The first Weeks of your new baby

 

Caring for the Umbilical Cord

The umbilical cord stump drops off in a few weeks. Until then, keep it clean and dry.
*Tuck the diaper below the cord. Each time you change your baby's diaper, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and gently clean the area where cord and belly meet.
*A bit of blood may spot the diaper when the stump drops off.
*If you see pus or redness or the baby cries when you touch the area, call your baby's doctor.

 

Caring for Your Baby

Holding your Baby
 To support a newborn's weak neck and heavy head, lay the palm of your hand on the baby's neck and back. Cradle the head with your fingers.

 

Diapering your Baby
Clean the diaper area with diaper wipes (or plain water on a soft cloth for a newborn or baby with sensitive skin). Take extra care with creases and folds. Wipe girls front to back to avoid infection Pat dry. Use ointments only to help clear up diaper rash. Don't use talcum powder since it can irritate the baby's lungs.

 

Bathing your Baby
 A bath every 2 to 3 days is plenty if you keep the diaper area clean. Use mild baby soaps and shampoos.

 

Sponge baths are best until your baby's belly button heals. Lay her on a padded towel in a warm room. Dip a cotton ball into plain water and gently wipe her face. Then dip a washcloth in a bowl of warm, soapy water to wash her body. Do the diaper area last Wash off soap with plain water. Keep her warm by covering any area you're not washing with a towel.

 

Later, you can bathe your baby in a small plastic tub or the sink. Line it with a sponge or towel to make it less slippery and use just a few inches of warm water. Put soap, a container of clean, warm rinse water, washcloth, and towel in reach. Gently wash her face first with plain water, then use a soapy washcloth or your hand on her body. Wash the diaper area last. Rinse her with clean water. Then wrap your baby in a towel and pat her dry.

 

To wash your baby's head, wet it a bit and wash with just a little shampoo. Tip her head back and gently pour clean water over the hair, so no soapy water runs into her eyes.

 

Soothing a Crying Baby
 Babies cry when they need to be fed, changed, cuddled, or calmed, or when they don't feel well. Newborns sometimes cry up to 3 hours a day (not all at once). If your newborn can't be soothed, or pulls up her legs and passes gas often, she may have colic. No one knows just what causes colic. Colicky babies are thought to be over-sensitive to the world around them - the noise, people, and general bustle. Sometimes, a breastfeeding mother's diet or a type of formula can be causing the problem.

 

You won't spoil your baby by responding quickly. Studies show that babies whose parents respond quickly in their first six months cry less in the next six months. To calm your baby, try soft music, walking rocking, holding the baby in a sling or front carrier, or swaddling her in a blanket. Car rides and soft, consistent noises like water running or a vacuum cleaner sometimes work. Make tapes of any sound that soothes your baby.

 

Feeding Your Baby

You'll want to decide, before your baby is born, whether to breastfeed or bottlefeed. Talk it over with your partner and your doctor. While healthy babies grow well with breast or bottle, breast milk provides special nourishment and protection from allergies and infections that formula does not. Whatever method you use, be sure to burp your baby during and after each feeding. Put a cloth on your shoulder and hold baby upright. Gently pat or rub her back.

 

Breastfeeding
Breastfed newborns need to eat 8 to 12times in 24 hours (usually once every 2-3 hours). In the first few days before your milk comes in, your baby gets colostrum. Colostrum has extra antibodies and other substances to help your baby fight infection, and just enough nutrients for a newborn. As your baby feeds, her nursing signals your body to start making milk.

 

 Sit up and cuddle your baby with her head in the crook of your arm. Cup your breast and tickle her lip with your nipple. When she turns her head and opens her mouth, firmly bring her to your breast. To start milk flowing, your baby has to have at least 1/2 of your areola (the dark skin around the nipple) in her mouth. You should hear and see her swallow within a minute or two. If your nipples are cracked or bleeding, the baby has not latched on correctly. Check with your health care provider for further help.

 

To be sure your baby is getting enoug milk, look for at least 6-8 wet diapers and several bowel movements per day.

 

Feeding with Formula
Formula may be based on cow's milk, soy, or foods less likely to set off allergies. It comes ready to serve, or in liquid or powder you mix with water. Check with your baby's doctor to see what kind of formula you will need.

 

Newborns eat about 2-3 ounces of formula every 3-4 hours. Check the label to see if (and how much) formula should be mixed with water. If you use bottles with plastic liners, squeeze out all the air so it won't cause gas. Otherwise, tip the bottle to keep the nipple full of milk. Never prop a bottle - your baby could choke on the formula. Never heat a bottle in the microwave.

 

Wash bottles, nipples, and anything used to prepare formula in hot, soapy water. Ask your doctor if you need to boil anything (including water to mix formula).

 

Never put your baby to bed with a boffle since she may choke and the formula could harm her teeth.

 

Starting Solids
Don't start your baby on solid foods before six months unless told otherwise by your doctor. Early solids may add too many calories. They also may not be digested well or cause allergic reactions, since your baby's digestive tract and immune system are not yet mature.

 

Start with rice cereal, then soft, smooth purees. Try one food at a time and wait three to five days before adding a new food. That way, if your baby has a rash or other reaction, you'll know what caused the problem.

