Newborn Baby Care - Feeding, Sleep & Development

Newborn and Baby Care

Taking care of a Newborn baby may be a very big challenge to many parents. Preparations to embrace a baby commences as early as when the couple learns about the pregnancy. They start by shopping for the fundamentals, this includes buying a crib and changing the furniture. Once they determine the gender of their baby, parents customize the nursery to suit that gender. Some parents will go to the internet to look for information about pregnancy and baby care to sharpen their skills. Below are some tips on how to care for your newborn baby.

1. Breastfeeding

When a mother delivers a baby, the hormonal change that takes place in her body trigger lactation. Lactation is the process whereby the female breasts give milk. The nutrition contained in this milk is very vital for the strength and the immune system of the child. However, some babies do not accept their mother's breast milk, at times the mother is not producing enough milk to satisfy her baby's appetite. In the event of the baby refusing to suckle their mother's breast milk, the mother should check on her diet. 

Breastfeeding mothers are advised not to take foods with a lot of spices or foods with strong flavors. This makes the breast milk have a funny taste that may not be so pleasant to the baby. In the case of producing insufficient milk, you should visit your clinic for solutions. However, you can eat dates and fenugreek seeds which are known to boost the production of breast milk. Massaging your breasts also boost milk production since it stimulates the mammary glands.

2. Sleep consistently

An infant should sleep for 16 hours a day, minimal. Some sleep even longer. however, almost all babies wake up in during the night either due to hunger, to be changed or simply to be cuddled by their mothers. If this continues for a long time, it causes the mother not to get enough sleep. Establishing regular sleep patterns will help the mother and the child from getting so exhausted. To get the baby falling asleep easily, give them a warm shower and ensure the room they are sleeping in is quiet. Always make sure that baby is sleeping on their back to reduce sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) risks.

 3. Constant Baby care

An infant's muscles are weak, and therefore needs continuous support. To make sure that baby is comfortable and well supported when lifting them, always keep one hand below the neck and your arm holds the spinal column and your elbow lies directly below the buttocks.

Make sure your is not dehydrated. How will you do that? Infants wet roughly 8 diapers in one day if less that is a sign of dehydration, or not taking enough milk. A wet nappy causes painful diaper rashes, making the baby irritable. Keep the genital area of the child dry at all times by changing them immediately after their bowel movement. This helps to reduce the incidences of rushes.

Child's Development

Baby develop differently, others develop right on time whilst others are either fast or slow. A child's development is not controlled, you cannot schedule it, It happens at its own time. Many parents tend to worry about their child's development. Before you start worrying, it is important you accept that there are children's development stages.

An infant frequently sleeps, eats and does other essential things. Mothers are advised to stay close to their babies during this time because they have a very sensitive skin. It is not just about the protection of the baby, it also helps you to create a strong bond with your child. It also makes them comfortable. Their sense of hearing, smell and taste are developed already. During this month, your baby is getting used to living.

From there, your baby will start learning to react. improved eyesight. He/she will start curling fists, holding their feet and squirming in general. They may also start smiling, making short noises and raising their heads occasionally to interact with the world around them.

The baby should obtain the above skills within a period of two months. He/she should also be getting more control of hand movement. After two months onwards, the child will develop skills like kicking regularly, drooling and rolling.

On the third month, the baby's coordination between the hands and the eye should start improving, preparing them for the next skills. It is at this stage where the baby is supposed to realize that there are other people around him/her, understanding that you are their closest and you love them. His/her legs may also be readying to standing, they start getting stronger and straightening out.

At the fourth month, the baby may begin to organize himself to grasp things with his fingers. With practice, his coordination should improve for the past few months. The child will begin to play around with their movements, grabbing a foot with their hands and so forth.

The fifth month is often a very exciting one for the baby. It is during this time when start to want to take part in many activities. Leaving them alone for a long time troubles them a lot, they demand more attention, he wants to be with people, and in most cases, he starts crying when you move out of his sight. It is during this month that the baby wants to simply discover, he begins to fully roll over, grab items with a full hand and begins the first steps towards crawling. (using his hands to support himself}. The baby also does begin becoming more reserved with strangers.

When the baby hits his/her sixth month, they can now fully roll over and try to sit up. it is at this stage where babies begin to grow reactions, noticing when an object has been moved or when they have dropped it from their hands. They also begin to develop other reflexes like softening a fall by putting their arms out. Some and most of these skills are not fully developed until the baby reaches month 9.