See if you can get help. You may feel a little scared or uncertain when you bathe your baby for the first time. If so, see if you can get your partner or a family member involved. That way, one person can hold the baby in the water while the other person bathes the baby. Undress your baby carefully. Then, slip your baby into the tub feet first, while using one of your hands to support the baby’s neck and hands. Continue to pour warm cupfuls of water into the bath so your baby doesn’t get cold. Use mild soap and use it sparingly so you don’t get it into your baby’s eyes. Wash your baby with your hand or with a washcloth, making sure to gently wash your baby from top to bottom and from front to back. Clean your baby’s body, genitals, scalp, hair, and any dried mucus that has collected on your baby’s face. Rinse your baby with cupfuls of warm water. Wipe your baby clean with a washcloth. Lift the baby out of the tub, continuing to use one hand to support her neck and head. Be careful – babies are slippery when wet. Wrap your baby in a hooded towel and pat your baby dry. After that, put a diaper and dress on your baby and kiss him so he has positive associations with being bathed.
Wash or sanitize your hands before you handle your baby. Newborn babies are susceptible to infection because their immune systems aren’t quite so strong yet. Make sure that your hands – and the hands of anyone else who handles the baby – are clean before you make contact. Support your baby’s head and neck. To hold your baby, cradle his head whenever you carry him and support it when you’re holding the baby upright or putting him down. Babies can’t hold up their own heads yet, so don’t ever let a baby’s head flop around. Avoid shaking your baby, whether you’re playing or angry. This can cause bleeding in the brain, which can lead to death. Don’t try to wake up your baby by shaking it, either – instead, tickle its feet or give it another gentle touch. Learn to swaddle your baby. This is a great way to keep your baby feeling secure before he reaches the two month mark.
You can also hold the baby by pacing his tummy on your upper chest, while using the same side hand to hold his body, while using the opposite hang to support the baby’s head from the back. If your baby has older siblings or cousins or is around people unfamiliar with holding babies, carefully instruct them on how to hold the baby and make sure they are sitting down with a knowing adult nearby to keep the baby safe.
You can start with tummy time as soon as a week after the baby is born, once the umbilical cord falls off. To make tummy time fun, get level with your baby. Make eye contact, tickle your baby, and play around. Tummy time is hard work, and some babies will be resistant to it. Don’t be surprised – or give in – if this happens.
Keep it clean. Clean it with plain water and dry it with a clean and absorbent cloth. Make sure to wash your hands before you handle it. Stick to giving your baby sponge baths until it falls off. Keep it dry. Don’t give your baby a full bath until the stump falls off. Expose it to air so the base dries out, keeping the front of your baby’s diaper folded down so it is uncovered. [6] X Expert Source Jami YaegerParenting Specialist Expert Interview. 29 September 2020. Resist the urge to pull it off. Let the stump fall off at its own pace. [7] X Expert Source Jami YaegerParenting Specialist Expert Interview. 29 September 2020.
Your baby also may just need to be burped. Rocking them gently and singing or humming a lullaby to them will help. Give them a pacifier if that doesn’t work. They might just be tired so lay them down. Sometimes, babies just cry and you have to let them until they fall asleep.
In the beginning, the most important thing you can do is to bond with your baby. This means you should stroke your baby, cradle your baby, give the baby some skin-to-skin contact, or even consider giving your baby an infant massage. [9] X Expert Source Jami YaegerParenting Specialist Expert Interview. 29 September 2020. Babies love vocal sounds, and it’s never too early to start talking, babbling, singing, or cooing with your baby. Play some music for the baby while you’re bonding, or play with toys that make noise, such as rattles or mobiles. Some babies are more sensitive to touch and light than others, so if your baby doesn’t seem to be responding well to your attempts at bonding, then you can take it easier with the noise and lights until your baby gets used to it.
It’s also important to pay a visit to your doctor in case you notice anything abnormal; even if you’re not sure that what is happening is abnormal, you should always call the doctor’s office to check. Some symptoms you should look out for include: Dehydration: less than three wet diapers per day, excessive sleepiness, dry mouth Bowel movement problems: no movement during the first two days, white mucus in stool, flecks or streaks of red in the stool, overly high or low temperature Respiratory problems: grunting, flaring of nostrils, fast or noisy breathing, chest retractions Umbilical cord stump problems: pus, odor, or bleeding from stump Jaundice: yellow color in the chest, body, or eyes Prolonged crying: crying for over thirty minutes Other illness: persistent coughing, diarrhea, paleness, forceful vomiting for more than two consecutive feedings, fewer feedings than 6 per day
You should also get an infant seat for your baby. These seats are there to help your young baby sit up, not to help your baby be secured in a car. In this kind of seat, the base should have nonskid surfacing and should be wider than the seat, and it should have a secure locking mechanism, along with washable fabric. Never place your baby in the seat on an elevated surface that the baby can fall from. As for child safety seats, make sure the seat meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standard 213 and that it actually fits your child. Infants and toddles should sit in a rear-facing seat until they are at least 2 years old.
Even if your baby spends most of his time sleeping, you will be feeling a bit overwhelmed, and the more help you have, the more confident you’ll feel about handling your baby.
That being said, you should also establish visiting hours and rules. Having too many friends and family members show up for unexpected visits to see the baby can actually lead to more stress.
Try to create a postpartum plan before your baby is born. Include things like how you’ll eat, when you’ll sleep, whether you’ll need help from family or friends, and so on. [14] X Expert Source Jami YaegerParenting Specialist Expert Interview. 29 September 2020. While this probably won’t be the time for you to take up a new hobby or to start writing a memoir, you should make sure to get some exercise, see your friends at least a little bit, and just to have some “me time” when you can get it. Don’t think that you’re being selfish by wanting a bit of time to yourself after your baby has just been born. If you take even a little bit of time to take care of yourself, you’ll be a better caretaker for your baby. Be easy on yourself. This is not the time to clean the whole house or lose 10 pounds.
Though you should give your baby the time it needs, that doesn’t mean you should be holed up in your house with your baby. Get out of the house as much as you can – it’ll be better for you and your baby. [15] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
All of these feelings are perfectly natural, and any hesitations or fears you have will fade to the background as you embark on a new life with your baby.
