When I became a mom, I knew I was going to learn a lot. I had no idea that the things I would learn would be so, not what I thought… So I will share some tips to help anyone along their way.

• Do you have a purse? Throw it away. All those essentials mean nothing when your baby is hungry, needs to be changed or is crying. Always need your lip balm? Not anymore you don’t.
• Buy a big wetbag for at home diaper laundry. I have been cloth diapering for 6+ months without one. And it sucks.
• Spit-up smells awful, and other people can smell it, too. Take a minute to change your shirt.
• On that note, carry a shirt in your diaper bag. Now THAT is an essential.
• Plan on making your own wipes and wipe solution? Hate the idea of using sposie wipes on the go? Take some solution in a mini spray bottle and 100% cotton pads. They are biodegradable and soft as, well you know.
• Breastfed babies poop is an art form. Each baby is unique in how often, how much, the color, the texture. Respect it and it will mostly respect you.
• Showering with a baby is the hardest and easiest way to clean them. Buy a bumbo or some other water safe sit chair once they have head control, very worth it.
• Kiss your cell goodbye. Any light up and noisy thing is incredible for a bored child.
• While laundry used to be no big deal to me, it is now a hated enemy. Plan accordingly with baskets for sorting and a well thought out routine that is open for adjustments.
• Lanolin is magic. Have an underground shed full of it.
• Dancing like and idiot and singing high pitched non-words are now who you are. Don’t worry about the strange looks.
• Cloth diapers are addicting. Think you can buy a bunch now so you won’t need more when your baby arrives? Think again. I will most likely be buying diapers when my kids are well into their teens, just in case.
• Have as many nursing bras as you can afford. I had 2 to start, NOT ENOUGH. Remember the spit-up idea?
• Most cloth breast pads have no wetness barrier between the edge of the pad and where it touches your clothes…
• Boys need to point down.
• Babies are grabby. Keep anything grab-able at a distance.
• Such as hair! Put in a pony tail. No, here’s a better idea. Save yourself the hassle and just shave your head.
• Your shoes need to slip on. Vans, Uggs, flip flops. Doesn’t matter. If you can put them on with no hands, then they’re good!
• Wash cloths are the best invention ever. Buy stock so you can get back the money you are about to invest in them.
• Slow down, that baby grows faster than you can realize. Everyone will tell you this and take it from a hard-headed, stubborn, never admit she’s wrong kind of gal; it is very true and amazing and heartbreaking. You’ll feel something move deep in your soul when that child is looking at you and you can never put it back. You will forever be someone different from who you once were.