Practical Tips for New Parents
Obie Editorial Team
Bippies, Pacifiers, Ninnies - Whatever You Call Them
When your baby finds a pacifier they love - and they will choose just one - go to the store and buy every one of them. Having extra pacifiers on hand at all times is a huge stress reliever. I got to the point where I would buy a new one every time I grocery shopped for the family. In the beginning you'll lose them and as baby starts to teeth, she will bite through them. There's nothing worse than being stuck somewhere without a pacifier with no store in sight.
Poop
I hate poop and poopy diapers. It doesn't matter how young or old an infant is, poop is poop and it is one of the most horrid things to clean-up. Of course, that won't stop baby from pooping all over the place. I can't count the number of times I woke up to baby sleeping soundly with poop just oozing up her back. Here is the best way I found to clean up that poop with the least amount of mess humanly possible.
Lay down a towel and place baby on her tummy. Use baby wipes to clean off as much poop as possible from her back. Unhook the baby diaper, with baby on her tummy, and remove the diaper with caution (she may not be finished going just yet). Use thousands more wipes to clean baby off and chuck the towel in the trash.
Don't Let Daddy Do Anything Important
This is an extremely personal tip, but one many mothers may find solace in. I never allowed my husband to do the most important things like make bottles or bathe baby. While dads are a great help in other ways, I always found I questioned if he did things the way I wanted them done so I redid them anyway. I did allow him to bottle feed, rock baby at night and read to her often. He could change clothes and even do laundry - it was just a few of the more personal or detail-oriented tasks that I felt I needed to control.