With the blessings of a new life comes great responsibility, especially to new parents. You welcome your child one minute and the next minute you are looking for newborn baby care tips.
You come across countless tips and guides that tell you a lot of stuff. Some that you can’t simply follow, like synchronizing your sleep with baby’s sleep. Is that even possible? Most likely, no.
Besides, this much information may overwhelm you and leave you out of a clue. Especially, it might overwhelm you if you are a first-time parent and have no experience in handling little humans. But don’t worry. While there are things you need to take care of, there is no need to bang your head on the wall.
In this article, we bring you 7 simple and effective tips for you if you are a parent to a newborn. Just by keeping in mind these tips will save you a lot of hassle and will make your life easier and better.
So stick together and head onto these best baby care tips.
Best Newborn Baby Care Tips
1- Feeding the Baby
Either you breastfeed your baby or use formula milk, you need to make sure you are feeding your baby frequently. Usually, the baby will signal you when he’s hungry by crying or putting his fingers in the mouth. While this may not be the case every time. Feed the baby every 1-3 hours. As the baby grows, he tends to eat more and so the number of feeds decreases.
Air gets in the stomach while the baby is being fed, so it is important to burp the baby often. Gently pat on the back of the baby while the baby is in an upright position. Support his head & neck with one hand. Don’t stress out if the baby doesn’t burp.
2- Swaddle your Baby
Swaddling the baby is important as it makes the baby feel comfortable and safe. It also prevents startle reflex and lets the baby sleep peacefully.
Swaddle the baby gently in a cozy blanket. Fold one corner slightly such that it makes a diamond shape. Wrap one corner over to the other side and tuck it at the back of the other side. Then, bring the bottom corner up towards the head of the baby. Now wrap the remaining corner over to the other side and tuck it behind the back. Don’t wrap too tightly or too loose.
Read More: Best Baby Swing for Newborn
3- Using Newborn Baby Swing
Using Baby swings is a superb way to soothe your newborn baby. It mimics the human-like motions with its gentle swings that are usually adjustable. Baby swings also feature music, melodies, and soft toys that stimulate your little one’s auditory and visual centers and enhances these senses.
It calms your baby and automates the process of taking care of your baby while you get some time for yourself to do the chores or rest for a while. It is important to know that you should not leave the baby in the swing out of sight. Also, don’t use the baby swing for more than an hour a day.
Read More: How to Buy a Baby Swing
4- Changing the Diapers
Keeping the baby clean requires changing the diapers now and then, nearly about 8-12 times a day. It’s not the most complicated thing you do. Just follow these simple tips as your ‘diaper guide.
- Wash your hands before and after changing the diapers.
- Clean or wipe with cotton or washcloth.
- Wipe from front to back to prevent any germs and bacteria reach to the front. It may cause infection.
- Put on the new diaper once the skin is dry. This helps in avoiding diaper-rashes.
5- Handling your Little Human
Handling your baby gently is important and crucial particularly for you if you are a new parent. A newborn’s neck muscles and vertebrae are not strong enough to support the weight of the head on its own. So, whenever you hold the baby, support his neck and head with one hand.
Attend to the baby with clean hands. Handle with care and affection. Give your newborn sponge bath for the first few weeks but not too often. One to two times a week is enough.
Never shake your newborn, not even for waking him up. It can cause brain injury and may result in serious consequences.
6- Taking care of Umbilical Cord
Umbilical cord usually sheds off on its own in a week or two. Until then, give a sponge bath to your baby rather than a warm bath. Keep the cord dry and clean to prevent any puss formation or discoloration. Keep the diaper below the cord. If your baby is circumcised, apply petroleum jelly on the tip to prevent it from sticking to diaper and infection.
If you notice any infection or discoloration in the cord or swelling on the tip of the penis, consult the doctor.
7- Building a deep connection with Baby
Build a deep emotional relationship with your baby. It gets stronger with physical contact. Gently massage your baby to enhance muscle growth. Cradle the baby in your arms when he gets fussy. Be close and near to the baby since they see clearly only what’s near to them. Play with your baby, tingle him, sing to them, and develop a deep connection with your little human.
Bottom Line
Whatever you do to take care of your baby, take some time for yourself. Don’t get overwhelmed. Not every day will be the same. Your infant will get sick sometime. There comes a period of being ‘fussy’. Baby swings can help with baby colic. You can read some reviews of the best baby swing.
In a nutshell, as the baby grows, and the time passes, you get the hang of it. You learn the art of handling your baby and it no longer worries you. So, these are the best Newborn baby care tips. Happy parenting.
