Taking care of a baby for new parents might not be as easy. There are lots of new things that you should do, things that you are afraid you won’t be able to do correctly.
Everything new is certainly thrilling and worrying, including when you become a new parent. The absence of hands-on experience caring for newborns will undoubtedly cause confusion. To help shed light on your worry, let’s look at some of the following tips to know what you can do to care for your newborns!
Many parents wonder when it’s safe for their toddler to start sleeping with a blanket. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents not introduce blankets into the crib until the child is 12 months old. This is because blankets, pillows, and other soft bedding items can pose a suffocation risk for young infants. Once your child reaches 12 months, you can introduce a thin, lightweight blanket into their sleep routine. Check here at Caden Lane.
Be Cautious When Holding Them
It can be hard to hold a baby, especially in the first few weeks. Due to their small size, you may feel like they are too fragile to hold, and you continue to worry that they will escape your grasp.
To ensure you can hold them carefully, pick your baby up and immediately place one hand under their head and the other under their bottom to hold them. Make sure you support their head and neck properly.
Remember to never shake a baby’s body too much when playing, waking, or calming them down. If you do this, it can trigger a serious medical condition called shaken baby syndrome.
Always Check the Water Temperatures Before Bathing Your Baby
Ensure the baby’s bath water temperature is comfortably warm before putting the baby in. To ensure the temperature is not too high and scald the baby, you should use a thermometer to check first. The water for your baby’s bath should not be hotter than 37°C, according to average body temperature.
Pay Attention to Breastfeeding Position
For a new mom, finding the proper pace when breastfeeding her baby might be a little tricky. Therefore, you need to know the correct breastfeeding positions so that the breastfeeding process becomes more comfortable, and thus good bonding between you and your baby can be formed.
When you breastfeed your baby, make sure that the baby is in the correct position. Position your baby’s body facing yours, with its face directly in front of your breast. Placing the baby’s nose in line with the nipple can encourage him to open his mouth wide and attach well to the breast. However, if the baby doesn’t open his mouth, try brushing the nipple over his upper lip to encourage the baby to open his mouth.
Newborns are still in the process of learning how to breastfeed correctly. That’s why it might be hard for them to latch onto their mouth and breastfeed. However, over time, the baby will master breastfeeding, and you don’t have to worry anymore.
Install Air Conditioner to Maintain the Indoor Temperature for the Baby
If you live in a hot and tropical country, utilizing an air conditioner is essential to ensure comfort for all. Especially for your little one, they too will feel uncomfortable and thus become very fussy due to the hot weather. To ensure the hot weather won’t disturb your baby’s sleep, install an air conditioning system in the baby’s bedroom.
Installing air conditioning can also prevent your baby from experiencing various health problems due to the heat. Babies, especially newborns, cannot adjust their body temperature as well as adults. This makes them susceptible to diseases from hot weather, such as skin rashes, dehydration, or heatstroke. Some experts also say that a cooled and well-ventilated room can help babies sleep comfortably and reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Thus, installing an air conditioner is very beneficial. However, don’t forget to also pay attention to the following when you want to install air conditioning in the baby’s room:
- Set the room temperature in the range of 23°C-26°C to ensure the room temperature is comfortable.
- Get aircon services regularly to ensure the air conditioner can efficiently cool a room and circulate clean air.
- After turning off the air conditioner, don’t let your baby be exposed immediately to hot weather. Let them adjust first to the room temperature before bringing your baby out. It’s crucial because sudden temperature changes can make the baby sick quickly.
Don’t Forget to Take Care of Yourself
Caring for a newborn, especially new mothers, can be tough. Your baby might be cranky, you might feel tired from not getting enough sleep, and you might be sore from having to breastfeed constantly. Having to deal with such things continuously will be mentally taxing. But remember, if you want to take care of your baby well, you should also be in good physical and mental health.
One important thing you should do to take care of yourself is to ensure you have proper rest. If your baby does not sleep well, you might also experience sleep deprivation. Many parents go through this frequently, and it exhausts them greatly. What you can do to troubleshoot this problem is to alternate sleep shifts with your partner. This is an excellent way to rest appropriately at different times.
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