16 PARENTING HACKS FOR NEWBORNS EVERY NEW PARENT NEEDS IN THEIR LIFE

Gen Cohen
2017-04-18T14:00:00-07:00

April 18, 2017 by ALESSIA SANTORO

Image Source: Flickr user Mariela M.

Having a newborn is a crazy ride, but it doesn't last for that long (just remind yourself of that when you're looking for the light at the end of the sleep-deprived tunnel). To make this fleeting time in your and your baby's lives a bit smoother — so that you can focus on the cuddles and kisses — we have 16 parenting hacks for newborns that will help you along your way through new-mama-hood like a pro.

Scroll through our baby tips for new parents below!

1. Use a bit of coconut/almond oil on your baby’s tush to make cleaning up meconium (those tar-like first few poops) manageable.

Image Source: Flickr user Sellers Patton

The oil will make your baby’s bottom just moisturized enough that the poop will wipe right off. Otherwise, you’ll be there all day.

2. Utilize onesies correctly in the case of a poopsplosion.

Image Source: Flickr user Sonya Green

The little shoulder flaps in onesies aren’t just a fancy design keeping your little ahead of the trends; they’re actually there so that the head opening can become large enough to slip down your baby’s body in the case of an explosive diaper. That way, you can avoid getting poo anywhere you don’t want poo (not that there are many places you actually want poo, but you know what we mean).

3. When changing your baby’s diaper, place the new one underneath the dirty one.

Image Source: Flickr user Kevin Phillips

Clean off your babe and deposit all the dirty wipes in the old diaper, lift it out of the way, and have a fresh one right there waiting for you. This saves time, and if your baby is a boy, it also saves you precious seconds in the race against being peed on.

4. For babies who don’t want to take medicine, use hospital pacifiers as a tool.

Image Source: Flickr user Andrew Bardwell

The pacifiers that you’re given at the hospital (also available for purchase) have that hollow opening, which is perfect for putting the medicine dropper in. Granted, the flow through the tiny pacifier hole will make this a long process, but your stubborn baby will be soothed while also being duped into feeling better.

5. Do a bicycle exercise with gassy babies.

Image Source: Flickr user Madeleine Ball

If your baby has gas, one way to relieve it is by laying them on their back and rotating their chunky little legs in a bicycle-pedaling motion (elbow to knee).

6. Invest in a zip/button/velcro sleeper.

Image Source: Flickr user Regal+Lager

Swaddling is a thing of the past — now it’s all about the zip sleepers. You don’t have to do any complicated folds and stay up all night worrying about your baby coming undone or getting chilly.

7. If you’re going to swaddle, do it the right way.

Image Source: Flickr user photosavy

Use these handy steps.

1. Place a square swaddle blanket in your baby’s crib like a diamond.

2. Fold down the top corner toward the middle to make a flat edge.

3. Lay your baby down on the blanket with the flat edge on the back of their neck.

4. Put your baby’s arms flat against their body and bring one side corner across their body and tuck it underneath them, leaving an arm free.

5. Fold the bottom corner up and over the shoulder of the remaining free arm.

6. Fold the remaining side corner over their flat arm and across the body, tucking it under their body.

8. Don’t keep your newborn awake for longer than an hour and a half.

Image Source: Flickr user Madeleine Ball

While it’s tempting to want to keep your baby awake because you think they’ll sleep through the night that way, it doesn’t exactly work that way. Newborns need a ton of sleep, and trust us, a newborn kept up longer than 90 minutes is going to start to become more than crabby.

9. Sleep when your baby is asleep.

Image Source: Flickr user John Spade

We know, this seems obvious, but there are plenty of moms who either stay up worrying, don’t think their child will be asleep for long and use the time for other things, or just choose not to get on a schedule with their child. If you want to sleep during your first year, try out this rule; you won’t regret it.

10. Feed your baby when they wake up, not so that they’ll fall asleep.

Image Source: Flickr user neuroses’ ring

Like all other humans, we eat to give us energy throughout the day, starting with breakfast right after we wake up. If you’re feeding your baby as soon as they wake up, they’ll have nutrients to give them energy for their awake time (see slide nine), and then they won’t be relying on milk to fall back asleep, which can end up being a hard habit to break later down the road.

11. Don’t run into the room at the drop of a hat (cry).

Image Source: Flickr Tatiana Vdb

If you swoop in to save your baby from awareness at the sign of the first startle, you’ll never know if they’re truly finished sleeping. Sometimes they wake themselves or are crying a bit in their sleep — leave them for a minute to see if they stop before waking them fully by going in and picking them up.

12. To keep toys within reach and a baby who can sit themselves up from slipping in the tub, put them in a laundry basket.

Image Source: Flickr user Kelly Sue DeConnick

The basket will work as a catch-all for toys and bubbles, but the water can flow freely in and out. You can also line the bottom with even more nonslip grip to prevent any slippage whatsoever.

13. Put baby to sleep with background noise.

Image Source: Flickr Inga Munsinger Cotton

If you sleep train your babe in a quiet room, chances are they’ll be a lighter sleeper, affected by any and every noise. Use a white noise machine or app, or try a ceiling or standing fan pointed away from them just to make some noise.

14. Use sleepers that are open at the bottom for daily wear.

Image Source: Flickr user eperales

When you’re just laying around the house all day, open sleepers with stretchy bottoms and socks are the perfect outfit — they make changing diapers so much easier since you don’t have to button a million tiny little snaps.

15. If you’re trying to wake up baby in the middle of a feed and nothing’s working, open their onesie or change their diaper.

Image Source: Flickr user Yoshihide Nomura

Letting some cool air hit their bare baby skin or killing two birds with one stone and changing their dirty diaper should wake your baby right up.

16. Whether you’re doing a professional shoot or not, there are some photos you definitely have to take of your newborn.

Image Source: Flickr user Donnie Ray Jones

Capture every expression, every milestone (whether it’s in the baby book or not) — just everything. This time goes so quickly, and there are so many photos you can take to really remember this fleeting time.

Don't forget to protect your baby's eyes from the sun's harmful rays with our polarized baby sunglasses!