11 Baby Care Tips New Moms Wish They Knew
No matter how prepared you are, these baby care tips will still come in handy once you’re caring for your newborn.
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In this article:
- When in Doubt, Call Your Pediatrician
- Trim Your Baby’s Nails
- Normalize Your Baby’s Sleep Pattern
- Keep Tags and Receipts for New Baby Clothes
- Expect Different Noises from Your Baby
- Prepare for a Blow Out
- Trust in Yourself
- Don’t Panic When You See Rashes
- Keep Baby Warm During a Bath
- Add a Layer to the Crib
- Take Care of Yourself
Top 11 Care Tips After Your Successful Baby Delivery
1. When in Doubt, Call Your Pediatrician
Everyone from doctors to in-laws and the media will be painting vivid pictures of what can happen to your child and keep you worried. You may start getting anxious about viruses, bacteria and even a change in your child’s behavior.
Be sure to read up on common baby diseases and symptoms to stay on top of things. When in doubt, consult with your doctor and have your child checked.
2. Trim Your Baby’s Nails
New moms get very nervous about trimming a baby’s nails, but this is one of the basics for caring for newborn babies. Not cutting the baby’s nails gives them the ability to scratch and hurt themselves.
The safest method of keeping your baby’s nails short is using a nail file instead. There’s no risk of nipping the baby’s sensitive skin.
At 18 months, it becomes safe to cut their nails while sleeping. You must use a special baby nail clipper to cut the nails after bathing because that is when the nails are at their softest.
3. Normalize Your Baby’s Sleep Pattern
You can try influencing your baby’s sleep schedule by playing and interacting with your baby during the day while keeping the general area bright.
At night, don’t play with the baby when they wake up and keep the lights and noise to a minimum. This allows the baby to figure out that night time is for sleeping.
4. Keep Tags and Receipts for New Baby Clothes
Newborns grow like weeds during the first week. A newborn needs clothes, but don’t be hasty and take the tags off or wash new clothes right away.
A lot of newborn clothes become too small for your baby to wear. Keep the tags and receipts and swap them with the right size.
5. Expect Different Noises from Your Baby
If you hear a lot of noises from your baby, especially after sleeping or dozing, don’t panic. Noises such as groaning, grunting, snorting and other sounds are normal for a baby.
The strange noises you hear are caused by narrow nasal passages during the newborn stage, which results in mucus getting trapped and creating odd sound effects. You can clear the mucus with a nasal aspirator.
If the baby, however, grunts with every breath, he/she may have trouble breathing. Contact your pediatrician ASAP if this occurs.
6. Prepare for a Blow Out
Changing diapers can feel a bit like defusing a bomb. You will never know when a baby is about to blow. Newborn poop is usually liquid with a bit of a mustard seeds texture. This means that it doesn’t take a lot of force to shoot it across the room.
Prepare to clean the mess off the walls. Newborn poop also comes in different colors such as green, yellow, and brown with seedy particles in it. If you see a tinge of blood, contact your pediatrician right away.
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7. Trust in Yourself
When your newborn arrives, you’re going to get a lot of advice from in-laws, parents, friends, and blogs. While a lot of people might argue what the best parenting style is, you must trust yourself to make the right decisions. You spend more time with your baby, and you’ll know him/her better than anyone.
8. Don’t Panic When You See Rashes
Babies normally develop rashes a few days after birth because their skin takes time to adjust to the new environment. Most rashes are benign and heal naturally. The common skin rashes include:
- Baby Acne: Manifests as pimples on the baby’s nose, cheek, and forehead within a month from birth.
- Cradle Cap: Characterized by yellow, scaly and greasy patches that develop on the baby’s scalp.
- Eczema:Â Manifests as red, itchy, dry, and cracked skin.
- Erythema Toxicum:Â Manifests as red, blotchy, red skin usually during the first two to three days.
- Nappy Rash: Are rashes around a baby’s bum.
What is erythema toxicum? It is a common rash in newborn babies and appears within 2 to 5 days after birth.
If your baby, however, develops a rash and looks ill, consult with a pediatrician ASAP.
9. Keep Baby Warm During a Bath
When the baby’s umbilical cord stump finally falls off, usually after three weeks, that’s when you can bathe them properly. A baby who is both warm and comfortable cries less.
You can put a warm washcloth over his/her belly during a bath to achieve this effect. If your house is cold, turn the heat up just a little bit before the bath.
10. Add a Layer to the Crib
When a baby has an upset stomach and poops explosively in the middle of the night, you don’t really want to go through an extensive cleaning process to put the baby back to sleep.
Instead, put two layers of sheets over the mattress and cover the mattress with a waterproof sheet. This makes it easier to change the baby and clean the crib.
11. Take Care of Yourself
To cap off our list of baby care tips, don’t forget to treat yourself and take some time to relax for at least an hour a week. Go out and see your friends or get a new haircut to boost your self-esteem.
Remember, if you’re not healthy, you won’t be able to care for your baby properly.
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Check out this amazing video from Extra Space Storage for more amazing advice about being a parent:
Being a new mom brings about many stressful situations because it is unfamiliar territory. You may feel anxious, intimidated, and confused, which is why these baby care tips will come at an important time in your life.
While you may feel driven to be the best mom for your little one, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Sometimes, all you need is support and comforting words to know you’re doing a good job!
What baby care tips can you share? Tell us in the comments section below!
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