Your guide to tried-and-tested baby advice from local parents.
When it comes to parenting books and online advice, you’re likely to receive conflicting opinions. When your baby arrives, all of this advice can be even more daunting as you are exhausted from feeding, diapering and soothing. Soon, your baby might not be the only one throwing a tantrum.
To get some real, parent-tested advice, we approached several Northeast Ohio moms who were willing to share their experiences about what they do daily with their new baby.
Hopefully, some of these tips will help you navigate your child’s early days or, at least, let you know that you’re not alone in mommyhood.
Soothing Baby: How do you keep your baby calm and stop the crying?
Kim Manuel: Distraction works best for us (if she isn’t hungry or wet) when Kennedy gets worked up. We walk around with her and look out the windows, or call the dog over. It gets her focused on something else and helps calm her down.
Kathleen Wills: There is a wonderful video on YouTube called “Five Words Babies Say.” It deciphers the five main cries. The reasoning why makes perfect sense and was spot-on with my son.
Jennifer Buckholdt: When Sophia would get really fussy, it helped if we held her facing out. One of our greatest investments was our Baby Bjorn carrier. I could strap her in and get some small tasks done around the house or take walks outside. Also, another trick that worked sometimes when she was really upset and crying was the vacuum. I would put her in her bouncer or swing and just run the vacuum. Sometimes it took vacuuming every rug in the house and the furniture, but it would keep her calm and sometimes even put her to sleep.
Erin Mullins: White noise. I swear by it. Whenever Cameron is fussy and none of the typical reasons apply, I use the white noise app on my iPhone, flip it to crickets or a rain storm and his eyes get wide and he calms down right away.
Christina Moore: I sing to (Acadia) off-key. I hold her and make silly faces. Also, walk around, point out objects to her such as “See the kitty.” That works most of the time. The old, old standby is to try to nurse her until she calms down.
Beth Mueller: Singing worked wonders, and still does. I hate it when Ally cries and I can feel my blood pressure rising when trying to calm her. Singing not only helps calm her down, but since she feeds off my mood and tension, it helped regulate my breathing and calm me down as well.
Bath Time: What’s your advice for handling newborns and keeping baby happy in the tub?
Sarah Keith: I always start out by giving my baby a bath or two in a baby bathtub, and then I never use it again. It’s just not convenient to have to hold up their head or to keep them from slipping on the net. So, after the first few times, I just started showering with my baby. They always love it, even when the water sprays on their face for a second.
Mueller: Ally always slides down in the infant tub, so we found that putting one of our hand towels or washcloths on the seat and back of the seat creates some friction and helps her not to slide down as frequently. Toys in the tub keep her happy and distracted; even if she’s not playing with them, it’s something for her to look at.
Jenny Jakuben: Both of my children were born in Cleveland winters, so that meant I had to work a little harder to make cold bathrooms comfortable for their early baths. Usually, my husband or I would shower before bringing the baby into the warmed room. I always made sure to have all bath supplies, fresh clothes and a diaper gathered ahead of time so I could move quickly and calmly during the entire process without having to worry about taking my hands off of the little one.
Heather Pollock: I’d like to put in a plug for cloth diapering. In addition to saving the environment, saving money and looking cute, one really big upside to cloth diapers is no diaper rash. Another bonus: no blowouts.
Sleep Habits: How do you get baby to fall asleep — and stay asleep?
Mueller: I made the mistake of assuming that when my daughter was tired, she would yawn, rub her eyes and her eye lids would be droopy. I assumed wrong. Because I sat around waiting for her to show “normal” signs of being tired (at 3 weeks old), she was staying awake for seven hours at a time. She was also pretty fussy because she was exhausted. It took me eight weeks to figure out that she never yawned unless she was way beyond tired. Now that I know, she is never awake for more than three hours at a time and is a much happier baby.
Moore: Turn off the lights. We slowly, but surely started working toward less light (in her room). We also have a baby sound machine, and that usually keeps her down.
