Our Favorite Newborn Khaki
A tired and overwhelmed (new) parent recently asked me for help: instead of searching all the Offspring content for the hacks he needs the most – newborn, newborn, and another newborn – can I do it for him?
Since I don’t have a newborn and therefore sleep on a regular schedule that allows me to function at a fairly normal level, I agreed.
Let’s start with the basics
Can you hold a baby in your arms? Feed the baby? Put the baby to bed? Don’t panic if you’re all, “ No, no, NO !! “ We have a crash course for you in all things that seem basic but can be very daunting for aspiring parents.
Try this while swimming
Some doctors now wait a few hours after birth before giving their baby their first bath to allow this protective layer of the smooth, creamy mass they were born with – called vernix – to ward off infection and moisturize their skin.
Then when will you be home? Try a changing bath :
Instead of the usual sponge bath, which can shock newborns who are not used to so many new temperatures, many doctors now recommend a swaddling bath, in which the baby is bathed while wrapped in a diaper. It calms babies and parents can do it at home.
First, wrap the baby securely in the diaper with your arms crossed upward. Fill the tub with 100 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit water. Slowly lower the swaddled baby into the tub until the water reaches chest and shoulder level. Then, starting with the legs, lay out each limb separately, wash and rinse. Do everything slowly and carefully.
Also: once a week is enough for a newborn to bathe, do not put the baby in the tub while the water is still flowing, and never leave him unattended in the tub – never – not even for a moment.
Choose bottles that are easy to clean
Yes, you need bottles that are easy for your baby to get around and that won’t cause stomach problems. But? You should also be able to clean darned items easily.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the right bottle for your baby, but especially for new parents, ease of cleaning is a factor that can be easily overlooked … until you have a set of bottles that are very difficult to clean. … We’ve rounded up some of the best baby bottles that are easy to clean, including a range of materials and styles for babies with colic.
Here are a bunch of weird baby products that parents swear by
Booger scraper? (Check!) Toys with lots of labels? (Mmmm-k.) A napkin warmer? (How cute.) A coat with a pouch on the back for a baby? (Of course, let’s go for broke!)
When you become a parent, you find yourself in the strange world of modern baby products. There is something that can “solve” every problem (and trust me, moms and dads face a myriad of problems as they navigate the messy territory of new parenting). But how do you separate truly revolutionary innovation from gimmicks? What subjects will you sing praises for when you feed your baby at 3 AM, and what will you pull for goodwill when you have your next cup of coffee?
We asked members of the parent group Lifehacker on Facebook to tell us about the baby products that surprised them the most, the unexpected things they couldn’t live without.
Do you need to work while you are at home with your child?
It’s not easy, not perfect, and sometimes it seems completely impossible. But for some parents, it’s just part of the equation .
Are you tired. It is impossible to formulate coherent thoughts. You feel guilty all the time because you think about your child while you work and about your work while you are a parent. You rely on this Almighty dream, but it is unpredictable, and even when it does, you have a hundred household chores to complete. You feel like you have two different bosses in two different worlds and one of them is constantly asking for milk.
We’ve got some practical tips for making it work , including: do big things first (not procrastinate), work while standing / carry, make friends with a “voice note”, and on some days let “Survive” is considered a victory.
How to stay sane while your child is in intensive care
About 500,000 babies are admitted to the intensive care unit each year, and for their parents this is a time of stress, anxiety, fear and even depression .
When Amanda Sloan returned home from the hospital two days after giving birth, she left her newborn daughter, Emery, in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). As Sloane was wheeled through the front door empty-handed, she passed the wheelchairs of women leaving with their newborn babies. And every time she returned to visit, she had a new lineup of mothers.
“It was almost like a walk of shame,” says Sloan, whose daughter was born full-term with Pierre Robin’s syndrome , a group of facial abnormalities that can interfere with eating and breathing. “It seemed to me that every day I go to the library and check my baby for several hours, and then I had to return her. I had to ask permission to touch her or change her diaper. I wasn’t in charge, and it’s so weird when you’re a mom. ”
Parenting journalist and author Keith Rope encourages NICU parents to interact with other families who have been there, find different ways to connect with their child, take breaks and use the hospital’s support as well as the support of their community of family, friends and colleagues.
For siblings of a newborn
If this is not your first child, you may have another child at home who is not thrilled with the turmoil of having a baby. Nothing wrong; Lifehacker Parenting Editor Michelle Wu faced this very situation and recommends ” Let your child hate your new brother or sister . “
“Most of us expect some jealousy when a new sibling comes along, but we still insist on a basic level of love,” writes early childhood expert Heather Schumaker in her book Don’t Share and Other Rules of Apostasy for Raising Competent and compassionate children . “ When we hear our children express fickle emotions about a new sibling, she explains that our instinct might be something like, “Deep down, you love him.”
It’s useless. Because maybe they don’t – at least not yet. “Siblings will discover affection in due course,” she writes. “You cannot make love, so don’t demand it. Don’t even expect it. It can make your child feel inferior and possibly afraid of losing your love. “
Let’s continue! Leave your favorite parenting tips in the comments section below.