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We recently asked the members of BuzzFeed Community to share their best tips for surviving those crazy early days with a baby:
1. "Feel confident to refuse visitors."
"Yes, it's wonderful to share your new bundle of joy, but you don't want to entertain and talk about your birthing process when you're sleep deprived. It was the biggest mistake I made — too many visitors the first two weeks!"
2. "If you're getting angry or very upset with your baby, put them down in a safe space and take a breather."
"If a time comes when you're at the end of your tether, it's better to take a step back than to be angry at your baby."
— Nicole Kelly Reynolds, Facebook
3. "When changing a diaper, put the clean one under the dirty one before you take it off."
"It makes it easier to avoid being pooped on, and if you have a boy, it makes it easier to prevent them from peeing all over the place."
4. "If you aren't a fan of the newborn stage that's ok."
"It doesn't make you a bad parent or mean you love your baby any less."
— Jennifer Witman Turley, Facebook
5. "Make freezer meals."
Make them not only for in the beginning when you're recovering, but also for the days when the baby is extra fussy or when they're sick and you have to spend all day at the doctor."
— Amber Coffman, Facebook
6. "Snuggle your baby."
"Too many parents are worried about creating bad habits. You cannot spoil a baby. Love them. Hold them. Snuggle them. It goes by way too fast."
— Kimberly Brooks, Facebook
7. "Don't get caught up in the mommy wars."
"Work or stay at home, formula or breast, cry it out or comfort, cribs or co-sleep. It doesn't matter — do what works best for you and your family."
8. "Whatever you do, don't forget about yourself."
"Take a bath, read a book, go on a walk, just do something without the baby. Your baby is an amazing, beautiful thing, but so are you! Find somebody to watch them for an hour and go."
9. "When you have to administer oral medication, just gently blow on your baby's face."
"It causes an involuntary swallow. It was the most amazing trick. My daughter was never a problem to medicate thanks to that."
— jcl2323
10. "If you're overwhelmed with how hard the first year is, remember it's only one year out of your life that your baby needs you so much."
"It's a tiny fraction of our life that they depend on us for everything and watching them grow up is so bittersweet!"
— Elizabeth Walters, Facebook
11. "Set realistic goals for breastfeeding."
"It's really convenient and amazing once you get the hang of it, but the first few weeks can be extremely difficult."
12. "Nipple shields are a godsend for nursing."
"They help your baby latch. Without them, I would not have been able to breastfeed. If you're struggling with latching, try them."
13. "Don't let people make you feel bad about how you feed your baby."
"As long as the baby gets nourishment you're doing your job. Do what works for you and the baby."
— Jennifer Witman Turley, Facebook
14. "Invest in a comfortable piece of furniture for nursing/bottle feeding."
"You will be nursing/bottle feeding the baby every three hours — day and night — for about two months, so having a sweet place to 'park it' is great!"
— Erika Renee Holleran, Facebook
15. "Take the baby out into the world."
"Going for a walk to get a coffee with the baby in the stroller can be just as needed as a nap. The change of environment is really helpful and at this stage babies are so easy to get out of the house."
— brodiep3
16. "Stay off the mom chat rooms."
"There you will only find judgment, criticism, and bad advice."
— Kelsey Worstel, Facebook
17. "Remember that people don't always post about the difficult stuff."
"Don't assume you're failing because no one else seems to be struggling. You're viewing other people's parenting through the picture-perfect eyes of social media. They have their bad days too."
18. "Sleep when your baby sleeps."
"That tip saved my life the first month."
— Jackie Hawkins, Facebook
19. "Double wrap the crib mattress (protector, sheet, protector, sheet) so that if there's a middle of the night diaper blow out or spit up issue you can easily rip off the tainted layers."
"This way you don't have to remake the crib at 3 am."
20. "Postpartum depression can be deceiving but there is help out there."
"If you're concerned in the slightest that it might be happening to you don't be afraid to seek help."
21. "The small stuff can wait.'"
"So you haven't showered in a couple of days, your house is a mess, and you've had take out five days in a row… Who cares! As long as you and your baby are healthy and enjoying your time together the small stuff can wait. You will fall into a routine eventually."
22. "ALWAYS bring an extra set of clothes for you and your baby in the car."
"Nothing is more embarrassing than being in public and you and your child are covered in vomit and/or poop."
23. "Remember that before you were parents you were simply a couple."
"Never forget to take couple time outs. Date each other. Even if it means just cuddling up with a glass of wine and talking about your dreams."
24. "Let people help."
"If someone's offering to help out with the baby, clean, bring you a dinner, or pop in for a chat — accept it. It can get lonely trying to do it all yourself."
25. "Remember nothing that goes wrong is the baby's fault."
"If your baby is crying a lot or won't nap or is just driving you bonkers, she's not doing it to be an asshole. She's trying to figure out this new world and it's pretty scary."
26. "You don't need all the latest and greatest gadgets."
"Your baby WILL survive without a $500 stroller."
— Leslie Mendoza Andre, Facebook
27. "Know that none of us know what we're doing or have a clue."
"Seriously, I still don't know how parents ever did it without Google."
28. "Learn to be flexible."
"Everything from your birth plan to how you raise your baby will go differently than you thought so learn to be ok with that and adjust accordingly. If you try to plan and control every situation, it'll only stress you out when it doesn't go your way."
29. "You can do this."
