Best Baby Tips, Anyone?

[Just1More]

I was thinking it might be fun to think about newborns and give our best baby tips (and helpful, too!). Let's just do one at a time to make for easier reading and to let everyone add something.

I'll go first...

Eat and drink lots and frequently for good energy and milk production!

Your turn!

[Thursday Girl]

don't worry about how the house looks, it really doesn't matter.

[LionTigerBear]

Oh, see, I do have to keep up with the house or else I get depressed.

I would say eat really carefully to make the most of your energy postpartum. Homemade shakes and smoothies are great for this. High protein and high in healthy fats, low in sweets.

Let nursing time be your rest and relaxation time. Have a special nursing nook with a super comfy seat that is set up with snacks, a drink, a couple good books, a tv remote, and a place to put your feet up if you like. Or nurse baby in bed. But I nursed my first baby in bed every time and then he refused to nurse any other position but lying down for many, many months . . .that got old quickly, especially in public!

Bouncy seats were always a lifesaver for me. I don't use them a lot, but when you really need a few minutes, boy do they come in handy! We are going to get a swing instead of a bouncy seat this time, though. Should have the same affect. I am hoping it helps us get some extra nookie time in too!

Other than that, I think it is a good idea to hold your baby a lot of the time. Slings are great in the early months, but soon you'll want some kind of carrier which evenly distributes the weight over both shoulders. (Or else it'll hurt your shoulder!) A wrap carrier or a Korean baby carrier are my personal favorites. It's so much easier to get stuff done when you're "wearing" your baby. It's kind of fun to putter around the house straightening up with a sleeping snugglebug in a sling on your chest. I'm so looking forward to that!

My other postpartum tip is to wrap or bind your belly for the weeks/months following birth, to help your belly muscles bounce back into shape faster. And practice good posture, too! This is so important!!!! Otherwise, the combo of bending down to pick up baby often, and getting up out of bed while holding baby, and babywearing, on top of a weakened core (stretched-out ab muscles), can cause you a lot of back pain and a create a long-term tummy pooch.

[Violet2]

Use a greasy ointment on baby before the meconium starts coming out. It's much easier to get the meconium off a pre-slicked surface.

Also, remember heat rash can turn into diaper rash, in warm weather (if you are out and about in the heat) always use a barrier cream to protect skin and change diapers often.

V

[nighten]

I can't really think of many newborn tips right now (brain's still fuzzy from this darn cold) but I remembered this tip last night:

Get a clear shower curtain. That way, you can put baby in a bouncy seat on the bathroom floor, and s/he can still see you while you shower.

[Eliseatthebeach]

Many women, especially first time moms who are exclusively bfing will get hung up on weather or not the baby is getting enough colostrum/milk. Docs will often contribute to this anxiety by asking how many wet diapers you are going through a day.
With all the new changes in your life writing all this stuff down is cumbersome and most times doesn't get done all the time.
The best way I have found to remember how many wet diapers your new one is going through a day is to simply put out only a dozen each day. At the end of the day you will know exactly how many you have used.

The other thing is that many babies really do just cry alot in those first few weeks. Forget colic....they just cry!
I say trust your instincts and don't listen to ANYONE!!!!!!
Everyone will have something to say..."maybe she's hungry, wet, hot, cold, tired, uncomfortable, etc" . I say isolate yourself from everyone except your dh/dp and figure it out yourselves!
Take turns holding your baby when she cries just for the sake of crying. This will give both of you a much needed break (it can be very upsetting to you too) and it gives baby a chance to get to know both of your scents and cuddles.

Remember it is not possible to "spoil" a baby. It really amazes me that there is still so much old fashioned thinking out there.
Babies need constant attention and thrive on close human contact. Yes, they do need to be held all the time!

[chaoticzenmom]

Making the baby do a hula dance is great for getting rid of tummy troubles. I had a son with terrible tummy issues and another mother told me this. You hold the baby and put a hand firmly on the butt of the baby. Then, you rotate their hips gently so that it looks like they're hula dancing. Tummy troubles melt away and baby calms down.....most of the time.

Having a baby with tummy troubles sucks. It's nice to have a trick that you can use.

