Having a newborn may be extremely invigorating and tiring, as newborns are very sensitive to touch and the external environment. There are a lot of basics for newborn care which must be adopted as newborn needs not just nursing, cleaning and rest, but a lot more in terms of emotional and social care. Having a little one challenges a parent in lot more ways than just emotional. Preparing for their nursery, diapering, feeding, cleaning, washing, playtime, nap time, cleanliness, fun and stimulation calls for a lot of planning and execution. Sharing some tips on how to take care of a newborn to help you in making the most of this crucial time without having to worry about issue causing discomfort.
How To Take Care Of A Newborn In These 11 Steps:
1- Set timings for visitation:
This is probably the most critical of all the tips, as newborn calls for a lot of visits from relatives and friends. But this may cause discomfort for parents and specially for the newborn too. Set aside and announce the visitation time to not interfere with the child’s routine. The more the newborn gets rest, the easier it will be to take care of her.
2- Use sanitizer always:
For everyone visiting and touching the newborn, make usage of a sanitizer or washing hands with an anti-bacterial soap compulsory. Do not allow anyone to touch the bay without cleaning their hands. As this may cause infections to enter the child and even cause sickness. Don’t let anyone hug or kiss the newborn as this causes a lot of germs to transfer from the person to the newborn.
3- Set a routine for feeding with a FEEDING CHART:
Set up a feeding chart to have a routine for feeding. Mark the times you would breastfeed the child and if the formula is commented in addition, do check that time too. A feeding chart helps in not missing the timings for feed and also records the amount or time the feeding was done. Check milk allergy symptoms in babies here
4- Bath routine:
Set up a bathing time and routine say once in two days or three days. Too much bathing may cause the sensitive skin of the child to dehydrate. A newborns body loses moisture every time they are given a bath. Also, their upper skin is still undeveloped so washing more may cause skin rashes and blemishes too.
Check how to bath a newborn here
5- Schedule nap times in between:
A newborn takes 18-20 hours of sleep a day. Any deviation int his may cause a lot of discomfort to the child. And restlessness for the mother too. Do not change the sleeping hours for your own convenience and don’t keep the child awake forcefully. For their health and growth non stop sleep routine is important. If your newborn does not sleep at night then don’t force her to overstay in evenings as this wont resolve the issue. Just try to figure out why the night time sleep is getting unstructured. Maybe due to lights, disturbed routine, improper feeding, over stimulation and other reasons may cause the night ups.
6- Have a well planned day’s activities:
Even a newborn needs well planned day’s activities. Do not disturb these and involve more and more developmentally appropriate toys and games. Talk and read to the child as much as possible as even a newborn grabs quickly from these stimulants. Have peekaboo, rattles and squishy sensory toys handy for the newborn and allow gym time, tummy time, massage and other activities fixed for the day
7- Take me time outs:
A mother is all about being on the toes all the time. This not only causes a roller coaster of emotions but also calls for some time outs to keep up your sanity. So schedule your me-time off for the day and keep up your sanity and happiness, the happier the mother the healthier the child.
[Read: Stomach flu treatment for kids]
8- Allow helps and care:
Let grandparents, relatives and friends offer helping hands and do sneak a few time outs with your partner. The little one also needs to see other people and you need this much deserved change of space. The more you are relaxed the lesser are chances of postpartum depression. Newborn stage is challenging for a new mom so this must be ensured for maintaining the new moms peace and sanity.
Read: How to identify and treat postpartum depression in new moms here
9- Take diapering classes:
Either from your nurse or from someone who knows, as diapering needs to be done with utmost perfection. Any deviation may cause severe rashes and skin ailments in your newborn. Let a petroleum jelly or diaper cream be handy for all the changes and keep wiping them properly everytime they poop or pee. The more you maintain their health and hygiene the lesser you have to worry about their health issues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BizUI7qjBWE
10- How to swaddle your newborn:
Take proper guidance on how to swaddle your newborn, as swaddling helps them to relax and sleep for longer hours. Newborn stage is about changes in the life of mother and child. While adjusting to the routine it is necessary to calm and sooth the baby too. So learn to swaddle and help them stay calm and relaxed by swaddling them everytime they sleep or are cranky.
[Read: Some bedtime mistakes to avoid]
11- Bathing and changing:
The newborn is extremely sensitive with no control of head, so there must be proper holding while bathing and changing clothes. No jerk or pressure must ever be felt by the newborn as this cases some serious repercussions too. Always ensure proper support for head and neck area of the child as these are the most sensitive areas. Do not put water on the face directly and have the baby lie in proper bath tub with harness. Read about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) here
Conclusion
The above compilation on How to take care of a newborn in these 11 steps is based on learnings and experiences with my own child. Newborn stage is probably the most exciting and tiring phase for both mother and child. Extreme care and scheduling must be done for newborn. Do not allow drastic changes in their time table as this confuses and discomforts the little one. Infant care and mothers sanity must both go along together as it is extremely important to keep the mom also happy and healthy.
Keep up with your wellness visits and discuss every detail with your pediatrician.
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Minu Manisha
