Ah babies. The cute, innocent, loud little things. If only they came with an instruction manual eh? So they may not come with a “How To” guide, but there are a few very simple solutions to every day problems that you’re bound to face with your newborn. Here are ten baby hacks that have helped in our first few weeks of life with a second baby.

1. Keep a change box in the living room

A box full of nappies, baby wipes, a couple of clean vests and babygrows will come in handy downstairs. You’d be surprised how exhausting walking up and down the stairs a million times a day can be.

2. Bulk buy Infacol

If you have a baby who struggles to bring up their wind then Infacol is your friend. It’s magic medicine that you drop into their mouth before each feed and can help your baby do a big burp afterwards. We used it lots with our first and a little with our second. But there’s nothing more annoying than running out of Infacol at 3am, so when you buy it – buy twice.

3. Keep a muslin cloth in every room

However many muslin cloths you have, it won’t be enough. My baby isn’t a particularly sicky baby, but we still get through muslins at a rate faster than I can wash them. And the rule seems to be that as soon as you need one there isn’t one to hand. Keeping a stash upstairs AND downstairs will help in those emergency moments!

4. Use a sling

There is bound to be a day when your baby won’t want to be put down for very long. And, the chances are, that day will be when you have a load of stuff to do – washing to get through, food to cook etc. A sling is a winner when you need to carry your baby but keep your hands free to get on with other stuff too. I also have friends who find putting their baby in the sling a great way to settle them if they’re suffering with reflux or are a bit colicky.

5. Buy babygrows that button up the front

My daughter has some very pretty babygrows that go over her head, but you know which ones I dress her in the most? The ones that have press studs all the way down the front. They are SO much easier to get on – especially if you’re trying to change a sleeping baby without waking her.

6. Bulk cook and freeze

During the day, I exist mainly on leftovers and toast. Anything that doesn’t require much preparation really. Whenever I make a meal I try to make a little extra that can go in the fridge or freezer and be eaten for lunch later that week. As I’m breastfeeding I get super hungry and having tasty, nutritious food to hand helps keep me going.

7. Socks double up as scratch mitts

If you want to stop your baby accidentally scratching her face then put a pair of scratch mitts on her hands. And if you’re out of scratch mitts then use a pair of her tiny little socks instead. It works for us!

8. Use Sock Ons to keep socks on

Let me tell you a secret: baby footwear is a massive waste of time. Unless you’re going to put your baby in moccasins with an elasticated top, then tiny shoes – as cute as they may look – will just fall straight off again. Socks will do the same unless you put a pair of Sock Ons over the top. Alternatively, avoid footless babygrows and invest in a few pairs of baby tights.

9. Buy dummies with a travel and steriliser case

If you’re going to go down the dummy route then think about buying a travel case for your dummy so that you can keep it sterile when it’s not in your baby’s mouth. Dummy clips are another great way of avoiding losing multiple dummies on trips out of the house.

10. Use a baby bath seat

There is nothing more difficult than leaning into a bath to hold and wash your tiny, slippery newborn baby. A baby bath seat is a cheap and simple way to make bath time a million times easier. We’ve used ours since day one and it’s proved the best £10 we’ve ever spent.

 

Any more baby life hacks to add to the list? Do share!