Simple but helpful tips which would help your motherhood journey with a newborn. Read below:
Newborns are cute, delicate and tiny human beings who need the utmost care. Being a mother, lots of advice get ushered on us! It's up to us, on how we take it and implement it.
Some advice turns very helpful and some are just over the top! We as mothers eventually figure out the best for our babies.
Below listing few things related to newborns, which we mothers shouldn't overthink:
1) Passage of stool in infants:
Infants are exclusively breastfed up to 6 months of age. Nutritious breast milk has barely any waste products to pass out. So the infants may go without passing stools for a few days. Maximum up to 5 days is always normal. Not all babies are the same. Some infants even pass stools in little amounts in a day, even though being exclusively breastfed.
The same goes for infants who are formula-fed too. If the stools are watery or hard and if the baby has not passed stool for more than 5 days then consult your doctor.
2) Warm clothes are not always necessary for infants:
Newborn babies indeed should be kept warm. They like being warm. But the instant changing weather and the room temperature should always be kept in a note of. Don't pile on all the warm clothes on your baby. Check and feel the temperature inside your house. Dress your baby accordingly at home and outside.
3)Co-sleeping with your baby:
In the initial months, due to continuous nursing, most mothers turn sleepless. Even though the mother falls asleep for a second, the conscious mind always stays alert! That is an instinct in all mothers born naturally! If still, you're scared of overlaying on your baby, after the baby sleeps through the feed, remove the baby off your breasts and place him/her in the bed just next to you.
Co-sleeping helps to create a great bond between the baby and mother. Babies who spend months together in NICU are devoid of their mother's touch and company when they are in much need of it! Why create the same environment at home by making them sleep separately?
Prepare a small bed for your baby right next to you. Don't keep any stuffed toys or clothes near the baby. Use a thin blanket instead of thick ones because more than the risk of you rolling on your baby, things like these may lead to suffocation! If by chance they just pull over the thick blanket on them and are unable to take-off!!
Always keep lightweight bedsheets in handy. Keep your baby's bed neat and clean.
Sleepless nights are common for a new mother. Soon you get adjusted to this routine. A little awareness and alertness is a must for all mothers.
4) Infant sleep pattern:
Infants sleep more often. They take at least three naps a day and some sleep through the night and some do not. Few people have a notion that sleeping more in the day makes the baby turn sleepless in the night! so they try to keep them awake in the day! This is wrong! Infants need sleep for their growth. Disturbing their sleep is like disrupting their growth pattern. The day naps are essential to keep them energised and active. If your baby is a night owl for a long time, try setting the ambience in the room to initiate sleep. Turn off the lights, sing lullabies, rock or play for some time. Eventually, they get tired and sleep off.; As they grow the day naps drastically reduce and they sleep through the nights satisfactorily. So don't disrupt their precious day sleep.
5) No solid foods strictly up to 6 months:
This is important and some parents just start with solids as early as 4 months! Remember: "Solids foods are only for fun up to 1 year of age" That means, almost the whole of the nutritious part is got only from milk till the baby turn 1. Be it breastmilk or formula milk. The digestive system of the babies develops the ability to assimilate solids only after 6 months of age.
Also, no cow's milk strictly till 1 year. The protein configuration in cow's milk is different than that of breast and formula milk and are not digestible in infants.
It's like inviting unnecessary health issues if you start early with solid foods and cow's milk.
These are the few things as mothers you shouldn't stress about. We as mothers grow along with our babies adapting to their needs and requirements. Embrace the motherhood journey stress-free.
Newborns are cute, delicate and tiny human beings who need the utmost care. Being a mother, lots of advice get ushered on us! It's up to us, on how we take it and implement it.
Some advice turns very helpful and some are just over the top! We as mothers eventually figure out the best for our babies.
Below listing few things related to newborns, which we mothers shouldn't overthink:
1) Passage of stool in infants:
Infants are exclusively breastfed up to 6 months of age. Nutritious breast milk has barely any waste products to pass out. So the infants may go without passing stools for a few days. Maximum up to 5 days is always normal. Not all babies are the same. Some infants even pass stools in little amounts in a day, even though being exclusively breastfed.
The same goes for infants who are formula-fed too. If the stools are watery or hard and if the baby has not passed stool for more than 5 days then consult your doctor.
2) Warm clothes are not always necessary for infants:
Newborn babies indeed should be kept warm. They like being warm. But the instant changing weather and the room temperature should always be kept in a note of. Don't pile on all the warm clothes on your baby. Check and feel the temperature inside your house. Dress your baby accordingly at home and outside.
3)Co-sleeping with your baby:
In the initial months, due to continuous nursing, most mothers turn sleepless. Even though the mother falls asleep for a second, the conscious mind always stays alert! That is an instinct in all mothers born naturally! If still, you're scared of overlaying on your baby, after the baby sleeps through the feed, remove the baby off your breasts and place him/her in the bed just next to you.
Co-sleeping helps to create a great bond between the baby and mother. Babies who spend months together in NICU are devoid of their mother's touch and company when they are in much need of it! Why create the same environment at home by making them sleep separately?
Prepare a small bed for your baby right next to you. Don't keep any stuffed toys or clothes near the baby. Use a thin blanket instead of thick ones because more than the risk of you rolling on your baby, things like these may lead to suffocation! If by chance they just pull over the thick blanket on them and are unable to take-off!!
Always keep lightweight bedsheets in handy. Keep your baby's bed neat and clean.
Sleepless nights are common for a new mother. Soon you get adjusted to this routine. A little awareness and alertness is a must for all mothers.
4) Infant sleep pattern:
Infants sleep more often. They take at least three naps a day and some sleep through the night and some do not. Few people have a notion that sleeping more in the day makes the baby turn sleepless in the night! so they try to keep them awake in the day! This is wrong! Infants need sleep for their growth. Disturbing their sleep is like disrupting their growth pattern. The day naps are essential to keep them energised and active. If your baby is a night owl for a long time, try setting the ambience in the room to initiate sleep. Turn off the lights, sing lullabies, rock or play for some time. Eventually, they get tired and sleep off.; As they grow the day naps drastically reduce and they sleep through the nights satisfactorily. So don't disrupt their precious day sleep.
5) No solid foods strictly up to 6 months:
This is important and some parents just start with solids as early as 4 months! Remember: "Solids foods are only for fun up to 1 year of age" That means, almost the whole of the nutritious part is got only from milk till the baby turn 1. Be it breastmilk or formula milk. The digestive system of the babies develops the ability to assimilate solids only after 6 months of age.
Also, no cow's milk strictly till 1 year. The protein configuration in cow's milk is different than that of breast and formula milk and are not digestible in infants.
It's like inviting unnecessary health issues if you start early with solid foods and cow's milk.
These are the few things as mothers you shouldn't stress about. We as mothers grow along with our babies adapting to their needs and requirements. Embrace the motherhood journey stress-free.
Deepthi Rao
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01 Sep 2021