Some baby wisdom: 0-3 months

Peanut is 4 months on Sunday.  I thought I’d let you guys know all the stuff we’ve learned so far from our friends, pediatrician, books, bloggers, and anyone else that was willing to give us a hand in this whole baby-raising.

Just born

• There are some totally awesome ways to burp your baby that aren’t written down in the baby handbook.  One that we absolutely love/works every time is putting the baby over your shoulder (as usual), then walking/bouncing up and down while patting the baby’s back.  It gets the burp out every   single   time.  (Thanks Michael!)
• Raising one end of the baby’s crib helps congestion and reflux.  Peanut got her first cold around 8 weeks and our friend and pediatrician told us to put the bed at a slight angle to help things drain down.  We have had it raised ever since and it works wonders.

1 week old

• One of the reasons that the baby wakes up a lot at night is because s/he is cold.  Try adding a layer if the nose/hands/feet seem too cold.  But be careful not to overheat the baby!
• Schedules are great in theory, but babies know best.  One of the biggest things that I’ve learned so far is to be flexible.  My extreme-type-A personality doesn’t let me lean back and let things just happen.  I’m a planner.  And a scheduler.  But Peanut knows what she wants and when she wants it.  So I just gotta learn how to go along with it.

3 weeks old

• Routines are important; but so is flexibility when things change.  Every single week Peanut has a new habit/routine/something different.  So as much as we stick to our routines (eat every 2.5-3 hours, eat after a nap not before, bath swaddle eat before bed), we’re flexible when things have to change.
• There are a lot of growth spurts that throw the whole schedule/routine/everything-you-know-about-your-baby off.  Peanut went through the following: 2 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 10 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months.  Hers usually last between 1-3 days.  We know it’s a growth spurt when Peanut wants to eat small quantities almost hourly; she wakes hourly during the night; 2 days of crazy eating is usually followed by a day or two of constant sleeping.  But after each growth spurt Peanut changes into a whole new little person – learning to “talk,” reach for things, finding her feet, etc. 

4 weeks old

• Breastfeeding is not what I expected.  Sure there is a connection and I love it, but it’s hard and stressful too.  But if you can get through the first month, things will get 150% easier.
• Each parent has a certain way of doing things.  And learning those differences is important to the baby.  Babies need to learn that there is more than one way someone can hold them, sooth them, play with them.  This is how they learn that there is more than one person in this world.  (But we all know that my way is the right way).

9 weeks old

• Babies have to learn the difference between day and night.  To teach them, it’s important to be as quiet as possible at night, keeping interactions to a minimum.  Keep the lights dimmed or off, don’t talk to the baby, try to ignore the extreme cuteness/smiling faces/gurgling awesomeness.  During the day, keep the baby engaged and awake when they’re comfortable.  It’s not easy but you’ll be super thankful when they know the difference.
• Don’t get too caught up with baby milestones – every baby is different.

11 weeks old

• Keeping the baby awake during the first couple of weeks is as hard as getting them to go to sleep later on.
• Babies will cry almost as much during the 6-7th week as they will the rest of their lives.  Not only are babies affected by colic the most during this time, they’re also at their gassiest.  These two weeks might feel like 2 of the longest weeks of your life, but that, too, passes.  Starting around week 8, Peanut started changing almost daily – smiling a little more each day, cooing instead of crying, and sleeping in longer stretches as her belly adjusted.

3 months

• Life will never be the same for us.  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Do you have any advice for the new moms?

Do you have any advice for us for the 4-6 months?