Last Updated on March 10, 2025 by monalishamund1987@gmail.com
When your baby first comes, you can feel a little worn out from taking care of her. You may have anxiety even when performing everyday duties like dressing and changing diapers. Do not be concerned. Eventually, you would get the self-assurance of a seasoned parent. The most crucial details about your baby’s preferred methods of being held, talked to, and handled will be revealed to you.
Feeding your baby
From the first hour of your baby’s birth until she is six months old, keep breastfeeding her. During the first week, holding your infant near will assist establish lactation.
Breastfeeding:
Breastfeeding is established and maintained when the baby and mother have skin-to-skin contact as soon as possible after birth. Due to their keen sense of smell, nearly all newborns are able to identify the scent of their mother’s breast milk.
Frequency: Your baby’s sucking will be encouraged and milk production will increase when the mother breastfeeds more frequently.
How often should I feed my baby ?
When baby is hungry, S/He may :
become agitated,
suck their fingers or fist, and emit noises like whispers.
They root by turning their head and opening their jaws.
A sobbing baby is hard to feed, therefore it’s ideal to try to feed them during these early feeding signals.
During the first week, the amount of milk produced by the breast increases significantly. One may produce as little as 1 teaspoonful, or 5 ml, at each meal during the first few days, but by the fourth or fifth day, the volume may have increased to 20–30 ml.
How can you determine whether your child is receiving enough?
You can typically tell if a baby is getting enough milk by looking at her diapers. The youngster typically wets six or more diapers and passes at least three yellow stools by day seven, whereas on the first day they only wet one diaper.
Patterns of Feeding
Every baby feeds in a different way. Some would begin as soon as they were placed on the breast. Some would require time. One must comprehend this behavior and exercise patience.
Vaccination:
The infant will receive shots for vitamin K1, BCG, oral polio, and hepatitis B on the first day of life. In order to avoid rare bleeding abnormalities in infants that might lead to major issues, the vitamin K1 vaccine is administered within an hour after birth.
Your baby has multiple reasons to cry.
It enables her to request assistance in order to meet her demands.
It assists her in blocking out voices, light, and other sensations that are too strong for her.
It also relieves her stress.
Listen carefully to the various screams your baby makes. The cause of it will soon become apparent to you.
Prioritize attending to the child’s most urgent demand when answering their cries.
Verify whether the diaper is dirty or whether her limbs are cold.
Typically, a hunger cry is low-pitched, brief, and rises and falls. An outburst of rage will typically be erratic. A loud, abrupt cry of pain is followed by a protracted, high-pitched shriek, a long pause, and finally a flat wave.
Assisting Your Infant in Sleeping :
The infant will have a distinct sleep pattern from the first week till she is between two and four weeks old. She might choose to remain up at night and sleep during the day. When your infant is sleeping, you should take a break. When the infant is napping, keep harsh light out of the room and let light in when they are awake to create a comfortable environment.
Babies typically sleep for 16 to 18 hours, yet this amount of time will progressively decrease over time. You can aid in your infant’s sleep by
Making sure the infant is properly positioned and protected to promote restful sleep
Before attempting to put your infant to sleep, make sure they are warm and fed.Allow the baby to maintain her own sleep cycle.
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Assisting Your Infant in Sleeping |
Movement of the Bowel and Urination
If a baby is fed enough, they typically urinate six to eight times a day. The mother should know that her milk is inadequate if the infant passes less urine. When on breast milk, a baby will often pass semi-solid feces, though occasionally they might not pass any at all. Unless the infant is not eating, vomiting, or exhibiting other symptoms of discomfort, there is no cause for concern.
Handling the Diaper Area
Every time you change your child’s diaper, wash your hands with soap and water. Make sure there are enough clothes and diapers for the kids. Eight to twelve changes a day can be necessary. Before disposing of soiled diapers permanently or cleaning and reusing them, make sure you have a temporary diaper storage container with a lid.
The diaper area is subjected to occlusion, friction, excessive hydration, and maceration. The best methods for cleaning the diaper area are water and a moist towel. It is recommended that mothers use cloth napkins that should be replaced often. The area needs to be kept dry. The area can be cleaned after defecation using cotton balls soaked in lukewarm water or wet towels. Barrier creams with zinc oxide and petroleum-based preparations could be utilized if diapers are being used. It is recommended to wash cloth napkins in warm water with a moderate detergent and then let them dry in the sun. Antiseptics should not be used on a regular basis.
