Having a baby is one of the happiest moments; everyone cherishes it in their way.
Even after anticipating for months with dreams of how your little one would be and how they would make you feel, nothing quite compares to the moment you finally get to hold them. They say that the first time you hold your child in your hands, it feels like a missing part of your heart and soul has been found. However, once you realize they are it, you know you can’t survive without them.
That being said, despite the unexplainable love and devotion you feel toward your baby, learning to take care of a newborn is not an easy feat. The challenges ahead are especially daunting for first-time parents, more so if it took some time to get pregnant, or you went through home insemination or other fertility treatments. However, with some help and guidance, you can prepare yourself accordingly to ensure that you provide the best care to your baby.
Here Are Six Prime Ways Parents Can Take Care Of Their Newborns
To further help you out, we’ve put together this handy guide of six ways to take care of your newborn:
1. Monitor Them Closely
The first few weeks and months of a baby’s life are the most important, as this is when they are most vulnerable. Therefore, monitoring your baby’s behavior closely and watching for anything unusual is essential. It is imperative if you had a high-risk pregnancy/delivery or premature birth, as these situations can often lead to a birth injury.
For instance, you should note if your baby has unusually stiff muscles, experiences excessive drooling, or has difficulty feeding, all of which are signs of a birth injury brain damage. In such cases, it is imperative to identify the issue and visit a physician as early as possible so treatment can start on time.
2. Limit Visitors
Your friends and family are bound to be excited beyond imagination to meet your little one. However, during the first few weeks, limit visitors and ask those who visit to avoid making close contact with the baby. During the first few weeks, babies are highly susceptible to infections as their immune system is not fully developed. It puts them at a high risk of infection.
Therefore, tell all visitors to take the necessary precautions before coming, such as washing hands, wearing masks, and avoiding kissing the baby’s face to ensure your child’s health and safety are not compromised.
3. Learn to Identify Signs
Babies have odd ways of communicating, which is only natural since they can’t express themselves through words. Each newborn expresses their needs differently; however, most of them cry.
The trick you have to learn is to identify their crying pattern; what does each crying pattern represent? Either hunger, sleepiness, boredom, or dirty diapers. It can be frustrating at first as you might think your baby is crying out of hunger, but when you try to feed them, the crying only worsens. By learning to identify other signs of communication, you can better care for your baby.
For instance, before resorting to crying, a baby might start smacking their lips together as a sign of hunger, or they might attempt to talk to you in baby language as a sign of boredom. You ensure your baby remains happy and healthy by noticing these signs and fulfilling their needs.
4. Make a Sleep Schedule
A sleep schedule is essential for surviving the first few months of parenthood. However, until the baby reaches around six months, you will have to abide by their schedule rather than the other way around. Babies need a lot of sleep and will spend most of the day (and night) peacefully dreaming away.
However, they tend to wake up at odd hours in the middle of the night fully rested, demanding (by crying) you give them company. To ensure that you get enough sleep to function correctly, catch a wink whenever the baby is down.
Once you hit the 5-6 month mark, you can start establishing a sleep schedule for your baby. The process takes a couple of days and is quite tricky. However, the trouble is well worth the peaceful night’s sleep you’ll enjoy afterward.
5. Develop Your Bond
An essential part of your baby’s first few months is developing your relationship with them. For mothers, the connection can be instantaneous or take some time until they tackle their post-partum depression. However, for men, being a father can be entirely alienating at first, and some men must make a conscious effort to develop a connection with the baby. As a newborn, the bond your child builds with you is the foundation for your entire relationship.
Spend as much time as you can with your baby, consciously make physical contact, speak to them as if they can understand, and enjoy witnessing their firsts. You’ll look back at and cherish these moments for years to come.
6. Ask for Help
You may think that being a parent comes naturally to everyone, and others have it all figured out. However, that is far from the case. In reality, everyone has their fair share of struggles; even our parents have spent most of their parenthood just winging it.
Hence, it is natural to feel overwhelmed and tired with a newborn. You can ask for help when you need it. Remember that there is no competition between you and the world, and nobody has any right to judge you.
Therefore, instead of struggling alone, find the courage to seek help to protect yourself and your child. Especially if you or your partner have parents that live close by, we’re sure they would love nothing more than to spend time with their grandchild.
Final Words
Becoming a parent is a beautiful but challenging experience. However, rather than make it overly complicated, relish in the wonders of the little bundle of joy you and your partner have brought into this world.
If you provide love, care, and attention to your child, they will be absolutely fine. With the above guidelines and the support of your family and friends, you’ll easily grasp this new beautiful chapter of your life.
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