So, you carried the child for 9 months, went through hours of excruciating labor, and now you have your precious bundle all ready to take home with you. Don’t panic! Even though there’s a lot of information out there, caring for a new child always feels like reinventing the wheel if you’ve never done it before. There are a few basics to get in order first, and you’ll learn the rest as you go along.
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As a first time parent, you can feel a lot of anxiety those first few months. The first step is to learn how to properly hold your newborn. Babies naturally love to be held, because they love to feel the warmth of their parent’s body next to theirs. You want to always make sure the baby’s head and neck are fully supported, because they have not developed the muscles to hold their head securely.
There are some sanitary issues to focus on with the umbilical cord. When you clean the baby’s diaper, wipe the umbilical cord stump with alcohol to keep it clean. Make sure the diaper is placed below the umbilical cord stump so that when the diaper gets wet the stump won’t get wet. This can be a real sanitary problem. After about 10 days, the stump will fall off.
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This is also true if you have a boy that has been circumcised. There will likely be a ring on his penis that will need to be cleaned with a warm washcloth until the ring falls off in the first week. Wipe girls from front to back to avoid infection.
Do not give your newborn a bath until the umbilical stump has fallen off. Wash your child with a damp cloth until this happens. Again, just warm water and a soft washcloth will do the trick.
When the umbilical stump has fallen off you’re ready for your first baby tub! Keep in mind that the baby’s skin is tremendously sensitive, and they only need to be washed two to three times a week.
These are the absolute first basics of caring for your newborn child. Other issues that you must fully understand before bringing your child home include breastfeeding procedures and bottle procedures.
Lastly, don’t panic! If something happens and you aren’t comfortable or fear that you don’t know what to do, you’re going to be able to quickly find the information that you need. Not only is there a wealth of info on the internet, but you can ask any woman who has ever been a mother! Women tend to never forget the rules and procedures for caring for a newborn so just ask for advice and stay calm.
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