Parents, you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.

Or just as likely, we’ve got questions and you’ve got answers.

Challenge: Bringing Home Baby: What Do You Wish You’d Known?

Trust Yourself That You Are Doing "Good Enough" and Stop Googling!

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​The first few months of caring for a newborn can feel like you are walking aimlessly thru one of those horrible corn mazes; lost, confused, frustrated and cursing the person who got you in this situation. Thanks to Google, we can find answers to all our newborn concerns! The tricky (and terrible) thing about Googling questions about your newborn is that your baby isn’t a cookie recipe. 

Knowledge is power, right? Not always. I am putting the newborn stage in the category of “questions are more important than answers” because every baby is different and being a good enough parent means listening to your individual baby’s needs. 

For answers to your baby questions or confirmation that you are doing a "good enough" job, ask trusted friends who are moms to older children, call your pediatrician or just remember that no one crawls to Kindergarten, no one eats purees forever, most poop colors are normal and an episode of Daniel Tiger on PBS is soothing for both mom and baby.

Here is a list of all the questions I wish I never googled:

  1. How long will my recovery be with a vaginal delivery?
  2. How long will my recovery be with a C-section?
  3. Why isn’t my baby latching?
  4. When will the umbilical cord fall off?
  5. How much crying is normal for a newborn?
  6. How much sleep does a newborn need?
  7. Should I wake a sleeping baby to feed them?
  8. When will my baby figure out his days and nights?
  9. What are “dream feeds”?
  10. When can a baby sleep through the night without a feeding?
  11. When can I take my newborn out in public?
  12. How often should a newborn eat?
  13. How can I tell if my baby is getting enough breast milk?
  14. Will my diet affect my milk supply?
  15. Can I drink alcohol while breast feeding?
  16. How can I ease the pain of engorged breasts?
  17. How can I increase my milk supply?
  18. How many ounces should a formula-fed baby baby eat?
  19. What is the correct way to mix formula?
  20. When should I start pumping?
  21. How do I store breast milk?
  22. Are breast pumps covered by insurance?
  23. What is the best way to burp a baby?
  24. How much spit-up is normal?
  25. How do I know if my baby has acid reflux?
  26. Does my baby need to be swaddled?
  27. How do I cut my baby’s fingernails?
  28. What is the proper temperature for a baby’s room?
  29. What is the “witching hour?”
  30. What do I do if my baby vomits?
  31. How often and for how long should I do tummy time?
  32. Should I use baby laundry detergent?
  33. Do I need to sterilize bottles after every use?
  34. Are crib bumpers safe?
  35. Should I always put my baby to sleep on his back?
  36. When can my baby have a blanket in his crib?
  37. What should I look out for if my baby falls or hits her head?
  38. What are signs of dehydration?
  39. How do I know if my car seat is installed properly?
  40. Can I use a borrowed car seat?
  41. When will my baby grow out of the infant car seat?
  42. Are pacifiers bad for my baby?
  43. What is the vaccine schedule and do I need to follow it?
  44. When can I take my baby on a plane?
  45. Should my baby take a vitamin D supplement?
  46. What is considered fever for a baby?
  47. When can my baby take pain reliever?
  48. Does my baby need to sleep in my room?
  49. Should I co-sleep?
  50. What is SIDS and can I prevent it?

51. When should I start a night time routine?
52. When should I start reading to my baby?
53. How often should my baby pee and poop?
54. Should I teach my baby sign language?
55. Can I spoil my baby by picking her up too much?
56. What is cradle cap?
57. How can I prevent diaper rash?
58. What do I do to clear up diaper rash?
59. What causes a febrile seizure?
60. What can I do for my baby’s gas pains?
61. How often should I bathe my baby?
62. What do I do if my baby’s head is flat?
63.How many hours of sleep does my baby need after the first few months?
64. How many naps should my baby take and at what time?
65. What causes sleep regression?
66. Do I have to let my baby Cry it Out?
67. What are “baby blues?”
68. How do I know if I need to seek postpartum support for depression or anxiety?
69. When will my baby first smile?
70. When will my baby start to giggle?
71. When do I start feeding my baby solids?
72. How will I know if my baby is allergic?
73. When can I give peanut-related foods?
74. When can I give honey?
75. Can I make my own baby food?
76. What should be my baby’s first food?
77. When can I stop purees and start feeding my baby finger foods?
78. When will my baby develop pincher grasp?
79. When will my baby get teeth?
80. When will my baby roll over?
81. When will my baby sit up?
82. When will my baby crawl?
83. When will my baby walk?
84. What if my baby is delayed in crawling or walking?
85. Is it normal for my baby to walk on tippy toes?
86. When should I buy my baby shoes?
87. Can I give my baby cold medicine?
88. What are cold remedies for my baby?
89. Should my baby get a flu shot?
90. When do I stop giving formula and start giving cow’s milk?
91. When should I start brushing my baby’s teeth?
92. When should I give my baby water?
93. When should I start using sippy cups?
94. When should I take away all bottles?
95. What should I do if my baby is biting or hitting?
96. What age should I start to discipline?
97. What age will my baby say his first words?
98. What age will my baby be able to understand direction?
99. What should I look for in child care?
100. What age does separation anxiety occur?
101. When should I baby proof?

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