This post is sponsored by Target. The Honest Company has arrived at Target – introducing safe, effective & oh-so stylish products for you & your little one. Now at Target.
I’m the first to admit that life with a newborn isn’t all puppies and rainbows. It’s actually really tough at times, but that little person is all worth it, especially when you get baby snuggles and goofy smiles, which, of course, are the best things ever.
When The Honest Company approached me about working together to create awareness of their products available at Target and Target.com and share my successes, mess ups, and the products that make life a little bit easier, I knew it was the perfect fit for my blog. I already love the products from The Honest Company (I just blogged about them the other day, actually), so I am more than happy to share some of my new mom experiences with you guys. That said, here is some honest talk about the good, the bad, and taking it day by day with a newborn.
Successes
Using team work
The biggest success in the past 2.5 weeks is how Mal and I have teamed up to care for baby Q. I know a lot of husbands aren’t as hands-on as Mal has been, but I really couldn’t do it without him. The breastfeeding alone is a full-time job (Q eats every 1-3 hours), so it’s nice to have someone to lean on when I need a break.
Mal changes the majority of Q’s diapers, and I am so thankful for the help. I will typically take over late-night diaper responsibilities, so Mal can sleep, but the rest of the time, he is on top of it. After spending hours and hours (and hours) breastfeeding and burping Q, it’s nice to have one less thing to worry about. Plus, splitting up the work really does make all the difference in our overall well-being and how we function as parents.
Interpreting Q’s cries
Mal and I aren’t experts when it comes to Q’s every cry, but we’re slowly but surely figuring out what they mean. We definitely know his “I’m hungry” cry, and we can usually figure out his “uncomfortable” one, whether it’s him telling us he has a dirty diaper or he’s too cold. Of course, knowing what his cries mean make soothing him a whole lot easier, which has also helped us develop a number of go-to tactics that typically put him a better mood. I know babies change quickly in the first several weeks and what we’re doing right now might not always work in the future, but I’m happy with how we’re currently reading our little peanut.
Mess Ups
Only swaddling at night
For some reason, Mal and I totally missed the memo on swaddling. I blame sleep deprivation! Haha! Anyway, the first few days home with Q, we only swaddled him at night, which worked great for getting him to sleep, but did nothing for us during the daytime.
During the day, we struggled to get Q to relax. Even after breastfeeding, he’d be wide awake with his legs kicking and arms flailing like a mad man. Mal and I tried everything to soothe him and stop him from crying, but he just wouldn’t chill out. Finally, it occurred to us that he was getting himself all riled up because of his super active arms and legs. Once we tried a swaddle during the day to get them under control, he calmed down, stopped crying, and fell asleep. It was like magic. (We’re such rookies!)
Not sleeping when Q sleeps
As you guys probably remember, I’m not someone who can typically relax, no matter how hard I try. When we first brought Q home from the hospital, this meant any time he was sleeping, I was running around the house like a lunatic doing chores and catching up with emails instead of sleeping. I went several nights with only 3-4 hours of sleep and then I got really sick. I had a fever of 103.3 degrees F, which came out of nowhere and thankfully went away by morning, but I assume it was my body’s way of telling me to slow the heck down. I was totally useless the night that I got sick and poor Mal had to deal with a fussy baby all by himself, so, after that, I started making sleep much more of a priority and napping whenever Q sleeps.
Products that make life a little bit easier
Travel wipes
I love the Honest wipes because they’re soft, thick, and absorbent and made with plant-based and natural ingredients, so they’re great for sensitive baby skin. They’re also infused with pomegranate (antioxidants), chamomile and cucumber (to soothe), and masterwort leaf (to moisturize) and totally free of scary chemicals, so you use them on your little one without worrying. I also love the convenience of the 10-pack travel wipes. They fit easily inside a diaper bag, the glove compartment of your car, or even your purse.
Newborn diapers
The newborn diapers from The Honest Company are awesome! Q is still wearing newborn-size diapers, but not all newborn diapers fit him, which means we’ve had some crazy poop explosions! Some of the newborn diapers we’ve tried don’t snugly fit around his little chicken legs, so things (aka poop and pee) sometimes leak out the sides. Funny story from one of our first nights at home…
One night after feeding Q, I was chilling with him in bed while waiting for him to burp. He were all cuddly and cozy until we experienced a major poop explosion, which leaked out of his diaper and through his onesie and swaddle and onto the comforter on our bed. It was insane. THERE WAS SO MUCH MUSTARD POO, so I took him into the nursery to change him and then put him to bed. Apparently, blowing out his diaper made him really tired because Q went right to sleep. It was 3:00 AM, and I was totally exhausted, so instead of changing the comfortable cover (I would have had to wake up Mal to do so), I folded over the poop explosion and climbed into bed under it. I know that’s totally gross, but, man, things change with a newborn! Haha!
Anyway, the Honest diapers don’t gap around Q’s thighs and we haven’t had any crazy poop explosions since. The diapers are also super cute with adorable prints on them, like balloons. Q has actually gotten quite a few compliments on them from family and friends!
Question of the Day
Moms and dads: What funny mess-ups do you have from your baby days?
