How to Care for a Newborn

You’ve brought your little angel home – now what? While caring for a newborn can be one of the most special and precious experiences of your life, you will still feel confused as to what to do to give your baby constant attention and care. To take care of a newborn baby, you need to know how to help him rest, eat, and give him the necessary care and love.

Table of Contents

Master the Basics

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Help your child sleep as much as possible. Newborns need a lot of sleep to grow well – some sleep up to 16 hours a day. Although babies are three months old or older, they can sleep for 6-8 hours continuously, but at birth, babies only sleep for about 2-3 hours, and will have to wake them up if they are not allowed to sleep. eat within 4 hours.

Some babies can’t distinguish between day and night at birth. If your child is more awake at night, try to limit nighttime stimuli by lighting a night light, talking quietly, and being patient until he or she falls asleep.
Put your baby on his or her back to avoid the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
You should alternate the position of your baby’s head – whether he’s lying on his left or right side – to avoid “head banging” if he stays on his side for too long.

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Consider breastfeeding. If you want to breastfeed, the best time to start breastfeeding is from the first hug. You should lean the baby towards you so that the baby’s chest touches the mother’s breast. Gently touch your baby’s upper lip with the nipple and pull her towards her chest as she opens her mouth wide. The baby’s mouth needs to cover the nipple and areola as much as possible. Here are a few things you should know about breastfeeding: ^{[1] X Research Source}

With enough milk, the baby will wet from 6 to 8 diapers a day, have regular bowel movements, be alert when awake, and gain weight steadily.
Don’t stress if breastfeeding is difficult at first; You need to be patient and practice a lot. You can ask your nurse or even a lactation consultant for help (they will give you prenatal training).
Breastfeeding is painless. If your nipples hurt, put your pinky finger between your baby’s gums and your breast to remove the nipple and try again.
You should feed your baby about 8-12 times in the first 24 hours after birth. There is no need to be too rigid, but you should feed your baby whenever he shows signs of hunger such as opening his mouth wide and looking for the breast. You should feed your baby at least every four hours, gently waking him up if necessary.
Comfortable breastfeeding position. Since each feeding can take up to 40 minutes, it’s a good idea to find a comfortable backrest while breastfeeding.
Eat healthy and balanced. Drink plenty of water and prepare yourself for feeling hungrier than usual. Avoid drinking alcohol or coffee because these substances will be absorbed into the milk.

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Consider formula feeding. Choosing to breastfeed your baby with formula or breast milk is a completely personal decision. While studies show that breastfeeding can give your baby better early life development, you may also consider it based on your health, convenience and many other factors before buying. Give decision. Formula feeding makes it easy to know how much milk your baby is taking, to limit the number of feedings and not to have to diet later. If you choose to breastfeed your baby, here are a few things to know: ^{[2] X Research Source}

Be sure to follow the instructions on the package label when preparing formula.
Sterilize newly purchased milk bottles.
Feed your baby every two or three hours, or whenever he seems hungry.
Milk left out of the refrigerator for more than 1 hour or leftovers should be discarded.
Do not store ready-to-use formula in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours. If you’re careful, you can warm the milk because many babies like warm milk, but it’s not really necessary.
Hold your baby at a 45-degree angle to limit the amount of air he sucks. Hold the baby up slightly and support the baby’s head with your hands. Tilt the bottle so that the nipple and neck are full of milk. Absolutely do not stand up the bottle because it is easy for the baby to choke on milk and suffocate.

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Close baby diapers/diapers. Whether you plan to use cloth diapers or diapers, if you plan to care for your baby, you need to become an expert at changing diapers and acting quickly. You should decide which diaper to use before you bring your baby home, and no matter which one you use – you need to be mentally prepared for changing diapers 10 times a day. Here’s what you need to do:

Have the necessary supplies ready. You’ll need a clean diaper, a pin if you’re using cloth diapers, diaper rash cream, a basin of clean water, a clean towel, and some cotton balls or wet wipes.
Take off dirty diapers/diapers. If the diaper is wet, lay the baby on his or her back, remove the dirty diaper, and wipe the baby’s genitals with water and a cloth. If you’re a girl, you’ll need to wipe from front to back to avoid UTIs (UTIs). If you see red spots, apply some diaper rash cream to the rash.
Open a new diaper and place it under the baby’s bottom, gently lifting the legs and feet. Pull the front of the diaper between the legs and up to the baby’s belly. Then stick the tape around it to fit the young person so that the diaper is neat and fixed.
To avoid diaper rash, change diapers as soon as possible after your child has a bowel movement, using soap and water to clean them. Spend a few hours a day without a diaper to allow your baby’s bottom to dry out.

