From Me to You: Tips For New Moms!

Are you a soon to be first time mom and freaking out? Heck, are you a second..or third..or fourth time mom and freaking out?   Well here are some tips to help you relax & put your mind at ease.

• If breast feeding. It will hurt. It will be stressful. DON'T give up! I wanted to quit multiple times with Madison but I stuck it out & we made it past a year! 

• White noise is your friend.  A sound machine, window fan, or the tv on static will help your baby sleep soundly. With two loud toddlers running around I have learned to use white noise more than ever to help the twins nap and sleep.

• You don't need to hold your baby all day long. It is okay to put them down. Not only will you be able to get stuff done but baby won't learn to rely on you holding him/her all. the. time.

• Start a night time routine in the hospital. We did this with the twins and they have been with out a doubt the best infant sleepers between all of our kiddos.

• Feed baby every two hours during the day. It will help establish a routine & you'll be sure they are getting enough food.

• Babies cry for a reason.  Diaper needs to be changed, they're hungry, they just want to be held, they're over stimulated, they're over tired, they have gas, they're constipated, they're teething...explore with your baby before letting them CIO.

• Don't panic. If you have checked your baby for all of the above in the last bullet and he/she is still crying and you're finding yourself frustrated; put baby in the crib & walk away for a little. Pull yourself together, count to 10, deep breathes, & go get your child. 

• Swaddle. Either learn to use swaddle blankets or purchase velcro swaddlers (like we did). I swaddle the twins during naps & at night for bed. Helping them feel tight & confined relaxes babies. 

• Newborns love black, white, & red objects! Print off a picture from the computer in black & white or purchase some infant play blocks. 

• Sleep when baby sleeps (if you have no other children). Get your rest when baby does! The dishes, laundry, & cleaning can wait.

• Rest when baby sleeps (if you have other children). It's hard to sleep when baby sleeps & watch your other children at the same time. So go ahead and sit on the sofa, put on your favorite tv show, and relax. You can still keep an eye on the other child(ren) while resting. 

One Month Old!

Riley and MacKenzie are going to be a month old next week already. Where in world does the time go? Seriously. I feel like it's been just a week since they've been born. 

They are still in newborn clothing but are gaining great weight. 

I can see it in their faces already.

 They are eating constantly and I think are going through a growth spurt right now. 

Did I mention that they are waking once a night to eat?! Sometimes they'll wake and as soon as I lay them in bed with me to eat they pass out before I can even try.
They're staying awake for longer periods of time.

We have them on a good schedule that they are starting to get use to thankfully! 

The following are some photos of the girls recently:

Riley

MacKenzie

MacKenzie and Riley

Riley

MacKenzie and Riley

Riley

Mom 101

Whether you are a soon to be mom, first time mom, or mom to more then one child this post will help you and provide you with some tips! Most of these are links to my posts but a few are from other great websites I have come across.

Moms-To-Be

Postpartum Recovery Kit

Fighting Morning Sickness

Things to do Before You're Due

Packing Your Hospital Bag

Packing Your Spouse's Bag & Baby's Bag

My Sample Birth Plan

27 Pre-Baby Freezer Meals

For Moms

Recovering From a C-Section

Eating/Drinking While Breastfeeding

Introducing Baby & Dog

Postpartum Recovery Kit

Getting Kids To Sleep...Through The Night.

Introducing Solid Foods

Going From One Child to Two

Tips to Produce More Breast Milk

Things That Nobody Tells You Before Having A Baby

After having two children (and expecting two more) there are still things that surprise me about labor. Not only that but since every labor and delivery is different I have learned more each time I have a child. Some things I was told about (the horrible contractions) but there were also things nobody told me that I found out myself (breastfeeding hurts in the beginning and the breathing techniques are crap).

 So I decided to make a post of some things I learned after having two children. Some of these are from Facebook followers who "like" this blogs Facebook page, you can do so here. 

1. Like I said above, breastfeeding hurts in the beginning.
You may even want to stop because it hurts so bad (I really wanted to, but glad I stuck with it...both times)!  Using nipple cream, a thin bra in the shower, and helping baby latch correctly will help immensely.

2. When your water breaks, you may not know it!
Both times I just thought I had pee'd myself *sigh*, it happens. Turns out when your water breaks it doesn't always "gush" out like everyone says. The amniotic sac may just tear a bit (which is what happened to me) and you will leak fluid slowly...constantly. 

3. Breathing Techniques? Yeah...no.
That was the last thing on my mind while trying not to die through contractions. I was doing jumping jacks (just as my doctor haha!) and breathing "normal". 

4. You won't sleep in the hospital like sleeping beauty. 
The nurses usually come in every half hour to an hour to check on you and baby. Although you can ask (don't be afraid to ask) for them to skip a session so you can try to get some quick Z's. They did for us after we had our daughter.

5. Not all hospital food is horrid.
I actually LOVED the hospital food in both places we had our children. I still have yet found someone to make a better strawberry shortcake then the hospital our daughter was born at.

6. Sleep while baby sleeps?  Yeah, no to that too. 
Whenever either of my children slept I always felt the urge to do something! I needed to pick up this here or put away that there. I'm horrible at taking naps, always have been. Hopefully you're different!

7. Your hormones after having baby are still a bit crazy...making you a bit crazy.
I wasn't expecting that. Cry, cry all you want over that onesie that doesn't fit your baby or the dirty dishes. It's okay. 

8. Tucks Pads will be a savior. Trust me, just get some. 

9. Going to the bathroom after having baby is the absolute scariest thing ever.
Scarier then a spider..and I hate spiders. Using the water bottle they give you to spray WHILE going and after will most definitely help. I also found that taking a can of Dermoplast and spraying your self "down there" after using the toilet will create such a soothing feeling, it's like paradise. 

