New Parents: Step By Step Guide

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As new parents, mom & dad, you’ll undoubtedly have concerns about anything from how to start nursing to how to wash and bathe your baby and change their diaper, and more issues, but take it easy!

Here’s a fast rundown of everything you need to know about caring for your new baby in those first few weeks, which are both exhausting and delightful.

Obtaining Assistance Following the Birth

• Consider seeking help at this stressful and busy time. While you’re at the hospital, speak with local specialists. Many hospitals have lactation consultants or feeding specialists on staff who can help you start nursing or bottle-feeding your child.
• Nurses can also show you how to carry, burp, change and care for your baby correctly.
• Hire a baby nurse or a well-behaved neighbourhood teen to assist you in your home for a short period following the birth.
• Your doctor or hospital may be able to offer you information on in-home care and refer you to home health agencies.
• Frequently, relatives and friends are willing to help. If you disagree with them on some aspects, don’t dismiss their experience. If you don’t feel up to accepting guests or have other concerns, don’t be afraid to place limitations on them.

How to Care for a Newborn?

If you haven’t spent much time around infants, you may be intimidated by their fragility.

Here are some essentials to remember:

• Hands should be washed before handling your infant (or use hand sanitiser). Newborns are vulnerable to sickness because they lack a strong immune system. Ensure that everyone who interacts with your child has clean hands.
• Support your child’s head and neck. Carry your infant upright, cradle the head, support the head, or lay your baby down.
• Never shake your baby since it could trigger a brain bleed and death. If you need to wake your infant, tickle his feet or gently breath on his cheek instead of shaking him.
• Make sure your youngster is securely strapped into the carrier, stroller, or car seat. Avoid any activity that is likely to be too rough or bouncy.

Remember that harsh play is not acceptable for your infant, such as being jiggled on the knee or thrown in the air.

What is the best way to deal with diapering?

Before you bring your child home, you’ll probably decide whether to use cloth or disposable diapers for babies. Your child will need to change his or her diaper about 10 times per day, or 70 times per week, regardless of whatever method you use.

Make sure you have all of the necessary supplies on hand before you start diapering your baby so you don’t have to leave him alone on the changing table.

The following elements are required:

• A new pair of diaper fasteners (if cloth pre-fold diapers are used)
• Diaper wipes and diaper cream or a container of warm water and a clean washcloth or cotton balls

Remove the soiled diaper by laying your baby on his or her back after each bowel movement or if the diaper is moist. Using water, cotton balls, and a washcloth or wipes, clean your baby’s genital area. Remove a boy’s diaper with caution because exposure to the air may cause him to urinate. When cleaning a girl’s bottom, clean it from front to back to avoid a urinary tract infection (UTI). To prevent or treat a rash, apply ointment to the affected area. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after changing a diaper.

Diaper rash is a typical problem. The rash is usually red and bumpy, and it goes away in a few days with warm baths, diaper cream, and some time away from the diaper. Because the baby’s skin is sensitive, the wet or poopy diaper irritates it, and the majority of crashes occur.

To prevent or heal diaper rash, try the following suggestions:

• Change your baby’s diaper frequently and as soon as he or she has a bowel movement.
• After carefully cleansing the area with mild soap and water, apply a thick coating of diaper rash or “barrier” cream (wipes might be unpleasant). Because zinc oxide creams provide a moisture barrier, they are popular.
• If you’re using cloth diapers, make sure to use dye- and fragrance-free detergents.

Allow the baby to remain unsupervised for some time during the day. The skin can breathe as a result of this.

If the diaper rash lasts more than three days or looks to be getting worse, see your doctor; it could result from a fungal infection that requires medication.

Bathing Basics

You should sponge-clean your baby until he or she can:

• Once the umbilical cord is removed (1–4 weeks), the navel heals completely.
• The circumcision takes 1–2 weeks to recover.
• A bath two or three times a week is sufficient in the first year. Bathing more regularly might cause the skin to become dry.

Make sure you have the following items on hand before bathing your baby:

• Towels or blankets a soft, clean washcloth a light brush to stimulate the baby’s scalp Shampoo and soap for babies that are light and odourless
• A new diaper and some new clothes

Sponge baths are a fun way to relax

For a sponge wash, use a safe, flat surface in a warm atmosphere such as a changing table, floor, or counter.

1. If a sink or a dish is available, fill it with warm water.
2. Wrap your baby in a towel after removing his or her clothing.
3. Begin by wiping your infant’s eyes with a moist washcloth or a clean cotton ball from the inner to the outer corner, beginning with one eye.
4. Using a clean corner of the washcloth or a cotton ball, clean the opposite eye.
5. With the damp washcloth, clean your baby’s nose and ears.
6. Re-wet the cloth and gently wash his or her face with a small amount of soap before patting it dry.
7. The next step is before washing, make a lather with baby shampoo and gently wash your baby’s head.
8. With a damp towel and soap, gently wash the rest of the infant, paying special attention to the wrinkles under the arms, behind the ears, around the neck, and in the genital area.
9. Before diapering and dressing your infant, ensure sure those regions are fully dry after you’ve washed them.

Bathtubs

Start with gentle, short baths when your baby is ready for tub bathing. If he or she becomes agitated, go back to sponge baths for a week or two, then try the bath again.

