Article details
5 min read
By Similac®
Fact Checked by Similac®
Discusses typical sleep patterns in newborns and offers strategies to help regulate their sleep for better development and parental rest.
Provides guidelines on newborn feeding, including breastfeeding tips and how to recognize hunger cues in infants.
Covers the basics of daily newborn care, such as diapering, bathing, and ensuring a safe sleeping environment.
Settling back into your home, fresh from the hospital, can be challenging. With a new baby on your hands, you still need to attend to your personal recovery and keep your household running. Here are some tips to help you cope with the possible challenges you might face in the coming weeks.
Welcoming Your Baby Into Your Home
Prepare Your Home Ahead of Time
Enlist Help from Professionals and Loved Ones
Share Responsibilities with Your Partner
Top Things to Know as a New Parent
Parenting a newborn baby can be overwhelming. It helps to think through all the basics to feel prepared, confident, and capable. Do familiarise yourself with the following:
How to burp a baby
Newborn babies need help to burp. There are three common burping positions including placing your baby over your shoulder or sitting on your lap while you pat the back gently. Choose the one that’s most comfortable and effective for getting burps out of your baby.6
How to keep track of poop and pee
New parents know they will have to change a ton of dirty diapers. A baby’s pee and poo are said to be a barometer of health. When changing your baby’s diapers, do remember to check the diaper before disposing of it.7
A newborn baby’s sleeping patterns
Newborn babies sleep for only 2 to 4 hours at a time2, for a total of 12 to 16 hours of sleep each day8. Baby can sleep for 8 to 9 hours in the daytime and about 8 hours at night. Most babies don’t sleep through the night until at least 3 months old.9
How to soothe fussy infants
A baby cries to tell you that he needs something. Make sure your baby has been fed and feels sated. Burp your baby after feeding; check if the diaper needs changing. Make sure the nursery is at a comfortable temperature and take your baby’s temperature to see if your child may be having a fever. If your baby keeps crying even though nothing seems amiss, you can try to soothe by playing relaxing music of lullabies, humming, or singing while gently rocking your baby in the cradle. Swaddling is also a way that helps your baby feel snug and comfortable. You can even take out the stroller and go on a leisurely walk for a change of scenery or strap your baby in the car seat for a short drive, where the movement and engine hum of the car can help lull your baby to sleep.
Putting these tips to practice can help make the start of your amazing journey to motherhood that much easier and more memorable.
References:
1 Bringing Your Baby Home – Family Doctor. Accessed January 20, 2022.
2 A Guide for First-Time Parents – Kids Health. Accessed January 20, 2022.
3 Antenatal classes – NHS. Accessed January 20, 2022.
4 Breastfeeding: the first few days – NHS. Accessed January 20, 2022.
5 Breastfeeding: positioning and attachment – NHS. Accessed January 20, 2022.
6 Winding and burping your baby – Our Health Service. Accessed January 20, 2022.
7 Newborn Wet and Soiled Diaper Counts and Timing of Onset of Lactation as Indicators of Breastfeeding Inadequacies. Accessed January 31, 2022.
8 Typical sleep behaviour – newborns 0 to 3 months – Better Health. Accessed January 20, 2022.
9 Newborn Sleep Patterns – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Accessed January 20, 2022.
10 How Does Being a New Parent Affect Sleep? – Sleep Foundation. Accessed February 10, 2022.
11.Things to consider before hiring a confinement nanny. Accessed February 10. 2022
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