Being a new parent

Being a New Parent

Life has changed now that your baby is here or rather you’re expecting one. If he’s already here congratulations on your new role and welcome to motherhood or fatherhood. Parenthood come naturally for some, more slowly for others. Don’t worry, you must have lots of questions about what to do, but I have tips that can help first time parents feel confident  about caring for their new little ones in no time. Lets start with;

Handling a Newborn

You might be here because you haven’t spent alot of time around newborns, they may seem fragile. Here are some of the basics;

• Clean hands, You’ll have to wash your hands or atleast use hand sterilizers before handling your newborn because their immune is not strong yet thus risk to infections. You should also make sure this happens to anyone else who handles the baby.
• Support their head and neck whenever you are handling a newborn. Cradle their head when carrying the baby, if carrying them upright support the head or when laying them down.
• Avoid shaking the baby whether in play or frustration. This may cause bleeding or damage in brain and sometimes even death.
• Always use safety harness to fasten your baby safely when using a carrier, stroller or carseat. Make sure to avoid too rough or bouncy activities. Throwing them in the air or jiggling them on the knee should be avoided too.

Bonding With Your Newborn Baby

Bonding in our case is when you and your baby develop an intense attachment with each other. You may feel great love and joy when you look at your baby. It may make you very protective of your little one or even get you up in the middle of the night to feed your hungry baby and makes you attentive to the baby’s cries. Bonding should happen the first hours and days after birth, where you make deep connections with your child. Bonding with your child provide the baby’s first model for intimate relationships and foster a sense of security and positive self esteem. Babies that have strong bonds with their parents are more likely to trust others and have good relationships as adults. There are different technique to bond with your baby. Some are;

• Skin to skin contact, where you hold your newborn against your own bare chest , It’s soothing for both you and your baby and regulates their heartbeat. It should be practiced by both parents. When practicing skin-to-skin contact one should avoid scented perfumes, lotions or drugs like cigarette smell. Find a comfortable seat in a dimly lit room, then you can sit quietly, hum or sing, you can even read a book. Your baby may be sleeping during this time.
• Breast feeding . when breastfeeding your baby becomes attached to your smell touch during feeding.
• Making eye contact with your baby.
• Playing with your baby.
• Responding to your baby when they cry. Giving them attention when they cry is also a good way of bonding with your little one.

Soothing your baby

Soothing is having a gently calming effect on your baby. Helping them relax makes them feel happier and more comfortable. Here is how you can soothe your baby;

• Swaddle your baby in large or small thin blanket. Swaddling works well during babies first few weeks. It allows keeping baby’s arms close to their body allowing their legs to move a bit. This keeps the baby warm and gives newborn a sense of security and comfort. Remember to stop swaddling when baby shows signs of rolling over.

  

   

• Massage; Baby massage is the best way to enjoy time with your baby and also bonding with them. This helps to soothe your baby and help them especially if they were born early or have medical problem. You should massage your baby gently as they are not strong as adults.
• Use calming sounds; Babies enjoy vocal sounds such as singing ,babbling, recording of heartbeat and talking. This reminds them of being inside a womb. Some babies may show sensitivity to touch, sound and light, make sure to keep noise and light levels low or medium if this is the case with your baby.
• Rock your baby or walk them in body carrier. Moving in a calming motion reminds them of the movement in their mothers stomach.

Bathing and Diapering a Newborn