How to Care for a Newborn

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.

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]

• 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.

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]

• 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.

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.

Bathing children. During the first week, you should only wipe the baby’s body. After the umbilical cord falls off, you can start bathing your baby as usual, about two to three times a week. To bathe your baby properly, you should prepare the necessary items such as towels, soap, clean diapers … Pour about 10cm of warm water into the bath first. And here’s what you should do next:

• Have someone help. You may feel a little “shaky” or unsure when you first give your baby a bath. If so, ask your husband or a family member to bathe the baby together. That way, one person can babysit while the other scrubs.
• Undress your baby carefully. Then, put the baby’s feet in the tub first, while supporting his neck and arms with one hand. You need to constantly splash warm water on the body so that the child does not get cold.
• Use a small amount of mild soap so the soap doesn’t get in your child’s eyes. Using your hands or a soft washcloth, gently shower from top to bottom and front to back. Wash the baby’s body, genitals, head, hair, and dry mucus flakes off of the baby’s face.
• Rinse the baby with clean warm water. Then use a soft towel to gently wipe the baby. Lift the baby out of the tub, using one hand to support the baby’s neck and head. You need to be careful because young people are very slippery when wet.
• Use a large towel to wrap and dry the baby. Wear diapers and cuddle your baby so that he or she feels comfortable bathing.

Learn to handle your newborn baby. You may feel clumsy because your baby is so small and fragile, but with some basic techniques, you’ll quickly feel more confident. Here are a few things you should do:

• Wash or disinfect your hands before touching your child. Newborns are very susceptible to infections because their immune systems are still very weak. Make sure your hands or anyone else’s hands are clean before touching your baby.
• Always support the child’s head and neck. When holding your baby, lift the baby’s head first and always support the baby’s head when you hold him upright or lay him down. Newborns can’t keep their heads straight (because their necks are weak), so it’s important to avoid swaying their heads.
• Never shake your child, whether you are playing with him or are angry. This action can cause bleeding in the brain, causing the child to die. Do not wake the baby by trying to shake him vigorously, instead tickle his feet or touch him gently.
• Learn how to swaddle a baby. This is a great way for babies to feel safe (not startled) around babies under two months of age.

Hold the child. Make sure you support the baby’s head and neck as much as possible when you hold the baby. You should rest your baby’s head on the inside of the elbow, and the baby’s body on your forearm. The baby’s upper hips and thighs rest on your hand, and the baby’s arms rest on his chest and belly. Hold your baby neatly and carefully. ^[3]

• You can also hold the baby by placing the baby’s belly on your chest, while using the same hand to hold the body, the other hand to hold the baby’s head and back.
• If your baby has siblings or other relatives or people around him who are not used to holding young children, carefully instruct everyone on how to hold the baby and make sure an adult is around to keep the baby safe. .