Mama Tips

Some things I've learned since pregnancy & becoming a mom:

* A large purse placed strategically in front of your belly can help to prevent unwanted belly rubs. For some reason complete strangers (in addition to people you know) seem to think it's alright to "reach out and touch someone" if she is pregnant. I've never understood this. First, I'm not fond of people touching me to begin with and touching a person's stomach, well, would it be ok to do that to a non-pregnant person? C'mere, you Pillsbury Dough Boy... Now, add to that intrusiveness, a mama bear protecting her young. Seriously, you want to mess with that?

To be fair, some women don't mind. Some even like it. You don't know which side of the fence a woman falls on though so it's a good idea to ask FIRST. That means before your hand touches, thank you. And don't get angry or try to argue your case if she says no. No means no, not maybe and not you might be able to cajole me into letting you cop a feel.

* Traditional Cloth Diapers are better than fancy burp rags (credit to my friend, Jasmine). They are larger and very absorbent. Fancy burp rags don't cover nearly the acreage a small 6 lb 7 oz baby can cover in a single spit up and I didn't even have a constant spit-up and frequently projectile kind of baby. Since traditional cloth diapers are about 3 times the size of fancy burp rags, they also soak up a whole lot more when you're doing clean up duty throughout their toddler years. TCD are also less expensive.

* OxyClean & a bucket of water can save all those cute clothes from the never-wear-again-pile (credit to my mom). Spit up turns yellow if you don't treat it and once they start eating on their own, you see all sorts of stains. I keep a bucket in my laundry area and a giant Costco-sized box of OxyC ready to go. Clothing comes off and goes into the bucket, warm water + a scoop of OxyC and I just let it soak, adding clothes to the bucket until laundry day comes. Laundry day arrives and the clothes go into the washer with another scoop of OxyC then I hang dry the items just in case they need another soak (sometimes necessary for spaghetti, grass & mud stains). Whatever you do, don't put stained items in the dryer; you'll set the stain. My clothes often end up in the OxyC bucket too...

* Hanna Anderson Organic Cotton Pilot Cap was my favorite baby hat. It ties on and covers well (including ears!) without slipping down over Baby's eyes (a sure opportunity for fussing or worse). It's soft and comes in a variety of colors & sizes to grow with your baby. Unless you have a preemie, I'd start with the XS (not the XXS) because there will be more room for growth. If large heads run in your family, you may want to start with the S size.