TILTHW- Tiny Diner Placemat

Things I learned the hard way- Consider purchasing a rubber placemat to keep in the diaper bag for travel or restaurants.  I really like the Kiddopotamus Tiny Diner placemat.  It has suction cups on the bottom which work very well on flat smooth tables.  They aren’t as great on tablecloths or wood grain surfaces, but they don’t have to attach to use the placemat.  It also has a small trough to catch dropped food that is soft and flexible enough to seat your child very close to the table.

TILTHW- Freezing breastmilk

Things I Learned The Hard Way- If you freeze breastmilk in bags, lay them flat while freezing them.  If you don’t have solid racks in your freezer, just place a small piece of cardboard on the rack and lay the bag on top to freeze.  Flat bags are much easier to store, take up less freezer space, and they freeze and thaw much more quickly, saving valuable time when you have a screaming hungry baby in your arms.  Most standard size breastmilk storage bags fit perfectly inside old plastic CD storage bins in the freezer.

TILTHW- Don't spill the breastmilk when pouring from the bag

Things I Learned The Hard Way- If you store your breastmilk in bags, pouring them into the bottle at feeding time can sometimes be a hassle.  If the milk is frozen, thaw, then turn the sealed bag upside down and cut off a small corner of the plastic bag.  This allows you to safely pour the milk directly into a bottle without spilling any (even while holding a squirming baby).

TILTHW- Get rid of the boxes please!

Things I Learned The Hard Way- I’m not exactly sure what genius decided to package infant rice (and other grain) cereal in boxes, but it was a HORRIBLE idea!  Buy the cereal, open the box then dump it all into an empty formula can or plastic or glass container with a large opening at the top.  Canisters sold as flour or sugar storage containers work well for this as long as they seal well.  Toss a clean dry formula scoop on top (most are 1 tablespoon, but make sure ahead of time) and you can easily portion out cereal by the tablespoon.

TILTHW- Quick rice cereal feedings

Things I Learned The Hard Way- When your child starts eating rice cereal, consider portioning out the rice cereal powder ahead of time into small sealed containers or clean plastic baby food containers.  When feeding time arrives, just add water, formula or breastmilk and you are ready to feed.  If you portion out many containers of cereal all at once, it saves a TREMENDOUS amount of time and they are easier to throw in the diaper bag before you head out the door.  Plus, you can do all the prep work filling the containers while the baby sleeps.

TILTHW- Minimize Mealtime Messes

Things I Learned The Hard Way- Consider keeping an extra washcloth or small towel near the highchair to immediately clean up spills before the child smears them around.  A small mess can very quickly become a VERY large mess when a 6 month old smears carrots all over the high chair, the cushion, in their hair and ears, etc.

TILTHW- Save money on nursing pads

Things I Learned The Hard Way- If you plan to nurse, consider buying re-usable cotton nursing pads.  They are also very easy to make your own with layers of terrycloth, microfiber fabric or absorbent fleece sandwiched between outer layers of plain woven cotton.  The disposable type can trap moisture and give many mothers rashes or sensitize the skin, making nursing very uncomfortable.  Cotton pads allow the skin to breathe.  Safety pin the cotton pads together or put them inside a mesh delicates bag before you wash them so you always have a pair, and wash them with your infant’s clothing in a mild detergent (Dreft, All Baby, etc).  Don’t use fabric softener or dryer sheets because they can increase the risk of skin irritation.