20 Parent Hacks First-Time Parents Need To Know

Parent smarter, not harder.

When they tell you kids don't come with instruction manuals, they are truly not kidding! If you're a first-time parent, you can easily feel intimidated by all the things you're learning and how important they feel in keeping your little one thriving.

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You'll get a million tips as a new parent, and honestly, you won't know what works for your baby and what doesn't until they're here.

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Still, it's great to have the best parenting hacks in your back pocket in case you ever need them.

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1. Keep packs of baby wipes all over your house.

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You just never know when you'll need a wipe and what for. 

2. Help keep babies from making a mess with their hands during changings with this nifty onesie trick.

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Quickly secure your little one's hand and get the changing done in a portion of the time.

3. Cut baby's nails while they're sleeping or feeding.

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It's the easiest way to get baby to relax their hands and keep from fidgeting.

4. Speaking of relaxed hands, you'll find their hands relax more the fuller their bellies get.

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This baby hack explains the little ones clench their fist with they're hungry and gradually relax as they fill up.  

5. Always have an extra set of clothes for your baby — and yourself.

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Baby blowouts can make a mess of them and you. Most new parents have an outfit for baby, but a lot forget to keep a change of clothes on deck for themselves.

6. Swipe a wipe under baby's belly button before changing their diaper to make sure you don't get peed on.

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Whether you have a son or daughter, there's nothing more frustrated than your baby peeing when you are mid-change or just finished. This tip swears you can avoid it with a simple swipe.  

7. Keep a cooler or a mini fridge near where you do your night pumping for easy storage.

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This will help you not have to wander around your house at night, or worse, risk forgetting to put your breastmilk away and waste it.

8. Use hot glue to plug the holes in your baby's bath toys so they don't get moldy on the inside.

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It doesn't impact their ability to float and can keep your baby from getting gross mold in their bathwater (and eventually their mouths).  

9. Keep a caddy of baby supplies in your car.

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The name of the game is always be prepared! If you travel a lot with your baby especially, you'll find yourself needing the basics while you're on the road.

10. Use two layers of crib bedding (mattress protector — crib sheet — mattress protector — crib sheet).

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If your baby has a blowout at night, you don't have to juggle cleaning them up and remaking their bed.  

11. Keep a bouncer or other age-appropriate seat in your bathroom if space allows it.

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The bathroom is one of the spaces you'll most often find yourself trying to navigate comfortably with a baby, but it's not exactly the easiest place to be able to put them down. Keeping a dedicated bathroom baby seat will make life easier.

12. Keep blowout mess contained by folding down the front and back of the diaper.

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When the tabs don't fit the new waistline, it's time to size baby's diaper up.

13. Use baking soda in the bottom of your diaper pails to neutralize the baby poop odor.

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Even the most robust diaper genie can still let smells through. This will do you so many favors.

14. Get your baby onesies with those cute creased shoulders, because they serve an important function.

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They let you undress baby from the shoulders down instead of over the head, minimizing messy diaper becoming full messy baby.  

15. Keep snacks and hydration anywhere you settle down to nurse.

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Staying hydrated and keeping your calories up is important when you're breastfeeding. 

16. Keep a beloved baby toy in one hand or on your camera strap to keep your baby looking at you when you're taking pictures.

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Baby will focus on the toy and look like they're posing every time!  

17. Don't take the tags off all the gifts you get.

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Chances are you aren't going to use everything that you're gifted for your baby. With the tags still on, returns may be an option. If not, regifting is!

18. Constipation can be solved with a little movement.

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If your baby is gassy or is having trouble going, these gentle movements can help get their body back in sync. So many newborn parents swore by this hack after it went viral last summer.

19. Bottle sterilizers require you to wash the bottle first, so just save yourself a step and use the sanitizer setting on your dishwasher if you have one.

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It's a luxury you should indulge in if you can!

20. No need for a variety of teething toys when you can freeze baby washcloths into cloth teething rings.

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Using a muffin tin (or some rubber bands until they're frozen), you can wet and freeze washcloths in a ring and use them as (environmentally friendly) teethers.  

What new parent hacks are your favorites? There is zero gatekeeping in this comment section.