Top Ten Mommy Tips

My cousin just had a baby 8 weeks early and her sister sent out an email asking for ten mommy tips for her. It was fun and a good reminder for me of what I need to be thinking about. I thought I'd throw them up her and try to get back into blogging. ( I was mostly thinking about babies.)


Top Ten Mommy Tips 

I cheated and put 5 in one on a few of these but, hey, I have a ridiculous overflow of advice. 

1. Constantly remind yourself that the difficult stages only last a few months at a time. It helps you endure them. ( Some of the sweet stuff only last for a few months at a time too. So savor those things.) The lack of sleep is really tough but try to let it go for awhile because you will get it back. 

2. I learned the "5 S's" from a book called, Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp. It's pretty common sense just put in a pattern. This method really worked for all my kids. It is a way to calm your baby and stop them from crying. You are supposed to do them in order.

1. Swaddle- don't be afraid to make a nice tight swaddle they can't move their legs and arms in. They like it. Really.

2. Side- Turn them on their side or stomach in your arms. 

3. Swing- I think of it more as a "jiggle" than a swing.

4. Sound- turn on some sort of white noise (static from radio or vacuum) or make  a "shhsh" sound yourself. (Yes, you will feel silly but the relief is worth it.) 

5. Suck- let them suck on your finger or a pacifier

3.Sleep when the baby sleeps. Ignore messes and get the sleep when you can.

4. Cold iceberg lettuce leaves feel great shoved in you bra when you are engorged.

5. 5 Great toys:

1. wooden or metal spoon (little babies love them.)And when they are older if you can stand the noise add a pot. 

2. a small ball (8 months) They will roll a ball back and forth with you for hours.

3. stacking blocks (6-8 mos) they love stacking and knocking them over again and again

4. sunglass (12 mos) Cutest thing ever.

5. Legos  (4yrs +) Boys love them so much it's weird.

6. Keep an extra outfit for you and the baby in your car. Especially a shirt. Spit up is gross.

7. Burp your baby really well after every feeding. Any leftover gas will equal torture (in the form of a super fussy baby) for you later.

8. Make a habit of putting your baby on the floor (on a blanket) a lot. Let them fuss some. Turn them on their bellies then back on their backs. The more they get used to being on the ground the more time you have to get things done and the faster they learn to crawl and walk but you have to teach them by making it a habit. 

9. Moby wraps or similar are terrific. They give you free hands and are easy on your back. www.mobywrap.com

10. Moms love to give advice. Accept it all graciously and glean what you like to use for yourself. Don't let it offend you when people think they know best because a lot of people think they know best when it comes to kids. Just remember, you know best for your baby.