The best parent-to-parent tips on how to feed, comfort, and more babies their first few days at home. Jasmine, our daughter, was born six weeks ago. She is finally sleeping better and extending meal breaks. When she is awake, she is also more alert. On the other hand, my wife and I felt like we had been hit by a truck. We managed to get through, which surprises me. In the first month, newborns need round-the-clock attention.
Here are the best tips for parents to take care of a newborn in the first month: how to breastfeed, soothe, sleep, include your partner, get outside and stay sane. Remember that you and your child are beginners. With practice and time, both of you will find your groove. We spoke with experienced parents and children's professionals to help make your first month easier. They discussed it.
Here are some of the best tips for newborn parents:
The best parenting tips for sleep
Your baby is probably sleeping when not nursing. Although it happens in small bursts, newborns can sleep up to 16 hours a day. As a result, you feel more exhausted than you thought, but you still feel alert all the time. Even the optimists among us might not like extreme sleep deprivation anymore.
Stop holding on to your tiredness. The main objective at the moment is the care of your baby. According to Vicki Lansky, author of Getting Your Child to Sleep and Back to Sleep, "You won't get a full night's sleep, so you might be exhausted and angry or tired."
To work in shifts. Grumpy child is rocked by mother one night and father the next. Bill and Jessica, who live in Denver with their parents, developed a schedule for the weekends Richard wasn't working. "I fell asleep even though I stayed up late with the baby. Richard completed all the morning chores before he could take a nap.
The saying "sleep when your baby sleeps" is one of the best tips for parents. Take a nap together and go to bed early, advises Washington, DC mom Sarah Clark
What if your child has trouble falling asleep? Whatever the cost, please do. Let your child sleep on your chest or in the car seat while you rock him to sleep or nurse. “As for bad habits, wait a bit. Your survival is at stake! 'Los Angeles mom, Jean Farnham.
Top tips for parents to calm down
In the cloudy first few weeks, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what your baby wants. You learn from trial and error.
“The secret to calming fussy babies is to mimic the womb. Rocking, silencing, swaddling, letting babies nurse and holding them on their side stimulate the calming reflex," says Harvey Karp, MD, the man behind the books, movies and DVDs called The Happiest Baby on the Block.
To sing songs. Instead of focusing on the unproven notion that music makes a newborn smarter, consider the likelihood that it helps him relax. Mom from Anchorage, Alaska, Kim Rich, says, "The Baby Einstein tapes saved us."
Get Things Started: A Los Angeles Mom Named Alexandra Komisaruk Found This OutdiaperChanges led to tantrums. Using paper towels and warm water in a pumpable thermos, she prepared hot towels, she says. Alternatively, you can get aelectric wiper heaterfor a newborn with delicate skin.
You will also need other strategies. Doing deep squats and lunges while holding my daughter helped calm her down, said Emily Earle, mom from Brooklyn, New York. On the positive side, I got my leg shape back.
Relax by immersion. Try taking a warm bath together when all else fails and the baby's umbilical stump falls off. According to Boston mom Emily Franklin, a relaxed mom can soothe a baby.
Best Tips for Parents About Participating Partners
In a two-parent family, it's crucial to divide the workload and allow each parent to understand what needs to be done for the baby to grow.
Leave her alone. Many new parents are reluctant to get involved for fear of doing something wrong and upsetting the mother. In The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year, author Armin Brott advises mothers not to judge their husbands when they make mistakes.
After all family members are gone, take time off from work. Check whether partners can use their vacation or sick leave if they are not entitled to parental leave due to work. That's what Thad Calabrese, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, did. "I had more things to do besides being able to spend some alone time with my son."
Share the work. Los Angeles dad Mark DiStefano handled the grocery shopping and household chores. "Each afternoon I also took Ben for a short walk so my wife could spend some time alone."
Partners also want to have fun. To hold the child to my chest while I slept, says Bob Vonnegut, a father from Islamorada, Florida, "I used to take my shirt off."
Top tips for parents to stay healthy
No matter how excited you are about being a parent, the constant care of a baby can wear you out. Discover how you can take care of yourself by lowering your standards and taking short breaks.
First, ignore unsolicited or unclear advice. Julie Balis, a mother from Frankfort, Illinois, says, “Ultimately, you are the parent; therefore, you determine what is best.”
Alison Mackonochie, author of 100 Tips for a Happy Baby, advises forgetting about household chores in the first few months. “Focus on getting to know your child. If someone complains about dirty dishes or rising dust, smile and offer them detergent or a duster!”
Accept help of any kind - or be naive enough to offer it. Jeanne Anzalone, a mother from Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., advises, "If a neighbor asks you to hold the baby while you shower, say yes!"
There are a lot of people who want to help but don't know how? Abby Moskowitz, a Brooklyn mom, advises, "Don't be afraid to tell them exactly what you need." One of the few times in your life you can command someone to do anything!
However, avoid assigning small tasks to other people. "It takes two minutes to change a diaper. They'll need help from others to complete time-consuming tasks like cooking, sweeping, and shopping for diapers," says Cleveland mom Catherine Park.
Engage again. To avoid feeling isolated from the rest of the world, a mom from Lewisburg, Pa., advises Jacqueline Kelly, "Go outside alone, even for five minutes."
About and with the baby
recruit support. Go to a large, public place with an experienced parent for the first time. In the words of Denver mom Suzanne Zook, "Having my sister with me for support kept me from being nervous the first time I went shopping with my newborn."
Christin Gauss, an Indiana mom, advises if you're alone, "Stay in areas where a baby is likely to be welcome, like B. a story hour at a library or bookstore."
Keep your diaper bag full, advises Brooklyn mom Fran Bowen. Nothing is worse than thinking she's finally ready for baby, only to find out that she isn't.
Keep a backup. In Long Beach, California, her mother Holland Brown always keeps an extra set of clothes for her in her diaper bag. "You don't want to get stuck in mustard-colored poop while holding a cute baby," she said.
Accept chaos as it is. Keep your plans simple and be prepared to change them at a moment's notice, advises Margi Weeks, a mom from Tarrytown, New York.
Remember that everyone survives; So are you, if nothing else. Your child's first smile will come soon enough, and this will help offset all the initial stress.