Contents
Tips on Starting a Healthy Life for Newborn Baby
Guest Post by Heather Neves
Becoming a parent is a beautiful and life-altering experience. For the ones who have just entered into the parenting zone, it is overwhelming and exciting at the same time.
Therefore, we decided to share with you tips on starting a healthy life for your newborn baby.
Want to know more, keep scrolling till the end.
As soon as the baby arrives, it becomes necessary to give warmth for after birth. According to the recent research, it has been shown that skin-to-skin offers leading benefits like improvement in lung and heart function, restoring normal temperature and breastfeeding.
Many healthcare centres and hospitals advocate kangaroo care. The baby is placed naked to the mother’s bare chest in-between her breasts. For extra warmth, drape a blanket on them. If the mother is unable to offer the warmth then the Dad can come to the rescue for baby.
When the baby cannot be with their mother or father, skin-to-skin, it is essential to keep the baby warm, especially right after birth. Dry him or her with a cotton cloth and then cover up the baby with clothes or blankets from head to toe. Only the face should be visible.
2. Breathe
Breathing for a newborn baby is very crucial. Let the baby breathe. This becomes possible by clearing the mucus and the amniotic fluid through the nose and mouth. Often this practice is carried out after the birth of baby, a suction device is used to clear out the airways. If the baby is not able to breathe properly, avoid breastfeeding until after suctioning.
3. Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is more comfortable once the baby has a perfect latch. If you are able to breastfeed within the first hour of birth, your baby has the best chance of instinctively crawling up to your breasts to latch.
By latching and sucking, the baby will start switching the cells in your breasts thus initiating the supply of milk.
Sometimes, the baby might not be able to find the way to breast by themselves. You can support the baby’s body in doing so or ask for help from the healthcare professionals who assisted at the birth.
4. Umbilical cord
When the umbilical cord is disconnected, the baby is separated from the mother. It is important to clean the umbilical cord with sterilized instruments. Ensure that you clean it properly and dry it.
You can also clean the umbilical cord with alcohol or surgical spirits to prevent the bacteria from entering the cord. This will help the umbilical cord dry out and drop off. Usually, it takes a week or two for the cord to drop off.
5. Heartbeats
The ideal heartbeat of the newborn baby is 100 BMP. If the doctor finds it less than that, he or she will ventilate the baby for some time.
6. Bathing
Bathing the baby is a difficult task. Nevertheless, you can do it by washing the baby with soft hands and taking it slow.
You can also try out a sponge bath at this stage and then clean the baby by keeping him or her on the soft towel to dry.
Remember, all babies differ. Some might get cranky and start crying when you bath them. If bathing your baby becomes stressful, try bathing with your baby. This can be much more calming for both mother and child.
7. Lack of Vitamins
Newborn baby’s often lack Vitamin K. Most hospitals administer injections of 0.5 to 1.0 mg of Vit K straight after birth in order to prevent haemmorhaging.
Moreover, the mother also needs the sufficient amount of minerals and nutrients. One important thing to remember is if you were on a clinical trial before you became pregnant, we would suggest you to consult a doctor to discuss the essential vitamins required for you and the baby.
8. Calm the Baby
When the baby is crying, then shush him or her, swing the baby and whisper words in their ears. Also, hold the baby close to you to as much as possible calm them down.
9. Be Patient
Newborn babies are extremely sensitive. Therefore, it becomes essential for you to be patient with them and have basic knowledge about their care. In order to keep them strong and healthy, you have to take care of him or her in an affectionate way.
10. Taking Shifts
When the newborn baby is becoming cranky, it’s the responsibility of both the parents to take on the duty of soothing the baby. If the mother was up all throughout the day, then the father must take care of baby at night.
Hope you found these 10 tips on starting a healthy life for newborn baby helpful. Wishing you well with your bundle of joy.