Top 10 Questions We Had as New Moms

As some of you may know most of us here at The Baby Cubby are mom's ourselves. You see, we believe that the best people to help you with your new (or continuing) journey through parenthood are mom's. Because we've been there, done that, and are still doing it. So, we got together and thought of the question's we had when we were thinking of becoming a mom, were expecting, right after baby, and taking care of this new little person! We hope that these help answer some questions you may be having so that your transition into parenthood is as smooth as butter.

Alexa, On Becoming a Mom

Alexa (second on the right) is our favorite resident actress! She is bubbly, fun, and eager to help any new mom that comes in our store. Even though she is not a mom yet, she will be well prepared! We love her and we know you will, too!  

1. How will I teach my future kids to be good people?

• This is a great question that I'm sure any prospective parent thinks about. There's always a worry that you won't be able to raise good, stable children. Especially with all of the mommy judgement that occurs nowadays. So, how do you raise your kids to be good people? Well, the best answer: be a good person yourself. The thing about kids is they imitate you, even from a very young age. So, be who you want your kids to be and they will turn out just fine!

2. How will I  handle the stress of being a parent?

• Being a parent is definitely stressful. There is no doubt about it! But, you need to remember two things: the first is that, "this too shall pass" - this goes for both the good and the bad. Second, take time out for you and your husband. Schedule a date night every week, even if that date night it just watching a movie after baby has gone to bed, it will be a special time just for you two! It will give you time to decompress and go back to that young and fun you!

Katie, On Right After Baby

• Yes. Especially if you are breastfeeding (or even pumping) because this brings on all sorts of crazy emotions. But, make sure you are monitoring yourself for postpartum depression. Most women experience some postpartum depression for a short period after having baby (all those extra hormones flushing out of your body just leaves you a little on the low side); however, if it goes on for too long you could be at risk for clinical depression. Just be honest with yourself and with your doctors (your pediatrician should check with you at each well-baby check up). Postpartum depression is nothing to be ashamed of, but if you do not get the help you need then it could turn into something larger.

• Honestly, you may feel this way for the first two or three months. Sorry. However, I know one gal who gave great advice to get a little extra sleep those first few months that didn't involve "sleep when the baby sleeps" (because honestly, who does that?!). What she would do is go to bed around 8 or 9 when her husband was home, he would put the baby to sleep at 11 after giving him a bottle (she loved using the Comotomo bottles that we carry since she was breastfeeding at the time), and then baby would wake up around 2, then 4, then 6. But, since she was already able to get a solid 6 hours of sleep under her belt she did not feel as exhausted! Obviously not every child will be on this schedule, but if you can come up with something similar then I think you will be well on your way to feeling rested! Consecutive hours of sleep are the name of the game so your body can actually get through a few sleep cycles. Plus, this type of routine gives dad a chance to bond with baby which is an extra plus!

• Every baby is different, but in general the room should be at a temperature where an adult would be comfortable in a t-shirt. If you are worried about your infant being too warm, you can always check the back of their neck and see if it is sweaty at all and then adjust the temperature (or clothing) accordingly. If you're into swaddling, Little Unicorn or Aden + Anais swaddles are great for helping baby manage their body temperature. The bamboo swaddles are particularly good at keeping baby cool! I personally error on the side of keeping baby too cool as overheating is a risk factor for SIDS.

 Alyssa, On Keeping Baby Healthy

Alyssa and her husband are awaiting the arrival of their sweet daughter in early December! Alyssa has a degree in Exercise Science from BYU and helps all of us stay healthy. If you have any questions on the matter, she is the Cubby Mom for you!

• Best way? Set up an expectation prior to your baby coming. Let people know that you are worried about it and that you hope individuals will respect you enough to not come around if they are feeling ill. After delivery, just tell them politely that you would love to see them at another time when they are well, but you want to make sure baby does not get sick. Most people will completely understand if you tell them that, but if they still give you grief I would point out that you're the one that has to take care of a sick child if it spread, not them. A little direct, but it definitely gets the job done.

• There is not really a clean-cut rule on keeping baby out throughout the day; however, many informational sites will warn against keeping baby cooped up in a car seat all day. As long as there is a good portion of the day where she can be playing and interacting with people then you are doing a great job! Just make sure you take that hand sanitizer with you! Just a side note though, if you are doing a lot of outings make sure to keep baby warm and try and keep her temperature constant! I loved my JJ Cole Urban Bundle Me for that holiday season when we were going in and out of the cold. It's super easy to use and my daughter never gets too hot or too cold in it. Plus, it catches everything she drops (like those pesky pacifiers!).

Michelle, On Caring for Baby

Michelle and her husband have a lovely, active 10-month-old daughter (she has already been walking for about a month and a half, yikes!). Michelle graduated from BYU with a degree in Psychology and knows a lot about child development! If you have any questions about a product and its developmental advantages, let her know and she will find out the answer!

8. How often do I need to change her diaper?

• So, how often do you need to change baby's diaper in order to not waste diapers but also not make baby uncomfortable? The answer is about every 2-3 hours OR whenever they have a poop. You will also want to watch for if they peed a lot before that time frame is up. However, most infants will be fine for that amount of time if you are using the correct diaper size. If you are worried about it, I would recommend putting some preventative diaper rash cream (like Tubby Todd's All Over Ointment) or baby powder (like Honest Company's Organic Baby Powder) on. This will ensure that their bum will be protected from their urine.

9. How often do I need to feed her?

• So, this is one that parents feel like they should know but is actually not so straightforward. Some recommendations say to feed on demand, others say to get your infant on a schedule. I personally went the schedule route so I fed my daughter about every 2 hours when she was a newborn. But if you are feeding on demand then I would recommend always trying other things to calm baby prior to feeding them right away, especially if you just fed them 30 minutes ago. Sometimes baby's will cry and parents will automatically think, "They're hungry!" when in actuality they may be too hot, too cold, or bored. If you always give baby food in response to crying it may contribute to poor feeding habits in the future.

10. How do I play with her when she can't do anything yet?

• This was the toughest one for me. Newborns and itty bitty infants are not my thing. Ideas that I and some friends found helpful:
  • Make up a funny faces game! Try to see if you can get baby to copy you!
  • Get some black and white picture books, or pictures in general, and read or make up a story with baby. Their eyes are not as developed in the beginning so bold colors and stark contrasts will keep them interested for a while! My favorite are Babylit Board Books. They are fun, colorful, and since they are familiar stories you will be able to make up some stories for your baby.
  • Baby's have a heightened sense of smell, so break out the spices from the cupboard and hold them up to her nose briefly. She will definitely pull some funny faces!
  • Dance party! Baby's LOVE music (it is actually a precursor to language development)! Dance with baby or let them watch you. They will get a kick out of seeing you move around.
  • Play gyms. These are fabulous for keeping infants busy so you can get some not-holding-your-baby-time (AKA cleaning the house, getting dressed, or just watching Netflix. Don't worry, we all do it). I love Skip Hop Treetop Friends Activity Gym. It has lots of fun toys, a mirror, and a "tummy time" pillow. All fabulous for developing minds!

Well, we surely hope this was helpful for all of you cute new mama's (or maybe even experienced mama's) out there! Figuring out this parenting thing can be difficult sometimes, but advice from other mom's can help - especially when they've been there, done that. You're going to do great, don't even worry about it!