5 Newborn Care Basics Every Mother Needs To Know
Motherhood can bring a lot of joy but it can as well be a daunting task even for experienced mothers especially when the baby cries on and on, leaving you frustrated and clueless on how to go about it. An important thing that you need to understand when caring for newborns is that, your newborn is as actively involved in influencing and shaping you as you are influencing him/her. Now that we have this detail into perspective, here are 5 Newborn Care Basics that every mother should know about.
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1.Pay Attention to Your Baby’s Cries
Crying is the only way your baby can communicate and also helps her release tension by shutting out sounds, sights and other sensations that are too intense for her. As such, you need to pay attention to your baby’s cries to get to understand what he or she is trying to communicate.
Soon enough, you’ll be able to tell when your baby needs to be tended to, picked up, consoled or when to leave her alone. When the baby is in pain or in distress, she is likely to let out a sudden, loud, high-pitched cry, and then a long pause followed by a flat wail.
Hungry cries and “leave-me-alone” cries are low-pitched, short and inconsistent while angry cries are more turbulent in nature.
Babies at times have fussy periods throughout the day when they cry for no apparent reason (they are not uncomfortable, hungry, or tired).
You will notice that immediately after these crying spells, the baby becomes more alert and may even fall into deep sleep. This kind of crying helps them get rid of tension and other extra energy so that they can revert back to the normal state.
2. Find out if your baby has colic
We have talked about the fussy periods when the baby cries for no apparent reason and there is nothing you can do to console her.
While this is a normal characteristic among a significant percentage of babies, these fussy periods should not last for many hours and they should not occur frequently throughout the day. If that’s the case, your baby may have a condition referred to as colic.
To determine whether your baby has colic, you need to observe the following symptoms:
• Continuous crying bouts that start at the age of 3 weeks
• There is more crying late in the day
• The crying bouts last for more than three weeks, peaks at 6 to 8 weeks and subsides between the ages of 3 and 4 months.
Having colic does not mean that the baby is sick or is uncomfortable. It is a temporary condition and will go away soon enough; all you need to do is to learn how to cope. However, if the crying is too intense, consult a doctor to get your baby checked up.
3. Learn How to Respond Your Baby’s Cries
Now that you can determine why your baby is crying, you need to know how to respond accordingly. The best approach is to attend to the most pressing needs immediately she cries, and soon enough you will notice that the baby will stop crying.
There are other times that you should leave the baby alone and let him/her ‘cry it out’ particularly when he’s having those fussy periods.
The biggest challenge comes when your baby has colic. The best approach to take is to remain calm and try to sooth your baby through some of the following consoling techniques:
• Make sure the baby is absolutely comfortable, well fed, changed, warm among other things.
• Pat her chest or back or gently stroke her head.
• Rocking, either in your arms swaying from side to side or in a rocking chair
• Talk or sing to her in a calm voice
• Use colic bottles to reduce crying
• Play soft music or any rhythmic vibration or noise
• Try warm baths
• Burping to release any trapped gas in the stomach that may cause discomfort
• Walk him in a carriage, stroller, or carry him in your arms
4. Check if The Baby has Jaundice
This is a common condition in newborns where their skin and part of their eyes turns yellow; it is mainly temporary, harmless and can be easily treated.
It is highly likely that your baby will get jaundice within the first week of delivery especially for breastfeeding mothers. The symptoms include; poor feeding by the baby, yellowing of the skin and eyes and is more sleepy than usual.
The baby should undergo a checkup within 3 to 5 days after delivery and in case you have noticed these symptoms, see a doctor so that he/she can undergo phototherapy.
5. Check for Umbilical Hernia
Umbilical Hernia is a condition where a soft lump occurs under the baby’s belly button area during the first few weeks or months of delivery. It is more visible when the baby has bowel movement or when she cries, laughs or coughs. It is not painful or sensitive to touch. Though at times these lumps can disappear naturally, consult a pediatrician immediately after discovering the lump to get further treatment.
References
http://www.parents.com/baby/care/newborn/
http://www.parents.com/baby/care/colic/colic-basics/
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