Parent’s Rights – Taking Care of a Newborn Baby
Newborn Baby Care Basics
Congratulations on the arrival of a newborn baby in your family. You will embark on a long but rewarding parenting journey. Your little new member will bring you all the joy and happiness in this world, giving you new perspectives of life. We hope that the little one’s future is bright and all their dreams are fulfilled. We also wish you the best of luck for the continuous nappy changes and midnight feedings. May you find joy in your childcare journey.
There will be many sleepless nights and a constant feeling of tiredness, but that’s the price of having the world’s cutest baby with you 24/7. Nothing else compares to the feeling you get when your child curls their little fingers around yours, when you watch them sleep after a long night of crying, or when you take your child out for a walk the first time and every person you meet can’t help but play with your newborn baby and try to make them laugh. Your house will always be filled with your baby’s laughter.
Make your child a better version of yourself
You will also get to become a child again; when was the last time that you played like a kid? You’ll be running after your kid as soon as they start walking and play their silly toddler games with them. You will buy baby stuff that you see online or even in retail baby stores that you just happen to pass by.
They will always be your source of joy and laughter. Imagine having a tough day at the office and as soon as you come home, your little bundle of joy starts telling you all about their day in their not-so-clear language. The stress that you brought back from your office will wear off in seconds.
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Your children will make you a better person; that is a known fact. To give them proper child development, you will set an example by being a good person yourself and all your bad habits will be gone before you even notice it. You will be more focused on what matters most, and the little things that bothered you before will not even matter now. The best thing about having a baby is that you’ll get to raise them and make them a better version of yourself.
Coping with childcare as new parents
We can list hundreds of thousands of reasons why your newborn baby is the most wonderful thing that ever happened to your family, but we never said that raising a child is the easiest thing to do. The growing up of your baby can be the hardest challenge that you’ll ever face. The first thing that will change is your personal hygiene. No matter how much time you try to give yourself, you’ll find that you don’t have much personal time. An infant needs constant attention and they know exactly how to get this attention. No matter how hygiene-conscious you were before, it will change, since people usually pick sleeping over showering.
Give them lots of attention
For the first few months, your house will be filled with either laughter or screaming. Since children don’t really know how to talk at first, they communicate by crying. They’ll cry when they are hungry, when they are thirsty, and even when they are just bored. Reading up on baby sleep patterns can essentially help to get some sleep yourself.
People who have a big social circle will find the size of their circle getting smaller day by day. They will find it hard to find social events that their crying baby will not ruin or an event that occurs when your child is at the child care center.
Furthermore, being new parents, things usually get out of hands as they are inexperienced and don’t really know what to do. You can resolve these issues by getting help from your parents, especially from your mother or mother-in-law. You can also seek guidance from many parenting books and DVDs as well.
Communicate with you child
As your infant is growing up, your parenting problems will change, and so must your parenting styles. They now don’t cry to communicate but use words, which is a good thing, but the first thing they learn to do is lie. Kids fear punishment, so when they do something that they were clearly told not to do, they hide it by lying. Hence, communication with your child is very important. Your child wants to talk about everything and anything with you. They’ll ask questions about the weirdest things.
Although you don’t need to have an answer for every one of their question, what you should not do is discourage them. Good communication between a child and their parents is vital for both as the parents will then understand what the child is thinking and vice versa. You’ll also be able to clear up any problem with your child before it takes root.
Buying baby stuff for your child
Parents nowadays face more economic problems than their parents did. The main reason for this is that parents are buying too many baby items for their children, which may not be the best approach. Don’t buy everything your child asks for. First evaluate whether the demand actually benefits your child and if it does and you can afford it, fulfill their wish. If not, try to make them understand why they can’t have their particular wish fulfilled. This is also part of baby development.
As far as possible, I always try to keep a lookout on baby items on sale. You will be surprised how much I have saved over the year by buying discounted baby stuffs online. One of my favorite place is the special discount page on Amazon. This page features all the baby items that are currently on discount, and is updated almost daily. Most of them even come with free shipping, and that saved me even more money from transportation and shipping.
