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Home » Practical Parenting Tips » Simple Baby Advice That Stands the Test of Time

Simple Baby Advice That Stands the Test of Time

Updated January 15, 2021

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Want simple chaos-erasing family routines? Who doesn't? Check out our Family Routines Reboot!

Want simple chaos-erasing family routines? Who doesn't? Check out our Family Routines Reboot!

Want some wise and easy to implement baby advice that has stood the test of time? This baby advice is it!

Inside you’ll find simple and easy to implement baby advice that has stood the test of time. This adds on well to my newborn baby needs post. 


A little over 9 years ago, I was pregnant with my first child.

We lived in Scotland at the time, and it’s typical in Scotland to go to a midwife instead of a nurse or a doctor. She gave a packet of information that was full of stuff that I had no idea about.

One of the things that this packet suggested was that you put baby to sleep on their back. This is one of the biggest ways that Scotland had cut down the number of occurrences of SID.

I remember telling this to everyone, and so many people said, “Back in my day, you put babies to sleep on their stomachs so that if they threw up, they didn’t swallow it. Now you put them to sleep on their back. You slept on your stomach and you were fine.“

For a while, it was confusing because, what do you listen to?

Many times, the old advice and traditional ways of doing things work well. But then, new research comes out and you want to do the next best practice.

However, some baby advice has stood the test of time and not changed for decades! Let’s talk about those things..

The best baby advice you need when starting out as a mom.

Simple Baby Advice That Stands the Test of Time

Here are some classic, best practices that have stood the test of time. With this baby advice, you’re sure to have a peaceful time with new baby!

Meet Baby’s Needs Predictably

The first thing is to meet baby’s needs predictably. You baby will need this reliability to establish a proper routine and be able to soothe.

If you don’t choose how and when to meet baby’s needs with regularity you’ll end up trying to interpret baby’s cries all day long. You don’t need to be at the mercy of trying to guess what baby needs.

You know what baby needs. Give it to her before she has to cry for it.

Baby advice to meet needs predictably:

  • Feed them full feeds so their tummies are full
  • Put them down to nap when it’s time for them to nap
  • Change their diapers and keep them at an appropriate temperature
  • Give plenty of cuddles and hugs (why science says you must hug your littles)

If you do these things predictably, you’ll cut down on crying and fussing significantly. In fact, you’ll end up with a baby that cries very little.

I’ve had people comment on all five of my babies peaceful demeanor. It was simply because I met the baby’s needs in a predictable way which meant baby didn’t need to cry.

I knew when it was time for baby to feed and I would feed them. When it was time for baby to sleep, I would put them down for a nap.

They were well fed and well rested and they didn’t need to fuss.

Read: Get A Tired Baby To Sleep — In 4 Simple Steps

baby advice that you'll need as a new mom

Do Not Forsake Routine

Research is unanimous.

There has not been a single study come out by a reputable source on baby advice that says that routine is not good for babies. It has all shown that for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and children on up, routines are key.

Routines bring security, stability, and predictability. Routines help your baby know what’s coming next.

If you feed your baby around 3 p.m. on a regular basis, Baby soon begins waking at 3 p.m. ready to feed. Baby’s metabolism begins to adjust to the routine you have established. Days become predictable, peaceful, and you don’t have to guess what baby needs.

Although interruptions do happen, when you have a routine, you begin to recognize what baby needs.

  • Baby’s crying, but this is when we normally feed so he’s probably hungry.
  • Baby’s rubbing getting a bit fussy and rubbing his eyes. This is when I normally put them down for a rest so I know he’s tired.

Keeping a routine helps you to meet your baby’s exact needs in a timely manner without the mystery. Because you meet his/her needs with regularity you get tuned into baby’s needs in an eerily accurate way.

Now, that’s good baby advice!

Read: Want an Easy Baby? Then Use A Foolproof Baby Schedule

baby advice that every mother needs to know

Protect Those First Few Months

In the past when women had babies they would often stay in confinement for months after delivery. Recovering, recuperating, and taking care of baby were key priorities.

