Life has changed now that your baby is here, and you might have questions about what to do. These tips can offer assistance to first-time parents so you can feel confident about caring for a baby in no time.
How Do I Get Assistance After My Child Comes Domestic?
Self-care is a vital aspect of caring for a newborn. Consider receiving support during this stressful and difficult period.
Relatives and friends may be willing to help. Even if you disagree on certain points, their personal experiences might be useful.
To keep your infant healthy, everybody who handles your child should be up to date on their vaccinations and only assist if they are feeling well. However, if you aren’t feeling up to hosting guests or have other worries, don’t feel bad about restricting visits.
How Do I Handle My Child?
If you haven’t spent much time around babies, they may appear quite frail. Here are some essentials to remember:
- Before you handle your infant, wash your hands (or use hand sanitizer). Because newborns’ immune systems are still developing, they are vulnerable to infections. Ensure that everyone who touches your infant has clean hands.
- Support your baby’s head and neck. When carrying your infant, cradle his or her head. Also, support the baby’s head when carrying him or her upright or lying down.
- Never shake your infant, whether to play or out of displeasure. Shaking can lead to brain hemorrhage and, in rare cases, death. If you need to wake your infant, avoid shaking. Instead, tickle your baby’s feet or softly blow on their cheeks.
- Always secure your infant in a carrier, stroller or car seat. Limit any activities that may be overly rough or bouncy.
- Avoid physical play with infants, such as jiggling them on their knees or flinging them into the air.
How Can I Form a Bond With My Baby?
Bonding occurs during the initial hours and days following delivery, when parents form a strong bond with their child. Physical contact can help your infant create an emotional bond and develop in other ways. Another way to describe connection is “falling in love” with your kid. Children benefit from having a parent or another adult in their lives who loves them unconditionally.
Begin connecting with your infant by cuddling and softly caressing in various ways. Another effective practice is skin-to-skin contact (also known as kangaroo care), in which you cradle the infant against your own chest. This helps to relax, soothe, and regulate newborns’ heartbeats. It is an excellent habit for both mothers and fathers.
Here’s how to make skin-to-skin contact with your newborn.
- Avoid using scented perfumes or lotions, and keep away from cigarette smoke.
- Locate a comfy seat in a dimly lit environment. Wear an open-fronted shirt. Place your infant in only a nappy on your naked chest.
- Sit quietly, speak gently, hum, sing, or read loudly. Your infant may sleep during this time.
How Can I Comfort My Baby?
Helping newborns relax can make them happier and more comfortable. Here are some ideas for comforting your infant.
Massage: Baby massage may benefit newborns, particularly those born prematurely or with medical issues. Some massage techniques may improve bonding and help infants grow and thrive. Many books and DVDs discuss infant massage; ask your doctor for ideas. However, keep in mind that newborns are not as powerful as adults, so massage them gently.
How Do I Diaper My baby?
Whether you utilize cloth or expendable diapers, your small one will definitely mess them up almost 10 times a day, which is around 70 times a week. When diapering your baby:
- Keep all the supplies you would like to use close to you.
- Wipe your child front to back tenderly utilizing water, cotton balls, and a washcloth or wipes.
- Apply diaper cream in the area that required to treat diaper rash.
- Wash your hands after changing the diaper.
How Do I Care for the Umbilical Rope and Circumcision Zone?
Umbilical line care:
Clean around the line stump with plain water and blotch dry until the stump dries up and falls off, usually in 10 days to 3 weeks. Do not let the belly button zone drench in water until the stump falls off and the zone heals. After the line stump falls off, it’ll change color from yellow to brown or black — this can be normal. Call your specialist if the region looks ruddy, exudes an awful odor, or has a discharge.
Circumcision care:
After a circumcision, specialists as a rule put petroleum jelly on the tip of the baby’s penis and cover it with cloth to keep the wound from sticking to the diaper. At each diaper change, delicately wipe the tip clean with warm water not a baby wipe, at that point apply petroleum jelly and dressing. Penis redness or irritation ought to recuperate within some days to a week. However, if the condition worsens or pus-filled blisters appear, contact your baby’s doctor immediately. These might be symptoms of an infection.
What Should First-Time Parents Know About The Baby’s Sleep?
You might be astonished to find that infants sleep for 16 hours or longer. They normally sleep for two to four hours. Many infants sleep through the night (for 6-8 hours) by 3 months of age, but if yours does not, don’t worry. Babies, like adults, have individual sleep habits and cycles.
To reduce the risk of SIDS, always lay newborns on their backs when sleeping. Other safe sleep behaviors include:
- Do not put blankets, quilts, sheepskins, bumpers, plush animals or cushions in the cot or bassinet since they might suffocate the infant.
- Parents share a bedroom (but not a bed) with the infant during the first six months to a year.