Healthy Child Care

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Give your baby a “tummy time” every day. Because babies mostly sleep on their backs, lying on their stomachs is very important for their holistic development both physically and mentally, and strengthens their arms, head and neck. Some doctors recommend putting babies on their stomachs for about 15-20 minutes a day, while others say you should only put them on their stomachs for about 5 minutes, divided into several times a day to help them grow.

You can start putting your baby on his tummy when he is 1 week old, as soon as the umbilical cord falls off.
To make tummy time fun, you can make eye contact, tickle, and play with your baby.
Tummy time is a pretty “hard” time for babies, so some babies may be resistant to tummy time. If this happens, do not be surprised, or follow the child’s wishes.

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Caring for the baby’s navel. The umbilical cord will fall off in about 2 weeks. The navel will turn from a greenish yellow to brown and black as it dries and falls off on its own. It is important to take good care of the belly button while it has not fallen off to avoid infection. Here’s what you should do: ^{[4] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Keep the navel clean. Clean the navel with clean water and pat dry with a clean cloth. You need to wash your hands before touching the baby’s navel. Wipe (dry bath) the baby until the umbilical cord falls off.
Keep the navel dry. Leave the navel exposed to the air to allow the umbilical fluid to dry. You can fold the front part of the diaper below your navel to expose it.
Avoid the effects that make the navel fall off quickly. Let the navel fall off naturally.
Watch for signs of an umbilical cord infection. If all of a sudden you see a little bit of dry blood or a little scab near the base of your belly button, that’s completely normal; however, if you notice a foul-smelling discharge or yellow pus from the umbilical stump, continued bleeding, swelling or redness, you need to see a doctor immediately.

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Learn how to comfort children. If your child seems upset, it’s not always easy to find the exact cause, but you can try a few tips. Check to see if the diaper is wet or try breastfeeding. If that doesn’t work, try putting on more clothes if it’s cold, or taking off more clothes if it’s hot. Sometimes, babies simply want to be held or are overstimulated. Once you get used to it, it’s easier to figure out what’s wrong with your child. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

It is also possible that the child needs to be burped.
Gently rocking the baby, singing a random song or a lullaby will quiet the baby. If your baby is still crying, try giving him a pacifier. You can also try putting your baby down as he may get tired. Sometimes babies sleep hard and you can just let them cry until they fall asleep on their own.

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Interact with children. You can’t play with your baby yet, but babies know how to feel bored just like us. Try taking your child for a daily walk to the park, talking to him, hanging pictures in his room, playing music or picking him up in the car. You need to remember that babies are very immature, so do not force or shake the baby but be very gentle.

In the beginning, the most important thing you can do is bond with your child. This means petting, holding, skin-to-skin contact, or maybe even massaging your baby.
Young children love to talk, so it’s never too early to start talking, babbling, singing, or cooing with your baby. Turn on some music while you’re around, or play with toys that make sounds like dice or cell phones.
Some babies are more sensitive to skin exposure and light than others, so if your baby doesn’t respond positively to your bonding efforts, you should also be more comfortable with noise and light. until the child gets used to it.

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Take your child to see the doctor regularly. During the first year, babies may have frequent visits to the doctor for regular checkups and health monitoring. Some infants have to go to the hospital within 1-3 days of going home. After that, each doctor’s schedule will be different, but usually you will need to take your baby to see the doctor at least two weeks to a month after birth and after the second month, then once a month. or longer. ^{[6] X Research Sources} Regular visits are to make sure that the baby is developing normally and getting the care it needs. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

You should also take your child to see a doctor in case something unusual is found; Even if you’re not sure what’s happening, you should always call your doctor for advice.
Some symptoms you should watch out for include:
- Dehydration: peeing less than three diapers a day, sleeping too much, dry mouth.
- Peristalsis problems: the child does not poop for the first 2 days, has white mucus in the stool, red spots or streaks in the stool, the temperature is too high or too low
- Breathing problems: panting, nostrils flaring, breathing rapidly or loudly, chest tightness.
- Umbilical cord problems: pus, smell, bleeding
- Jaundice: yellow in chest, body or eyes
- Prolonged crying: crying for more than thirty minutes
- Other signs of illness: persistent cough, diarrhea, pallor, spitting up in two consecutive feedings, feeding less than 6 times per day.

