Parenting tips for new parents
Childbirth is the most joyful day for new parents as well as the whole family that is eagerly waiting for the baby. When the family is busy with the homecoming celebration🎉 of the newborn and the other side, the new mom is very tense and concerned for newborn baby care that includes baby feeding, bathing, massaging, sleeping time, and all about gentle care. But dear mommies, Don’t worry!, newborn care becomes easier with some tips that an Indian🇮🇳 mom shares with you in this series of blogs. You can expect below topics to be covered in my tips.
- Newborn baby care just after birth
- Vaccination schedule
- Baby’s first solid food
Part 1: Newborn baby care just after birth
Your wait is over and finally, baby👶 (your bundle of joy) arrives. Many hospitals provide trained nursing staff. They can help you how to hold your baby, feeding🍼, burp, diapering, and gentle care. In hospital nursing staff is available for taking care of newborn but after homecoming with your baby, you might feel that you have no idea what you have to do. These tips can help the most worried first-time mom to feel confident about newborn care.
Wash your hands with sanitizer before handling your baby. A newborn has a very low immune system so that they are at high risk of infection. Make sure all those who handle your baby have a clean hand.
How to hold newborn?
The baby’s head needs constant support for around 3 to 4 months. Support your baby’s head and neck with one hand and another hand should be on the baby’s bottom. The Newborn has a very weak head and neck muscle. If you do not support then the head will turn backward or forward and it will harm the baby’s brain. Never shake your infant. Continuous shaking newborn results in hits to the skull. It will damage blood vessels that result in bleeding in the brain and brain swelling.
kangaroo 🦘mother care (KMC)
Kangaroo mother care is a method of caring for infants. After the baby is born the first 60 minutes are a very crucial time for both mother and newborn. This time is also called golden hours. In golden hours give your newborn a kangaroo 🦘 mother care. You can give KMC as long as possible by the comfort of you and your baby.
How is it done?
Keep your newborn in the skin to skin contact between the mother’s chest and baby’s front.
Benefits of KMC
Skin to skin contact improves the stability of blood flow and heart rate. It also improves oxygen saturation in the infant. Most beneficial for low birth weight babies. Kangaroo care is also helpful for the mother. It helps to stimulate milk production and breastfeeding ratio. Also promotes bonding and improves confidence in mothers to care for their baby.
Bathing
Give your baby a sponge bath until the umbilical cord falls off and the navel heals completely. (Within 2 weeks after birth)
Your baby needs a bath 2–3 times a week. Avoid bathing your baby if they have just been fed or hungry. The room should be warm and get ready with Baby towel, Diaper, Clean clothes, Warm water, Clean and soft cloth to sponge, Mild and unscented baby soap before bathing your baby.
Feeding and burping
Newborn needs 8 to 12 times to feed in 24 hours. They need feeding every 2 to 3 hours but it is right to feed when the baby demands. After each feed whether it is breastfeeding or bottle-feed burping, your newborn is mandatory to prevent milk coming back. Burping your baby also helps to get rid of the gas. (“Gas”-during feeding baby swallow some air that gets trapped in the gastrointestinal tract)
The most relaxed position to burp is over your shoulder. Hold your baby facing towards your chest and support chin on your shoulder. Use one hand to hold your baby and by the other hand repeatedly patting your baby’s back. You can also burp your baby on your lap.
Sleeping time
A newborn baby needs 6 to 8 hours of sleep in a day and 8 hours of sleep at night. Newborns wake up only for feeding every 2 to 3 hours because their digestive system is very tiny🤏. After 3 months of age, many babies sleep through the full night. If your baby doesn’t, no need to worry as the baby grows they develop their sleeping pattern.
Summary
In the first part of blog series we discussed gentle care of newborn, kangaroo mother care, umbilical cord healing process, bathing, feeding, burping and sleeping time. If you feel that I have missed any point about newborn care than feel free to comment here. I will ensure them to cover in my next blog. Stay connected, My next topic is about Vaccination schedule.