You have undergone the nine months of your pregnancy waiting for the arrival of your little one. After the labor and the time spent in the hospital, now you are ready to get discharged and go home. Taking care of your little one for the first time could be an intimidating task. Here are some of the tips about new-born babies
Skin to skin contact
Skin to skin contact means keeping your baby naked with only a nappy on the top of your chest with a blanket cover on top of the baby. Skin to skin contact helps to keep the baby warm and calm. They also feel very reassured listening to the mother's heartbeats.
Breastfeeding
In the beginning, it feels as if the baby is constantly breastfeeding, but gradually you and your baby will get into a pattern and the amount of milk you produce will also improve. Typically babies feed once in 2 to 3 hours and generally feed more at night. This could keep first-time mothers constantly awake at night and tire them out. You should ensure to take adequate rest whenever the baby sleeps. Ensure a balanced nutritious diet with plenty of liquids to drink.
Sleep
Babies generally sleep 1 to 2 hours between every feed. They are more sleepy during the day and feed more at night. They may spend 15 to 16 hours sleeping and the remaining time is spent on feeding. After a few months, this will settle down and babies tend to sleep longer.
What is the right temperature for the baby ?
Ensure that you are comfortable in your room depending on how many layers of clothes you are wearing add an additional layer of clothes to the baby. This will ensure that the baby is also comfortable.
Crying
Baby will generally cry when they are hungry. They will settle down as soon as they start suckling at the breast. However, there are some other reasons where the baby could be crying. One of them could be if they have Passed urine or motions and want the nappy to be changed. The other reason could be if the room is too hot or too cold.
Colic
Sometimes babies do have stomach cramps and could cry. Rocking the babies gently or burping the babies or using a vibratory noise to distract them could calm them down. If they are not settling you might need to see your doctor who might prescribe anti-colic medication to Calm your baby.
Bathing the baby
An initial couple of days wiping the baby is enough. Once the baby gets discharged from the hospital and goes home, you can start giving a bath to the baby. Babies can be bathed every day. Baby soaps and shampoos which are milder in strength and concentration could be used on the baby. You could use a moisturizing cream after the bath and avoid using talcum powder as powder causes dry skin.