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Prepare to bring the child home by car. You should prepare for this before birth because you will have to bring the baby home from the hospital. Cars need to have suitable seats for infants to ensure their safety. Although car travel time may not be much, some mothers find that traveling by car is often easier to sleep.

You will also need an infant car seat. These seats help the child to sit, not the safety of the child in the car. For this type of chair, the base should have a non-slip surface and be wider than the seat and have a safety belt, made of washable fabric. Never place a child in a chair on a raised surface where a child could fall.
For child safety seats, make sure they meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 213 and are actually suitable for the child. Infants and toddlers should sit in rear-facing seats until they are two years old.

Reducing Stress as a Parent

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Get as much help as possible. If you’re raising your child alone, you’ll need as much physical and mental strength as possible. If you are fortunate enough to have the care of your husband or in-laws or biological parents, it is important to arrange for people to help when needed. It’s great if you can hire a nurse, but if you don’t, you just need a little extra support, preferably from someone who’s used to taking care of young children.

Even if your baby spends most of his time sleeping, you’ll feel a little overwhelmed, and the more help you get from those around you, the more confident you’ll be in taking care of your baby. me.

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Strong support is needed. Your family as well as yourself need support. That support can come from your husband, boyfriend, or biological parents. You need someone to always be by your side. If you’re trying to raise your child alone, you’re probably going to have a hard time or feel exhausted.

However, you should also set the hours and rules for visiting. Having too many friends and family members visit unexpectedly will actually make you more stressed.

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Take care of yourself. While your most important role is to care for your baby, that doesn’t mean you should neglect taking care of yourself. You need to shower regularly, maintain a healthy diet, and get as much sleep as possible. You and your husband should work together to find some alone time. ^{[8] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Parenting isn’t the time to take up a new hobby or to start writing a memoir, but make sure you have time to practice a little, meet friends, or just relax. It’s about having some “just for yourself” time when possible.
Don’t think that asking for some time to yourself after your baby is born is selfish. If you have a little time to take care of yourself, you will take better care of your baby.
Be easy on yourself. This is not the time to clean the house or lose 5kg.

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Drop plans. Anything can happen, especially during the first few months of a baby’s life. Make sure you don’t work too hard and are prepared to spend enough time with your baby. Avoid the stress in advance by letting everyone know that you will be very busy with your child, and do not force yourself into social activities or force you to show up unless you really want to. so.

While it’s a good idea to spend enough time with your child, that doesn’t mean you need to “lock” yourself in your room all day. You should go outside as much as possible – it’s better for you and your baby. ^{[9] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Get ready for the race. Even if you feel that a day with a new baby is as long as 100 hours, you will soon find that your baby is through the infancy stage before you feel it (people are arguing about the end of the period). newborn after 28 days or at 3 months). So be prepared for all sorts of emotions: intense joy when your baby is born, anxiety when you’re not doing something right, boredom at the loss of your freedom, and frustration Isolated from childless friends. ^{[10] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

All of these emotions are completely natural, and any hesitation or fear will pass quickly as you are swept up in a new life with your baby.

Advice

Sing to the kids!
Watch for pets around your child. This is for the safety of the child and the animal itself. An animal can easily injure a child, or a child can act “roughly” and injure a pet.
If you have a job, make sure the company gives you maternity leave and enough time to spend with your children. At least 4 months.
Read aloud to children
Do not force yourself to hold your baby when you are sleepy. You can hurt the child. Try to seek help from family or friends around so you can take advantage of a short nap.
Take pictures to record the child’s growth.
Give it to others to hold so your baby gets used to being held by others (other than mom).
Taking care of someone is not an easy job. But your parents did it for you. Ask for advice from them and your doctor as well.
Loud noises will scare children.
Put a crib in your bedroom, so your baby won’t be afraid anymore.
Hold your baby often

Warning

Never give “regular” foods to babies. Babies do not have teeth to chew on and their digestive systems are not yet fully developed.
Always keep an eye on your baby while bathing. Children can drown in water below 3cm.
Take your child to the doctor if he or she:
- does not respond to sounds or images
- the child’s face is paler or bluer than usual
- don’t pee
- do not eat
- fever

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