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Sleep when the baby sleeps. Really? Not when the baby is awake, needing changed or fed or burped or rolling into positions like a tiny circus contortionist.

Put some crackers by your bed. Chances are good that you have been cursed with nausea if somebody is dishing out this gem of advice. Guess what? This is helpful almost never. Trust me, every pregnant woman has heard of the great medicinal powers of crackers and they have already tried it. Somehow the healing properties of bed side crackers become useless in rare cases. Crazy.

Coco butter will reduce stretch marks, carry a water bottle, take more walks to keep weight gain in control. Sure, these are actually all good pieces of advice, but you have heard them already. It’s the same tips rehashed over and over when you search the web for advice when becoming a mother for the first time.

As somebody entering parenthood with little knowledge and very “fresh eyes”, I found a few things helpful which were missed in all of the Hacks-for-new-Parents-type articles I read… and reread!

Keep Gifts Organized

This is more of an extension to the existing tip. I knew that it was a good idea to assign one person to take down a list as I opened gifts at my shower of who gave what. This was super helpful when it came to sending out thank-you cards. I remembered the importance of this when I got married.

I forgot one major difference between a wedding and baby registry. In a wedding registry, there is one toaster, one coffee pot, etc. Gifts at a baby showers are much more repetitive: one baby needs a whole lot of pajamas, one thousand blankies and a mountain of toys. Each one seems so special when you open it and your really believe that you will remember who gave which token of love. Soon you are drowning in a sea of onesies with no idea which ones you even purchased yourself!

Solution: First, you have to keep track during the shower. Have the list-taker take pictures with gift-givers name captioned. They can quickly create an album and send it to you before they even leave the party. If your list taker likes to kick it old school, good old post-it notes will do.

Want to take it one step further? Write who gave you each item win an inconspicuous place like the inside tag or bottom of the toy. This way, you can send GiGi or Aunt Sally a picture of the little one in the outfit that they picked out. What a great way to show friends and family how much you appreciate their love and support!

Just Ask

I heard a crazy rumor that my insurance may cover a breast pump. I told my husband who thought I must have misheard the information. Unconvinced, he called our insurance and it was 100% true! I purchased the pump upfront, emailed the receipt and was sent a reimbursement check after about 2 weeks! We almost didn’t check, never assume,

There are tons of freebies out there for new moms. At first, I thought they were too good to be true. Why would companies just want to send me things? I have received free onesies, bottles, pacifiers, etc. As a new momma, you have entered a different marketing demographic, and everyone wants your consumer loyalty!

Get a separate email for baby-related mailing lists which come with freebies. These companies can be very agressive with flood of promotional emails you will receive. Sandwiched between ads may be some useful coupons.

Wait to sign up with formula companies. Some of the most valuable free items are formula samples. Like so many excited new mom’s, I dove into planning head first. My first free formulas came before the end of my second trimester and they had just 6 months left of their shelf life and I wasn’t able to use them before they expired since I was still breastfeeding! Also, the coupons your receive for formula are best in the beginning, but you may not want to stock up on a certain brand until you have becomes familiar with baby’s preferences.

Buy Less Pieces that do More

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Confession: When I began my registry, I walked through the Big BoX Baby store and felt so overwhelmed that I ran out… twice. There are so many things to buy and every new mom has that feeling you get on vacation where you just know you forgot to pack something. The only difference is that you are on a 9 month plane ride and your luggage is checked so you just won’t know if you have everything until you land.

One way to simplify your registry is to look for combo items. Instead of a baby stroller, infant car seat, or toddler stroller, a ”travel system” will convert and cover all 3 items. Pack and Plays can be purchased with attachable bassinets and changing stations. This not only helps you check off the long list of things baby necessities, but saves space!

Keep it consistent. Buy a few combo items in one simple color scheme and voila, everything matches! You can spend hours trying to find each coordinating item for the nursery or just buy a few combo items.

Nursery furniture sets can be beautiful but, they are too rich for my blood! I feel the best combos are single items which serve multiple purposes!

I appreciate you stopping by to read my first-ever blog! If you like any of my tips or have of your own, please be sure to comment!

You are doing it!

LynseyJoeMamma

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