Master parenting by following these 10 simple babycare steps and give your newborn the best start to his/her life.
Having a baby is perhaps the most wonderful thing in this world. When babies come into one’s life, it changes quite a bit. Their laughter makes us laugh, and their pain makes us cry. We want to leave no stone unturned to keep them happy and healthy.
But caring for a newborn can be quite a daunting task, especially for parents who are having a baby for the first time. There are so many firsts and so much information on the Internet on the topic that we find ourselves in a tangle. In this blog, we have tried to condense the most important steps in baby care in ten points so that you do not have to wade through a pool of irrelevant and often unscientific information to give your baby a happy and healthy start to life.
Feeding the baby
Being one of the essential steps in baby care, it is ideal that we start from here. As we all know, the mother’s breast milk is the best for a newborn. But what most of us are unaware of is when to feed the baby and what signs to look for to realize that the baby is hungry and needs to be fed. Usually, it is when a baby cries that we realize that she is hungry. But it is the very last sign that she uses to alert the parents.
A baby needs to be fed around 8 to 12 times a day. That means she needs to be fed at an interval of two to three hours. Babies often give us signs to show that she is hungry. These signs are usually sucking on her fingers or knuckles, smacking her lips, and finally, crying. We need to look out for these signs to know that the baby needs to be fed. Once we can trace her hunger at a preliminary stage, it keeps her from crying and being fussy.
Nowadays, another challenge that needs to be addressed is how and what to feed the baby when the mother is not home. This can be addressed by pumping out breast milk and storing it in a high-quality feeder bottle like Niño’s baby feeding bottles. When the baby is hungry, her babysitter can warm the milk to 98.6-degree Fahrenheit and feed the baby. The high-quality sucklers of Niño’s feeding bottle are made of harmless materials and do not have any adverse effects on the baby.
Ensuring the baby’s sound sleep
Sleeping allows a baby to grow physically as well as mentally. For the first two months, the baby needs to sleep around 16 hours a day. Usually, the sleep pattern differs amongst babies. So, parents need not worry in case their newborn is not following a specific cycle. A few things that we should do is to make the baby sleep on her back and alternate her head position in a few hour’s intervals. Doing so prevents the baby from feeling suffocated or developing flat spots on her head.
The proper way to handle the newborn
A baby’s organs are delicate, and that is why she should be handled with utmost care. A few things can be done that will keep her healthy in the short as well as long run. We should always disinfect our hands before touching her. This helps prevent infections and rashes. Also, we should make the baby lie on her stomach for a few minutes every day. This strengthens her back muscles as well as benefits her vision. While holding the baby, we should always make it a point to support her head and neck with one hand. We should refrain from shaking her vigorously as that could damage her inner organs.
Bathing habits
Bathing a newborn is a very vital and delicate task. We should start bathing the baby only after two or three weeks from delivery after the umbilical cord stump falls off. We should always use gentle strokes to wash the baby’s skin. The use of soap should be sparing, and only baby soap should be used. The towel used to dry the baby should be clean and soft. Bathing the baby before her bedtime is a good idea as it makes her sleep soundly.
Massaging the baby
Massaging a baby improves blood circulation in her body, improves digestion, and makes her sleep soundly. Massaging is also a great way to interact with the baby. While massaging, the parent should maintain eye contact with the baby and should talk to her. This helps her cognitive and speech abilities. Parents should be conscious about which oil or lotion they are using to massage their babies. A regular massage before bathing does the baby a world of good.
Diapering
If a baby is being fed well, she will wet her diapers around ten times a day, and if the wet diaper is not changed, the baby might start fussing, or could have skin rashes. In order to prevent that from happening, parents should check her diaper at regular intervals and change the dirty diapers. Before putting on a new diaper, we should clean the baby, dry her, and apply a bit of anti-rash powder. This will keep the baby healthy and cheerful.
Soothing the baby
Babies will cry. We all know that, and that is why it is important that we are aware of the ways to soothe the baby. One traditional and highly effective way of soothing a baby is to replicate the environment of the womb. This can be done by swaying and swaddling the baby. Allowing her to suck on something also helps to calm her down. Giving the baby one of Niño’s baby pacifiers can help calm her down. Music is another tool that can help calm down the baby. There are numerous albums of pacifying music for babies available on the Internet.
The above-mentioned ways are effective, but what is most effective from the perspective of the parent is to keep calm and smile through any murky phase that the baby might have.
Keep the baby’s nails trimmed
A newborn’s nails usually grow very fast, and with their skin being very soft and their movements uninformed, they can easily scratch their own body or face, and that can be very painful and can make them fussy. In order to prevent anything of the sort from happening, it is essential that parents trim the nails of the baby. The best time to trim the baby’s nails is when she is sleeping. We should also make it a point not to trim the nails too deeply as it can be painful for the baby.
Caring for the umbilical cord stump
Looking after the baby’s umbilical cord stump for about a month from her birth is one of the most vital aspects of baby care. We should keep the area clean and dry. It is best to use a damp cloth to clean it and then dry it using a clean and absorbent cloth. We should always look out for any infection, swelling, or redness in the navel area. If any such condition comes up, we should take the baby to a pediatrician.
Taking the baby outdoors
Taking a baby outdoors is a pretty big step and can be a bit intimidating too. Hence, it is always good to have an experienced parent accompany us on our first outing with our baby. Also, it is important to pack the baby’s things like diapers, feeding bottles, and other stuff. You do not want to step out unprepared.
It is important that we understand that parenting is a big responsibility. So, during our first few outings with our baby, we should be prepared to embrace the chaos and cancel any plans that we might have chalked out if we think it’s the best thing to do for the baby’s sake.
So that was the ten most important baby care steps that you should be following to give your baby a happy and healthy life. Now that you know how to do and what to do to keep your baby healthy, we are sure that you will be the best parents your baby could have asked fo