10 First Time Parent and Pregnancy Hacks
These are some of the hacks that have helped us tremendously during our first go at parenthood. We can’t take credit for all of these hacks. Some of our amazing mom friends and mom blogs helped us along the way.
Hospital Supplies
When packing for the hospital, make sure to bring an empty bag (or even a few). Load up on all the mom postpartum supples and things for baby that the hospital gives you. If it’s the day before you’re getting discharged ask for more pads, spray, liners, etc. We still used the FridaMom set but you run through supplies fast when you’re bleeding for weeks. Our hospital also provided us with a nipple shield, nipple cream, and nipple gel pads (but we had to ask for them). As for the baby, if they give you formula, ask for more. And diapers and wipes, even pacifiers. It never hurts to ask because the hospital gets them for free anyways as samples. We found that the baby medical bassinet was full of blankets, baby kimono shirts (to wear before the umbilical cord falls off), diapers, etc. Also, make sure you take the small plastic tubs if available. These are great to use in your sink when washing bottles or pump parts.
Staying Warm During Sitz Baths
Wear a long sleeve shirt when taking a sitz bath. Sitz baths were life savers during my postpartum recovery. You’re not supposed to run the water too high (it is only suggested to have 3 to 4 inches of water) but depending on the room temp, that can leave the rest of your body exposed and cold. Put on a fitted cotton long sleeve and pull it up to your boobs if needed. It will keep you warm and make the bath much more enjoyable.
Postpartum Bathroom Cart
Going to the bathroom becomes a process and mom will need quite a few things. We found this super narrow cart and filled it with pads, adult diapers, squirt bottles, spray, foam, witch hazel pads, etc.
Pee Pads
Get a pack of Baby Changing Pads and put them down everywhere - for mom and baby. Unless you have a unicorn baby, babies spit up. We found it easy to put down a pad and change it when needed. We keep one on the keekaroo (changing table pad), on the boppy, and there is always one on each bed/sofa in case we carry baby into a room and need to put her down. You can also use blankets but the pads will absorb more and have a protective backing that will safe guard more than a blanket. Plus, if it gets dirty, you can just toss it and put a new one on vs having to do laundry. We also taped them under the sheets where mom sleeps. Hormone dump is real and night sweats can be a beast. Mom also slept with an extra one below my pillow (at my chest) at night in case my boobs leaked. Some moms opt to sleep on towels but we found the pads to work best for us. You already will have enough laundry to do.
Fridge Organizing
Use kitchen storage containers to organize your refrigerator. (This goes against the CDC recommendation for storing pump parts but this is what worked best for us.) If you have room, purchase a couple storage containers (you can find them on Amazon or cheaper at Costco if in stock - we just went Amazon). We use them for pumped breast milk (the bags get placed in here for a couple days for the baby to drink before we move them to the freezer), pump parts, and bottles to be cleaned. Some people use a large ziploc bag for pump parts but I found it easier to have a hard surface to use when handling breast milk if I’m pumping somewhere like the bed or sofa. Some moms also get this cart from IKEA to wheel from room to room for their pump and nursing accessories.
Kitchen Clean Up
Stock up on paper plates, bowls and disposable utensils. Get some sleep or do dishes? Trust me, you’ll do anything for more sleep during the early days. This recommendation goes against our sustainable living but having a newborn during covid times is about survival. Due to covid we did not have any outside help so this helped us keep the kitchen in order through the first couple of months.
Nursing Sleepwear
Pull out your airplane travel kit that you haven’t used all year. Since mom was napping and pumping/breast feeding throughout the day and night, we found airplane pajamas and eye shades to be our go to! Thanks Cathay Pacific Airlines.
Create a baby registry at multiple stores so you can get the free gift bag!
Target, BuyBuyBaby, Walmart and Amazon. The great part is almost all of the gift bags include a free bottle so you can test different ones. Sixty days before your due date Amazon will give you 10% off anything not purchased (15% off if you’re a Prime member) AND a one year return policy on all items on your registry. We used Amazon as our main registry (sign up for one here, by using this link - it helps us too!) and just put a couple items on the others. Some stores require an item to be purchased before you can receive the free gift so just buy a small item you already know you need. Don’t be afraid to put things on your registry that mom needs too!
What to pack for the hospital
We are minimalistic packers when we travel but after watching some mom videos about what to take to the hospital I was starting to feel overwhelmed. Here is our best advice if you don’t want to take too much. Take only what will make you feel more comfortable. This isn’t going to be a Four Seasons stay so if you need a good pillow to sleep, take it. Otherwise, the hospital should have everything you need. Like we said before, empty bags are more useful than full bags. The more you take, the more you have to clean once you get home. Some hospitals offer a list of what they suggest for you to bring on their website and you can always call ahead to ask about supplies. We called to see if an Amazon fire stick could be used in the tv (unfortunately the answer was no but we didn’t turn the tv on once).
SNOO Rental
Some parents swear by the Snoo’s magical powers but we also read that some babies hate it. Don’t want to risk it and purchase an $1400 bed you’re only going to use for 6 months? Well lucky for you (and us), SNOO has a rental option. Reserve your SNOO in advance and change the date as needed. SNOO also offers a discount for healthcare professionals and military. Please ask us for a referral code if you do end up going SNOO. New parents can definitely use all the discounts we can get!