a coffee, seems like a luxury, but is a brain saver for you.

Oooh - I second the box of bits in the living room.

I will now start to refill the changing bag as soon as I get home!

Baby and parent cinema screenings? I've never heard of this but am desperately Googling now!! :)

I find taking the LO for a stroll in her buggy or trike that I have recently purchased (which she is fascinated by!) for some fresh air really helps to wake her up and enjoy the day more.

Keeping tissues or a cloth nearby to clean up any mess is always handy!

Keeping a selection of books/toys nearby to always keep her occupied is really handy as she can get bored quite easily. It also allows me to complete daily tasks/chores in between checking up/looking after her.

Washable baby bibs are great and so easy to clean

I usually take a nap next to her too to make up for my early wake ups and catch up on sleep. A quick power nap can make a world of difference to your mood!

I agree to the fresh air. I now dont buy everything I need on a Monday....I buy one or two little things, then go out again Tuesday etc etc. Anything to just get out. If I want a magazine, I walk to the furthest shop (but still in walking distance) to get it, just to get the air and baby usually has a snooze.

The five things I think were most important for us:
a) Lower your standard of tidiness (as long as house is not actually bacteria ridden, a few items or garments that need putting away but are left out will not matter).
b) Do five minutes only at a time on tidying, putting things away or cleaning - you will not be able to spend two hours cleaning the kitchen, or ironing, or doing anything, so short tasks more frequently is the best way to keep on top of things. You have to tidy up things as you use them, so that you don't have yet a long list of jobs at the end of the day as they will not get done then.
c) Parents must work as a team on all aspects, including housework, cooking, baby changing, baby cuddling etc. There is no other way, particularly if Mum is spending hours a day and night, breasfeeding.
d) Ban all visits (except midwife/HV) for first week.
These really worked for us. Our first visitors, (my parents, sister and neice) 7 days after the birth, even commented on the tidyness of the house and on how well rested and relaxed we seemed! (we weren't really!)
e) Dont stay up watching TV - Go to bed. 19 months on, we still dont watch much TV (30-45 mins a night when LO is in bed).

House work: Take every short cut you can.

Always, with out fail, put on one wash every day. Do not iron.

Use a sling, you can leave them in a baby grow because no one sees what they are wearing and you don't need to put a pushchair up and down. You also have the added bonus of hiding your mummy tummy underneath.

Once you get past 2 DC's colour code everything so you know instantly who's is who's...sippy cups, towels, plastic trugs with clean washing in ready to go away, the lot even stockings and presents get done like that in this house. Sad but true.

If you can, get a cleaner. Ours comes 2 hours every 2 weeks so I hardly hoover etc between visits.
Have box of changing bits upstairs and down.
Get to know your charity shops as I want to go out lots but don't want to spend much money. Can get DS things for less than a Costa Coffee.
Try to make friends at a baby group, my pals are boredom life savers.
Visits to garden centres especially if they have fish/pets is a great half day out.
BLW, just make extra of your meal and blend some.
Hang washing up so no need to iron.

Don't be afraid of using a dummy, they can save your sanity if you've got a sucky baby.

1. Use a sling. It can be a lifesaver in those early weeks/month when your baby isn't happy to be left in a bouncer or on a playmat for any time at all or only sleeps on you. Housework can go and take a running jump in those first few months but unfortunately you probably still need to do odd things like putting a wash on or making bottles.

2. Definitely keep your change bag stocked and ready to go at all times with nappies, spare clothes (and don't forget to update them when your baby gets to a bigger size!) etc so that if you want to get out to a group or appt in the morning, all you need to do it get you two fed and dressed. Just remember, if you used nappies when you were out during the day, you need to put nappies in when you get home.

3. Its never to early to introduce little bits of a routine into your baby's life. It may feel stupid singing your baby a special nighttime song every night when they are 4 weeks old, but the day will come when they start fancying a good nights sleep and they will start to learn the routine.

Oh, and I know you said 3 but...!

4. You will never know what your baby will or won't like so don't spend a fortune on those all singing, all dancing swings and bouncers until you get an idea whether they might like it - but I would strongly recommend having smaller, cheaper things like a single swaddle blanket and a few dummies in the house just in case. (The night we discovered swaddling for our 2wo was a revelation, and I've never been more grateful that we spent that £6 'just in case')

When establishing a bedtime routine, make sure it includes one story, not three. Otherwise you will kick yourself when your PFB baby is a 3yo and you have to spend half an hour reading at bedtime instead of five minutes [mug emoticon]

Definitely agree with the person who said the Tommee Tippie nappy thing is the world's best invention. I bloody love that thing.

also - agree with the person who suggested keeping the nappy bag stocked and ready to go. Our DS is 18 months and we re-stock it each time we use it so we can simply grab and go.

Also - night time routine - right from day 1 I used to feed my son in our room at night with dim lights. From 7pm onwards he would be fed in our room with quiet and little light. This symobolised night time. Feeds during the day were out in the living room, lights and noise etc. Even now when he has his milk and stories before bed we do it in our room on our bed and he then goes into his sleeping bag and into his cot. It has worked well for us.

Have a bag of swim stuff and the pool timetable handy for a rainy day get out of the house. Most little ones love it and you can pretend you're exercising.

Check out local leisure centre crèche facilities for an hours break.

Have one night a week when you go to bed at 7 too.

When they get to eating: buy a dustbuster.

Lower your standards.

Never loudly voice opinions such as "My child will not have a dummy / eat sweets / watch tv / answer back" or "will sleep in their own room / will eat what they are given" etc etc - it will come back and bite you on the bum, if not with the first then perhaps subsequent [bitter voice of experience]

In the first year it feels like everything is DP / DH's fault. It isn't well, not always and fighting will not help, you need to pull together on everything.