Newborn Baby Care Tips | 12 PRO-Tips for New Born Baby Care
Feeling overwhelmed..? We know it is high time for you. You’re getting nervous and going through so many things like pregnancy, labor pain, and now delivery. From the initial stage to the time of delivery you feel so many new emotions and bear all the pains that you need emotional stability now to enjoy your motherhood.
Now you need love, help, and emotional support in your first postpartum abstinence. There should be a big support system from every single member of your family, especially your hubby.
The journey of parenthood is amazing whether you are going to put your baby in a crib or a walker as a toddler, every stage is amazing with a lot of hard work.
And after all of that, to be a mommy there is a big responsibility on your shoulders that is to take care of your little star and give him/her all which he needs in his initial part of life, he wants full attention of mommy and daddy.
It is a challenging and exhausting time for both of you. But it is the most wonderful, memorable, productive, and rewarding experience of your life.
So here we have come to you with some pro-tips for Newborn baby care which will help you out as a guideline to take care of your baby confidently as a new parent. So let’s start.
11 PRO-Tips for Newborn Baby Care
1. Stay safe & Confident
Being a new mom may make you feel chaotic and overwhelming. You might feel like you have no idea what you’re doing! There are so many people around you with some unwanted and confusing advice out there for you on how to raise the baby but please ignore them.
You have to be confident and stay sane. After all, you are parents of the hour and you decide what is best for your kid.
It is a precious time and you should spend more time getting to know your baby. Just forget about the daily home chores like to clean dusty floors or unwashed dishes.
2. Let them do your Help
The first ten days are the most hectic because you and your baby need some assistance and if someone offers you help, let them do your help. When you’re staying in the hospital there are many feeding specialists or lactation consultants around you who can help you get started with lactation and feeding.
Nurses also are a great resource to show you how to hold, burp, change and take care of your baby.
And in the home, if anyone comes to you and tries to assist you don’t dismiss their offers. Helpers can be your neighbors, relatives, and friends. You can also hire a baby nurse, babysitter, postpartum doula, or a responsible neighborhood teen to help you for a short time after birth.
You’ll need others to do time-consuming work like cooking, sweeping floors, washing dishes and buying diapers, soothing products, dry milk, or medicines.
3. Getting Daddy Involved
Dad figures things out in his way. Just let him make an attachment with the baby as he wants to do. Don’t criticize him for making a mistake. This will begin a bonding process and give you a break to take some time for yourself. It is the best help that your hubby can do for you.
His voice and his touch will be different from yours but it will get used to the baby and gradually he will recognize him and will enjoy his company.
Involve daddy by dividing up duties like shopping and grocery, ask him to help you in bathing, bottle feeding, and remember that dad also wants to do some fun stuff with his little one.
4. Handling of a Newborn
Your little champ has a tiny body and is very fragile to handle. And as a new mom, you may have no experience of how to handle so be careful that your hands should be thoroughly washed by germ protection soap or any hand sanitizer because his immunity system is not as strong as yours and can be affected by some vulnerable infections.
To hold the baby make sure that the baby is fully covered with the blanket. Cradle the baby by supporting the head and neck firmly. when carrying the baby upright or when you lay your baby down.
Never shake your baby neither in play nor in frustration. Shaking can cause internal bleeding or maybe death. Never do some rough play like jiggling with your child because he is too small and not yet ready for this.
5. Soothing a Fussy Baby
If your baby makes a fuss or cries too much that is even hard to handle then try these six moves to make him calm and soothe.Dr. Harvey Karp’s five calming moves: swaddling, shushing, holding him on his side, swinging him, or letting him suck. Sometimes it takes all six this may trigger a calming reflex.
Another way is you can comfort him by patting on his back or continuous rubbing of his nose that will eventually make his eyes heavy and then close.
6. Little Talks with the baby to tie Connection & Bondings
We know that the baby is too young to talk with you but try to talk with him. It helps to make him recognize your voice tone. Create some sweet rhythmic tunes, make eye contact with him, share some daily routine with him. Your infant knows your voice and he can sense your tone.
7. Diapering
For the new mom, it is a surprising thing that how many diapers we need in a single day. To be a practical mom you should have plenty of stock of diapers before the baby comes home. Change the diaper whenever the little one will dirty diapers about 10 times a day.
Before diapering makes sure you have all supplies within reach. You’ll need a fresh diaper, diaper ointment, and wet wipes or a container of warm water and a clean washcloth.
After each stool, if the diaper is wet, lay your baby on a soft sheet and remove the dirty diaper. Use the water and washcloth or the wipes to gently wipe your baby’s genital area clean. When removing a boy’s diaper, do so carefully because exposure to the air may make him urinate.
