7 Ways To Care For Infants

I visited my niece when she delivered a baby boy; she was happy and excited with her first child, but also anxious about how she would handle the small, helpless newborn who required her attention 24/7. I just asked her to take a deep breath, follow all the infant’s basic needs and then provide for them; I gave her also some of the tips I knew.

Ways to care for infants:

 
1) Infants feed either on the breast or bottle most of the time they are awake to support and sustain their need to grow fast; the choice of bottle or breast is made by each parent, though breast feeding is highly recommended. It is best to gather knowledge and equipment before hand, though the nursing staff or lactation consultant would offer you help before leaving the hospital.

2) I would say dirtying of diapers is common; it is a good indication that your infant is getting enough of formula and nutrients. Most newborns until 6 months have 10 wet/dirty diapers and about 4-6 wet diapers a day afterwards. Make sure that you buy a pack of diapers before the baby to familiarize yourself about how to use them; be prepared for accidents as you get used to changing your baby.

3) Bathing your infant daily may not be very necessary, until he/she gets down to the floor and start crawling around. It would however be a good idea to give your infant a wipe down cleaning especially in the diaper area and under the chin and neck folds. However a gentle bath at bedtime ensures the infant relaxes and sleeps well.  

4) It is very necessary to care for the umbilical cord; clean the area around the umbilical cord during each diaper change with a cotton swab or ball. It would take about 2 months for the umbilical cord to heal into the belly button, so ensure you do not pull or tug at the umbilical cord before it has healed. Be sure to consult a doctor if there is any unusual discharge or blood while cleaning the umbilical cord; it could be a tear or infection.  

5) Bonding with the infant is best done with an infant massage or a skin to skin time; taking time to rub your infant down with some lotion or by holding him/her bare against your bare skin. This will make the baby feel more secure, safe and loved, with this contact being reassuring to the baby as if he/she is in the mother’s womb.

6) I have always felt that sleep is important both for the infant and new parents; most babies sleep about 16 hours a day mostly in spurts. There could be reasons why an infant doesn’t sleep; it could be uncomfortable wetness or dirty diapers or when he/she is hungry, as infants need to be fed every 2-4 hours. Sometimes an infant may need to be held and comforted; it would help to develop a plan where you and your spouse share this responsibility so that both feel rested.

7) Lastly it is important to note that toys are not necessary for newborns; they just have interest in people and faces. If you must, buy toys that are contrasting like a soft black and white block with some red on it; infants cannot easily make out colors.