From pumping for the first time to giving a newborn a bath, life with a newborn can be overwhelming, especially when it’s your first. We asked a bunch of experienced parents for their best hacks and tricks around making those first few weeks and months a bit easier?ideas that go beyond the more obvious stuff. Here’s what they said.
1. If your home has multiple storeys, set up a change pad and diaper station on each one.
2. Before baby is born, ask friends for referrals for a lactation consultant and have that contact info handy either on your smartphone or stuck to your fridge, so you won’t have to be scrambling for referrals when all you want to be doing is focussing on your baby.

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Your baby: 1 week old3. If you delivered vaginally, get extra squirt bottles. There should be one in every bathroom for those first few weeks.
4. Set a goal of leaving the house once a day, even in winter. Even if it feels insurmountable, remind yourself that fresh air will make you feel more human.
5. Attempting to pump for the first time" Do it in the morning, after the first feed of the day. Most women have more milk then.
6. Put the Netflix app on your phone so you can watch during those 2 a.m. feeds.
7. Two words: Dry shampoo. Some days,...