Nowadays, people have a baby and three days later – they’re up and at ’em and busy again. To a certain extent this can’t be avoided. Life does go on, especially if you have a few young children close in age. 

While you don’t need to lock yourself in the nursery for three months, it is important you establish a rhythm and routine with your baby. That you learn to nurture, feed, and bond.

It takes a while to get used to the new family dynamics. You must learn how baby feeds, how baby rests, what makes baby comfortable, and on and on.

There’s no baby advice that can take the place of this time spent.

Mom uses best baby advice for new baby at home.

And… if you have others at home, you must figure out how to feed baby while taking care of toddlers.

It’s important you take care of yourself those first few months. This is for both you and baby. Remember this: the first few months are not how it’s going to look in the next year, or the next two years.

It’s okay to take special time out. It’s okay to establish a good routine and way of doing things that will benefit you and baby for years to come.

Read: How To Mentally Survive The Newborn Phase

Start Out How You Can Hold Out

My grandmother gave me a great piece of advice when I had my first born…

She said, “Start out how you can hold out.” I’ve always remembered that.

Now, of course, there are things you do when baby is one month that you don’t do when baby is six months old. There are things you do with a six month old baby you don’t do with a one year old baby.

Start out how you can hold out is a general idea that says this… don’t start doing things that are crazy or unsustainable for a temporary solution.

For example, some babies fall asleep easily in the car seat. Moms can be tempted to take baby for a car ride every time he’s tired, but this becomes an unsustainable practice that is neither healthy for baby or convenient for mom. A better solution? Teach baby to sleep on their own. Then no one has to jump through hoops.

Tips to “start out like you can hold out”:

  • If you find yourself looking for shortcuts… back up and think, “What is going on? How can I meet baby’s need without starting a habit that will be extremely hard to break?“
  • Stick with the habits that work. If you have a habit or practice that benefits everyone, by all means, keep doing it.
  • When something you’ve tried fails time and again…If you find yourself doing something over and over again that doesn’t work and is making you resentful, it’s time to change it up. 
  • Think long term and don’t be afraid to dig a bit deeper and find the root of the problem.

Read: Start Out How You Can Hold Out

Let Life Be Different

Those first few months with baby are just so precious…

Often as mothers, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to continue to all the things we did before pregnancy. We think we should continue to be everything to everyone in the same way we were before.

But that’s not realistic! You don’t have to do anything that isn’t healthy because… you are the grown-up. 

It’s a false guilt that tells you, “You shouldn’t just rest and be with baby.”

Babies grow up so fast and those first months are very important. You have to figure out a new family culture, a new family dynamic. It is important to give yourself grace and rest during this period because you need down time to recover.

Healthy ways to achieve this:

  • Scale back some commitments to focus on your family during this time. (If you aren’t in a healthy frame of mind you’ll find it difficult to be the mother you want to be.)
  • Enjoy this season knowing it’s just that: a season. (Those first few months and that first year can be extremely difficult if you don’t call a spade a spade.)
  • Accept the limitations that come with having a baby rather than try to push through, at the expense of everyone. (Let baby season be baby season!)

It’s just hard at first…

There are so many unknowns with baby, especially when you’re a new mom.

It may be comforting to hear traditional baby advice, but research how they recommend doing it now. Many things have changed over the years, and many thing, for the better.

It’s good to keep in mind that now, we have research for many things. This is a better way, even if it’s just slightly better. For a new mom, learning baby advice based on reserach can be helpful.

In the same way, there are many ways of doing things, that stand the test of time, that really have always been good for a baby, and will always be good for a baby.

That is… for you to:

  • Meet their needs predictably
  • Establish a good routine
  • Protect baby in those first few months
  • Start healthy habits that don’t require you to jump through crazy hoops and
  • Accept that this season is going to be different

You’ll feel more peace and contentment in the season when you surrender to it. 

Need sample routines for babies 6 weeks to 5 years?

dreamfeed advice for babies routines for newborns

By now, you know how to handle the newborn days, but what after? The good news is this: you’ve set your baby up for a foundation of success.

