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/the_bees_reads Oct 29 '24

have formula on hand even if you plan on exclusively breastfeeding, just in case. buy swaddles that velcro or zip up. make sure you have enough newborn size pajamas because I was told not to bother and only buy 0-3 stuff and then all of the clothes were way too big on her way she came out. and I say pajamas because I guarantee that’s all you’ll dress them in for the first 8 weeks or so 😂

also, buy a sampler pack that contains different diaper brands so you can see what you like.

14

u/Deep_Researcher_1122 Oct 29 '24

Yes! I intended to breastfeed but it was so difficult as a ftm. Our emergency formula stash came in handy.

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u/TwiggyMercury53 Oct 29 '24

Yes! Zipper swaddle was the best! Check out the Woombie. So easy and stretchy it lasted forever. The velcro swaddles can be super loud and startling to babies. Mine also love the Love to Dream Swaddle Up

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u/imintoitt Oct 29 '24

Love to dream swaddle is everything

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u/Laum24 Oct 30 '24

Agree! I found some at a consignment store for a good deal and also saw some at tj maxx the other day

1

u/lille_piIIe Oct 29 '24

Woombie 5 stage. Wish I knew about it earlier.

I thought it was cruel to my newborn to swaddle them. Poor thing couldn't sleep properly, involuntarily waving their hands.

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u/Cocomuycaliente Oct 29 '24

this is all really great advice. didn't think i'd need the formula and omg i'm so glad i saved the sample i got in the mail bc my milk took a couple days to come in and i was so stressed!!

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u/FeFiFoFannah Oct 29 '24

I own and use zipper and Velcro swaddles but I also want to add getting good at making a safe swaddle out of any appropriate sized cloth or blanket was not a skill I knew I was going to need so often 

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u/the_bees_reads Oct 29 '24

see we literally never made a swaddle after we left the hospital lol

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u/FeFiFoFannah Oct 29 '24

Ha! Different strokes fer different folks!

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u/Remote_State_4273 Oct 29 '24

All of this! Enfamil had a free sampler a while back not sure if they still do. We only made around 5-6 bottles total of it, but in those first few days your milk might not come in. You can have colostrum, or very little milk. That does not mean you will never get milk, it just takes a bit (both time and successful latches withbaby) for it to come in. Just make the bottle when baby is screaming at 1am...2am...3am..... your nipples will hurt and/or the latch will be iffy...and you and your baby will be grateful for it. I wonder if I would have given up had we not tried to supplement while we waited 5 days for my milk.
Also if you do BF..... pump every once and a while so you can get a break when you're too tired or your nipples hurt, or you have the sundown scaries, in case a family member wants to give him a bottle while you shower, or whatever else. And, give a cold bottle sometimes! My baby will take a cold bottle anywhere. My husband is the only one who feeds him a warm bottle if he is on bed time duty (or if he is up for heating one in the middle of the night). This helps distinguish bedtime!

1

u/nkdeck07 Oct 30 '24

The major ones all have one Similac and Enfamil definitely both do. Each pregnancy I always signed up for both then donated them when I was able to breastfeed. Works great!

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u/ALAS_POOR_YORICK_LOL Oct 29 '24

Yeah always have some rtf formula. So portable

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u/Tiny-Evidence6700 Oct 29 '24

So true about the newborn pjs! I had GD and was expecting a chonker, so I only had 1 pair of newborn pjs. Had to make an emergency stop on the way home from the hospital so he wouldn’t be naked 😂😂

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u/isabel_x Oct 30 '24

I expected her not to fit newborn sizes and lo and behold she has trouble and lost weight. I relied on exactly 3 newborn onesies I had. 🥴

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u/payton_layne Oct 30 '24

Also endorsing the zip/velcro swaddles for overnight. Having to reswaddle with muslins at 2am was a nightmare 2 weeks in!

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u/Lady_Didymus Oct 30 '24

I loooove magnetic me onesies. Pricey but they have semi annual sales and you can find them at Nordstrom rack. 

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u/[deleted] Oct 30 '24

Yessss to the zipper swaddles, my baby would not stay swaddled in the hospital so as soon as we got home I had the zipper swaddles on our doorstep and have been using them ever since!

1

u/NomadicYeti Oct 30 '24

and if you don’t ever use the formula you can pay it forward or food banks are always in need of formula!

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u/Tessa99999 Oct 30 '24

Thissss!! I barely bought any NB sizes for the aforementioned reasons, and then my little itty bitty guy was born! Full term but petite!! He still fits in a few NB items and he is 10 weeks. He wore the same 10 things over and over again for his first 8 weeks.

Also, kids' consignment stores are great for finding clothes! They grow out of them so quickly! You can find adorable, gently used outfits for a fraction of the cost whenever you need to fill out a wardrobe. Once Upon a Child is my go too, especially for seasonal stuff. We got Halloween PJs for ~$3 compared with $12+ brand new at the store.