There were several things people told me to prepare for my little guy. Some of them came true ("You'll want a rock n play!") and some didn't ("You'll be handing him over just to be able to get a shower!"). But I decided to write myself a list of things I've learned from pregnancy, birth, and having a newborn that I want to remember for my next baby. Hopefully they can help someone else too! (*Note: These will NOT apply to every baby, just my experience.)
Zippers are better than snaps when it comes to pajamas.
The summer can get too warm for sleepers- the best is long gowns.
Bumgenius diapers are worth the money.
Fitted diapers can be dried on medium, pockets do best on low, and hang covers & wetbags out to dry.
Newborns don't let you get more than 3 hours sleep a night for the first month, then 5 hours a night the second month. Don't expect them to sleep through the night until 10-11 weeks.
Finding the right formula is like finding a needle in a haystack.
If your newborn is crying, it needs something. You never let a newborn cry it out.
My newborn didn't like his swing until he was almost 2 months old. I almost took it back, but around 2-2.5 months they start needing to be soothed to sleep and I'm so glad I didn't return it!
Sunhats are a must.
A mesh/lightweight carrier or wrap is better for summer.
Babyganics stain remover is amazing
I had to use gas drops in every bottle because Similac is so foamy, and the drops get rid of the foam.
Baby needed Avent medium flow nipples by 1 month old, not 3.
Glass bottles don't hold germs and chemicals like plastic (the chemicals used to replace BPA can be just as bad as BPA).
I wish I'd bought twelve 8 oz bottles, instead of six 4 oz and six 8 oz. He hardly used the 4 oz.
Replace bottle nipples for every baby.
Q-tips to get out boogers. Babies hate suction bulbs.
Babies aren't interested in toys until almost 3 months.
Taking baby out and about is a hassle, especially because cloth diapers take up so much room in a diaper bag.
Babies don't need cereal to sleep through the night.
Get 2 thermometers- 1 for underarm and 1 for rectal.
Walgreen's brand infant Tylenol drops don't contain dyes or high fructose corn syrup.
You don't need many 0-3 month socks, but buy lots of 3-12 month.
Pants are useless, especially in 6 months or under.
Rock n plays are great for naps, but they'd be perfect if they rocked themselves.
When your newborn is too big for receiving blankets, they're probably too old to be swaddled fully anymore anyway, since you don't want to swaddle when they can roll over.
Boppy noggin nest is good to prevent or help fix flat spots.
Just shirts are better than onesies, because if they have a blowout you don't have to change their whole outfit.
Snap up or zipper outfits are better than over the head ones like most onesies, because babies can get fussy if you pull clothes over their heads or they may have a big head making it more difficult to get on.
Wipes dry out in anything other than their original container.
When giving baby a bath, run the shower to steam the bathroom and place a washcloth on their chest to keep them warm during the bath.
Powder is useful to keep crevices dry and from chaffing.
Baby vicks on their feet at night can prevent a stuffy nose from waking them up.
Uriah eats $6 of formula a day.
Giving birth was $1500 with insurance.
25 cloth diaper changes is a minimum. Uriah needs to be changed 3 times after every feeding.
You can't use a bottle warmer with glass bottles.
You don't need a baby monitor until/unless they sleep in their own room.
Babies don't need a bath with soap every day.
Only buy used clothes unless it's a special occasion. They grow out of them too quickly.
You don't need to use wipes for every pee diaper.
It's ok for a baby to go days without pooping, as long as the poop isn't thicker/harder than peanut butter consistency.
It takes forever for babies eyes to adjust outside.
Baby wash clothes aren't a waste if your baby is allergic to your detergent, because then you can wash them in a separate detergent.
Labor at home until the contractions are consistent, no matter how close in range they seem.
Humidifiers don't fix a stuffy nose by themselves.
Changing tables aren't a waste.
Never use a non-mesh bumper. Uriah could scoot very early on and I found his face against the mesh bumper more than once.
Use fluoride free water for bottles.
It's okay for baby's eyes to 'sunset' as long as they don't do this constantly.
Safe for baby sanitizing wipes come in handy.
Always pack an extra outfit and an extra shirt for you in the diaper bag.
Mommy's bliss gripe water is better than Little remedies.
Never stock up on more than 3 cans of formula before baby tries it.
No point in tummy time until they start sitting up assisted.
Umbilical cord falls off by 2 weeks- sponge bath until then.
Take everything you can from the hospital room.
