by Jess Connell · November 30, 2015

A young friend of mine, going through her first pregnancy, asked on Facebook for ten newborn tips. And since I try to use all my writing from other places, I figured I’d share my advice to her with you.

Here are my top 10 newborn tips:

  1. Stay in bed for a week. Minimum. (See the comments for more fleshing out of what I mean by this.) You’ll feel like getting up and getting around, and proving to everyone how capable and back to normal you are, but later you’ll regret it– if you “rest more than you think you need to” your emotions and exhaustion will be better off.
  2. Nurse him with full feedings every time he’s hungry. This means I have to be fierce about not letting them snack. Full feedings, better milk supply, longer naps, better sleep at night.
  3. Get a good non-underwire nursing bra or nursing tank. Non-underwire because getting mastitis hurts like the dickens, and I get it every time I try to use underwire while breastfeeding.
  4. Eat protein. Chicken thighs. Jerky. Cheese slices. Fruit. Nuts. Tuna. Try to eat real food and avoid boxed/canned food.
  5. Be content with extra weight. (Read why I Don’t Mind Being a Chunky, Happy Mama While Breastfeeding.) Don’t fiddle with food to produce weight loss– strong lactation means you’ll have more weight (to produce good solid, healthy milk for him). The more content I get with this, the better off I feel.
  6. NoseFrida. What a wonderful invention this is! This greatly reduces the difficulty of the hard nights when baby can’t breathe.
  7. MyBrestFriend nursing pillow. I love the way it clicks around me rather than just sitting there like the Boppy– it allows me to focus on getting a good latch rather than having to fiddle with how he’s positioned WHILE trying to get a good latch.
  8. Gas drops (simethicone)… seriously this is like gold. I use these a ton in the first two months or so.
  9. Swaddlers… I never had these with my first 5 babies– but I LOVE them!!
  10. Meals in the fridge, or splurge on convenience foods for a good couple months. Don’t put pressure on yourself to “do it all” while you’re learning to care for a new baby and figure out motherhood.

Have you seen my full list of newborn must-haves?

And can I share with you how I beat postpartum stress? 

IN THE COMMENTS, SHARE: What would make your “Top 10” list for newborns? 

Subscribe to my newsletter, and I’ll send monthly encouragement — full of truth and grace for moms. SIGN UP, SO WE CAN KEEP IN TOUCH:

Tags: babymommust-havesnewborn

⋅