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These newborn tips and tricks are ones that will serve you and your baby in the future. They are about building strong routines and habits from the start.
These building blocks will help you better navigate the trials and bumps you will experience along the way such as teething and developmental milestones.
Take these newborn tips and tricks and start applying them as early and consistently as possible.
1. Burp in the Middle of Feedings
If your baby is getting fussy during a feeding they probably need to burp. They may seem like they are done, but you know it seems too soon. One of my babies would unlatch and look around, but there wasn’t anything distracting her.
A burp halfway through could do the trick for your baby.
I also want to remind parents that are struggling through the newborn phase that feedings will get quicker over time. Your baby could go from nursing for 30 minutes to only 10 minutes within a few months.
2. Establish Good Sleep Habits
When your baby is a newborn they may fall asleep anywhere and everywhere. You might find yourself saying how your baby is such a great sleeper. Their sleep patterns are going to change over time and things could get more difficult. The 4-month sleep regression is something to start looking into and watching out for.
While they are in a good phase work on establishing good sleep habits and routines. This means ditching the swaddle at around 2 months old. Consider possibly ditching the pacifier too.
Decrease the time you spend rocking your baby to sleep. Do not get into the habit of nursing your baby to sleep.
Try to encourage your baby to put themselves to sleep as independently as possible. Eliminate yourself and any sleep props as much as possible.
This is the key to finding success with your baby’s sleep.
3. Sleep = More Sleep
When it comes to sleep the more your baby gets good sleep the more they crave it. Now the opposite can also be true the longer your baby goes without sleep the more they fight it. This is referred to as your baby getting overtired.
If your baby gets to a place of being overtired you might have to throw all your routines and habits out the window. Do what you need to in order to get them to sleep. This could be holding them all night if needed.
You don’t want to make these practices become habits though! Get back to your good habits the very next day or night.
Just remember sleep = more sleep.
4. Importance of First Nap
Your baby’s first nap is important. It sets the tone for your day. Your baby will need this first nap within an hour or so of waking up. Over time it will grow to more like 2 hours after waking up.
In the beginning, though it seems strange to put your baby back to sleep after only being up for about 60-90 minutes. Watch them though. Look for sleep cues and notice that they are tired.
Sleep cues can look like rubbing the face and eyes, yawning, and staring off into space. Their eyes can also start to look glossy or red-rimmed. They just look sleepy eyes.
When it comes to the first nap make sure to hit it at the right time for your baby.
5. No Bows in the Car Seat
Newborns breathe almost exclusively through their noses. Make sure that if you put a headband-type bow on them that you remove it when they are in the car seat.
This is a safety issue. If you want to read about more ways to keep your newborn safe as they grow check out 13 Simple but Essential Baby Safety Tips for New Parents.
You should also make sure their nose it clear to breath when sleeping and nursing.
6. Comforting Your Crying Baby
If you find yourself struggling to comfort a crying baby my first tip is to take a deep breath. We have all had a random rough night or week where it is like we don’t know our child. You may feel like you are failing them because you do not know how to comfort them.
After calming down the next step is to go down the list of your baby’s needs.
The first question would be are they tired or hungry? Hunger is easy to address just simply feed them.
Are they tired? Ideally, you have been working to establish good sleep habits, but if you find yourself struggling do whatever it takes to get them to sleep.
Rock them, bounce them, just do what you must.
If these are not the issues check for a dirty or wet diaper.
After that, I recommend burping them. Sometimes it can take a bit to get that burp out. Give it time and try different positions. Sometimes a little movement will help get a burp out.
If you have tried all of these another thing to consider is pain or discomfort. This could take different forms such as gas, teething soon, or even a hair tourniquet. If you checked out my article on baby Safety Tips you will understand exactly what hair tourniquets are.
If teething is the issue check out How to Soothe a Teething Baby: Expert Tips and Tricks for how to handle specific issues.
And finally, if you think the pain is caused by gas there are a few products on the market to help with this like the Windi, but I do not have experience with those. I would put my baby on their back and take their legs through a bicycle motion.
When your baby is struggling do not run through this list too quickly. Take your time on each step to give your baby a long enough chance to see if it works for them.
7. Tips for Bath Time
Try to make bath time a positive experience from the beginning.
This might not be important to everyone, but I think it is much more pleasant to bathe a happy and content baby rather than screaming their head off.
Make the setting as perfect as possible. It helps if you and your partner work together. If you are on your own you will need to fully prep before starting the bath.
You could through their towel in the dryer for a bit to warm it up. Obviously, be safe about this and make sure it isn’t too hot.
Consider running a heater in the area you are bathing your baby.
Try to make bath time a calm and peaceful experience.
Another important tip is to dribble or splash a bit of water on your baby’s face each time you bathe them. This will help when they are older. They won’t freak out every time they get water in their face or eyes.
Remember to also get into all rolls when bathing them.
For more information on bath time check out 10 Simple but Effective Tips for a Fun and Stress-Free Baby Bath Time.
Conclusion
I am sure there are many more tips and tricks regarding the newborn phase. Hopefully, this list is a good start for you and helps you set your baby and routine up for success.
The newborn phase comes with high highs and low lows. Some parents absolutely love this age while others can’t wait to simply get through it.
I can guarantee that it goes by quickly whether you enjoy it or not. If you are struggling try to focus on the beautiful moments. The times when your baby gives you a little smile or holds tightly onto your finger.
The goal is to get through this phase with the happiest baby and parents possible.
Good luck and enjoy your sweet baby!
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