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New to the whole mom thing, but finding my way. Here are a few things that have worked for me to far.

1. Halo bassinet: I love this bassinet. My favorite feature is that it can be raised up to whatever height you want so you don’t have to bend over to put the baby down or pick her up. This is awesome for C-section mamas. It can also swing onto the bed for safe co-sleeping if that’s your thing. It has all the bells and whistles-music, vibrations, and a night light. I haven’t really used those features but they are there.

2. Black trash bags and painters’ tape. To me baby sleep is the holy grail. I will do anything to help my baby get to sleep, stay asleep, and eventually get back to sleep. A dark room is really helpful in this process, so when we travel and aren’t always sure of the blackout curtain situation, I use black trash bags and painters’ tape. It doesn’t look great, but it works. I have even used it in a rental house we are in temporarily so I didn’t have to buy expensive window treatments.

3. Find the thing that makes you feel like you. Maybe it’s taking a shower, or taking a nap, or maybe it’s working out or working-working. Whatever makes you feel like you, find a way to do it as much as you can. Becoming a mom is amazing, but also all-consuming and it’s easy to forget about yourself.

4. Baby 411. Hands down the best book for babies. It so full of so much helpful information. It is easy to follow if you read it through and also easy to find an answer if you are looking for something in particular. If you have a question, this book is a great place to start!

5. Going for walks. The fresh air and movement are good, but so is the peace of mind knowing my baby is in the stroller and hopefully sleeping, and I can turn off my over active mama brain and reset. There is nowhere else I need to be, have to be, nothing else I should be doing. Just walking.

6. Letting Daddy do things his way. We all get new mom advice. A lot is garbage, but this was actually helpful. Don’t micromanage the Dad when he is taking care of the baby. Especially if the end result is the same, but you would have done it a little differently. It builds the Dad’s confidence just like you are building your Mama confidence and in the long run you will hopefully have a fully confident, competent, and engaged partner. If they have to ask you “is this ok?”, “is this right?”, “where are the socks?” every time you need them to get your child dressed, you will eventually just say “It’s fine. I’ll do it myself.” Eventually they could stop offering to help.

- LT