Blessing From Above - Baby Care Tips

A Miracle Starts With a Beat of a Heart💓

Seeking Support After the Birth Find getting help that can be very hectic and stressful during this period. Many clinics have nutrition specialists or lactation counselors to help you get started with breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Nurses are also a fantastic resource for teaching you how to carry, burp, change and look after your infant.

You may want to hire a baby nurse, postpartum Douala or a responsible neighborhood teen to support you for a short time after birth for in-house assistance. Your doctor or hospital may be able to help you find in-house support information, and can refer you to home health agencies.

Relatives and friends are often always keen to help. Even if you disagree on certain issues, don't deny their knowledge. But don't feel bad about putting limits on visitors if you don't feel up to getting guests or have other issues.

Handling a Newborn If you haven't been around newborns for a long time, their fragility can be challenging. Here's a few things to remember: Wash your hands before touching your baby (or using a hand sanitizer). Newborns do not yet have a good immune system and they are at risk of being infected. Make sure everybody who touches your baby gets their hands clean.

Help to the head and neck of your infant. Cradle your head when holding your infant, and support your back when carrying the baby upright or when lying down your baby. 

Always shake your baby, in practice or out of rage. Shaking in the brain can cause bleeding, and even death. Should not do so by shaking if you need to wake your child — either tickle your baby's feet or softly blow on an ear.

Make sure your baby is safely secured to the backpack, car seat or stroller. Limit any movement which may be too rough or bouncy. 

Know that your infant is not ready for rough play, including being knee-jiggled or tossed into the air.

BONDING & SOOTHING

Bonding, perhaps one of the most pleasurable aspects of child care, happens in the first hours and days after birth during the critical period when parents make a meaningful bond with their child. Physical closeness can encourage emotional bonding.

For infants, connection contributes to their emotional growth, which in other areas, such as physical growth, also affects their development. Another way to think about bonding with your baby is by "falling in love." Children thrive in their lives by having an loving parent or other adult who loves them.

Start bonding by cradling your infant, and stroke him or her gently in different patterns. You and your wife should also take the opportunity to be "head-to-skin," when feeding or cradling, holding your baby against your own head.

Babies may respond to infant massage, especially premature babies and those with medical problems. Other forms of massage can improve bonding and help with growth and development of infants. Many books and videos cover the treatment of children-ask your doctor for advice. Be careful though — babies aren't as powerful as adults, so gently massage your infant.

Babies seem to enjoy vocal sounds like talking, babbling, humming, and cooing. The baby would probably love to listen to music as well. Some effective ways to stimulate the infant's hearing are baby rattles and musical mobiles. Consider humming, reciting poems and nursery rhymes, or reading aloud as you swing or gently rock your baby in a chair, if your little one's being cranky.

Some babies may be particularly sensitive to touch, light, or sound, and may easily startle and scream, sleep less than expected, or turn away their faces when someone talks to them or sings to them. Keep noise and light levels low to moderate if that is the case with your infant.

SWADDLING

Swaddling, which works well during the first few weeks for certain children, is another calming method that parents will learn for the first time. Proper swaddling holds the arms of a baby tight to the chest, while permitting some leg movement. Swaddling not only keeps a baby warm but it appears to offer a sense of protection and comfort to most newborns.

DIAPERING

Before you carry your baby home you'll probably know whether you're going to wear cloth or disposable diapers. Whatever you use, your little one is going to dirty diapers about 10 times a day, or about 70 days a week. Before diapering your infant, make sure that you have all the supplies within reach so that you don't have to put your baby on the changing table unsupervised. You will need:

A clean diaper, 

Fasteners  (if cloth prefold diapers are used)

Diaper ointment

Diaper wipes (or a container of warm water and a clean washcloth or cotton balls)

BATHING BASICS

A sponge bath should be offered to your baby until: the umbilical cord falls off and the navel heals fully (1–4 weeks) the circumcision heals (1–2 weeks) A bath in the first year, two or three times a week is good. More frequent bathing will dry up on the skin. 

Before bathing your infant, have those things ready:

• A soft, clean washcloth
• Mild, unscented baby soap and shampoo
• A soft brush to stimulate the baby's scalp
• Towels or blankets
• A clean diaper
• Clean clothes

SLEEP

As a new parent you might be surprised to learn that your baby, who seems to need you every minute of the day, normally sleeps around 16 hours or more!

Newborns usually sleep for 2–4 hour cycles.Do not expect yours to sleep through the night — the babies' digestive tract is so weak that they need nourishment every few hours and should be awoken if they have not been fed for 4 hours (or more often if your doctor is concerned about gaining weight).

How would you expect your child to sleep through the night? Most babies sleep through the night (between 6–8 hours) at the age of 3 months, but if not yours, it's not a cause for concern. Like adults, babies continue to establish their own routines and periods of sleep, so if your baby is gaining weight and seems stable, don't worry if he or she hasn't slept at 3 months through the night.

FEEDING

They need to feed a newborn baby every 2 to 3 hours. When you breastfeed, give your baby the chance to nurse at each breast for about 10–15 minutes. If you're consuming formula, your baby will most likely take around 2–3 ounces (60–90 millilitres) each time you feed.