The first cry of your newborn baby can make you feel thrilled and give you some grip too. However, the happiness of a baby in your family soon gets balanced when you begin to care for your baby's needs. Even though caring for a newborn is one of your life's most satisfying and beautiful experiences, it can be exhausting and demanding.
The first 30 days with your newborns are pretty tough as your child wants to feed often, and you're still trying to figure out why they are crying. Newborns aren't easy to handle with having unpredictable sleeping patterns, making you overwhelmed and frustrated. You might lose your confidence as you cannot figure out a good plan for yourself and your baby. Don't worry; we've got you covered.
Here are some valuable tips to guide you through the tough 30 days with your newborn, making your transition into parenthood easier.
Monitor Your Newborn
As a parent, you need to monitor your newborn for their movements to ensure they are healthy and fit. Observing them during the first 30 days allows you to check whether your newborn has any birth injuries that the medical professionals could have prevented.
After monitoring your baby's actions for a while, if you think your newborn has any birth injuries like Preeclampsia or Placental abruption, don't hesitate to seek help from a Birth Injury Justice Center. Doing so helps you take legal action and get financial compensation from the medical providers who harmed your baby. The compensation can help you pay for any medications, additional surgeries, nursing, and special care, making it easier for you.
Use a Heating Pad
You might have already figured it out; newborns love to be held all the time. Your baby has stepped into a cold and strange world; it's no wonder they find the utmost comfort in your chest listening to the beat of your heart. However, the inconvenience it creates when it's the only place your baby wants to be is understandable. If you're looking for a free hand here, consider using a heating pad to heat the area where you'd like to place your baby before putting them there.
However, remember, you never put your newborn on the actual heating pad or leave the pad unsupervised. Make sure you always turn it off after using it every time. Besides that, don't make the place too hot; consider using it in Medium and remove it after a few minutes.
Learn the Cues
Newborn babies can't tell you what they need, making it trickier to care for them. But they do show you different physical cues. Have you heard of hunger cues? There are various stages in which newborns tell you they need food. If you miss the initial stages of hunger, it gets tougher to feed and keep them calm.
Hunger cues include:
- Smacking or lip-licking
- Mouth movements
- Sucking on everything
- Hitting your chest or arm rapidly
- Positioning as for a feed like laying back or curling
Besides that, babies also show sleepy cues:
- Making less noise
- Cooing
- Slower body movements
- Yawning
- Rubbing face
Make sure you learn the cues to make it easier for you to understand whether your baby is hungry or wants to sleep.
Feed on Demand
Imagine this: it's the second night, and not only your baby isn't ready to sleep, but all they wish to do is eat! It's a pain, but it's normal. You must do it on point if you want to restrict the fuss! You might think your newborn wants to suck for comfort instead of eating, so you might give them a pacifier. Whereas, in reality, your baby is hungry, making them frustrated.
Hence, give your newborn the feed every time they are cranky, particularly when you know they don't need sleep or a diaper change. Your baby cluster feeds to get your milk in, and not nursing around the clock can risk having a low milk supply and having engorged breasts, making it essential for you to feed your newborn whenever they wish.
Distinguish Day and Night
Your newborn won't be able to tell the difference between day and nighttime. You will soon know this when they look at you with eyes wide open at 3 AM, refusing to sleep for the next couple of hours. For instance, your baby would sleep, poo, nurse, and repeat during the day. But during the evening, all they would do is a nurse or refuse to sleep for an hour or more. It's normal for newborns to get confused between the do, making it necessary for you to help them distinguish the two. However, this doesn't mean you should keep your baby awake during the day, thinking they'll sleep at night more.
Instead, allow your newborn to sleep whenever they want; just ensure to let them know it's the day after they are awake. Consider changing their diapers in a room with natural light, smiling at them when they're up, and talking in a happy tone. Moreover, as evening approaches, slow things down and start reducing the lights. Be consistent, and they will be adjusted to the new routine in no time!
Final Giveaway
Getting yourself used to the routine of a parent to newborns is pretty challenging. When you bring in sleepless nights and worry about having more responsibilities on your shoulders, it's okay to be stressed out. You will feel overwhelmed in certain situations. However, you can try using the tips mentioned above to make your first 30 days with your newborn easy and fit your schedule well.
Leave a Reply