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46 practical newborn tips you need #MamiatoMamia

By: Author Kara Guppy

46 practical newborn tips you need #MamiatoMamia

Newborn baby smiling - BritMumsHaving a baby is perhaps one of the most exciting but scary times in your life.

It is also a time when the world and its wife is ready with advice, not all of it you actually want to follow. It can be difficult to know which way to turn for the best advice.

At our #MamiatoMamia Twitter chat, new mums and seasoned pros shared their best practical newborn tips about changing, bathing and getting through the baby stage relatively unscathed. Here, we share the top tips — some of which may surprise you. 

The chat was sponsored Aldi Mamia, one of the UK’s leading Baby and Toddler brands, which provides families with everything they need, every step of the way, with award-winning products at unbeatable prices. Did you know that parents could save more than £400 a year by implementing simple switches such as using own-brand nappies compared to the market leader? (That’s one more tip you can use as a new parent!)

So read on to find out the best news-you-can-use from fellow parents.

What surprised you most about your newborn?

2. Despite having 6, I was always so nervous of getting them dressed and putting a nappy on them when they were first born. Soon gets easier though @Chelseamamma

3. How something so small could demand so much! I had no idea my life would totally and utterly change @Missielizzieb

4. How much a such a little baby can really fill its nappy!!! 👶🏼🙈 @MrsShilts

6. I completely underestimated the effects of sleep deprivation and how long breast feeding takes/how hard it was @Fancy2135

Baby changing tips

8. Don’t be afraid to overpack the nappy bag when leaving the house. One day you’re going to need it ALL! This is the one area you don’t want to go minimalist on! @welshmumofone

9. I always found it easy to be able to change my newborn on my lap. It became much harder when they got too big! My tip is always get everything out before you start & have it at hand so you can be as quick as possible with your change – military mum style! @H_Igoe

10. When you do a nappy change, loosen the nappy a bit, wipe baby’s lower tummy with a wet wipe then wait. The cold wipe makes them wee, while the nappy is still on, so you’re less likely to get hit by a stream of wee when you take the nappy off! @MadelineLitt

11. I have a boy and never really had the wee in the face…although my mum did! @Topsy1973

12. If at home, we always opt to wash baby bum than wipe. Much better for skin @ETSpeaksfrom

13. If you can perfect that art of the ‘squatting and changing on your knee’ you can change baby anywhere! @Missielizzieb

14. The car boot can make a great changing table @YouBabyMeMummy

15. It’s important that you wipe front to back especially for girls to keep them clean and remove the risk of getting irritated or infections @Emmaand3

17. Don’t forget a change of clothes for Mammy/ Daddy. A poonami can get EVERYWHERE @littleblondepea

Baby bathing tips

18. I used to wear a towel across me so could wrap baby up straight away, also open all the tops before you start, nothing worse than doing battle with a bottle top when holding a slippery baby @Chelseamamma

19. We have a great baby bath which has a support for a newborn – it made it so easy to bath baby! OH… and a hands free towel too! @Goriami

20. Whilst my son was so tiny we bathed him in our kitchen sink! I felt we were more in control and had a better grip @delleramy

22. Trying to get the temperature right!! Definitely get a thermometer that can be used in the bath! Also there are sponge bath wedges out there which helps to prevent slippy baby! @Mariobug25

Sleep

23. Don’t try and be quiet, carry on as normal with housework, the baby will sleep through it @kidsdogsandcats

25. Start putting them down in their room for naps (be it in a moses basket or a crib etc) that way they get used to the surroundings and it becomes “their” space! @WardellBethanie

27. Nap with them, don’t try to be generous by saying no to help offered, batch cook and freeze food so you don’t have to starve when you are really tired of cooking @mummyandcuties

28. We had a bedside crib, and found swaddling helped. I also have to say don’t make the house silent while baby sleeps.. it’s much better they get used to your normal household noises! @Goriami

29. If your baby sleeps with a blanket buy two and always have one in bed with you. That way it will smell just like you and you can then keep swapping the two so baby always has one and you have one! Smelling you helps baby to settle and calms them too! @Tantrums2Smiles

30. Get a thermometer in the room and watch the temperature. Layer appropriately and use the correct tog sleepsack. An uncomfortable baby that is too hot or too cold is going to struggle to sleep well. @welshmumofone

32. We have a Teddy that makes noise with mothers womb, she drifts to sleep so quickly now. She has been used to inside the womb sounds for 9months, so this certainly helps @Dad2two_

On prams and buggies

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33. That you are able to take the wheels off a pushchair. It would have saved my floor from all the marks and scratches. @Carsandtractors

34. I remember my buggy wheels being locked for 6 weeks! I just thought it was really bad at cornering! @YouBabyMeMummy

35. I use shower caps over the wheels to protect the floor indoors @butterfly_2001

36. When pushing your pram in the summer your wrists are unusually exposed, apply sun cream to this area esp if like me you have moles @cherylmoulton79

More practical advice

37. Visitors are great but limit them and have a code word to use with your OH when you need them to leave (the visitors that is) @Chelseamamma

38. I wish that I had accepted help from friends. Everyone told me I should have taken it and lots of people offered but after giving birth on my sofa without help, I felt invincible. @littlelilypadco

39. Don’t worry too much, try to take out time for yourself too! @BlogsbyFA

40. Best purchase ever was one of those beanbag type lap trays. Meant when I was pinned to the sofa for hours breastfeeding, I could have drink, snacks, remote, phone etc all to hand @Missielizzieb

41. My best tip is to ALWAYS have 2 changes of clothes, extra nappies & several muslins in the car. Once I turned around on a trip to see daughter had spit up her entire feed but still smiling happily! I started draping a muslin over her b4 trips @JHowze

42. Sunshine is brilliant for getting poop stains out of clothing. Hang them on the line or even by the window and they be good as new. No need to throw stained clothing out @Vickydoo

43. Not really but I think all new parents need a pink flashing light on their car for the first drive home! Never been so nervous @Chelseamamma

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On Aldi Mamia

44. Yep we love them and I love when they have the special baby events as I always used to stock up to save even more money! @Tantrums2Smiles

45. Yes I only buy their nappies and wipes! Great value for money and no leaks. The wipes are gentle to skin too! Just wish I had discovered them with my first @WardellBethanie

46. We used a more expensive brand and leaked, changed to Aldi Mamia nappies and perfect at a fraction of price @Emmakmitchell

 

Aldi Mamia, available exclusively at Aldi, now has NEW Mamia Extra Sensitive Baby Wipes, dermatologically tested and paediatrician approved. Check out their products now and start saving.

About Kara Guppy

Kara is a busy mother of 6 children aged between 2 and 22 and lives in Dorset. The family love to be outside and live by the motto "Collect Moments, Not Things". We can often be found leaping in muddy puddles, climbing trees, collecting seashells or hurling ourselves off cliffs down ziplines, and all for fun of course. Kara loves to blog about her and the family's adventures and can be found at Chelseamamma.co.uk, arewenearlythereyet.eu and sharing videos of her days out on her YouTube channel. She can also be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, G+, Vine and Pinterest.

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Categories Babies