Siblings relationships
Parents should also watch out for sibling rivalry, which is also another common problem. This is not an issue for parents who just had their first child. But it is a big one for those who have twins or already have at least one other little member in their family. Newborn babies require more attention and no matter how cooperative and reliable your older child is, they will feel deprived of their parent’s attention.
They may become harder to handle because they are craving for their parent’s attention. Parents have to keep in mind to talk to their older ones. Getting them to help with the infant and toddler stage can make everyone’s life easier and solve communication problems as well.
In the end, all you have to remember is that there is no such thing as a perfect parent. All you can aim to be is a good parent who raised an even better human being.
Nowadays, child care is a bit easier than it was in the past. There is a lot of affordable baby stuff in the market that not only help you nurture but also entertain your toddler.
Feeding your baby
Getting the best breastfeeding position is an important option for an infant, and there are many things that can help you do this. Besides having the right postures, getting enough support for feeding the baby is also something that you cannot neglect.
Milk Bottles
Whether you want to breastfeed your newborn baby or use the bottle feeding, you’ll need milk bottles. Breastfeeding is easy when your child doesn’t have teeth, but when they start developing teeth, breastfeeding will become significantly different. The window of getting your baby used to a bottle is short. If you wait too long, your toddler might refuse to use the bottle altogether, so you have to be careful about this.
There are many types of bottles available in the market. Regular and wide-neck bottles are two of the most widely used ones. Regular bottles are usually more preferable for nursing mothers since you can pump directly into the bottle. Wide-neck bottles, on the other hand, are used for formula feeding since it’s easier to add a formula in the bottle.
Formula
If you have twins or even triplets, you may or may not have enough breast milk to go around. If you decide not to breastfeed your child, formula is your way to go. There are many formulas available in the market, so you should try and find the one that suits you the most. You can also consult your doctor as they can advise you about the formula that suits your baby the best.
Breast care products
If you’re breastfeeding your newborn baby, breast care products sort of become a necessity. They are really expensive, so if you don’t have the finance to support them, you can skip this topic altogether. You can use soothies, which are silicon pads that you can use for sore nipples. You can buy them as a pair or as single pads. They are reusable and may last for some days.
For some women, their breasts drip milk even when they are nursing their children, and this period may last for months. Nursing pads are the way to go if you don’t want milk circles on your clothes. Most mothers do not reuse these pads although some are reusable. However, they are not considered helpful for women with sore nipples and you’ll have to wash them before using every time. There are also milk storing pads which can be used to reuse the milk anytime they want.
A baby can spend 4 hours overall for feeding purpose, which is a lot for new mothers who don’t have prior experience. Hence, nursing pillows are the lifesaver for new mothers. Since most of them feed their babies sitting upright, they put this pillow under the infant and will not have to hold them while they feed.
Breast pumps
If you want to breastfeed your newborn baby, breast pumps are more than necessary. They not only provide time to heal your soreness but also help your child adjust to bottles. Breast pumps can be rented from various hospitals. Some health insurance companies also provide breast pumps to their customers. There are various types of breast pumps available in the market. These pumps can be automatic or manual, and some are hand-held, while others are not. You can buy the breast pump that you feel most comfortable using. If you don’t want to use a breast pump, pumping bras are also available in the market.
Stroller for newborn
Finding the best ride for your newborn baby is very important as you can’t carry your baby everywhere. There are many types of strollers available in the market. It can be overwhelming to see how many new models are available and the features that they offer.
We have spent hours to put together a guide on choosing the best baby strollers 2017 for infants. You will be surprised that there are so many nitty-gritty parts that make every stroller different from one another.
Standard stroller
It is a simple stroller that comes with a comfortable seat. It is available in various shapes, sizes, and styles. Most of this type of stroller offer a small storage under the seat and sunshade over the seat. Their price range varies as some are inexpensive, while others are not.
Car-seat stroller
This lightweight basket-type stroller is mainly used to carry a type of car seat. You can remove your car seat and fit the stroller easily in its place. Its frame takes less space and is useless when your child outgrows it. Travel systems are an extension of a car seat stroller. The only difference is that they can be used even after your toddler outgrows them.
