For first time parents, bringing home a newborn can be both exciting and scary. Family and friends will have started to give you advice on how to bath, feed, burp or dress your child. While some tips may sound reasonable, others may sound a bit odd. You are better off smiling and thanking everyone for their advice.
The best advice to be honest, is to take things one step at a time, trust me you will soon be an expert at looking after your child. To help you out, there a few simple tips you may need to know when caring for your newborn.
Tip #1: Nutrition
From day 1 you will have decided how you intend to feed your newborn. Deciding on whether you should breastfeed or bottle-feed your child greatly depends on your personal preference and your health. While breastfeeding is still the best way to nourish newborn babies, some mothers choose to give their babies formula for various reasons e.g. work, convenience etc.
If you decide that you will breastfeed your child, you should have already purchased breastfeeding accessories like breast pumps, storage bottles, breast pads etc. You should also have read tips on breastfeeding to help make your journey easier.
Mothers who choose to give their babies formula should have researched the best type of formula that will provide optimum nutrition for their child. Don’t go overboard buying multiple quantities of formula as some babies react to certain brands. You are better off starting with one tin of formula at a time, you can always buy more later if your child is not allergic to the particular brand.
Tip #2: Sleep
Before you bring your baby home, you need to decide where your child will sleep. Most health institutions advice that your newborn be placed in a bed, cot or crib, rather than on a bed with parents. This is to prevent the risk of an adult rolling over and suffocating the child.
Some parents however find that it’s easier for their child to sleep on the same bed as them. Some couples also don’t have the luxury of space, so buying a crib or bed for the baby is not even an option.
Once you have decided on where your baby would sleep, it is important to prepare yourself mentally for your newborn’s sleeping schedule. Newborn babies sleep for up to 17 and 18 hours a day. Parents should understand that babies sleep cycle can be pretty erratic.
You may notice for a few weeks, your baby’s sleep may only last from approximately 30 minutes to 3 hours, and this can vary throughout a 24 period. But by the sixth week, you should see some signs of improvement as your baby’s sleep pattern becomes more structured.
Newborns show signs of sleepiness by crying or rubbing their eyes. Newborns should be put down to sleep as soon as they feel sleepy. If you are not getting much sleep at night it may be a good idea to sleep when your baby does during the day if possible.
Tip #3: Bath
When I had my first child, I was terrified to give him a bath. I was lucky to have my mother do this for me. After watching her intensely for 4 weeks, I started giving my baby a bath.
For those who have the luxury of their mothers or mother-in-laws staying with them after they give birth, bathing a newborn may not be so difficult. For others, it is best you learn the proper way to bath your newborn. Ask your family and friends for tips or do a google search on the topic, you will be surprised at what you might learn.
Newborn babies need not be bathed on a daily basis. Bathing them two to three times a week is enough. Bathe your baby using sponge baths. This is imperative at first. Tub bathing your baby can only be done once the baby’s umbilical cord falls off to avoid infection.
Also make sure you purchase the essential bath products that you newborn needs e.g. sponge, cloth, baby soap, baby shampoo etc. Newborn babies have smooth and delicate skin. For this reason, it is necessary that you use products that are especially made for babies.
Tip 4# Clothes
New parents tend to go overboard when buying clothing for newborns. It’s hard to predict which size clothing your baby will need at first, as babies outgrow newborn sizes quickly. Some larger babies even skip the newborn sizes completely. Others may need pre-mature baby sizes and continue to wear newborn clothes for several months afterwards.
The best tip is to buy clothing in several sizes and at least three months ahead. In the first few weeks and months, you will be changing your baby’s clothing several times a day, so make sure that outfits you buy are uncomplicated and can open easily for diaper changes.
Don’t be tempted to buy too much, especially with your first baby. People will give you so much clothing, you will most likely have enough to spare. If you don’t know your baby’s sex in advance, or if you plan on having more children, choose colours that you’ll be comfortable putting on either a boy or girl.
It’s a good idea to wash new clothes before your baby wears them. They’ll be clean, first and foremost. And washing makes clothes softer and may help prevent skin rashes.
The following are the basic items of clothing your newborn needs:
- Mittens
- Sleeper gowns/ sleep suits
- Socks
- 3-5 dress-up outfits
- One-piece outfits
- Newborn caps
- Swaddle blankets
The above 4 tips should make any new parent rest assured that they are prepared for their newborn. Bringing your newborn home should not be so intimidating. The key is preparation. The more prepared you are the easier it is to cope with looking after a newborn. While there are numerous other things to consider when looking after a newborn, these 4 basic tips should help make the first months with your new bundle of joy easier.
For the experienced readers out there, what tips on looking after a newborn would you give new parents?
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