Like so many first-time moms, my first year postpartum was almost entirely focused on caring for my new baby, day and night. And while I enjoyed many aspects of motherhood with one child, when I became pregnant with my second, I knew there were things I not only had to do differently, but also truly looked forward to changing.
Here are 10 things I did with my first that I stopped with my second.
1. Cute baby outfits
When I found out I was pregnant with my first, I rushed out and bought a pair of rainbow overalls with matching shirt and socks, imagining how adorable the baby would look. Fast forward to actually having it on the baby, I quickly realized that most often, the cuter the outfit, the more complicated it is to take off. When you?re changing up to ten diapers a day, it?s enough to make you swear off anything but sleepers for the rest of your time as a mom of babies. For baby No. 2, I nixed shirts, pants, socks and all other ?cute baby outfits.? He currently spends 99.9% of his time in easy two-way zippered sleepers. 2. Daily bath time
Just before having my first, I read that a bedtime routine that includes a bath helps promote sleep. And while a predictable routine does help to release melatonin, I took this recommendation to the next level and never let my first miss a bath. Truly, he was bathed every day from the day he was born until he missed his first bath at 22 months old due to our water line breaking. With my second, I recognize that having a bedtime routine...