Congratulations on your newborn! Bringing a newborn home is the most exciting and overwhelming feeling for every parent. So what’s next? You are ready to begin a life with your newborn but, you might become stressful and anxious to take care of him. Don’t worry! Here are some practical tips to take care of your newborn.

Handle a newborn carefully

If you haven’t spent much time with newborns, their fragility may be intimidating for you. By learning a few basic things, you can be confident to handle your baby without any intimidation and anxiety. 

Sanitization of hands is important before handling a baby because newborns have a weak immune system, so they are always at risk for bacterial infection. Make sure that every person who holds your newborn has clean hands. To hold your baby, cradle his head with your hands when carrying him up or laying down. Remember, newborn’s neck and head are very flexible therefore, you need special care to hold him properly. 

Always avoid shaking your infant either playing with him or in frustration. Shaking causes bleeding in the brain and ultimately can result in the death of a newborn. If you want to wake up your infant, don’t shake him up, instead, tickle his feet or give a gentle touch.  Also, try not to play roughly with your newborn, since he is not ready for it. Avoid jiggling on his knee or throwing him in the air. In short, limit any act that could be too rough or bouncy for your newborn. 

Feed your newborn properly 

You might become confused about how often to feed your baby, whether, he is breastfeeding or formula feeding. Usually, it is recommended to feed a baby on demand. Your baby may cry or put his fingers in the mouth to give a cue that he is hungry. However, don’t keep him unfed for a long interval because a newborn needs to be fed every 2 to 3 hours. 

If your baby is breastfeeding, there are some breastfeeding essentials for new Mom, andgenerally your baby need to nurse at each breast for around 10-15 minutes, If he is formula-feeding, newborn will usually take 2 to 3 ounces at each feeding. If he sleeps a lot as a sleepy baby, Wake up the baby every hour to make sure that he gets enough feed. 

If your baby is formula feeding, his feed can be easily monitored but, if he is breastfeeding, noticing the breast weight before and after feeding can tell if he is getting enough milk or not.

Diaper your newborn quickly

Whether you use a cloth or disposable diaper for your newborn, he is going to make it a dirty number of times a day. Whichever method you choose, you have to be a diaper changing expert because not everyone knows how to diaper a newborn quick and right way. Before diapering your infant, make sure that you have all the supplies; clean diaper, water, cotton balls, cloth diapers, diaper wipes and lotion, so that you may diaper him quickly. 

After making all suppliers available, lay your baby on his back and remove the dirty diaper. Becareful when removing his diaper because exposure to air can make him urinate. After removing the diaper, gently wipe his genital by using water, cotton balls, and a washcloth. To heal or prevent rushes, use diaper lotion. That’s it! Don’t forget to wash your hands after changing the diaper. 

Bath your baby safely

Newborn’s bath-time might be stressful for everyone involved in it. Don’t bath him frequently for the first year, instead, 2 or 3 baths a week will be fine. Before bathing your newborn, make sure you have all necessary things as a soft washcloth, towel, baby soap and shampoo, clean diaper and clothes.  

Give your baby a spongy bath until his umbilical cords fall off and the umbilicus heals completely. Select a safe and flat surface and warm room for this bath. Fill in a bowl with warm water and undress your baby cautiously. Clean your infant’s eyes with a washcloth dampened in water. Gently wipe his ears and nose also. Again, wet the washcloth, and applying a mild soap, wash his face gently.  

Now, apply a safe baby shampoo to his hairs and wash his head gently. Apply the soap on rest of his body parts and gently wash it. Pay special attention to the creases under his arms, behind the ears, in the genital area, and around the neck. Remember, babies become more slippery when wet so hold tightly. After the complete bath, make sure to dry your baby, diaper and dress him. 

Even though, you may feel stressed in handling your infant, in few weeks you will get trained and become a parenting pro!

Published: 2018-12-21 13:11:20