Now all you need to do is continue to find routines that work for you and your baby as they grow up and begin getting bigger and bigger. Sob. After having had 5 babies with 5 different personalities, I know a thing or two about finding a good schedule.

This is why I’ve created a book of sample routines and schedules for babies ages 6 weeks up to 5 years.

The book includes information on how long to let baby stay awake, how much play time is good for each age, what to do with baby when baby is awake but not quite mobile, and even how to manage toddler and baby joint routines.

Chapters covered in Rhythms, Routines & Schedules  include:

Section One: Sample Schedules

  • 6 Weeks to 3 Months Old
  • 3-6 Months Old
  • 7-9 Months Old
  • 9-12 Months Old
  • 12-18 Months Old
  • 2-3 Years Old
  • 4-5 Years Old

Section Two: Tips and Tricks

  • Tips for Managing the Day With Multiple Children
  • Daily Rhythms for an Only Child Ages 1-4 Years Old
  • Daily Rhythms for Multiple Small Children Ages 0-5
  • Sample Bedtime, Mealtime, and Playtime Routines
  • Tips for Keeping Kids Busy Throughout the Day

For more sample routines, mom tested and approved schedules for babies ages 6 weeks and up, check out Rhythms, Routines & Schedules right now.

::

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Rachel

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I'm Rachel, mother of 5 young kids living in the Florida panhandle with my Australian husband. I write about family culture, family rhythms and routines, and boundaries in motherhood and life. You can see snippets of my daily life here and visit my shop for baby sleep, organizing, and routine help.

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“Nothing was working…”

I just wanted to say thank you for your easy peasy routine for 2 year olds! I day-weaned my 2 year old a month ago and have been trying everything to get him to go down for a nap without the nursing. Nothing was working and I was starting to think he would never have a nap again.

Anyways I started following your routine and we just sat in bed and had what I told him was “quiet time.” We sat and read and made a fort and had warm milk. Then today I told him it was quiet time again and he tried to escape the bed a couple times, but in the end he snuggled up after the warm bottle and fell asleep for 3 hours! I was almost in tears I was so excited! So thank you!

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I stumbled upon your blog one morning after praying night after night for God to fix my home! I had just had a baby this May 1st and also have a 2 and 4 year old and my home broke out in complete chaos!

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“Within a week or two our little girl changed!”

I tumbled into post partum depression/anxiety and didn’t know what to do anymore. I was a mess, baby girl was a mess and I don’t even know how my husband was dealing with it all… 

I googled everything I could think about but there was never really something that felt right, that felt genuine instead of just telling do’s and don’ts. 

And then I found your website and read your pieces about sleeping and eating. I carefully read through your schedules and decided to try it.

IT WORKED!! 

And within a week or two our little girl changed from a frustrated baby into this happy dappy smiling ray of sunshine, that is able to settle herself down by sucking on her fists, even in the middle of the night. At 12 weeks baby girl slept through the night and now at 20 weeks old she sleeps a good 10 to 12 hours every night. 

I just wanted to thank you for sharing your experience online. The way you wrote your experiences made it understandable, seeing it from the babys side but also the moms side. Maybe we were lucky that your way fitted our baby, but it worked and I tell it to everyone that wants to know!

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I just wanted to thank you for your sample routine.  I’ve been using it for a week with my 13 month old and had tremendous success from day 2! Wind down time is so important and so is consistency.  Thank you so much!!!

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I am grateful to have found your blog, as I do a great deal of searching on Pinterest when I am up against a parenting moment that I do not feel qualified to handle.

I will say though that since reading your blog I am really focusing on remembering that every moment is a learning \ experience for my son and I try to take a breath and count to ten. In the few short days that I have been exercising this method I truly have noticed a change for the better in his response to me.

Tami K.

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Hey y'all, I'm Rachel Norman, BA, MS, Language of Listening® parenting coach, mother to 5 babies in 5 years on 3 continents, no multiples. Join me in parenting without losing your mind. Read More >>

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