Newborn stage survival tips

[Dahlia5]

What are the things that helped / are helping you to make newborn stage more bearable and keep your sanity?

Here are a few that have made a big difference for me:

• DH giving 1 bottle feed of expressed milk to DS so I can get longer uninterrupted stretch of sleep and have a break from constant breastfeeding.

• During the day putting baby in the sling and make/eat nice food. Then make sure we get out for a walk at least once a day.

• Prepare ahead for cluster feeding evenings. Make the room nice with dimmed lights, white noise, drinks, snacks and then breastfeed lying down.

Would love to read yours!

For my breastfed singleton first baby, pretty much the same as you.

For my newborn twins (currently 10 weeks old)-

• Formula! Prep machine, Mam bottles
• Dummies
• baby swing
• Self settling with white noise playlist
• twins cushion
• not bothering to leave the house when on my own, currently more hassle than it’s worth
• Coffee!

Thanks for sharing @Daisyandroses , congratulations on the twins!

Let the housework slide a little.

Sleep when baby does.
DS slept in a moses basket beside my bed. I got to the point I could bf him without actually opening my eyes, and definitely lying down.

Yes, use a sling and get some fresh air.

• white noise really helped mine fall asleep
• baby swings are great for naps
• some days everything will go well others won't! (don't stress about it)

Always have a bib or muslin cloth at hand

• I used to have little treats during the night feed little snack or sometimes If baby wouldn't settle a program I like on the telly
• enjoy lazy days in and don't feel guilty about holding baby to sleep they Will soon be too big!

Lots of coffee & snacks

Netflix

Batch cooked meals in freezer made before baby was born

Perfect Prep machine

Bibs & muslins (lots of both, more than you would ever think you’ll need!!)

Taking everyone’s advice & then following my gut

Pregnant with baby number 2 and watching with interest! Ds will be 3 and a half when the baby is here.

Knowing that it passes.
Large bar if chocolate under the (never slept in) cot mattress.
Beware of missing feeds when the baby has a bottle while supply is being established. Ideally you should pump at this point.

• not worrying too much about noise when baby asleep, the more noise they're used to the better.

• put that baby in a sling. I literally wouldn't survive the day if I couldn't get a few jobs done with him asleep in the sling.

• up and shower as soon as possible. I feel awful if I end up in my jammies until lunch time. I try and get us all up, washed and dressed before anything else.

• get out for a walk every day

• don't sweat the small stuff

• not too many visitors, and have days off in between. Don't have anyone to stay over.

Sleeping when baby slept. Expecting #2 and no idea how I'll survive!!

@ReeseWitherfork

Sleeping when baby slept. Expecting #2 and no idea how I'll survive!!

I'm with you here!!

@heywhatswrongwitu I'm early days, so once you've had a couple of months experience maybe come back to me and tell me how you're doing it? If PP can do it with twins it must be possible... I hope.

Cosleeping!

Am I suppose being organised from before, so that the clothes are accessible, for example. Or meals

I have learned so much in 7 months of having my little girl

Top tips

Be kind to yourself- l was constantly holding myself to an unattainable standard

Have snacks available for when you are walking the baby to and fro- l would take a bite each time l passed the same point.

Keep things for the baby together so that yoy don't need to go hunting for it

Keep visitors minimal

A downstairs basket with nappies, spare clothes, bibs etc etc in so you don't need to go upstairs to change.

Swing naps.

Bollocks to the routine. Just do what the baby wants when the baby wants it.

Definitely make your night time 'station' as supremely cosy as possible. I would invest in an Audible subscription, or download a really absorbing game or two for your phone to take the edge off the night wakings. Oh, and co-sleeping!

Having your partner take the baby for a while in the evenings so you can get a longer stretch of sleep!
If you like reading download something from kindle to read when waking up to feed baby. I actually then looked forward to the next chapter when baby woke up!!
Have in the back of your mind it won't last forever when you feel rough!
Take the baby in the shower with you in the mornings in moses basket or rocker. Literally everything feels better after a hot shower!
Not like this for everyone but I have a friend with a baby similar age so we used to text each other at ridiculous hours when up feeding! It was great to know someone else was up.
On that note, take comfort in the fact that alot of other mums/ dad's are up the night the same time as you. ☺️

Formula, making up bottles in advance and sharing all the feeding. Also a sterilising machine was a godsend.

Taking it in turns to do night time feeds until he slept through at 6 weeks.

Having our change station and a Moses downstairs esp as I had a C section. Had a snuzpod in the bedroom with a mini change station for the nights.

Paying movers to pack the house up as we moved in lockdown at 6 weeks post partum!

Not worrying about a routine, just feeding, sleeping and comforting as needed.

A nappy bin with bags you take out when full and the next bag is just there, ready to go. Dont know how it works but it does.

Trying to get into a second child mentality with your first.

By this, i mean that FTMs often wonder for they can manage to get food, go to the loo etc when they have a baby, but with a second, those HAVE to be done because even if you are willing to skip lunch because you have a baby on you, your toddler can't. So you have to figure out how to balance those needs. If you can figure that out with your firstborn, then you aren't left hungry and thirsty. You'll go out somewhere despite having a grizzly baby, rather than staying at home, become better at making a sandwich one handed etc.