Having a new baby is an exciting time in your life. You have grown your family and now you have a tiny bundle of joy that comes along with a lot of demands and no instruction manual. It is ok, take a deep breath, and learn from those who have been there! While I surely do not know it all after having 4 kids I have learned a thing or two. Here you will find 12 Newborn Hacks For New Dads that will help you through those long nights in the first few days home from the hospital or birthing center to what do to when you fly solo for the first time! So, put down the paper bag and equip yourself to be the best dad ever!
12 Newborn Hacks For New Dads
1. Grab Moms Shirt – Are you finally flying solo while mom is away or getting a much-needed break? If so then here is a great tip for when the baby is getting fussy and nothing will work to help soothe them! Simply grab one of the moms gently worn shirts and give it to the baby for a snuggle. Just make sure it is a worn shirt that has their mother’s scent on it as many times it will help to calm the baby right down!
2. Feeling Gassy – We are talking about your baby, not you! Does your baby have a hard time getting the gas worked out of his little belly? Try laying him/her on their back and take their feet in your hands and gently move their legs like they are riding a bicycle. This alternating movement will help massage their insides to help them find relief in gas pains.
As a soon to be Dad you need to make sure to check out our New Dad Hospital Survival Kit!
3. Got Cradle Cap – Some of you are probably scratching your head wondering what the heck I am talking about. Cradle cap is perfectly normal and easy to deal with. Simply rub a little coconut oil on your baby’s head and gently brush or comb their hair! The coconut oil helps to moisten their scalp while the brush or comb cleans up the flaking skin. Plus your baby’s head will smell wonderful too!
4. No Need for Expensive Umbilical Cord Diapers – Next up on newborn hacks for new dads will save you a few dollars. As you prepare for the birth of your newborn you will find a ton of products out there and some are great while others are just after your money. One of them is a special diaper that has a cut out for the umbilical cord to heal. I bought them with the birth of our first baby. I have since learned my lesson. Simply use regular diapers and fold down the waistline to allow the umbilical cord to heal properly.
5. Double the Diaper – To help make your life a little easier when it comes to diaper changes, double the diaper. This is a fairly simple process that will save time and accidents. There were many times when I would change my baby’s diaper and before I got a chance to grab another, and they had gone potty again. When you have the other diaper under them and ready you can quickly attach that fresh diaper then dispose of the dirty one.
6. Use a Fingernail File – One of the most dreaded parts of parenting is clipping their talon-like claws. I have no idea, but baby nails are super sharp and grow at a rapid pace. Take the stress of clipping them along with their skin by using a fingernail file. Also, doing this job while they are asleep makes it 1,000 times easier too. Keep reading for more newborn hacks for new dads.
7. Clean Up on Baby Isle – If you think you are immune to the baby poop accidents, then just go ahead and close the internet, because clearly, you are better than everyone. For those of you that are still with us, then when your precious bundle of joy makes an explosive bowel movement that is guaranteed to offend the warthog, this will make clean up a breeze. Since babies live in onesies, just pull down the onesie over their shoulders and pull down and off. Now you only have to clean up from the belly down! It’s much easier to pull it down then trying to pull it up over your baby’s head without the mess spreading. Wasn’t that easier that smearing that junk all over your sweet babe?
Other Dad Life Lessons posts you may like:
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8. Grease Up the Hiney – This may sound a bit odd, but every newborn will have their first poop either right at birth or shortly after. Mecomin is a super sticky black tar type poop. Simply grease up your babies hiney and that little trick makes clean up a breeze! It may take a few dirty diapers before all that Mecomin is out so applying it the first few times will ensure easier changes.
9. A Paci Helps the Medicine Go Down – Does your little one have to take some medicine but you having a tricky time getting them to take it? We have an easy trick for that. Take one of the pacifiers they give you in the hospital and cut a tiny hole in the end. Add the medicine dropper down the center and watch as your baby grabs on to the pacifier and sucks to medicine down without a fuss. No more spills down their necks or all over their clothes. Keep reading for more of our 12 newborn hacks for new dads.
10. Noisy Napping – One of the best things you can do for your babe is to teach them to sleep with noise! Whether it is your first baby or last baby, being able to sleep with noise will help them to not wake up at the drop of a hat! You can buy a fancy white noise machine, turn on a fan, or download an app for your phone to create some noise!
11. Prep the Night Before – One of the ways I helped out my wife and felt important when it came to feeding was to prep the night before. Even though breastfeeding is the best, sometimes it needs a bit of supplementing as well. For some, breastfeeding isn’t an option, so you have to use formula and bottles. You can prepare the bottles I know we would need for the next day, so she would not have to do that too! It was a way to feel connected while I was at work all day.
12. Hang Darkening Curtains – To help your baby fall asleep faster and stay asleep add darkening curtains to their room. As newborns have a hard time distinguishing from day time and night time, keeping darkening curtains will help keep the light out and since darkness mean longer sleeping times, everyone wins. Remember their whole world for the last 9 months has been dark!
13. A Bonus Newborn Hack – Sleep when they sleep or any other time you can. Having a newborn is tiring whether you have to work or not. So take my advice and get sleep whenever you can. That picture you see is a shot my wife took of me one day shortly after one of our kids had fallen asleep in the car and I decided to join them, while I waited for one of the older child to finish their piano lesson. In the end, you and the baby will be more rested and alert.
If you made it through this without using your paper bag then I think you are going to be a great dad. Remember that at one point all dads are new at this. Luckily we do not have to do this on our own. Even if we do not want to admit it, dads could use some help too. If you could take away only one thing from our 12 newborn hacks for new dads, is that we are all in this together and your baby is new at all this too. Remember to stay calm and learn from those who have gone before you. We messed up a lot and you will too. It is a part of parenting that we all go through. Raising children is challenging and can go a lot smoother with great tips, tricks, and hacks. You will survive this, I promise! Let us know what you found helpful and what worked for you! We love to hear from our readers from time to time! You are going to be a great parent!
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