6 Things to Help You Get Through the Newborn Stage

The newborn stage is HARD. It can be fun and full of cuddles but let's face it, you will be up at all hours of the night, dealing with PURPLE crying, still healing from childbirth, and coming down from a major hormone shift.

I can honestly tell you that you tend to forget all the bad moments and sleepless nights shortly after, but the 6 staples below helped this millennial mom (and Dad!) get through those first 3 months.

1. Zipper-footed Pajamas! (Make sure the zipper is a 2-way)

I am not even sure why we got outfits for our newborn… she lived in the two-way zipper-footed jammies! The two-way zipper made those middle-of-the-night diaper changes a bit more painless. Most come with built-in hand mittens too so no need for extra things so keep an eye out for those too!

2. Waterproof Changing Pads

Speaking of middle-of-the-night diaper changes, if you’re anything like me, little peanut went from the bassinet to right on our bed for diaper changes. Babies can’t control when they go to the bathroom yet, so having these changing pads under her saved us from having to change the sheet multiple times in the early hours of the morning should a potty accident happen.

3. Zipper/Velcro Swaddles

Most babies LOVE to be swaddled, it keeps them cozy and warm, and reminds them of their cozy womb! The traditional way of swaddling, with the blankets, never worked for our little escape artist, and after chatting with the moms in my close circle they never worked for them either.

The Velcro swaddles allowed us to swaddle our peanut and keep her swaddled! My husband called them baby straight jackets! Huge bonus if the swaddle has a zipper at the bottom for quick diaper changes without fully unwrapping your baby burrito.

4. Hatch+ (2nd generation) Nightlight

This one can be a splurge at about $90, but we have gotten more than the money's worth out of it. There are many white noise sounds (our loves the vacuum), different colors at all different brightness, and best of all… it’s portable! Unlike the first generation of this nightlight, the second generation sits on a separate base, allowing you to pick it up and move it around with you.

We’ve taken it camping and used it all over the house throughout the day since it can be picked up and moved with you. You can even activate it from the app, for those nights when you forgot to turn out the lights!

5. 3-tier Rolling Cart

I kept this cart next to my nightstand and had it filled with wipes, diapers, swaddles, extra clothes, nipple cream, burp cloths, and lots of other things. Having this right next to my bedside allowed for easy access to all the basics needed to take care of the peanut both day and night. Having it be a rolling cart allowed me to easily push it around. My husband loved it as well to help grab anything fast.

Now that peanut is in her room and all the necessities are in her room with her, I have the rolling cart downstairs that I keep stocked with anything I will need for her throughout the day. Things like the typical diapers, wipes, and creams, but also teething rings, snacks for mom (breastfeeding makes me starving), and bibs for the little drool monster!

6. Earplugs and/or Noise-canceling Headphones

There is such a thing as a “witching hour” … it’s usually longer than an hour and is a really hard part of the newborn phase to get through. As of 2007, there has been research done on this “witching hour”, most older generations would just say you have a “colicky” baby,, but the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome refers to it as The Period of PURPLE Crying®

The headphones or earplugs do not completely shut out all the noise from your crying little one, but they take the edge off the nonstop screaming. I promise you can still hear them should there be an instance where you need to tend to them, such as an emergency.

The newborn stage is just that, a stage in your baby's life. You will get through it.

Remember that if you are feeling frustrated place your baby in a safe space, such as an empty bassinet or crib, and walk away or hand that little one off to your support partner(s) and take a break. You are not failing; should you need a break, it’s hard to do it all and remain sane. Deep breaths Mama!