How to take care of a newborn baby in its early weeks

Motherhood is a delightful experience, with most new mothers may be confused about how they will feed, swaddle, hold and soothe the newborn. This article is meant to give tips to new parents for tackling this new responsibility.

Tips to care for the newborn in the first few weeks:

Holding your newborn:

You can bond best with your baby by holding him/her; hold the baby in one hand as a football player holds a ball. First place your baby in your forearm facing you with two to three fingers supporting the head, let your one hand be free. It is most important to know that though newborns are not as fragile as we think, it is necessary to provide support to the head and neck.  

Sleeping tips for your newborn:  

Newborn babies need much sleep; some sleep up to 20 hours in a day. So it is essential that you encourage your baby to take regular naps; this means keeping the environment peaceful and feeding the baby well.

When a baby is 3-4 months old, both breast and bottle fed babies sleep for about 9-12 hours in a row though most pediatricians opine it is only much later.

Diaper changes during nights should be kept as short as possible; daytime napping should be minimized and nighttime napping maximized. This will teach the baby the difference between daytime and nighttime.

The best way to avoid Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is to put your baby to sleep on his back. Avoid keeping any plush toys in the crib, use a firm mattress, and don’t allow/do smoking in the presence of the newborn.

Basics of newborn feeding:

Though breast feeding is the best nutrition for babies, there is nothing wrong with formula feeding if you cannot breastfeed.

Each feeding lasts for 20 to 60 minutes and a baby should be fed every 2 to 3 hours or more frequently if the baby is hungry. During the first few weeks, newborns take about 1 to 3 ounces of breast milk or formula at each feeding.  

An important sign that your baby is not getting enough calories is when your baby sleeps for 6 to 10 hours continuously.

Weight gain is an important indicator that your baby is having enough of breast milk or formula. The best person who can tell you that your baby is gaining weight appropriately is your pediatrician.

Soothing a crying baby:

Crying is the main means of communication for the baby; you will soon learn to realize if your baby is hungry, tired or needs to be held.  

If your baby does not stop crying in spite of your best efforts, it is best to take your baby for a walk or drive. Some babies are soothed by singing, dancing or rocking; reggae music helps as many reggae songs beat roughly 60 to 80 times per minute, like our heart.

Safe and tight swaddle with a correct size blanket 44" x 44 with practice of the swaddle-folding technique helps.

Burping of the baby also helps soothe a crying baby.

Changing diapers:

Babies urinate about 3 to 10 times daily and may have 1 to 8 bowel movements. Change your baby’s diaper every couple of hours and whenever he/she is dirty.

Babies are of various sizes and shapes, so use an appropriate diaper. Also choosing the best diaper brand for your baby is also important; it comes down mostly to trial and error.

 At every diaper change  ensure that you wipe your newborn front to back and also use a diaper rash ointment that is recommended by the pediatrician; this will prevent diaper rash.

The choice of a cloth or disposable diaper is more a question of personal  choice. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Ensure that you release the inner elastic that often gets 'glued' down to the inner portion of the diaper in tightly packed diaper packages.

Hope these tips will help you to comfortably care for your baby during the first few weeks.