Marie the Modern Midwife – She is an experienced midwife for over 12 years, and also a mum of two. She is recognised as a clinical communications specialist who delivers complex and scientific information to mums and healthcare professionals in an easy and relatable way. A trusted point of contact for a community of mums looking for answers and credible information about pregnancy and women’s health.
9 Genius Parenting Hacks You Didn’t Know You Needed!
Table of Contents
Feed Easy
Amid outdated feeding views and pressures for rigid routines, it’s good to know that breastfed babies can’t be overfed. Feeding is often about your baby needing to be close to you, alongside a nutritive benefit. So chuck out the notebook and stop clock-watching (unless your baby has a medical condition, was premature or was born with a low birth weight).
You can relax and feed your baby as and when they need it. Feeding usually requires less external input and when you cut out the noise of others, and focus on responsive feeding, things can feel easier.
Overthinking, tracking and listening to outdated advice can be overwhelming and make a breastfeeding mum feel like she is failing. It is always worth having your latch checked by a professional to ensure your baby is getting as much as they need from each feed but, most importantly, to protect your nipples.
Borrow or Rent Baby Gear
Some items we purchase for our little ones will have a very short-term lifespan, which means by the time we finish using them, they still look as good as the day we purchased them. Tapping into the second-hand industry where possible can be a real money saver and contribute to more sustainable decisions. Items such as prams, baby carriers and baby clothes are perfect for re-use, benefiting many other babies over time. Always ensure that everything is cleaned well before you use it, and replace fixtures and fittings if required.
Syncing Parenting Styles: Mastering Effective Communication
The real expense for any exchange is our time and energy. Parenting requires thoughtful decision-making, endless house tasks and often sleep deprivation. Right from the start, promoting open communication between yourself and your partner can set good foundations when times get tough. Divide tasks and share responsibilities fairly and effectively by planning them around your lifestyle and personality. Things have changed significantly in your home. Who is terrible without a lay-in but can be up late? Who can pick up dinner on the way home? Who has the mental capacity to undertake household admin? These conversations will prevent duplication of efforts and ensure everyone is clear on who is doing what. We have a meal plan in our house and delegate days to each of us, it helps with organisation.
Diaper Changing Secrets
Having a baby boy? Something you may or may not have heard about is cold diuresis. Exposure to the sudden cold causes the body to preserve warmth by constricting blood vessels, reducing the flow of blood to the skin. Cold diuresis induces the body to urinate. So be prepared with a wipe or something to cover them as you take off their nappy—as baby boys are notorious for surprising you with an unexpected wee.
Invest in a Reliable Baby Monitor
Sometimes, parental panic can be all-consuming; this can feel particularly frustrating when our little one is sleeping, and it is our time to relax or focus on something else. Investing in a high-quality baby monitor like the CuboAi can significantly reduce parental anxiety.
This monitor, in particular, uses real-time HD video and includes game-changing safety, health and sleep features.
Some examples of the features include Covered-Face & Rollover Detection (alerting parents to ensure their baby’s safety and they’re happy with their positioning); True Cry Detection (minimising false alarms by distinguishing real cries vs similar sounds); Daily Sleep Summary (to help identify your baby’s sleep patterns and set up a comfortable sleep environment).
This advanced technology provides peace of mind, knowing you can keep a close eye on your little one, even when you’re not in the same room. The monitor itself is portable, too, making it easy to move from room to room or even take with you when travelling, ensuring your baby’s safety is always within reach.
Soothing a Fussy Baby
The first time you hear your baby cry is a beautiful sign they have entered the world healthy, with a great set of lungs. But as the weeks pass, newborns can be surprisingly loud, fussy, and hard to soothe. Whilst vibrating, swinging chairs can be tempting, and parents often want to know more about how they can help. Here are some tips: Create calm by dimming the lights and popping on some brown noise. Cuddle your baby against your body while you walk, sit in a rocking chair or bounce on your birth ball. Use vibrations to soothe the baby; humming can help.
Remember your little on has been carried inside of you for 9/10 months, any movement you can do to recreate this motion and closeness will often help to settle your little one. A little secret of mine is the ‘tiger in the tree hold’ – where you hold your baby so their back is against your chest. Place your left arm down over their left shoulder and hold their right thigh. Once you have a firm hold, position your baby so they are facing their belly down (like a tiger relaxing in a tree), supported by your arm.
Tune into your maternal instinct, too. If you feel something is not right – please see a professional opinion. If you are dismissed, seek a second opinion until you feel reassured. Reflux or intolerances aren’t in your head if you can see your baby is symptomatic and particularly difficult to settle.
Genius Hacks to Enhance Postpartum Healing
Vaginal tears, also known as perineal tears, can occur when the baby’s head is coming out of the vaginal opening during childbirth. Unfortunately, lots of births result in different types of tears and the best thing you can do is be prepared before birth by understanding how care providers can influence the likelihood of tearing. For example, requesting women who are about to give birth assume particular birth positions (most commonly on their back) or advise wide open legs during crowning. This creates more pressure on the perineum and can increase tears.
Alongside this, perineal massage can help reduce the chances of significant tears for first-time mums. However, should you need some postnatal recovery for a tear, here are a few things you can do. Try to get some movement into the body, even if that’s around the house/garden. Walking helps prevent constipation and boosts blood flow.
Keep your vaginal area clean by pouring warm water over your vagina and bottom after you use the bathroom. Baths can be a real pain saver and a valid reason to have some time to yourself, sit in warm water for up to 15 minutes, pop some lavender oil in as research shows this reduces redness/pain and gently pat dry your vaginal area. Avoid drying with a hair dryer! That can overheat the area, be dangerous, or even dissolve stitches in place.
Quick and Easy Burping Methods
You may be surprised that winding or burping your baby are important parts of feeding. Even for breastfed babies. When your baby swallows extra air bubbles, it can become trapped in its tummy and cause a lot of discomfort.
Popping your baby’s head up by your shoulder and gently yet firmly encouraging the air to come up is a personal favourite position of mine. It is also important to remember burping is natural, they don’t always need lots of help, so try not to stress about it and force a burp up for extended periods. Simple can sometimes be just as effective, such as sitting them upright and allowing them to bring it up themselves.
Master your Nighttime Feeding Setup for you and your partner.
However, you choose to feed – breast or bottle, your partner’s help goes a long way. If bottle-feeding, partners can take over on nights they don’t have work the next day – allowing you to get some extra (guilt-free) sleep. Another option is setting specific hours, for example, 7pm – 12 am so that you can get an early night. If you are breastfeeding, set up a nighttime feeding station with a water bottle, snacks, comfortable seating, and a dim night light.
This helps minimise disruption during nighttime feedings and will keep you hydrated when things are feeling exhausting. I left a box of snacks and bottles of water under my bedside cabinet and asked my partner to replace them regularly!! After the morning feed, rest if you can because breastfeeding is hard work, and frequent feeders can leave one exhausted mama.