My favourite newborn tips!

We are nearly out of the newborn stage with Ollie, as he will be three months old next weekend. Hurray! Here are some of my favourite tips and things to help you survive this stage of life. Obviously every baby is different, so what worked for me may not work for you, but these are things I found helped with both Ella and Ollie during those first few months.

Shower every day, but don’t worry about washing your hair. Before I had Ella I used to wash, blow dry, and straighten my hair every day. Every day! After kids, there is just NO TIME for nonsense like that. I’ve since trained my hair and only need to wash it every 5/6 days now. My dream is to be able to wash it once a week, but I’m not quite there yet. Dry shampoo is great and gives you an extra day or two between washings. Not having to worry about my hair means I can get a quick shower everyday, put on some clean clothes, and feel somewhat in control and put together. I know some people are ok to stay in their PJs all day long, and if that's you that's totally cool, but I am just not one of those people. 

Use a baby carrier. I’ve written about this countless times, with both Ella and Ollie. I loved using a wrap when the babies were smaller, and then a more structured carrier once they got older/heavier. My favourites were a Hug a Bub wrap, and then a Manduca carrier. The Manduca has a built in infant insert, so it can actually be used from birth, however I love how snuggly a wrap feels with a new baby.

Ella in the Manduca carrier

White noise is ah-mazing. We’ve used it for both kids pretty much from birth, and I think it is the greatest thing ever. We use this free app, and put it on the Heavy Rain setting. It acts as a sleep association along with drowning out any loud or sudden noises from outside (or from your toddler during nap time). Whenever we have travelled with Ella we’ve always been able to put it on where she is sleeping and it’s like a signal that it is time to go to sleep. It also helps me sleep by drowning out all the grunting and groaning new babies do in their sleep. Winner! 

Sleep is probably the most discussed issue amongst parents. There are so many different pieces of advice on how to get a baby to sleep and I’ve read a lot of it! Some is helpful, some not so much. You basically just have to do what suits you and your family. Whether or not you go down a formal “sleep training” method, I do think routines are key. Babies (and kids and adults) love routines and knowing what to expect helps them feel safe and secure. To clarify, by routine I do not mean a schedule (although that works for some people). For example, before every nap and bedtime I swaddle Ollie, pick him up and sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and then tell him “It’s time to go to sleep”. I then lie him down and put his blankets on and say “Good night, I love you” and then leave the room. After doing this for the past month or so, most of the time he goes down for a nap or bed without any issues. I can feel him instantly relax when I start singing the lullaby, as this is now his cue that it’s time to sleep. I also have the white noise on and keep the room pretty dark. At bedtime the routine is a bit more involved: we always do a bath followed by a bottle in a dimly lit bedroom before putting him to bed. During the bath we sing the same two songs, and then after his bath I give him a little massage with this massage oil. Soon I’ll start adding a book to the bedtime routine, but at the moment Ollie is usually almost asleep by the time he finishes his bottle. As long as he is fed, burped and has a dry nappy he will go to sleep without any issue for at least 6-7 hours until he wants his next feed. 

Know tired signs and the amount of awake time for your baby’s age. Currently, Ollie is awake for about 1.25-1.5 hours between naps. Any more than this and he’s overtired and very cranky, and overtired babies are harder to get to sleep. I can tell he is tired because he gets red around his eyes and eyebrows and his happy, gurgling noises start to sound a bit more urgent and desperate. 

If you are breastfeeding and want to be able to one day leave your baby with someone else for more than a few hours, give your baby a bottle regularly from about three weeks old. We’ve done this with both kids, one bottle a day - the one before bedtime. It’s a bit of a pain to express every day, but has been a good routine for us, and has meant that both babies went from breast to bottle easily. I also like giving it just before bed as it makes up a part of our bedtime routine, which gives the baby a signal that it is night time… ie time to sleep longer! I have had so many friends that have not done this, and then they want to be able to go out for an evening when the baby is five or six months old, but the baby will then refuse a bottle. 

Drink lots of water if you are breastfeeding. Invest in a good water bottle that you can take with you everywhere! And get one of those cup holders for your pram, they are so useful for both water and coffee. 

Try to get outside every day. Natural sunlight is important for babies and according to this research, babies that are exposed to more sunlight sleep better at night. And I think we all know that getting outside and exercising is good for us, both mentally and physically, so getting outside even for a short walk is good for both baby and mum! 

Ollie and me on our daily walk

Babies’ crying peaks at six weeks. Awareness of this fact helped us get through that period, knowing that easier times were ahead. 

If you like reading, an eReader is a worthwhile investment. Although I still prefer to read paper books, you can’t beat the convenience of an eReader. You can instantly buy or download books from your library without leaving the comfort of your house! And you can hold an eReader with just one hand, which means you can read while feeding the baby! I love, love, love my Kindle Paperwhite. 

Speaking of books, Andy and I both found the book Your Baby, Week by Week super helpful. It is very factual and doesn’t support any particular parenting style. There are a few pages for each week of your baby’s life (up to 24 weeks) detailing the changes that will be happening.

The app Baby Sparks gives you daily activities to do with your baby to aid their development. Great if you are like "ummmm, what am I supposed to do with my baby while they are awake and not feeding?" as I was. 

Bonds nursing bras and singlets are my favourites. They are super comfy and soft and I pretty much live in these, layered with a chunky sweater and leggings. This is basically my winter breastfeeding mum uniform. 

And Bonds Wondersuits are pretty much all my babies lived in for the first six months of their lives. They have reversible zips and built in booties and mittens so are pretty versatile, and they also come in tonnes of cute prints. Bonds for the win! (Bonds are an Australian brand but ship internationally, and shipping is free to a lot of countries if you spend over $100. Trust me, they are worth it!) 

Ollie in one of his many Bonds Wondersuits

And there you have it! If you are a new mum or expecting your first baby I hope this has been helpful for you, and I'd love to know your favourite baby tips as well!