Also, just because a baby looks hungry, does not mean that he is hungry. It could be tummy troubles and the baby doesn't know a difference. If you just fed the baby, beware refeeding.....try hula dancing instead. This will save you several clothing changes

[LionTigerBear]

Originally Posted by chaoticzenmom

Also, just because a baby looks hungry, does not mean that he is hungry. It could be tummy troubles and the baby doesn't know a difference.

This is SO true!!! I learned this by the time I had my second one and it made everyone so much more comfortable! Try burping the back first, if that doesn't do it, then move on to more advanced moves like the "hula" or holding the baby with their legs tucked up to their belly, or something like that. The Sears Baby book has some ideas for getting gas out. For slightly older babies with gas/colic, I also like to use herbal tintures prepared with glycerine, which is sweeter than regular tinctures. Differnt companies make herbal preparations speficially for baby colic/gas.

If the baby is really "colicky", it will usually become apparent around week 4-6, not usually right at the beginning. It's pretty safe to suspect dairy products first, just because it's the number one food that babies respond negatively to through breastmilk. If the baby has issues with dairy products (or wheat, or corn,) at that age, it is a pretty good indicator that you should start taking probiotics yourself while breastfeeding, and put the baby on probiotics when you start him or her on solids (at about 10-12 months old.) There are probiotics geared specifically towards infants, baby should take that kind. And yes, delaying solids is generally best for most babies, although babies vary in when they take an interest to food. Definitely don't puch solids on a baby who hasn't shown interest yet.

Also, if for any reason your baby needs to be switched to formula (heaven forbid but it sometimes happens for medical reasons or whatever) then definitely mix an infant probiotic into their infant milk formula to help them digest it easier, and to head off the development of allergies.

[Citykid]

Babies love to look out the window. I don't know why, but it calms them right down.

The spasmy twitching they do all the time is totally normal, even the really funny one where they throw their hands up in the air.

Take lots of pictures in the first week. Then be prepared to give it a rest for a few weeks while LO gets over the baby acne.

Always remember: YOU are the mama. You know what to do. You and DH make the decisions for this baby - other people can make suggestions, but that's all they are.

This is good! It's making me remember all this stuff.

[rainbow_mandala]

Give yourself permission to cry, especially during the first few weeks. Your hormones are going to be taking a gigantic plunge during this time, so if you feel like crying, screaming, yelling, laughing hysterically for no reason or gazing at your newborn for hours in a trance-like daze, please do yourself a favor and don't judge any of it. I was so emotional the first few weeks of my son's life...I had heard about that happening, but I didn't realize how intense it can be. It will pass, just like everything else in life...

Use your time wisely during the first few weeks. You never know when you're going to get some free time, so either have a list ready of things to do to give to your mother or husband or whoever or get up and do those things when you get a chance.

[CandyApple]

Just to repeat what the other wise mamas have said - trust your body and instincts.

Stop when you need to stop, but get out when you need to get out. Your baby and body can handle an outing to the store, a walk, whatever, as long as you are careful. I hated being told he was too young and I was too weak to leave the house prior to 2-3 wks ppd. I was up and ready, and with him protected in the sling, we felt so much better after getting out of the house for a little while!

[azmomtoone]

Newborns mostly wake up because they're hungry. When he wakes up, feed him.
That tip would've saved us so much trouble trying to get nursing going in the early days, by the time DS started rooting for food he was too "starving" hungry to wait for let-down.

[k13]

I'm one who seems to have no shortage of milk. If you are having trouble with the milk coming out too fast and overwhelming/choking the little one try nursing reclining on your back with the baby propped on a pillow on top of you - working against gravity so the milk isn't choking them!

Also nurse in different positions to empty your ducts more evenly - football hold, etc. Plugged ducts and mastitis are horrid.

When baby is grumpy: try feeding, burping, belly massage for gas, diaper change, change of position/scenery, when all else fails bounce/dance. When that fails, try white noise.

Real colic sucks and that is a whole 'nother thread... yep, around a month.

[Just1More]

oh yes...nursing on your back...a VERY good idea if you tend to drown your baby.

and, learn about block feeding now. that sugar milk can sure make some babies have tender bellies and a good deal of spit up.

[Devaskyla]

If they have green poo, the first thing to suspect is fore/hind milk imbalance.

Olive oil works great for helping clean off meconium. Put some on at every diaper change until they're just having regular bf poo.

