Becoming a mom for the first time is exciting, emotional, and sometimes overwhelming. Between sleepless nights, endless feedings, and figuring out what your baby needs, those first few weeks can feel like a blur. But you’re not alone.
With these simple newborn tips for first time moms, you can make the transition smoother and feel more confident caring for your little one. From soothing techniques to feeding and sleep routines, these practical tips will help you navigate those early days with more calm and joy. Let’s dive into what every first time mom should know to start this journey with confidence.
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Genius Newborn Tips for First Time Moms
Let’s jump right in to my top tips for newborn care. If you can accomplish at least some or even all of the items below, you will save yourself from a lot of added stress and overwhelm. Here are my top newborn tips for first time moms.
1 – Understand a Newborn’s Schedule
A newborn schedule is pretty intense. It will feel like you are constantly feeding your baby. And even though newborns sleep a lot, it is in pretty short increments because they need to eat every 1.5-3 hours.
You can check out this article that provides a sample newborn schedule, to give you an idea of what to expect. I also recommend filling out these printable Newborn Logs to help identify any patterns your baby has.
The tracker sheets can help establish a reliable schedule earlier rather than later for your little one. At the end of the day, having reasonable expectations for what the schedule will look like for the first 4-6 weeks of your little one’s life will go a long way in reducing overwhelm.
Related: Printable Sample Baby Schedules by Age (Newborn to 6+ Months) – these will help you get in a routine throughout the first year with your baby
2 – Mastering Feeding Takes Practice & Patience
Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, it’s not always going to go smoothly, especially for those first couple days. You need time to learn what your baby likes and what works and doesn’t work. Plus, feeds take a long time during the first few weeks.
Breastfeeding has a bigger learning curve, but you will eventually find a good rhythm. I recommend checking out the following guides or courses, to help feeding your newborn go as smoothly as possible.
- If breastfeeding: Take the Ultimate Breastfeeding Class from Milkology
- If formula feeding (and for feeding bottles of breastmilk): Read this Newborn Bottle Feeding Guide
- If exclusively pumping: Take the Ultimate Exclusive Pumping Class from Milkology
3 – Swaddling Is Your Friend (Or Similar Sleep Device)
Some babies just love being swaddled and it’s no issue. In this case, just work on learning to swaddle tightly, so your baby isn’t constantly breaking out of it. I recommend these muslin swaddle blankets for traditional swaddling because they are breathable and have some stretch. Or, you can use Velcro swaddles if you don’t want to stress about making a good swaddle.
There are some babies that don’t take to swaddling as easily. If this is your baby, my advice is to try swaddling with your baby’s arms out or to try using a sleep sack similar to this one.
4 – Use the 5S’s to Help With Sleep
In addition to swaddling (which is one of the 5 S’s), there are a few other things that can help a baby calm down and sleep well. I liked following this method developed by Dr. Harvey Karp because if nothing else, at least I had some tricks to use to try and sooth my baby when needed. The 5S’s include:
- Swaddle
- Side / Stomach position (hold your baby this way to calm them)
- Shush
- Swing
- Sucking
To learn how to implement these techniques you can watch the video The Happiest Baby on the Block. This was something that was gifted to me as a new mom, and I found it incredibly helpful.
5 – Keep Things Lively During the Day & Quiet at Night
Newborns don’t know the difference between night and day yet. You might even find your newborn baby is wide awake at night.
You can help teach them by keeping your house bright and on the louder side during the day. At night, dim the lights and keep your house quieter. Over time, this will teach your baby when it’s play time and when it’s time to calm down.
6 – Time Outings Around Feeds
I found it easiest to leave the house right after my kids had eaten. This gives the most amount of time to do what you need to do before taking a break to feed again. With a newborn there is a good chance part of your time away from home will involve napping.
7 – Know What To Pack in the Diaper Bag
When you do have to leave the house with a newborn, it’s essential to have everything you need to care for your baby while you are away. Some items I recommend including in your diaper bag are:
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Changing Mat
- Burp Cloth
- Bottles (if bottle feeding)
- Formula (if formula feeding)
- Nursing Cover (optional)
- Small toy
- Pacifier
Related: For a more complete list, you can get this printable Diaper Bag Checklist.
8 – Have Stocked Diaper Changing Stations in your Home
It’s definitely beneficial to have one or two diaper changing areas in your home. If you have one floor, I recommend using the top of the nursery dresser for this area.
If you have two floors, use the nursery dresser for the upstairs changing area and downstairs you can set aside a spot. In my house, we got a changing table. Some people use a playard with a diaper changer, but keep in mind that your baby will eventually be too big for this around 3 months old.
Related: Read up on What To Put in a Diaper Caddy that you can move with you around the house or store in the car.
9 – Get As Much Help as Possible
You deserve a break once in a while. Whether it’s a trusted family member or friend who offers to care for your baby or help around the house, don’t be afraid to take them up on it.
I remember feeling guilty letting someone help “too much”. But when I look back now, they wanted to help and I should have said yes more often when it was offered.
An example I remember is my mom saying she would cover caring for our twins at night, so we could sleep. I felt badly about that and didn’t take her up on it. But looking back now, we should have said yes a couple nights while she was staying with us.
10 – Enjoy This Brief Moment in Time (When You Can)
The newborn phase will come and go in the blink of an eye, as it only lasts about 6-8 weeks. When you are in the thick of it, it doesn’t feel short.
But then all of a sudden, one day your baby staying awake and alert more during the day and maybe even sleeping in longer stretches at night. That is the first sign the newborn phase is ending.
Take time to enjoy those newborn cuddles now because in a few months you will start feeding your baby solid food, and a few months after that you will be chasing a toddler around the house. It somehow goes by quickly and slowly at the same time.
Hopefully these newborn tips for first time moms will help you get through this adorable but exhausting phase of life!
The newborn stage is a beautiful mix of challenges, learning, and love. As a first time mom, it’s normal to feel unsure at times. Trust your instincts, give yourself grace, and take each day one moment at a time.
With patience and practice, you’ll find your rhythm and confidence. Use newborn tips from above to make those early weeks a little easier and more joyful. Before you know it, you’ll look back and see just how far you’ve come on this incredible journey of motherhood.
