A mom and baby - part of a blog post on advice for new moms, first time moms expecting their first baby, tips for new parents, and advice for the mom to be.

Motherhood can feel overwhelming. Being a new mom and taking care of a newborn comes with a large learning curve, and you don’t always know what questions to ask until your in the thick of it. You don’t know what you don’t know!

If you’re a first time mom or expecting your first baby, chances are you’ve been flooded with tips about hospital bags, baby registries, and the latest baby gear. But what most baby prep guides forget to include is real, honest, experience-based advice for new moms - the kind that helps you not just survive, but feel confident and supported in early motherhood.

In this post, I’m sharing my best parenting advice for new parents, including some powerful newborn tips, emotional support, and systems that make everyday life with a baby easier. Whether you’re a mom-to-be or a few weeks into your journey, this is the first time mom advice I wish someone had handed me.

Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links but all of the opinions are my own. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I’m referring you to my favorite things and other top recommendations for Moms. By you shopping through these links I may collect a small commission without you paying a penny more. I greatly appreciate your support of me, my family, and this blog!

1. Don’t Just Prepare for Baby - Prepare for Life With a Baby

Yes, you need diapers and onesies. But you also need to know how to care for a newborn, recover from birth, manage your emotions, and ask for help.

The truth is, birth is just a moment. Postpartum is a season and motherhood is forever. It deserves real preparation. That’s exactly why I created my baby prep course, because the best advice for new parents goes beyond what to pack in your hospital bag. What about learning how to give baby a bath with an umbilical stump, introducing a bottle, and knowing how to care for yourself during postpartum recovery? These are all important aspects of newborn care education, so if you’re expecting your first baby, this would be my top advice for mom-to-be.

2. Breastfeeding Is Natural, But It’s Not Always Easy

One of the biggest surprises for many new moms is that breastfeeding doesn’t always come naturally. It’s a learned skill for both you and your baby, and it takes time, patience, and often a bit of help. If you feel frustrated, you’re not alone. The best advice for newborn parents? Give yourself permission to learn as you go and utilize the help of a lactation consultant early!

If you want to feel more confident and prepared before your baby arrives, don’t miss my detailed guide: Preparing to Breastfeed Your First Baby: A Practical Guide for the Expecting New Mom. It covers what to expect, ensuring a good latch, what you actually need on hand to make breastfeeding easier.

3. Create a Simple and Efficient Breast Milk Storage System Early

Breast milk is precious - and it gets complicated to manage. One of my favorite new parent tips is to get your milk storage system in place before baby arrives. Unorganized milk will just add to your already heavy mental load in the early weeks postpartum. Don’t add to the stress! Learn a simple system before baby arrives, like the Pitcher Method, so you know exactly what to do once baby is here. The Pitcher Method is an easy way to combine and store breast milk efficiently, saving you stress and brainpower in those early foggy weeks. I teach how to do the Pitcher Method in my baby prep course!

4. Catch Your Let-Down and Build a Freezer Stash

Here’s a practical parenting tip for new parents: when you’re nursing your baby on one side, you’ll likely leak from the other - this is your let-down. Don’t let that liquid gold go to waste! Use a Haakaa or Elvie Curve to collect the let-down and build a freezer stash without pumping. It’s one of the smartest early wins for new breastfeeding moms. With my first baby, I built up a solid freezer stash solely from collecting the let-down on the opposite side I was feeding.

5. Don’t Underestimate Breastfeeding Hunger

Breastfeeding hunger is real - stronger than pregnancy hunger, in my experience. You’ll also be super thirsty! Set yourself up for success by stocking snacks and water at your nursing station, in the car, and in your diaper bag.

6. Baby Play Isn’t Just Cute, It’s Critical for Development

Here’s a piece of advice for new moms that surprised me: your baby is learning every single day even in those sleepy, snuggly newborn weeks.

That’s why I created the Baby Play Starter Kit. It’s a free guide that gives you simple, age-appropriate ways to play and bond with your baby in the first 3 months. No overstimulation, just short, sweet ideas to help you connect with your baby and help ensure they are hitting their early development milestones.

👉 Download the Baby Play Starter Kit to get started with developmentally smart play from the beginning.

7. Add Tummy Time Early On

Tummy time is one of the most beneficial daily activities you can start in the newborn stage. It helps build strength, encourages motor development, and supports head control. Start as early as the first week by laying baby on your chest or using a rolled-up blanket to prop them slightly on the floor.

You don’t need fancy equipment and can start with just a few minutes a day. This is one of the best pieces of advice for newborn parents: make tummy time a regular part of your routine.

Want a full step-by-step guide on how to start tummy time at 1, 2, or 3 months old? Read my full guide on tummy time here.

8. Learn What’s Normal for Newborn Sleep

Here’s some newborn parenting advice I wish every mom got: newborns are noisy and active sleepers. They grunt, squirm, and make all kinds of sounds. That doesn’t always mean they’re awake. When we brought my first baby home from the hospital, I thought we accidentally brought home the petting zoo - she was so noisy! We would go over and pick her up, not realizing she was actually asleep, and inadvertently wake her up, interrupting her sleep cycles and making things so much harder.

Before you scoop your baby up at 2 AM, pause. If they’re not crying, they may actually be sleeping or fall back asleep on their own. Want to go deeper? Read this: Newborn Sleep Habits (What Baby Prep Classes Won’t Teach You).

9. Know That Emotional Ups and Downs Are Normal

After birth, your hormones shift dramatically. Estrogen and progesterone plummet, while prolactin and oxytocin rise. This hormone storm can make you feel everything from overwhelming love to sudden tears. This is one of the most important pieces of advice for moms-to-be: your emotions are valid, and you don’t have to go through it alone.

Ask for support. Rest when you can. Cry if you need to. Talk to a professional if it feels like too much.

10. Accept Help and Make Time for Yourself

New moms often feel like they have to do it all. But the truth is, postpartum recovery and newborn care are demanding. When people offer to help - say yes! Whether it’s a meal, a load of laundry, or holding the baby while you shower, receiving help is not a sign of weakness. It’s true that it takes a village to raise a baby, and postpartum is hard. Give yourself permission to ask for help, and to accept the help without guilt or shame.

At the same time, find ways to make time for yourself. It doesn’t have to be big - a hot shower, your morning coffee, a short walk. Though the moments might seem short or few and far between, take and enjoy them when you can.

11. You Were Made to Be Your Baby’s Mama

Here’s the ultimate first time mom reminder: God chose you for this baby, and chose your baby for you. No one knows what your baby needs better than you do. Know that even if you have some bad moments, in the eyes of your baby, no one does it better that you. You know your baby best. You’re learning together. And even on hard days, you are exactly who your baby needs.

You’ve got this, Mama!

Want to know how to create ultimate clarity, confidence, and ease as a first time mom? Preparing for baby and postpartum. Most first-time moms feel overwhelmed because they focus on baby gear and childbirth, but not the day-to-day reality of life after baby arrives. Grab your seat in my FREE Baby Prep Training, where we’ll be diving into how to truly prepare for life with a newborn, not just childbirth, how to approach breastfeeding and pumping with confidence, and how to create a stress-free, functional environment that supports you in the early weeks postpartum. You won’t want to miss it!

Advice for New Moms: What I Wish I Knew Before Baby