Taking care of a newborn baby, especially for first-time mom can be overwhelming. You may feel overwhelmed at first, because there is so much to learn. But don’t worry, you’ll soon know your baby’s needs and how to meet them.
Here are 5 tips to help you feel more confident as a first-time mom.
1. Handling your newborn
If you haven’t spent a lot of time around newborns, they may seem very fragile. Here are a few basics to remember:
– Support your baby’s head and neck. Cradle the head when carrying your baby and support their head when carrying the baby upright or when you lay your baby down.
– Use your arm to support the baby’s head and the hand to support the bottom. Your other arm can now support or stroke your baby gently.
2. Feeding your baby
A newborn baby needs to be fed every 3-4 hours. If you breastfeed, give your baby more time to nurse than formula-feed baby. When it grows up, it will need eat more with longer feeding time.
It is easy to know if your baby is full, it will be not interested in sucking.
Since healthy babies rarely become dehydrated, it is not necessary to give them extra water or juice. In fact, breast milk or bottle milk also meets all the water needs of an infant for at least the first six months of life.
If you think your baby may be dehydrated, watch for signs such as: lethargy, urinating less than 8 times a day, refusing to eat, dry, dark skin… In more severe cases, a sunken soft spot will appear on the top of the baby’s head.
3. Help your baby burp
Babies often swallow air during feedings, which can make them fussy. To help prevent this, burp your baby often. Try burping your as 3 following tips:
– Hold your baby upright with their head on your shoulder. Support your baby’s head and back while gently patting the back with your other hand.
– Lay your baby face-down on your lap. Support your baby’s head, making sure it’s higher than their chest, and gently pat or rub your baby’s back.
– Sit your baby on your lap. Use the other hand to gently pat your baby’s back
4. Sleep
A newborn actually sleeps about 16 -21 hours per day. Most baby sleeps all day and night for the first few weeks. What’s more, most babies don’t sleep through the night until about four months old. To adjust the habit, let your baby stay awake during the day and sleep at night, try the following tips:
– Avoid exposing your baby’s sleeping area with too much light or changing diapers at night for too long. Be sure to put your baby back to sleep right after feedings and diaper changes at night.
– If your child sleeps longer than three or four hours during the day, wake him up and play with him. Because when the baby sleeps too much in the morning, it will be more difficult for the baby to sleep at night.
– Place your baby on a firm, flat mattress. Do not leave soft, smooth objects such as pillows or stuffed animals around when your baby is sleeping. Although seemingly harmless, these products can increase the risk of death from SIDS
5. Soothe your baby
There are a lot of unknown reason why your baby cries. If you have changed a lot of method but it does not work, try following tips:
– Burp your baby often, even if he doesn’t feel uncomfortable. If you’re breastfeeding, burp your baby every time you switch breasts. If your baby is bottle-fed, burp after 60 or 90ml of formula. Stop feeding if your baby is uncomfortable or turns his head to refuse the nipple or bottle.
– Swing your baby in your arms from side to side. Singing and talking can also make the baby stop crying.
– Put your baby in the stroller and go for a walk. Movement also has a calming effect on babies.
– Give your baby a warm bath.