After months of waiting for your bundle of joy, when the baby finally comes, it opens up a fascinating period for the new parents. The parents do not just feel thrilled, but they also have so many responsibilities for caring for the newborn. For first time mothers, caring for newborns is a very challenging task. Nonetheless, during the first months, adhering to the below practices ill help in nurturing the baby in the best manner possible.
Self-Hygiene
Since newborns are very prone to allergies and infections because of their weakened immunity, ensure that you have a hand sanitizer and wash hands using gentle soaps before picking the baby. You must also ascertain that all other people handling the baby are clean and have clean hands. Clean the room of the baby often and lay the baby down in a dust-free and clean place when cleaning the room.
Holding the Baby Right
You must remember that the body of a baby is very delicate and thus requires to be handled with so much care. There are only a few comfortable and safe ways of carrying infants. Regardless of the approach you use, it would help if you supported the neck and head of your infant to avoid any injury and breaking.
Feeding on Demand
The two main things that newborns require in the first months in the world are sufficient sleep and enough milk. Whether the parent decides to formula feed or breastfeeds the baby, make sure that the feed is given on demand. You must be aware of the infant’s cues for feeding and begin feeding the baby before they start crying. If you are in a public area, have a nursing cover to maintain comfort and privacy.
Burping the Baby Well
Many infants swallow so much air while feeding that causes gassiness and causes them to spit up often. To prevent this issue, the bay must be burped after each feed. The best method of burping out the baby is by holding her against the chest and letting the chin rest on the shoulder then patting the back gently.
Diaper Checks
Since the infants make their diapers wet around ten times daily, you must check the diapers after every four hours. The soiled diapers are very heavy for the baby and can, therefore, lead to rashes. Since the wet diapers make the infant’s skin and bum wet, it is recommended that you keep the infant naked a few minutes when changing the diaper.
Create A Perfect Sleeping Surrounding
Since sleep is the other main activity after feeding newborns, it must be the significant role of the parents to create an environment that is very comfortable for the baby. Wherever your bay will sleep, in the cot or the crib, always get a right baby mattress that will offer a firm surface for sleeping on as well as one that will keep off any risks of suffocating accidentally.
Wearing the Baby
When done safely, wearing the baby plays a critical role in strengthening the maternal bond between the infant and the mother. It also aids the baby is sleeping longer and better. Even the colicky and fussiest babies will feel content and calm if snuggled against the body of the mother. Also, babywearing offers the mother a superb way of dealing with the issue of reflux.