This past weekend some of our dearest friends had their first baby, a friend from high school surprised the world with a “surprise! we had a baby” announcement that came from completely from left field, and as I write this I’m waiting to hear from our friends from church who are in the hospital laboring with baby number four. This post from Gerber® Good Start® Gentle is dedicated to them, and new parents everywhere.

Some women dive gracefully into motherhood and it comes naturally to them. Me? I took a big ‘ol belly flop. My adjustment into motherhood was rough but now that I’m six years into it, I feel like I’ve gained some insight into this parenting thing. My biggest struggles were the combination of lack of sleep and constantly nursing. I spent a lot of my son’s first year being a zombie. But now that I look back on things I’ve learned two important things.

  1. Nothing lasts forever.
  2. Everyday, it gets a little bit easier.
(c) Paul Specht Photography

(c) Paul Specht Photography

Here are a few other newborn tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way.

  1.  Trust your gut. You know your baby best and if something feels funky or off, follow your intuition.
  2. A baby cannot be spoiled by being held too much. 
  3. Sleep when the baby sleeps is often easier said than done. 
  4. Speaking of which, it takes about three weeks for a newborn to flip their days and nights. Wondering about how your baby should be sleeping? You can make a free appointment with a sleep consultant here. 
  5. Your baby will likely have a diaper blow out. You can get the poop stains out by washing the clothing like normal and then drying it in the sun. 
  6. Babies who hate riding in cars will not hate it forever. Promise.
  7. Make sure you get in the picture too. You’ll take tons of pictures of your baby, but hand the camera over and get into some too (or take lots of selfies).
  8. Nursing doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Talking to a lactation consultant can help. 
  9. Strangers love to give advice and admire babies. A smile and a thank you will go a long way.
  10. If nothing else seems to be working, go for a walk. The change of scenery will do everyone good.

Join me on Instagram with the hashtag #formulatohappiness to share your own tips and tricks for your baby’s first few months of life.