If you have just given birth then you may feel as though your life has turned upside down. This can be daunting to say the least, but there are things that you can do to make sure that you are able to enjoy the experience to the fullest.
Feeding your Baby
Newborn babies often need feeding little but often. Your baby will need to be fed around 8 times in a 24-hour period. The first few weeks will be tough, but at the end of the day, you have to remember that everyone else will be in the same situation as you if they are a new mother. If you are able to recognise the signs that your baby is hungry then this will help you to feed them much more calmly. If you feed your baby often then this will be tiring, especially if you are feeding during the night as well. It’s vital that you take care of yourself and that you rest when you can if possible. It doesn’t matter if you are bottle-feeding or breastfeeding because at the end of the day, there are ways for you to find out if your baby is feeding well. If your baby is not feeding well because they had an injury at birth or if you are dealing with a more challenging scenario then it’s more than possible for you to explore birth injury claims.
Holding your Baby
Newborn babies tend to enjoy being cuddled. They need to be held in a safe way so that their head is supported. Mums should also be encouraged to have a lot of skin-to-skin contact with their babies as soon as possible. Your baby may be quite happy when they are snuggled on your chest. This will give them the chance to hear your heartbeat. Some newborns like to be swaddled and there is evidence that shows that this can help them to sleep better.
Bathing your Baby
If you need some support with your baby when you are giving them their first wash or even bath, then the midwife who works at the hospital should be able to show you how. They will also help to show you how to keep their stump clean from the umbilical cord. It will drop off after around a week. There’s no need for you to rush bathing them as soon as you get them home, but it does help to explore the idea of how you’re going to approach it so you know how you’re going to handle everything.
Changing your Newborn’s Nappy
Changing your child’s nappy for the first time is a major milestone. It doesn’t matter if you use disposable nappies or whether you use ones that are washable because you should know how to put it on properly. Young babies will need their nappies changing around 12 times a day, so make sure that you keep that in mind as much as possible.
