Being a new parent is a lot of work. You’re most likely still healing from childbirth and trying to get a hang on your new routine. An infant requires care during all hours of the day, and chances are, your little bundle of joy isn’t quite sleeping through the night yet, either. Caring for a newborn is a ton of work, and it can be difficult to know how exactly to tend to their needs. Check out these top parenting hacks for new moms to help you figure out how to get through your first few months as a mother.
Table of Contents
Take care of yourself
As easy as it is to get lost in the world of caring for your baby, it’s also crucial to take care of yourself. A healthy and happy mommy generally leads to a healthy and happy baby. Make sure to get enough exercise, eat often, and pay close attention to your own body’s needs. This extends to mental and emotional health as well. Take a few moments every day to breathe deeply and survey your own self. Remember that early parenthood is challenging for every new mom, and you’re doing a great job.
Invest in sleepers with zippers
Something as small as the type of closure on your baby’s sleeper can make or break your nightly routine. Getting up four to five times a night to feed and change your child can be exhausting, and making the trips easier and quicker leads to longer stretches of sleep for you. While sleepers with snaps may be adorable, they are a pain to get closed in the dark at three in the morning when you are trying to change your child and get them back to sleep as quickly as possible. One of the top parenting hacks for new moms is to invest in sleepers with zipper closures—they will save you a ton of midnight headaches.
Create a nighttime routine
Babies and children of all ages respond well to routines. This can help your baby to learn signals of when it’s time to sleep and can even train them to sleep through the night better. Starting a routine that is consistent every night can help them to fall asleep faster and feel calmer. An example of a nighttime routine with the baby is to feed them, follow it with a lukewarm bath, spend a little cuddle time together with a baby book, and finally lay them down in the crib. If you choose to make bath time before bed, be sure to moisturize to avoid dry skin. If your baby does get a spout of dry skin, try some natural treatments that are easy on their sensitive skin.