When wiping a girl, wipe her bottom from front to back. To prevent or heal a rash, apply ointment or any rash healing cream. Always remember to wash your hands thoroughly after changing a diaper.
8. Massaging & Bathing
Before bathing and taking a blissful nap, massaging is the best therapy for improving blood circulation and digestive systems. It also helps in soothing a baby to sleep. It is best to communicate with your little one and to make good bonding.
Before bathing take a small quantity of good lotion or organic resourced oil and gently massage with it on the whole body. During the massage session make eye contact with him and talk to him.
After massaging it’s time to make the baby bathe. Bathing is a delicate task because the body of the baby is so fragile and his skin is very sensitive. Always try to start bathing the baby 2-3 times a week after the stump dries and falls off.
Before bathing, make sure that all bathing supplies like mild-warm water, bathtub, mild baby soap or body wash, mild shampoo, soft loofah, lotion or cream, soft towel, new diaper, fresh clothes are available and in the reach of you.
You also need a helper that one of them will take off the clothes and hold the baby by supporting the full body including the head and neck. Another one will apply shampoo, soap to the whole body and then pour the water.
Soap should be applied thoroughly to the whole body like the parts which are too small like the nose should be properly cleaned. The palms of hands should be washed by opening the hands because babies make the fist all the time and germs can stay over there.
After all of this, the baby should be dried by a soft towel, and apply the mild lotion, put on a new diaper, and then fresh clothes.
9. All about formulae/breastfeeding & Burping
Babies have small digestive systems and they need his meal and nourishment every 2-4 hours. Whether you are feeding with a doctor-recommended formula or breastfeeding, babies should always be fed on demand.
Give your baby the chance to nurse about 10–15 minutes at each breast. If the baby is fed on formula-feeding, your baby will take about 2–3 ounces (60–90 milliliters) at each time.
In a breast-feeding case, to inspect that the child is taking his meal at his fullest can be trickier. If your baby seems satisfied, produces about six wet diapers and several stools a day, sleeps well, plays well, and is maintaining his weight according to the age regularly, then he or she is eating at his or her fullest.
Babies usually show their hunger by crying, making sucking noises, or putting fingers in the mouth.
Burping is an important part of feeding for a healthy tummy.
After every meal to take the burp you can hold the baby upright to your shoulders, make support for the head and neck and then rub on the back of the baby.
10. Sleeping Basics
The little stars have different sleep cycles and patterns from the adults and it is a new experience for you. The sleepover is for 16 hours or more. and the newborn’s sleep period is typically over in 2-4hours. many of them just mixed-up the difference between day and night.
They will be more alert and active at night as compared to the daytime. And throughout the day they tend to be more sleepy. For that purpose at night you should keep lights low at night and talk less and in the daytime try to keep him awake by playing with him.
You should also have to change the position of the baby’s head because the same position for a long time can appear flat at the back of the head.
You don’t expect that the baby will sleep overnight with you because his digestive system is also too small and he needs nourishment after every four hours. The first three weeks will be more chaotic for you but after that, you will develop a schedule and then be a mom like a pro!
11. Make every day Big & Memorable
Take monthly pictures of your baby’s first year. Use stuffed toys as props that are more adored by your baby and make this time more wonderful and memorable. And make him feel special to you. Do a photoshoot of your baby when the baby turns into a new year and you can see a drastic change as the baby grows and time flows.
12. Spend quality times with other members:
If you are a working woman it is the best opportunity to spend quality time with your relatives and close friends. Invite them to home, and throw a party for your family members and ask your elders to share some good experiences when they became a parent for the first time.
When your baby becomes 5 to 6 months, you can have your me-time very often.
Try to choose the best baby walker for him that can be the best way to keep him busy and encourage him to walk.
Try to learn how to choose a walker and how to buy it. Spend some quality time to learn the things before you buy a walker.
It will lead you to get something that will help you to engage and entertain your baby.
Conclusion
It is a big responsibility on your shoulders and you have to be strong in this postpartum phase for every upcoming challenge. If you don’t care about yourself then how your baby can be safe and strong and it can cause postpartum depression.
So first you should take care of your health, eat lots of healthy food, take proper medicines and supplements timely, read good books, watch entertaining TV shows, come out of the house for minimum five minutes and take relaxed breaths especially in the morning that is good for the sound health of you and your baby.
If you have questions or concerns, ask your doctor to recommend resources that can help you and your baby grow together.
Stay amazing and enjoy motherhood.
