Newborn life is challenging. Often, even the most experienced parents struggle. We created this survival guide to help you have the best first two weeks possible. Let’s dive in.
Take Courses
- Take a breastfeeding class before baby comes.
- With Breastfeeding Basics Online Course, you get lifetime access, so you can refer to it in the middle of the night if needed.
- Take a newborn sleep course.
- I recommend Little Dreamers Newborn Sleep Course. Use “ANNA10” for 10% off.
Breastfeed Like a Champ
- Breastfeed during the “Golden Hour,” which is the first 1-2 hours after baby is born.
- Be prepared to cluster feed (several feedings close together). Cluster feeding usually happens in the late afternoon or evening.
- Get a silicone breast pump.
- Silicone breast pumps are an excellent resource for collecting let-down milk from the opposite breast you are feeding on or using it to collect milk when hand-expressing.
- Take home everything from the hospital—you can even ask for more.
- When I left the hospital with my twins, I left with two extra bags of stuff because the nurse brought me extra diaper packages, wipes, nursing pads, binkies, maxi pads, mesh undies, ice packs, etc.
- Call an IBCLC with any breastfeeding questions or concerns. Reach us at consult@prenatalinsights.com or by phone at 801.210.1969.
Set Up Your Home
- Keep baby at your bedside
- Set up a pack n’ play in your main living space
- Get a ton of sleep gowns—my babies lived in these for months.
- They are so easy to change diapers any time of day or night.
- They have hand covers so baby can’t scratch their face.
- Set up a breastfeeding/baby station with everything you need for breastfeeding, pumping, burping, and diaper changes. Supplies can include the following:
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Nursing Pads
- Burp rag
- Diaper rash cream
- Clean pajamas
- Binkey
- Haakaa (silicone breast pump)
- Vaseline
- Boogie sucker
- Hand sanitizer
- Get swaddles.
- Muslin—Aden and Anais are my favorite – they are so soft and are actually large enough to swaddle a baby.
- Knit—Milk Snob are amazing – they are soft, stretchy, and work great to keep baby’s arms tucked in. Copper Pearl swaddles are very similar.
- Velcro—I loved using Ollie swaddles with my twins,
- Have a diaper changing station in the main living area for the day and in your room/bathroom for nighttime.
- Download the Glow baby app.
- I used this with my babies, including the twins, to keep track of diaper changes and breastfeeding times,
- The app can be your brain to keep track of everything baby related for the first two weeks.
- You can even add your partner to it, and both use it to keep track of everything.
Take Care of Yourself
- Sleep when baby sleeps or ask for extra help to get a couple of naps in.
- Make yourself a postpartum care kit
- Witch hazel
- Depends—trust me, these are amazing after having a baby, or Proof Panties.
- Pads
- Peri bottle
- Use over-the-counter medicine.
- Take a stool softener.
- Stock up on Tylenol and Motrin.
- Get a comfortable nursing bra.
- Purchase nursing pads.
- Disposable
- Reusable
- Stock up on nipple care supplies.
- Nipple cream
- Gel pads—ask for these at the hospital.
We hope this survival guide is helpful to you. Just know that we have complete confidence in your ability to succeed in those first two weeks of having a newborn.