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Handling the Diaper Area |
The umbilical cord’s care
It is important to keep umbilicus clean and dry. Cleaning should be done with lukewarm water, and the chord should be left open.
Taking care of the scalp
Newborns often have crusts and scaling (peeling) of the scalp. Scales and crusts may be removed with baby shampoos that don’t have any scent. Only after the cord has been removed can the baby’s scalp and hair be cleaned. You can then wash your baby’s hair and scalp twice a week.
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Taking care of the scalp |
Taking care of the premature baby’s skin
Handle preterm infants with minimal force and gentleness. Parents and medical professionals should maintain good hand hygiene. Give the infant a sponge wash just till they weigh 2.5 kg. Following that, a typical bath with a gentle cleanser might be administered.
Bathing your Baby
There is no harm in giving newborns and infants a BabyRoutine wash. It is better to take a bath every day. Babies may receive two or three baths each week throughout the winter and in mountainous areas.
Always trim your nails before handling the infant. Once the infant has stabilized (typically 48 hours in a normal delivery of a baby of normal weight), you can begin washing them.
A warm room is the ideal setting for a bath.
The temperature of the bath water should not be more than 37 degrees Celsius, therefore it should be lukewarm.
Before putting the infant in the bath, make sure the water is at the right temperature.
Apply a tiny bit of water on the baby’s scalp, neck folds, and crotch areas to give them a bath. Since the diaper area is frequently polluted, it should be cleaned last.
You should not take a bath for more than five minutes. Longer showers can reduce the baby’s threshold for damage and overhydrate their already delicate skin.
Giving your infant a massage or using touch therapy
For a newborn’s growth and development, touch is thought to be absolutely necessary. Massage is the systematic application of touch. In addition to toning muscles, massage enhances circulation, suppleness, and the relationship between the various body parts. Bonding between mother and child is enhanced by massage.
Advantages of Oil Massage
Oil boosts weight gain, improves the operation of the skin barrier, and provides warmth and nourishment. After a massage, infants also behave less stressed. You can massage your infant with coconut and sunflower oil.
Avoid rubbing newborns with mineral oil, olive oil, mustard oil, or synthetic oil. It is best to provide an oil massage before taking a bath in the summer and after taking one in the winter.
Babies should receive massages when they are attentive and active, ideally one to two hours after feeding. A warm room is the ideal setting for a massage. In addition to cutting their nails, the caregiver or mother must take off their watch and rings. You should apply these light strokes from head to foot. One should work with the baby’s motions rather than against them because they might not lie still. It will take fifteen minutes for a full body massage.
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Advantages of Oil Massage |
Stimulation for your Baby
The secret to brain development is to give the proper stimulation at the right moment. Both parents of high-risk babies and regular kids will benefit from the stimulation program, which will bring out the best in both. For this program, the mother should serve as the therapist. A stimulating atmosphere and toys that are age-appropriate are essential to a child’s growth.
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Stimulation for your Baby |
The following advice can help with bonding and positive stimulation:
In response to your baby’s cries and cues, be kind and encouraging.
Make sure the infant is properly positioned near the mother and is cuddled when they become agitated or upset.
Bonding is also ensured via massage.
Be mindful of when your baby needs a break and may turn away, but spend a lot of time making loving eye contact with them.
In their early years, babies love lots of positive touch and thrive on their parents’ love and attention. Some people may claim that “you will spoil the baby,” but this is untrue when you are attending to your infant’s requirements.
Talk to your infant frequently and make an effort to express how they are feeling. “You’re so happy to be playing this game,” for instance.
Make a running commentary about whatever you are doing, such as naming the actions you are performing, such as “One arm through, other arm, over your head!” when clothing a baby. This eventually teaches infants to anticipate what will come next.
Follow your baby’s lead and have fun. This will facilitate the development of a sensitive relationship between you two. For instance, sit close to your infant and explain the fan if they are examining it.
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Positive stimulation |
Thanks and Regards
N.B. This information is suggestive only
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