The first time you bring home a newborn baby your world gets turned upside down. Anything you can do to make your life even the slightest bit easier can be a total game changer. We've only been at this for 2 months so I am by no means an expert, but there are a few little tricks I've discovered that make a big difference.
Changing Stations - Most people have a whole setup in either the nursery or whatever room the baby sleeps in with a changing table or dresser with a changing pad and all the baby necessities within arm's reach. I'm talking about an additional designated area so you're not so limited. We live in a 2 story house and it was making me crazy having to take Fallon upstairs to her room to change her diaper 6 million times a day. So I bought a little basket that fits underneath the coffee table in our living room and stocked it up with everything we need. I keep diapers, wipes and cream along with a waterproof changing pad, burp cloth, pacifiers and an extra onesie there for quick access.
Doggie Bags - Okay I will admit this one was Chris's idea and it's a pretty good one. Throwing away stinky poopy diapers in our kitchen garbage can was not happening but taking them out to the garage or up to Fallon's room was getting annoying. We always have rolls and rolls of bags for picking up dog poop and one day Chris decided they would work for icky diapers too. This way we can throw them away anywhere and they won't smell plus it is something we always have around and have to buy anyway. Keep some at your changing stations and in your diaper bag in case you have to change a diaper and aren't near a garbage can!
Diaper on Diaper - Maybe not everyone has this problem but I swear sometimes Fallon waits until I'm switching out her dirty diaper for a new one to go ahead and poop or pee again. After cleaning the mess off of her, myself and the couch one too many times I got smart. Every time I change her diaper I start by putting the new diaper underneath her and then going about the process as usual. When I pull the dirty diaper out to toss, the new one is already there to catch anything she decides to let fly.
Cream to Go - As is the case with most things, it's cheaper to buy diaper cream in bulk. And depending on the brand you prefer there might only be one size option. Diaper bags have so many nifty pockets and are generally pretty roomy but a big bottle can take up a lot of space. Our favorite cream comes in a relatively small tub but it doesn't fit easily into my diaper bag unless I just toss it into the large middle compartment. But then I'm searching around for it because it falls between the blankets, burp cloths and nursing cover. I had a little jar of lip balm I just used up, cleaned it out and then scooped some of the cream out of the tub into it to make a travel sized version. It holds enough that I don't have to constantly refill it but is small enough to fit into most of the little pockets in my bag now.
The Night Before - In the early days most mamas go to bed when baby goes to bed to maximize sleep time. But just taking an extra 10 minutes after munchkin has gone down for the night to prepare for the next day can make a big impact. Get breakfast together if you can. Do overnight oats or even just gather everything you plan to have into one spot. Pour your morning drink into a cup and leave it in the fridge so you can just grab it or ready the coffee pot/keurig and leave the mug right next to it. If you plan to go somewhere the next day set out your own clothes as well as the baby's. Make sure the diaper bag is packed and have everything you'll need for the outing ready to go. Fill the dog bowls with food so all you have to do it set it out. Even if your kid is a good nighttime sleeper it is so helpful to be able to skips all these steps first thing in the morning.
So there you have my little bits of wisdom from the first few weeks with a newborn. If you have any more suggestions let me know!
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