A lot of things change after delivery. You have to make a lot of changes in your lifestyle to adjust to the needs of your newborn baby.
It might come off as overwhelming to new parents, but it is completely normal. Things are bound to feel chaotic and a little out of place for a while for new parents.
But if you know how you can take care of your baby during the first few weeks, it takes a lot of pressure off your shoulders.
Here are 6 basic tips for new parents that they can use to take care of their newborn baby
1. Wash Your Hands
Newborn babies are susceptible to catching infections and diseases because their immune systems have not developed at that point.
So, whenever you pick your baby up, you need to wash your hands beforehand. Keep a hand sanitizer close by or wash your hands if you can before you handle your baby.
You need to make sure that you don’t overlook this basic baby care tip and you need to get into a habit of washing your hands before you pick up your baby.
2. Support Your Baby’s Head and Neck
Your baby won’t be able to hold its head and neck straight during the first few weeks. So, whenever you are holding your newborn baby, you need to support their head and neck.
You can do that by cradling the head and supporting the head when carrying your baby upright. You need to be gentle when doing that and try to keep the baby straight so that their body grows in the right way. Once your baby can hold its head straight without support, you can learn when to move baby to its room or other changes that you might want to make.
3. Swaddling Tips
Swaddling is essential for babies during the first few weeks. This helps protect the baby from cold and provides them with warmth.
You need to spread out the blanket while slightly folding one of the corners. After that, lay your baby down face-up and keep their head above the folded corner.
After that, you can wrap the blanket around the baby. You can stop swaddling after the first 2 month
4. Burping Tip
You are going to have to feed your baby every 2 to 3 hours. And if the baby feels gassy, you need to try burping the baby so that they feel comfortable.
For burping, you need to hold your baby upright. You need to support the head and the back of the baby and gently pat the back with the other hand.
Another tip for burping involves laying your baby down on your lap while facing down. You need to support the baby’s head and gently run their back.
5. Nappy Tip
You need to get all the nappy’s supplies that you need beforehand. These include a clean nappy, fasteners, diaper ointment, and diaper wipes
You need to change nappies as often as required. Make sure to use reusable cloth nappies which are easy to clean. You need to clean the baby with gentle soap and water. All these tips help prevent nappy rash and keep your baby healthy.
6. Bathing Tips
Sponge baths are recommended for babies during the first few weeks. You need to bathe the baby about 2-3 times a week. You need to get a soft and clean washcloth, a baby soap, towels, blankets, diapers, and clean clothes for the baby before bathing them.
Sponge baths are for newborn babies. When the baby gets a little bit bigger, you can give tub baths to them as well. Make sure that the water is neither too hot nor too cold for the baby.
Final Words
These are a few basic essential for baby and tips that can help you take care of your baby, without feeling overwhelmed. Although there is a bit of a learning curve that you must go through to get better at taking care of your baby, you will get better at it with time.
So, just take one step at a time and you’d be able to take the best care of your newborn baby eventually.
