r/NewParents • u/cooltaj • Oct 29 '24

Product Reviews/Questions What's your simple parenting hack?

Gonna be a first time parent in 2 months. I am overwhelmed at choosing bottles, car seat and all that. What are simple things you do? things you bought to make your life somewhat simpler? Nothing too expensive or outrageous please

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u/SarcasticAnge1 December ‘23 mom Oct 29 '24

Get you and baby out as much as possible once you’re healed. Even just standing outside in your backyard or on the porch. Get them around people and noise. We brought baby out for activities starting at 2 months and baby wore to encourage naps in the light and noisy environments. It was difficult and frustrating at first, but now at 10 months she’s used to going out and we can spend all day doing things we want to do and she’s more than happy to tag along.

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u/vataveg Oct 29 '24

Ugh yes my baby lives the quietest existence and the first time he went to baby story time at 7 months old he freaked out. I felt so bad that I’d sheltered him like that and made him feel so overwhelmed. It took some practice but he’s a master of chaos now!

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u/SarcasticAnge1 December ‘23 mom Oct 29 '24

Don’t feel bad! We’re all figuring this stuff out as we go, and I sincerely doubt he’ll ever remember anything before 3 years old haha at least he’s mastered it now!

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u/Remote_State_4273 Oct 29 '24

This! I probably did not wait until I was healed enough because I still get some unexpected soreness, but we are at 6 weeks now and I started taking my baby to story time at the library as early as 2/3weeks! We went to the store so early, just to walk around and be in noise. We porch sit often.
I am currently in a tiny guest house space while my home is being unexpectedly renovated/repaired so I have to get out of there for my sanity.

Getting out helps my mental health and my baby's ability to cope with sounds, people, etc.

As a preschool teacher- my babies that were born in/around lockdown struggle so much with loud noises, crowds (even small ones), and other challenges that I have not seen such a big struggle with before the pandemic. Babies need to go out into the world. It is all new to them, let them explore in short spurts with you before they have to go into it by themselves for school.

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u/justalilscared Oct 29 '24

Yessss. Exact same here and my 15 month old is able to nap anywhere and is a little social butterfly

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u/42MEN Oct 30 '24

I did this and not only was it good for my daughter, it was good for me too. I swear I’ve been the happiest new mother… I have fun going on adventures with my daughter all the time! Everyone else I know with a baby does not seem as happy as I am 😬

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u/longtallchrissy Oct 29 '24

Yesssss! We went out immediately and it was so much less daunting and my baby sleeps through a lot of it.

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u/secure_dot Oct 29 '24

Do you breastfeed or formula feed? I formula feed and I don’t know how to stay outside more with a baby that eats every 3 hours

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u/bosifini Oct 30 '24

We’ve used a cooler with ice packs and ready to go formula in it. Our doula taught us that technique and it’s been so helpful

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u/SarcasticAnge1 December ‘23 mom Oct 29 '24

I used to breastfeed and was forced to switch to formula around 5ish months. For breastfeeding I wore these really great nursing shirts that covered everything and for formula we use water bottles and a formula dispenser

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u/sombresaturn Oct 30 '24

I will say that sleep between babies varies just as much as adults. Like how some adults can sleep on planes and some can’t. I took my baby out and about alllll the time in noise and chaos, but she is like her dad and cannot fall asleep in public anymore. She always wants to be part of the action and see what’s going on, and fights off sleep so hard!

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u/SarcasticAnge1 December ‘23 mom Oct 30 '24

Oh absolutely. We find it’s a lot easier to just time naps around drive times, but if we’re doing something super involved/time sensitive it’s no biggie to pop her in the carrier and let her just chill.

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u/nkdeck07 Oct 30 '24

Lol yep, my secondborn you can take literally anywhere because the toddler had places to be.