12 Tips for Easier Baby Care

Cover your baby's mattress with a twin bed sheet and tuck it under the mattress before putting on a wet pad and crib sheet. It helps deter baby from pulling off the crib sheet.
Use cornstarch instead of powder on baby's bottom during diaper changes. It keeps baby drier, and baby powder can damage an infant's lungs if inhaled.
Use a flashlight to check on baby at night, rather than the bedroom light.
Turn the crib mattress over every time you change the sheet. It will prevent the mattress from sagging in the middle.
Hang an extra calendar on the wall to record your baby's accomplishments, inoculation dates and illnesses. At the end of the year, all the dates can easily be transferred into a memory book.
To prevent chapping, put a little petroleum jelly on your baby's cheeks in the winter before taking her outside. Use it at night if your baby drools while asleep.
As soon as you get film processed, mark the date on the back of each photo.
Use cotton socks instead of nylon to reduce sweating.
As your baby outgrows her clothing, pack all the same size clothes in a box and mark the size on top. You'll be ready for your next child (or for a garage sale).
If your baby is on medication, write down the frequency and dosage of medicine and tape it to your refrigerator. Each time you give medication, write it on the paper. There will be less chance of forgetting or making a mistake.
Hang pictures in your baby's bedroom. They help with eye coordination and keep him occupied.
Keep foil-covered wipes in your car for clean-ups when away from home.

-Janice Noll is a writer and mother of four children living in Pennsylvania.

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