Sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the new things I need to know with my new found "mom" status. I realize that a baby needs her mom and needs to be loved but I get a bit bogged down in all the other stuff. I'm going to share some of the things that I have come to realize lately because pre-mom Whitney was clueless about all of this...
1. When you launder baby items, you should use special detergent or an odor/dye free detergent. We had a coupon so we bought some DREFT. My hubby does all the laundry so in the midst of changing loads he asked, "Do I need to put in a dryer sheet?" I didn't know so my good friend, Google, helped us out. Apparently, you should NOT use dryer sheets on baby items via The DREFT FAQ page
2.Apparently antihistamines and producing breast milk DO NOT go together. Darn allergies. Everyone and their mom loves to lavish unsolicited feeding, child rearing, baby care advice on you. Good thing I have some helpful doctor ladies around that have give me solid advice.
3. Diapers are expensive and you will go through a TON... literally. Good thing they sell those puppies in bulk.
4. Being a new mom requires you to become very good at doing this one handed... doing your hair, make-up, brushing your teeth, washing one hand at a time, dishes, cooking dinner, blogging, making lists, using your phone, etc.
5. Moms wake up at the slightest baby noise and dad's would sleep through a train going through the house.
6. Being out in public with your baby and needing to use the restroom becomes a tricky situation. You clearly can't leave your baby in the shopping cart while you pop into the restroom. Soooo you have to park your cart, hold your baby and take them into the stall with you. #awesomebondingtime Or shop QUICKLY and hurry home.
7. The world is not a very stroller/baby/mom friendly place.
Let me give you some evidence of this...
Homegoods and Einsteins have public restrooms but NO changing stations so I had to leave the store and change Olive in the car.
All store doors are heavy, hard to open and aren't easy to get through with a stroller.
Parking spots are too squishy; it's really hard to park and get the car seat out without bumping into the car next door.
Restaurants have sketchy car seat set ups. Some are prepared for a car seat and others look at you like you are crazy for bringing a baby to their eating establishment.
I will say that other moms are helpful and many times grab the door for me when I get stuck.
8. Babies need a full time laundry staff! Olive goes through several outfits, blankets, bibs a day and it's a challenge to keep up with all of her pint sized laundry. Luckily my husband takes care of this job.
9. You have to pack so many baby things in order to be prepared when you leave the house. I've got two changes of clothes, 10ish diapers, wipes, extra paci's, blanket, bottles, insulated milk carrier, hand sanitizer, bibs and more. I should probably add a change of clothes for myself seeing as I've already been barfed on or slimed while we were out and about. It's like packing for a weekend getaway to go to Target for a quick errand. Luckily, I'm pretty good at keeping her diaper bag stocked so that I'm able to just grab her bag and go.
10. Everyone will want to talk to and TOUCH your baby! True story... strangers will grab her hands, kiss her feet and want to hold her. Good thing we've already had the stranger danger talk... I guess I should work on my mean face to scare people away because the combo of my smile and Olive's cuteness... we must be some sort of serious people magnet.
3. Diapers are expensive and you will go through a TON... literally. Good thing they sell those puppies in bulk.
4. Being a new mom requires you to become very good at doing this one handed... doing your hair, make-up, brushing your teeth, washing one hand at a time, dishes, cooking dinner, blogging, making lists, using your phone, etc.
5. Moms wake up at the slightest baby noise and dad's would sleep through a train going through the house.
6. Being out in public with your baby and needing to use the restroom becomes a tricky situation. You clearly can't leave your baby in the shopping cart while you pop into the restroom. Soooo you have to park your cart, hold your baby and take them into the stall with you. #awesomebondingtime Or shop QUICKLY and hurry home.
7. The world is not a very stroller/baby/mom friendly place.
Let me give you some evidence of this...
Homegoods and Einsteins have public restrooms but NO changing stations so I had to leave the store and change Olive in the car.
All store doors are heavy, hard to open and aren't easy to get through with a stroller.
Parking spots are too squishy; it's really hard to park and get the car seat out without bumping into the car next door.
Restaurants have sketchy car seat set ups. Some are prepared for a car seat and others look at you like you are crazy for bringing a baby to their eating establishment.
I will say that other moms are helpful and many times grab the door for me when I get stuck.
8. Babies need a full time laundry staff! Olive goes through several outfits, blankets, bibs a day and it's a challenge to keep up with all of her pint sized laundry. Luckily my husband takes care of this job.
9. You have to pack so many baby things in order to be prepared when you leave the house. I've got two changes of clothes, 10ish diapers, wipes, extra paci's, blanket, bottles, insulated milk carrier, hand sanitizer, bibs and more. I should probably add a change of clothes for myself seeing as I've already been barfed on or slimed while we were out and about. It's like packing for a weekend getaway to go to Target for a quick errand. Luckily, I'm pretty good at keeping her diaper bag stocked so that I'm able to just grab her bag and go.
10. Everyone will want to talk to and TOUCH your baby! True story... strangers will grab her hands, kiss her feet and want to hold her. Good thing we've already had the stranger danger talk... I guess I should work on my mean face to scare people away because the combo of my smile and Olive's cuteness... we must be some sort of serious people magnet.
11. I remember hearing people say that new moms need to remember to eat meals, brush their teeth and shower regularly. I use to think this was silly because who would forget to do these things, but people, it's TRUE! Lunch time rolls around, my stomach is growling fiercely and I realize I never ate breakfast. These little people are intense!
12. There are a million baby gadgets out there to buy. They are expensive and it's hard to know exactly what your baby will like. You can get by without a lot of them and some will literally save your sanity. I'll have to come up with my favorites list and my can do without list for a future post.
It seems like all things baby related are somewhat controversial so do what is best for you and your baby.
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