Having a newborn is hard, need some tips/hacks to make life easier? Whether this is your first kid or you’re a veteran parent, life with a newborn can be… well… interesting. If you’re a new father, you may be trying to figure it out all on your own. Maybe you already have kids but your newest isn’t falling for the same tricks you’ve used before. Here’s some hacks/tips that really helped me and my wife, and other new parents we’ve talked to:
- Medicine Pacifiers
If you’re newborn is sick, first, consult the pediatrician before giving any medicine. The pediatrician may recommend giving your newborn some Infant Tylenol or Motrin, or they may even prescribe them something. The medicine droppers are great for this… if your kid cooperates. If not, here’s a tip; Poke a hole in their pacifier and put the medicine in there, while they suck on it the medicine will be pulled into their mouth. If you don’t want to ruin all the pacifiers by doing this, you can even purchase pacifiers that are made to be opened and filled with medicine. Plus, this way you can wash them out when you’re done. Here’s an example of those:
Give Baths in the Sink
When your baby is young you can’t just put them in the bathtub and walk away, you have to be right there with them, so they don’t roll face down in the water. Bending or squatting by the tub can get uncomfortable… quick. While your newborn is still little here’s a hack to help, give them baths in the sink (clean your damn sink first). This way you can just stand there and clean them up, it’s much easier.
- Feeding Time is Messy, Use a Bib
Once your little one starts eating baby food its going to get messy… real messy. You’ve probably spent a good amount of money to ensure you’re mini me is dressed to impress. Don’t let messy baby food ruin those clothes, use a bib. Even if you take their onesie off while they eat, a bib will help keep your newborn clean, trust me pureed butternut squash and carrots WILL stain their skin. A pack of bib’s are cheap, it’s well worth the cost to get a few, here’s a pack a found that can fit into any father’s budget:
- Easy On/Off Clothes
I learned this one the hard way, newborns have blowouts… a lot. You’re going to be changing their onesies and sleepers a bunch. Here’s an easy tip to help, get clothes that are easy to swap out. Lot’s are sleepers have buttons on them, or zippers that you have line up to close, this may seem like no big deal, but when your newborn is wriggling around buttoning up a sleeper is easier said than done.
- Sleep When They Sleep
This is a tip that is often given to new moms but guess what, you’re the father, you’re a parent too and you’re probably with your newborn a lot at home also. You’re going to be tired, especially if you’re already going back to work. When your kid is sleeping, it’s a good time for you to catch a quick nap also, you may not get another chance for a while and who knows if you’ll get any sleep that night, so take advantage of that time.
- Be Organized
I know life with a newborn is hectic and you may not think you have time to get organized… make the time. Trust me, when your child has a massive blow out and the sh*t literally hits the fan, the last thing you’ll want to be doing is running around trying to find diapers and wipes. Keep a good stock of everything you need easy to access near the changing table. The 10 minutes it’ll take you to get organized is completely worth it, and it can save you a big mess (and having to throw your clothes away). Trust me, its hard… really hard… to get a sh*t stain out of your shirt, just get organized.
- Fill a Glove with Rice
Sometimes all your newborn needs are to feel your hand on them. When my daughter was a newborn, she had no problem napping… as long as you were touching her. We had someone pass along this hack to us, and now I’m telling you. Get a glove, I don’t care what kind of glove it is just get one and fill it with rice. You can place this glove on their back or their chest, to your newborn, it will feel just like you’re still touching them.
- Get a Diaper Bag
The mom probably has a diaper bag she picked out that she loves… guess what? You need one too! Whenever it’s just me and kids, I’ll be damned if I’m caught with my wife’s diaper bag. So, my wife got me my own! Instead of having to make the decision of whether to carry a pink backpack, or just risk it and hope I don’t need wipes, now I have a bag I can carry that fits my personality and still lets me carry everything I need for my kids. I personally have this one from Tactical Baby Gear, I can even put one of my Marine Corps Velcro patches on it:
If that doesn’t fit your personality, then here’s a few other options I really like as well:
Just look around and find out that you like!
- Learn the Cues
As a new parent, it can be frustrating and worrisome when your child is upset, and you don’t know why. The best advice I can give to a troubled dad is to learn your kids cues. When they’re hungry they may smack their lips, or watch their mouth they may be looking for a boob for a snack. If they’re tired, they may start to slow down, start yawning, or rubbing their eyes. If you can pick up on these hints when they start you can solve the problem… before it is a problem and they start crying.
- Use Warm Wipes
And my last hack for new dad’s is to use warm wipes. Think about it, would you rather your b*lls be cleaned with a freezing cold wipe, or a nice warm wipe. If you say cold you should probably go talk to someone… But seriously, warm up the wipes before wiping your newborn during a diaper change. If you don’t want to purchase a wipe warmer that’s fine, try to warm the wipes up in your hand for a second before wiping. I do suggest at least looking into getting a wipe warmer, they are not that expensive, and it will make diaper changes go much smoother. Here’s the one we had, and it was worth every penny:
Look, every newborn and infant are different. What works for other parents may not work for you. But give these hacks a try, it may help you keep your sanity.
-That’s Just Dad Shit