Erin Kubicki: I actually received wonderful advice from one of my mentors at work. She told me that regardless of what you may read or are told, start feeding the baby every three hours during the day, and allow her to dictate when she is hungry in the middle of the night. The caveat with this method is that during the day, you wake the baby, even if she is sleeping. I followed the advice and am thankful that we did. By 7 weeks, Zoe ate every three-and-a-half to four hours during the day and was able to go about seven hours in the middle of the night.
Out and About: What are some helpful tips you can offer for traveling with baby, both around town and on longer trips?
Kierstyn Maxwell: Find a car seat you like, then find a separate stroller that will work with it. We ended up getting a jogging stroller and although we don’t jog with it, it maneuvers so well and can take any terrain.
Buckholdt: Simplify the diaper bag as much as possible and ditch your purse. I just keep my wallet in her diaper bag because I don’t want to lug more than I have to. Only bring the absolute essentials if it’s just a short trip.
Manuel: For out-of-town traveling, if you’re staying with friends or family, see if they can borrow key baby items. When we flew out to see my parents in Texas, they were able to borrow a high chair and a pack and play from some friends at their church. This was a huge help since we couldn’t easily take these items on the plane.
Karissa Strailey: On longer trips, I advise to stopping once in awhile to take your baby out of the car seat to stretch out. Also, putting the car seat base in a place in the back seat that I (or whoever is not driving) can easily reach the baby if she or he starts crying. Sometimes it’s as simple as a pacifier needing to be put back in or a toy that is just out of reach.
Feeding: From breast to bottle to first foods, what advice do you have to share?
Kubicki: We found out early on that Zoe was lactose intolerant. It took us a few weeks to figure out that the screams we were hearing after every feeding were not just gas pains. After experimenting with two different types of formula, we put Zoe on a soy-based formula. Within 24 hours, Zoe was guzzling her bottles and our ears stopped ringing. Do not be afraid to consult your pediatrician about any feeding issue .
Amanda Alafi: If breastfeeding isn’t working, don’t spend too much time forcing it to work. Your baby will be fine if you have to give him formula. It’s not worth your stress level going through the roof and ruining those first few months with your baby.
Manuel: I decided I wanted to breastfeed Kennedy. It did not come naturally. Having support from my husband and a wonderful lactation consultant helped me to nurse her until she was 10 months. There were many tearful moments, but looking back, I am proud that I tried my hardest to do what I thought was best for my baby.
Keith: I always hold off giving solid foods until the end of the sixth-month mark because I just love not having to worry about it and enjoy that breastfeeding is enough. Then I start with smashed bananas, avocados, cooked sweet potato, cooked carrots, and on and on. It is fun to feed them and see the look on their face when they try something new! I always skip rice cereal because my babies never liked it and I would rather give them fruits and veggies. I love to make my own baby food as well — it’s way cheaper.
Moms Roster
Amanda Alafi (Twinsburg)
Babies: Alex, 3;
Gabriella, 10 months
Jennifer Buckholdt (Stow)
Baby: Sophia, 9 months
Jenny Jakuben (Mentor)
Babies: Ben, 5; Sam, 2
Sarah Keith (Twinsburg)
Baby: Hazel, 6 months
Erin Kubicki(North Royalton)
Baby: Zoe, 16 months
Kim Manuel (Akron)
Baby: Kennedy, 16 months
Christina Moore (Lakewood)
Babies: Raquan, 14; Aribeth, 6; Acadia, 8 months
Kierstyn Maxwell (Kent)
Babies: Lola, 3;
Dylan, 18 months
Beth Mueller (Stow)
Baby: Ally, 5 months
Erin Mullins (North Ridgeville)
Baby: Cameron, 5 months
Heather Pollock (Akron)
Baby: Harper, 14 months
Karissa Strailey (Mentor)
Baby: Kennedy, 4 months
Kathleen Wills (Kent)
Babies: Adysen, 5; Ayden, 1