They get frustrated really easily by the milk not coming as fast as they want or coming faster than they want it to.

It's normal for newborns to sneeze & cough a lot. They're still working everything out of their systems from being born.

Don't worry about noise while they're sleeping, you'll regret it when they're older & need absolute silence in order to sleep. I did taxi dispatching from home when ds1 was a baby & he had no problems sleeping though the phone & radio calls.

[LionTigerBear]

Originally Posted by Just1More

and, learn about block feeding now. that sugar milk can sure make some babies have tender bellies and a good deal of spit up.

What's block feeding?

This thread is great! It should be a sticky!

[nighten]

About the green poop thing -- that's all very true, but if you happen to have been eating berries or spinach, those can also result in green poop.

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Another tip:

If you're using pocket diapers, pull the insert out as soon as baby poops. That will help prevent staining.

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Block nursing (from kellymom.com -- that's an awesome source for BFing info):

If nursing one side per feeding is not working after a week or so, try keeping baby to one side for a certain period of time before switching sides. This is called block nursing.
Start with 2-3 hours and increase in half-hour increments if needed.
Do not restrict nursing at all, but any time that baby needs to nurse simply keep putting baby back to the same side during that time period.
If the second side becomes uncomfortable, express a little milk until you're more comfortable and then use cool compresses - aim for expressing less milk each time until you are comfortable without expressing milk.
In more extreme cases, mom may need to experiment a bit with time periods over 4 hours to find the amount of time per breast that works best.

[LionTigerBear]

Thanks Renee!!!

[tomsTXmom]

Great thread!

I would highly recommend infant chiropractic. My son had severe colic (screaming in pain 23/7) from weeks 2-6. At six weeks old, he had cranial sacral treatment and his colic went immediately from severe to moderate. It was a miracle!
Search for "Academy of Chiropractic Pediatrics" to find an infant practitioner in your area.

Also, a bit of pre-baby training for dogs is helpful. Before our son was born, we taught all our dogs to walk nicely beside the stroller; stay off the baby blanket; not to get on the stairs unless no people were on them; and to stay out of the baby's room. These skills still allowed our dogs to bond with the baby, but without our having to be overly concerned about a safe place to lay the baby down; or get knocked while carrying the baby down the stairs! Plus, the rules were in place before the baby, so they had NO issues with him. The knew where they could be, and when. And because I knew the baby (and dogs!) were safe, I was MUCH more calm!

I also found that breast feeding, I wanted ice cold water the moment he latched on. This time around, we're getting a used mini fridge for the bedroom for convenience!

Enough can not be said for "knock only - sleeping baby" and "no soliciting" signs on ones front door!

Tracy

[nighten]

Oh the dog thing is a good point! I'm so glad you brought that up.

Some other things to consider: Whether you have a home birth or hospital birth, wrap the newborn in a receiving blanket, so the blanket gets the baby's scent. Then before introducing the actual baby to your dogs, introduce the blanket. Don't put the blanket on the floor for dogs to go nuts over. Hold it so they associate the smell with you as well. Don't give the blanket to the dogs. But let them explore its scent as long as you need.

Another thing that can help is to pick up some little toys ahead of time for the dogs, and after baby's born, give a new toy to the dog periodically, while you're holding the baby. The dog will associate the newest pack member with receiving a new toy, and will be more receptive to new baby. It's a bit like bribery, but in dog terms, it's more about positive association and acceptance versus seeing new baby as a threat. And it works.

Also, wait to put a baby lower than the dog (like on the floor) if you can. Dogs are very literal and very territorial. So for instance, our dogs were not allowed on the sofa after Guinevere was born. It was no longer part of their territory. We made a point to set up certain areas with their beds in the living room so they still had areas that were theirs. But anytime they'd try for the couch, I'd remind the dogs that the baby was "taller" than they were (higher up on the chain) and they had to respect that. She was allowed on the couch, but not them.

Putting a baby lower (like on the floor) than the dog before that chain of respect has been established implies to the dog that the baby is lower on the chain than they are. While many dogs will accept a baby as a new pup and be protective even, never ever leave a baby or young child alone with a dog, no matter how sweet and trustworthy that animal may be. It's still a dog.

But establishing a new chain of respect doesn't mean the dogs are being punished. It's just a change, and most dogs accept it just fine.