You can get your period as early as 4 weeks after birth.
First baby skin peels and then comes baby acne, then comes cradle cap, and then comes hair loss.
Growth spurts will run you ragged (remember- Wonder weeks).
Zippers are better than snaps when it comes to pajamas.
The summer can get too warm for sleepers- the best is long gowns.
Bumgenius diapers are worth the money.
Fitted diapers can be dried on medium, pockets do best on low, and hang covers & wetbags out to dry.
Newborns don't let you get more than 3 hours sleep a night for the first month, then 5 hours a night the second month. Don't expect them to sleep through the night until 10-11 weeks.
Finding the right formula is like finding a needle in a haystack.
If your newborn is crying, it needs something. You never let a newborn cry it out.
My newborn didn't like his swing until he was almost 2 months old. I almost took it back, but around 2-2.5 months they start needing to be soothed to sleep and I'm so glad I didn't return it!
Sunhats are a must.
A mesh/lightweight carrier or wrap is better for summer.
Babyganics stain remover is amazing
I had to use gas drops in every bottle because Similac is so foamy, and the drops get rid of the foam.
Baby needed Avent medium flow nipples by 1 month old, not 3.
Glass bottles don't hold germs and chemicals like plastic (the chemicals used to replace BPA can be just as bad as BPA).
I wish I'd bought twelve 8 oz bottles, instead of six 4 oz and six 8 oz. He hardly used the 4 oz.
Replace bottle nipples for every baby.
Q-tips to get out boogers. Babies hate suction bulbs.
Babies aren't interested in toys until almost 3 months.
Taking baby out and about is a hassle, especially because cloth diapers take up so much room in a diaper bag.
Babies don't need cereal to sleep through the night.
Get 2 thermometers- 1 for underarm and 1 for rectal.
Walgreen's brand infant Tylenol drops don't contain dyes or high fructose corn syrup.
You don't need many 0-3 month socks, but buy lots of 3-12 month.
Pants are useless, especially in 6 months or under.
Rock n plays are great for naps, but they'd be perfect if they rocked themselves.
When your newborn is too big for receiving blankets, they're probably too old to be swaddled fully anymore anyway, since you don't want to swaddle when they can roll over.
Boppy noggin nest is good to prevent or help fix flat spots.
Just shirts are better than onesies, because if they have a blowout you don't have to change their whole outfit.
Snap up or zipper outfits are better than over the head ones like most onesies, because babies can get fussy if you pull clothes over their heads or they may have a big head making it more difficult to get on.
Wipes dry out in anything other than their original container.
When giving baby a bath, run the shower to steam the bathroom and place a washcloth on their chest to keep them warm during the bath.
Powder is useful to keep crevices dry and from chaffing.
Baby vicks on their feet at night can prevent a stuffy nose from waking them up.
Uriah eats $6 of formula a day.
Giving birth was $1500 with insurance.
25 cloth diaper changes is a minimum. Uriah needs to be changed 3 times after every feeding.
You can't use a bottle warmer with glass bottles.
You don't need a baby monitor until/unless they sleep in their own room.
Babies don't need a bath with soap every day.
Only buy used clothes unless it's a special occasion. They grow out of them too quickly.
You don't need to use wipes for every pee diaper.
It's ok for a baby to go days without pooping, as long as the poop isn't thicker/harder than peanut butter consistency.
It takes forever for babies eyes to adjust outside.
Baby wash clothes aren't a waste if your baby is allergic to your detergent, because then you can wash them in a separate detergent.
Labor at home until the contractions are consistent, no matter how close in range they seem.
Humidifiers don't fix a stuffy nose by themselves.
Changing tables aren't a waste.
Never use a non-mesh bumper. Uriah could scoot very early on and I found his face against the mesh bumper more than once.
Use fluoride free water for bottles.
It's okay for baby's eyes to 'sunset' as long as they don't do this constantly.
Safe for baby sanitizing wipes come in handy.
Always pack an extra outfit and an extra shirt for you in the diaper bag.
Mommy's bliss gripe water is better than Little remedies.
Never stock up on more than 3 cans of formula before baby tries it.
No point in tummy time until they start sitting up assisted.
Umbilical cord falls off by 2 weeks- sponge bath until then.
Take everything you can from the hospital room.
You can get your period as early as 4 weeks after birth.
First baby skin peels and then comes baby acne, then comes cradle cap, and then comes hair loss.
Growth spurts will run you ragged (remember- Wonder weeks).