Lightweight strollers
These strollers don’t usually offer many features but make sure you choose an umbrella stroller with canopy. There are some that doesn’t come with a shade over the head, so take note. They have a simple seat fixed on them, and some offer storage behind the seats as well. Since they don’t offer many features, they are inexpensive. They are mostly used for toddlers rather than infants.
Jogging strollers
These strollers are used by parents who are used to running and jogging and want to take their child with them. They are lightweight and have tires that offer a smooth ride for both the parent and child. They can be used on hiking trips as well. Most of these strollers have enough space to accommodate more than one child.
Double strollers
If you have more than one child to take care of, you will definitely want to consider getting a double stroller. These will make your originally messy job suddenly become easy and manageable. When choosing one for your kids, you will definitely want to investigate the differences between a tandem vs side by side stroller.
Now that you know about the basic types of strollers, you’ll to answer a few questions to know which suits you best:
- Where would you be strolling?
- Which features are absolutely necessary?
- Will you ever have to carry the stroller?
- Can you afford it?
If your answers to these questions fit the description of the stroller that you want to buy, congratulations! You’ve found the perfect ride for your kid.
Useful baby gear
You can carry your child around using backpacks or carriers. Backpacks have a much better response than carriers. The carriers put weight on one of your shoulders, whereas backpacks divide the weight of your infant easily. Both of these are useful if you’re planning on taking your baby for a walk or even a family hiking trip. Backpacks offer your baby more view, while carriers offer more comfort. Backpacks do have some disadvantages as they are harder to remove. If your baby is not a sound sleeper, you’ll definitely wake them up while taking them out of a backpack.
When buying baby bedding, make sure you choose them according to your child’s comfort. Well, the fact is, most children can’t really tell you which ones they love. One way to find out is through getting recommendations provided by real parents, who have tried the products and have good results.
Safety for your baby
Your newborn baby is a curious creature and will love to touch and taste everything. Your house, which seems like a pretty safe place to you, might be the most dangerous place for you toddler. You’ll have to take strict measures and make various changes to make it child-proof.
Kitchen
In the kitchen, you can install safety latches on the drawers so that your child will not be able to open any drawers or cabinets. You should also put away all the pretty tablecloths or placemats as your child can pull them and the things sitting on them can obviously fall on your kid. Plates, bowls, knives, forks and any another sharp thing should be put in a cabinet and out of your child’s reach. If you are cooking, make sure you use the back burners so that your child doesn’t accidentally touch hot food and burn themselves.
Bathroom
In the bathroom, never leave any container filled with water and make sure the floors are always dry. Don’t keep any razor, electrical appliance, or medicine within the child’s reach. Get a lid lock for the toilet as another precautionary measure.
Also, remember to get bath products that are not damaging to your infant’s delicate skin. Parents nowadays spend hours researching online on how to find the best baby wash for newborns.
The rest of the house
Make sure the same precautionary measures that you’ve installed all over your house are placed in the bedroom as well. The tables in the house should have rounded corners so that your child does not cut themselves accidentally. Make sure there are doors installed or a block at the start and end of the stairs. Do not place any such furniture on your balcony that your toddler could move easily out of or climb over to the railing. Sockets in all the rooms should be covered and any room containing electrical appliances should be locked so that your baby cannot accidentally crawl or walk into them.
If you’re planning on hiring a nanny, make sure you have multiple nanny cams installed in places where the camera can have a view of the whole room.
Infant’s health
An infant’s immune system is not as strong as adult and thus may fall sick easily. Protect your baby by keeping the overall hygiene of the family at the highest level. In the inevitable cases where baby is not feeling well, consult a doctor immediately to provide remedy. The US department of Health and Human Services has some pretty nice information about perinatal and infant health that is worth checking out.
Gifts and toys for child development
Toys help your baby develop intellectually, and choosing the right toddler games will help your child’s intellectual development in a way that you can’t imagine. A mirror is one of the most fascinating things for a child. Even though it’s not a toy, you can use it to teach them various parts of their body.
Then there are building blocks, which each and every one of us has played with. Blocks are helpful to teach children general concepts and differences between the words such as on, under, front, and behind.
Babies can also play with toy balls, and you can use them to teach the concepts of rolling, passing, and throwing. Rings will help your child differentiate between sizes and shapes, while simple puzzles will help your child concentrate and identify patterns in things.