10. Being induced makes the contractions worse...a lot worse in my opinion.
I had pitocin with my son because I was not dilating at all. My body thankfully worked with me when I had my daughter and did the job itself. The pain award between the two labors goes to my first! 

11. It could be 1..2..push..baby! Or it could be 29 hours later and 2 hours of pushing, with no baby. 
Everybody is different, we all labor differently. Just because Becky had a quick 2 hour labor and pushed 2 times does not mean it will be that easy for you. Also, just because Susan had a horrible 36 hour labor and pushed for a half hour does not mean you will labor for that long. Stop comparing and relax! 

12. The "Ring of Fire"?
There may not be actual fire, but there should be. This phrase is spot on for that moment of child birth. It only lasts about 30 seconds (when the baby's head passes through your down stairs) but it will be the worst/best 30 seconds of your life.

13. Your life will suck until you figure out a schedule.
Don't try to google one either. You will just get even more frustrated and angry. Creating your own schedule that both works for you and baby is easiest.


Last but not least, you will love this little person more then anybody else in the world. From the first time they get a boo-boo to the first time you hear them call you "mommy", you will have no doubt that you and your little family are perfect.

**The following are from my facebook followers and friends off of the CafeMom website**

14. You will still look pregnant after having your baby.
After giving birth you will still look about 6 months pregnant. Your skin isn't elastic enough to just bounce back, of course there are those lucky few who look better after birth then they did before.

15. You have the control!
You will have more control in the hospital then you think. Do not let the doctors or nurses push you around and make you think that they run the place. YOU hired them, this is YOUR child and YOUR body, they are just their for assistance. Be strong and stand your ground.

16. You will still be wearing maternity clothing when you leave. (see number 14)
So don't try to squeeze you cute little butt into your pre-pregnancy skinny jeans. Sweat pants or yoga pants are the way to go especially if you have c-section.

17. The first month isn't all that fun.
Between the poopy diapers, spitting up, and crying in the middle of the night (and day) it will be stressful, especially if this is your first child. Figuring out why the heck baby is crying even though he has a fresh diaper (check it again, newborns are infamous for going to the bathroom soon after being changed) is difficult. It will get better, you will learn your baby's ques and get a schedule down. It will get easier, say it again if you need to.

**If you have anything to add to this post please feel free to post it in the comments. I will update when I can.**

Getting The Kids To Sleep...Through The Night!

My son never slept through the night until he was about year old which wasn't until a month before his sister was born! Imagine being 7-9 months pregnant not only waking up to constantly pee but to also try to get your almost child back to sleep. Those was the absolute worst sleep I ever had...ever. 

My daughter was on/off sleeping through the night since she was born. She would go a week waking up once a night and then another week not waking at all. Both were/are breastfed and co-slept with me until about 6 months. 


My husband and I tried so many different things to get them to sleep all night, none worked until we came across a DVD and book called "The Happiest Baby On The Block." It saved my sleep and the children's haha.

Click here to view the store.

I'm going to explain what the Five S's are and how each worked for our children. 


Swaddling: This gives them the tight, warm feeling that they experience while in the womb. There are different kinds of pre-made swaddlers or you can just use a regular blanket. 

• Swaddling worked well for my daughter but not for my son. All infants are different and that is okay, just try the different S's until you find the one or the group that works well with your child. 

Side/Stomach Position: "The infant is placed on their left side to assist in digestion, or on their stomach to provide reassuring support" -Dr. Karp 

• With both of my kiddos they slept on their stomachs. I know, I know..."But you can't have an infant sleep on their stomach!". Well, mine did and they loved it. They are perfectly fine. If they woke up crying at night I'd feed them and then placed them on their side on one of my arms. With their head on the palm of my hand and then their body resting along one of my arms, we then continued with two more the the S's that follow. 

"

Shushing Sounds: The sound imitates the swooshing of the blood flow that newborns hear inside their mother's womb.

• This technique was the one that always seemed to work with both children. Loudly shushing into one of their ears instantly got them to stop crying and relaxed. I was really amazed at how well it worked the first few times. Like I said above, I did this while I have them in the side position on my arm.

Swinging: " Newborns are used to the swinging motions within their mother’s womb, so entering the gravity driven world of the outside is like a sailor adapting to land after nine months at sea." -Dr.Karp

• Either using a swing or rocking them in your arms is a great way to "swing" your child. My son was a mommies boy when he was younger and hated the swing. So rocking him in my arms along with the shushing sounds and putting him on his side is what worked best to get him to sleep. My daughter was a swing girl. I placed her in the swing on her side and did the shushing noise and it worked pretty much instantly when she was fussy. 

Sucking :  “Sucking has its effects deep within the nervous system and triggers the calming reflex and releases natural chemicals within the brain.” -Dr.Karp

• A pacifier or finger will do good. For the longest time my daughter breastfed to fall asleep, which isn't a good thing. She became dependent on me at night to feed her every time she woke up or right before bed. So once she hit about a month old we tried to phase in the pacifier, which she hated. The "sucking" attempt did no good for us. 

You have to remember that all kids are different. What worked for me may not work for your children. Try one of the S's at a time or try a different group of them together until you find what suits your child. I highly recommend the DVD and/or book, it saved me so many times. 

If you have questions or comments regarding the Five S's or Dr.Karp please feel free to ask here or send me an email in the contact form to the right. 

*Young Mom's Home was not paid to talk about or suggest the Happiest Baby On The Block. This is my own opinion.