 

 

The Medicine Cabinet

Stock your baby's medicine now, so you'll have what you need on hand:
*A rectal thermometer and lubricant
*Non-aspirin liquid pain reliever
*Rubbing alcohol
*Cotton swabs
*Syrup of ipecac (use only as directed by your baby's doctor or Poison Control Center)
*An electrolyte solution
*Saline drops
*Nail clippers(for infants)
*Suction bulb for noses

 

Sleeping

Newborns sleep about 16 hours a day, often in 3-to 4-hour stretches between meals. Day and night mean little to them. To help your newborn learn the difference, keep night feedings quiet and low-lit.

As babies grow older, they're awake for longer periods of time during the day. At night, they don't need to wake as often to eat.

Set up a bedtime routine. A song, nursing or a bottle, and a book read at the same time each night will help settle your baby for sleep.

 

 

Vaccinations

Vaccines prevent serious diseases by helping your baby's body build defenses. Here is a recommended schedule for vaccinations. Your doctor will advise you about what's right for your child.

VACCINATIONS
DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, & Pertussis) Five doses: At 2 4, 18 months and 4-6 years
DTP Hib(Haemophilus type B) Three or four doses: At 2, 4, 6, and 12- 15 months or at 2, 4, and 12-15 months depending on type of vaccine used
Oral polio vaccine

Four doses: At 2, 4, 6-18 months, and 4-6 years
Hepatitis B vaccine Three doses: At birth prior to discharge, l-2, and 6-18 months or at 1-2, 4, and 6-18 months
MMR (Measles, Mumps, & Rubella) Two doses: At l2-15 months and 4-12 years
V (Varicella-chickenpox) One dose: Between 12-18 months

 

Welcome Home Baby

The day you bring your baby home is exciting and special. You'll want to have everything ready so that you can get off to a great start. Here are some of the things you'll need.
Car Seat
Learn how to correctly install your car seat before you go to the hospital.
Read your vehicle owner's manual.

 

Crib
Crib slats shouldn't be more than 2 3/8" apart.
Cribs should not be painted with lead paint or varnish.
Cribs made after 1985 meet these safety rules.

 

Changing Table
Use a strap when possible and keep one hand on baby at all times.
Keep supplies within easy reach.

 

Baby Intercom
This makes it easy to hear the baby from any room.

 

Diapers
You need about 70 cloth or disposable diapers a week for a newborn.
For cloth diapers, you'll need diaper wraps or plastic pants.

 

Layette
The following list of items will get you started. You may need other items, depending upon the season (warmer blankets for winter and a wide-brimmed hat for summer).

 

*6-8 Shirts or onesies.
*6-8 sleepers.
*4-6 booties or socks.
*4-6 receiving blankets.
*2 sweaters.
*Washcloths and hooded towels.

 

When Your Baby Is Sick

As babies get older, their bodies are better able to fight off sickness. A low fever in a newborn may be more serious than a higher fever in a 7-month-old. At any age, always call your baby's doctor for advice if a sick baby seems very sleepy, doesn't want to play or eat, or can't be comforted.

 

Colds
Stuffy noses make it hard for babies to breathe and eat. To help your baby breathe, try putting a few saline drops in her nose. Wait a minute and then suction out mucous. If it doesn't work, call your baby's doctor. To help your child breathe easier while she is sleeping, put a pillow under her mattress to elevate her head and use a cool-mist humidifier. (Make sure to clean the humidifier frequently to avoid mold growth.)

 

Gas
* Crying and pulling up legs are signs of gas.
* Burp your baby more often when feeding.
* Try softly rubbing your baby's tummy or slowly bringing her knees to her chest.
* Ask your baby's doctor if simethicone drops or switching formulas might help.

 

Vomiting
* Many babies spit up a bit after eating and when burping. Vomiting, however, is much more forceful. Call your baby's doctor if the vomiting lasts more than 24 hours or if she has a swollen belly or seems in pain, or is very tired or irritable.
* Check with your baby's doctor about giving an electrolyte solution to put back lost fluids, salt, and sugars.

 

 

Fever
* Fever means the body is fighting illness or infection.
* If a feverish baby cries a lot, it may be a sign of ear infection or other serious illness. Call your baby's doctor.
* For an infant under three months, call your baby's doctor right away if the baby's temperature is 100.2oF or more; 101oF or more in children between three and six months; and 103oF or more if older than six months. Also call if a fever lasts more than 24 hours. Check with your baby's doctor about using a non-aspirin pain reliever to lower fever.

 

Rashes
* Dry, scaly skin may be eczema, which should be treated by your baby's doctor.
* Tiny red bumps may be prickly heat. Loose, cool, cotton clothes and bedding may help.
* For diaper rash, change diapers more often and clean area carefully with warm water. Air dry your baby's bottom for a while each day. Use a diaper rash ointment or cream to keep wetness away from skin and help clear up rash.

 

 

Cradle Cap
* Soften scaly flakes on the scalp with a bit of baby oil and a soft brush.
* This kind of flaking is very common in newborns.

 

 

Your Baby Is an Individual

No two babies are alike. This brochure contains general guidelines for taking care of a newborn. But if you have any questions about what's best for your baby, always consult your doctor.

 

Your Baby's Doctor

lt's a good idea to choose a doctor for your baby before she is born. Meet with your baby's doctor toward the end of your pregnancy so you'll be comfortable with the office before you bring your baby in for her first visit. When first meeting with your baby's doctor, ask:
* When will my baby's first check-up be?
* How often should I bring her in for check-ups?
* How far in advance should I schedule appointments?
* How do I schedule an appointment if she gets sick?
* What do I do in case of an emergency?

 

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