For new parents, the first few months with their child can be chaotic and overwhelming. Everyone will give you contradictory suggestions regarding how to care for a newborn kid. It can be difficult to decide which newborn care recommendations to heed. Although taking care of a newborn is demanding and taxing, it is also one of the most joyous and fulfilling moments of your life. Naturally, caring for a newborn is difficult the first time around.
Here are the tips on how to take good care of your baby:
1. Feeding
Timely feeding of the infant is crucial. A infant needs to be fed every two to three hours, which entails 8 to 12 nursing sessions each day. During the first six months of life, a baby should only be fed breast milk. Essential nutrients and antibodies found in breast milk are necessary for a baby's survival and development. For at least ten minutes, breastfeed the infant. As soon as your baby begins to firmly latch on and start sucking, keep the breast close to her lips. The mother won't feel any nipple soreness if the infant has correctly latches on. Once the infant has finished eating, the breast should feel less full.
2. Burping
The infant has to be burped after being fed. While eating, babies swallow air, which causes gas and colic in their tummies. This extra air is expelled by burping, which improves digestion and helps to avoid spit-ups and stomach cramps. With one hand, hold the infant firmly to your chest. She should have her chin on your shoulder. With your other hand, softly pat or massage her back till she burps.
3. Holding Your Newborn Properly
It is crucial to make sure you are holding your infant with one hand supporting her head and neck. This is due to the fact that her neck muscles are still too weak to support her head on their own. Additionally, the backbone is still developing and getting stronger. Only after three months of age will the neck be able to support the head on its own. So when caring for a newborn baby, be sure to support your baby's head and neck.
4. Care for Umbilical Cord Stump
The umbilical cord stump needs to be taken care of as part of newborn baby care throughout the first month. Give a healthy newborn a bath in lukewarm water 2–6 hours after birth. Keep your navel dry and clean. To allow the stump to dry, keep the baby's diaper folded down. Before handling the navel area, wash your hands. Use a moist cloth to clean, and then dry with a fresh, absorbent one. Keep an eye out for infection symptoms near the cord stump. Take the infant to a pediatrician if there is redness, swelling, odorous discharge or pus, and bleeding around the navel.
5. Bathing
Giving an infant a bath is a delicate process. In a healthy term infant weighing more than 2500 g, the bath is often administered 2–6 hours after birth. However, under some circumstances, such as during the winter, bathing may be postponed. Bathing should be postponed in low birth weight babies until the cord has come out. Once the cord stump has dried and fallen off, you should begin washing the infant two to three times each week. Before you take the baby for a bath, make sure you have all the bathing and diapering supplies ready.
