So now that you are blessed with this angel, you must be all confused with how to pamper your newborn especially if you are a new parent. A newborn can fill your house and heart with lots of happiness but the constant feeding, puking and other small ailments which plague a newborn can also make your life tough and exhausting. Caring for a baby is more than buying expensive toys and gadgets as it involves learning a new set of rules to give the best to your baby. Though do’s and don’ts are pretty common, we provide a list of 20 best do’s and don’ts, so that you bring up your newborn in a safe and healthy manner.
Do’s:
Baby Health Tip # 1: Handling
Handling the tiny, pink, chubby bundle of joy might be a daunting job since most parents think that they might hurt the baby unknowingly. Newborns are tougher than they look; all you need to do is to make them comfortable. Hold them more often so that he / she gets used to being held.
If your baby’s lying down, scoop up with both arms, one hand behind the bottom and the other under the shoulders and beneath the head. Make sure the head of the baby is safe, as till the age of six, babies are not strong enough to hold their neck muscles independently.
Baby Health Tip # 2: Burping your child is important
Though it is fine if your baby doesn’t burp after every meal, but it is a smart option to try burping your child it will prevent intestinal gas later.
Baby Health Tip # 3: Follow the pattern; Feed, break then nap
All babies are sleeping beauties once their stomach is full. Nursing your baby to sleep is one of the most adopted methods to help babies sleep. Allow your baby to fall asleep on their own as this will make your life easier. Always give a small gap between your baby’s nursing and nap time.
Baby Health Tip # 4: Immunization is important
If you want your baby to grow up to be healthy and fit then talk to your doctor about all the immunization shots your baby needs. Schedule all the immunization shots for your baby with the help from your doctor to protect your baby from any future serious disease.
Baby Health Tip # 5: Place your baby on their back
Always place your baby on their back and not on their bellies. Placing your baby on their back from start will help them to maintain a good sleeping posture and is the best precautions against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Baby Health Tip # 6: Swaddle your baby
Swaddling is very important for your newborn. Swaddling is keeping your baby’s arms and legs wrapped in a soft blanket. Swaddling your newborn in a receiving blanket will give your baby the sense of comfort and security like the womb environment. Swaddling will also help to reduce the constant throwing up of their arms and legs.
Baby Health Tip # 7: Trimming your baby’s nails
It sounds tough, but you need to trim your baby’s nails frequently to avoid injuries. When nails are not trimmed often, they can turn into sharp and your baby might hurt themselves while scratching or playing. You can lower the anxiety of this task by waiting till your baby is asleep or you can take some help from adults.
Don’ts:
Baby Health Tip # 8: Shaking is not good
Many parents love shaking their baby’s to and fro to change their mood or to stop them from crying. Shaking your baby too often is not at all good as it can lead to Shaken Baby Syndrome. Constant shaking can even cause internal bleeding.
Baby Health Tip # 9: Don’t play with your baby like you are juggling a ball in the air
As said above, too much rough handling can cause fatality. Hence, make sure to not play roughly with your newborn unless your baby is fully developed, in order to avoid casualties and internal injuries
Baby Health Tip # 10: Avoid waking your baby
When you want your newborn to wake up, never shake the baby. Shaking a newborn while play or for any other reason can cause internal bleeding in the head and ultimately lead to fatality.
Baby Health Tip # 11: Smoking can harm your baby
Smoking is injurious to all human beings, especially your newborn as their immune system is very weak. Avoid smoking near your baby or avoid taking your baby to a place which is exposed to smoke since exposure to smoke can create various respiratory problems.
Baby Health Tip # 12: Don’t stuff your baby’s crib with soft toys
You may think that stuff toys will make your newborn happy but never keep stuff toys in your baby’s crib. Why? It can cause allergy and other dangerous health problems due to the dust collected on it or due to the hair of the toys, which can lead to choking.
Baby Health Tip # 13: Don’t use perfumed wipes
The skin of your newborn baby is very sensitive. Thus you should avoid using any types of perfumed wipes or other products, as the chemicals present in it can cause allergy or skin rashes.