10 Things I’ve Learned In My First Couple Of Weeks As A New Mom

I’ve been a new mama now for about 2 weeks.
Do I have it all down?
HA! That’s funny.
 Not at all.
BUT, there are a few things that I learned, used, and experienced in my first two weeks that I thought might be helpful to share with some of you. Whether you are about to be a new mom, are on your third kid or are saving posts for the day when you decide to jump into motherhood, some of these little tips I would have liked to have known about before little Eloise was born. So in turn, I thought I’d share them with you so that you can be better prepared!

1.)  BUY NEWBORN CLOTHES
The number one mistake I made was not buying enough newborn clothes. I heard from SO many people that I didn’t need them and that newborn babies would fit just fine into 0-3 month clothes. Well, this was not the case for us. Eloise was born at 7lbs 10 ounces and when we left the hospital, she was 7lbs 2 ounces (a wee peanut). I had about three newborn onsies/outfits for her and those were the only pieces that fit her. She was SWIMMING in her 0-3 newborn onsies. We found ourselves at Target at 3 days old stuffing our cart with newborn onsies, pants and shirts. Even if she only needs newborn clothes for 3 weeks, she still needs them! My tip: Buy a couple of newborn outfits or onsies from Target, keep the receipt and tags on and wait to see how big your baby is! If they are a bigger baby, you can always return the outfits, but you will be so thankful if your baby ends up needing more newborn clothes and you already have them at home!
Some of my favorite newborn finds from Target have been these bodysuits, Carter’s onsies and these leggings. (All super affordable and very easy to return if you don’t need them).

2.) DOWNLOAD THE BABY CONNECT APP
I’m sure there are so many different baby apps out there, but this one has been a lifesaver for us! It’s 2018 so long are the days of carrying around a notebook and pen to write down the last time your baby ate, slept and pooped……yes, you guessed it, there’s an app for that. Your phone is always with you, easily accessible and you don’t have to worry about forgetting your notebook at home when you are out and about.
One of the main differences between this app and the other ones I was looking at was that the Dad could also enter information into the app and it would all sync into one account. GENIUS. Dad changes the diaper? He puts it into the app, checking if it was wet, poopy or dry, and then mom gets the information into her app as well. It times your feedings, times how long the baby sleeps and helps you count diapers. There’s also a medical tab on the app that lets you keep track of your doctors appointments, weigh ins and immunization records. It’s $4.99 and WORTH EVERY PENNY!

3.) GET A WIPE WARMER
One thing I kept hearing from people was to NOT get a wipe warmer because you didn’t want to get your baby use to always having warm wipes on their bum. Well, let me tell you…after using cold wipes for the first week of Eloise’s life, I went out and bought a wipe warmer. Talk about torture! I know for sure that I wouldn’t want to be wiped down with a cold wipe at 2:30 in the morning, so why would I do it to my cute little baby?! So ya, I caved. Warm wipes to the bum it is!

4.) BREASTFEEDING IS NO JOKE
I feel like so many people talk about the pain of labor and giving birth, but no one talks about the pain of breastfeeding. Granted, everyone is different but let me tell you something, I was NOT PREPARED for the pain of breastfeeding. IT HURT. Like I cried for the first couple of days. I kept thinking “how could people see this as a beautiful thing? This is so not worth it”, etc. Well, I’m two weeks in and I can tell you that it does get better. Your nips heal up and the feeding gets easier. It’s still not my favorite thing in the world, but I’m taking it day by day. So, stick with it…don’t give up….it will get better.
Make sure you have this nipple cream before baby arrives. It will be a lifesaver for you when you start feeding (I literally applied it to my nips after EVERY feed). I also love these cooling gel pads & these breast shells (which are clutch when your nips are super sore!)
One of my good friends also sent me these booby tubes….they are also amazing!

5.) BUY A COUPLE OF BREASTFEEDING TOPS BEFORE BABY COMES
I was not prepared when it came to good breastfeeding tops once Eloise was here. I found myself wearing this top almost everyday for the first week because it was SO easy to feed in and comfortable. (Seriously though, if you buy one top from this post, make it this one). I found myself online shopping two days after being home, shopping for some other great nursing tops. Here are some of the ones I’m loving so far:

6.) INVEST IN A BOPPY OR DOCKATOT

We made the last minute decision to bring our boppy with us to the hospital and we are SO glad we did! Not only did it really help me with breastfeeding but Eloise LOVED laying in it! After two weeks, it still is one of her favorite things to lay & sleep in.  We also are LOVING our Dockatot for sleep at night. It’s the perfect size, keeps the baby from turning over and is also so easy to move from room to room. 

7.) HAVE A BREASTPUMP BEFORE YOU DELIVER

Rookie mistake on my part. 

I didn’t think I really needed a breastpump right away (I know I know….cut me some slack…I’ve never done this before!) Well, my milk came in on a Sunday night and my sweet babe couldn’t keep up with my overwhelming milk supply. I soon found myself at the 24 hour CVS across the street at 10 pm on Sunday buying the last hand held breast pump because I thought my boobs were going to explode. 

Long story short, don’t get put in this situation….buy a breast pump beforehand!

8.) STOCK YOUR FRIDGE/FREEZER BEFOREHAND

We stocked our freezer with bagels, muffins, and frozen meals before we delivered….talk about a great idea! It was so nice to wake up after a couple of sleepless night and have easy breakfast options, as well as easy meals for dinner that we could throw in the oven on a whim. Also, if you are breastfeeding, you will be HUNGRY, so it’s nice to have easy & fast options at home. 

I highly recommend doing this!

9.) TAKE A SHOWER EVERYDAY

This seems simple and easy. Well, it’s really not. BUT it’s a MUST if you want to feel even slightly human during the first couple of weeks. Taking 10 minutes to take a quick shower will make you feel like a new woman…trust me. Bryan and I came up with a game plan so that I could shower and put on a little makeup everyday and it was vital in helping me feel good and more awake. It’s easy to stay in the same clothes and get wrapped up in taking care of your newborn, that you forget to take care of yourself. Take the time…..even if it’s just 10 minutes. I promise you will thank me later!

10.) FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU

You could go crazy listening to everyone’s advice on being a new parent. Everyone has their opinions and some of them are STRONG opinions. In the end, find what works best for YOU. Breastfeeding isn’t up your alley?! That’s why they make formula. You want to sleep train your baby?! Do it or don’t do it. YOU are the parent… everyone does it differently and that’s ok! Don’t agree with half the things in this post?! That’s TOTALLY ok. Take what you want and let the other advice or opinions go!

11.) BONUS – BUY VELCRO SWADDLES
Thought of this one late last night and had to add it to this post. Velcro swaddles are AMAZING. We have been using these ones & the Ollie World swaddle and LOVE them both. Your baby can’t get out of the velcro swaddles which in turn keeps them comfy and cozy all night long. You will drive yourself crazy using a regular swaddle blanket as most babies are totally able to escape. Make it easy on yourself….get the velcro!

I wish I had stumbled upon a post like this before I had Eloise so I’m hoping this info helps some of you prepare for baby!

Thanks for stopping by, supporting my blog and reading!

I also wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all of you for your amazing comments about the birth of our sweet girl. We are so overwhelmed with so much love…..We couldn’t be more grateful or happy!