You’ll also need the following items in addition to the ones listed above:

• 2 to 3 inches of warm water in a baby tub to test the water temperature, feel the water with the inside of your elbow or wrist. An infant tub is a little plastic tub that fits in the bathtub and allows babies to bathe more easily.
• Undress your baby and swiftly place him or her in the water in a warm room to avoid getting the chills. Make sure the tub is only 2 to 3 inches full of water and that the faucet is turned off. The baby’s head should be supported with one hand, while the infant’s feet should be guided feet-first with the other. Slowly lower your baby into the tub, up to his or her chest, while whispering.

• Using a washcloth, clean his or her face and hair. Use your fingers or a soft baby hairbrush to gently massage your baby’s scalp, paying specific attention to the area above the fontanels’ (soft spots) on the top of the head. When rinsing your baby’s head with soap or shampoo, cup your palm across the forehead to guide the suds to the sides and keep the soap out of your baby’s eyes. Wash the rest of your baby’s body gently with water and a small amount of soap.
• Gently pour water over your baby’s body throughout the bath to protect him or her from growing chilled. After the bath, wrap your baby in a towel, being sure to cover his or her head. Baby towels with hoods are great for keeping a newly showered infant warm.
• When bathing your kid, never leave him or her unsupervised. If you need to leave the bathroom, wrap the infant in a towel and take him or her with you.

Feeding and Burping Your Baby

You may be unclear about how often to feed your baby, whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. In general, newborns should be fed whenever they show signs of hunger. Your baby may communicate with you by wailing, putting his fingers in his mouth, or sucking sounds. you may read this article we offered about the best nutrition for newborn babies.

How often you should feed your baby?

• If you’re breastfeeding, let your baby nurse for 15 minutes at each breast. If you’re giving your infant formula, she’ll drink about 2–3 ounces (60–90 millilitres) per meal.
• Some infants may need to be awakened many times every hour to ensure that they get enough to eat. Contact your baby’s doctor if you need to wake your infant regularly or if your baby isn’t interested in eating or sucking.
• It’s straightforward to check if your child is getting enough to eat if you’re formula-feeding; however, it’s a little more tricky if you’re breastfeeding. If your child appears happy, has around six wet diapers and many stools per day, sleeps well and gains weight regularly, he or she is eating enough.

Another technique to tell if your baby is getting milk is to keep track of how full your breasts are before feeding and how empty they are afterwards. Consult your doctor if you’re concerned about your child’s growth or eating habits.

Help your baby to burp

• Babies frequently swallow air during feedings, which can make them irritable. To avoid this, burp your infant frequently. Burp your baby every 2–3 ounces (60–90 millilitres) if you’re bottle-feeding, and every time you switch breasts if you’re breastfeeding.
• Burp your baby after every ounce of bottle-feeding or every 5 minutes of breastfeeding if he or she is gassy, has gastroesophageal reflux, or appears irritable while eating. Burp your baby after every ounce of bottle-feeding or every 5 minutes of breastfeeding if he or she is gassy, has gastroesophageal reflux, or appears irritable while eating.

Some tips for burping

• Carry your child on your shoulder with his or her head held high. Support your baby’s head and back with one hand while softly stroking his back with the other.
• Placing your youngster on your lap is a good idea. Support your baby’s chest and head with one hand by cupping his chin in your palm and putting the heel of your hand on his chest (be cautious to grab his chin, not his throat). With the other hand, gently touch your baby’s back.
• Place your infant face down on your lap. Gently pat or touch your baby’s back, making sure it’s higher than his or her chest, to support his or her head.
• If your baby hasn’t burped after a few minutes, change his or her position and try again before feeding. Burp your baby after each meal and keep him or her upright for at least 10–15 minutes to avoid spitting up.

Finally, Sleeping

You may be surprised as a new parent to learn that your newborn, who looks to need your attention at all times of the day, sleep for 16 hours or more!

Newborns sleep for 2–4 hours at a time on average. If your kid hasn’t been fed in four hours, expect him or her to wake up every few hours. Because babies’ digestive systems are so little, they need to be fed every several hours or more.

When will your baby be able to sleep all night long? 

Most babies sleep through the night by 3 months between 6–8 hours but don’t worry if yours doesn’t. Babies, like adults, need to develop their sleep patterns and cycles, so don’t be disheartened if your baby is gaining weight and appears healthy but still hasn’t slept through the night at three months. sometimes babies fight sleep check this article.

Always place babies on their backs while sleeping to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Other safe sleeping practices include not putting blankets, quilts, sheepskins, plush animals, or cushions in the crib or bassinet which might suffocate a baby, and sharing a bedroom but not a bed with the parents for the first 6 to 12 months. Alter the position of your baby’s head from night to night to avoid the establishment of a flat patch on one side of the head first right, then left, and so on.

Many babies’ days and nights are jumbled up. They are more awake and conscious at night, and more exhausted during the day. One way to help them is to keep stimuli to a bare minimum at night. Reduce the quantity of light in the room by using a nightlight, for example. Daytime is the best time to talk and play with your baby. Conversate and play with your child when he or she wakes up during the day to keep him or her awake a little longer.

The Final Word,

Even if you’re apprehensive about handling a newborn, you’ll quickly establish a pattern and be parenting like a pro! Talk to your doctor about resources that might help you and your baby grow together if you have any concerns or questions.