Caring for Your New Baby

Caring for Your New Baby 169 Minebrook Road Bernardsville, NJ 07924 908-766-0034 advocaresinatrapengpediatrics.com Advocare Sinatra & Peng Pediatrics 2 3 Advocare Sinatra & Peng Pediatrics Caring for Your New Baby Getting to Know Your Baby Sometimes new mothers are a little unsure of themselves at first. As long as your baby is well fed, well loved, warm and comfortable, she doesn’t mind a bit that you are not an expert. The few basic infant-care instructions that follow should help you to relax and enjoy your baby. The most valuable thing parents can do for their children is to enjoy them. Your baby is an individual from the day she is born. As the baby’s mother, the person most intimately involved in her care, you will come to know her best. Trust yourself and do not take all of the advice of well-meaning friends and relatives too seriously. If you have questions or need advice, call our office. Your baby will do some things all babies do. For example, all babies sneeze, yawn, belch, have hiccups, pass gas, cough, and cry. They may occasionally look cross-eyed. Sneezing is the only way in which a baby can clean his or her nose. Hiccups are little spasms of the baby’s abdominal muscles. Hiccups often may be stopped by giving a few swallows of warm water. Coughing is your baby’s way of clearing her throat. Crying is the baby’s way of saying, “I’m wet, I’m thirsty, I want to turn over, I’m too hot, I’m too cold, I have a stomachache, I’m bored, or I’m hungry.” You will gradually learn what your baby means. Almost all infants have a fussy period. This may occur regularly, perhaps in the late afternoon or evening but hopefully not at night. This is not colic, but a normal response for which there is no explanation. Even well babies cry! Your Baby’s Safety The types of injuries a baby may sustain change with age, thus, you will con- tinually need to consider and adjust your safety efforts. No one can protect a baby from all hazards, but you can take some specific actions, starting the day your baby comes home from the hospital. The crib for your baby must have slats no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, no unsafe design features, and a snug–fitting mattress. To avoid blocking your baby’s breathing, do not place pillows, large and floppy toys, or loose plastic sheeting in the crib. Stay close by when your baby is on a flat surface above the floor to avoid injury from falls. Car Seats – A car seat will be necessary to transport the baby home from the hospital and should be used with utmost concern and diligence. Closely follow product and safety guidelines and be sure to use equipment meeting federal safety standards. Car seats are a must! 3 Advocare Sinatra & Peng Pediatrics Pacifier and Jewelry –Pacifiers should never be worn around the infant’s neck. Suitable pacifier attachments are available which can be clipped onto the infant’s clothing. Equally important in preventing strangulation, is not placing jewelry of any kind around the child’s neck. Wrist and ankle bracelets are acceptable if properly fitted and refitted (i.e. not too loose so that they won’t accidently come off and not too snug to allow good circulation). Infants Seats – Never place an infant in an infant seat and leave it on an elevated surface, like a table. An active infant can easily maneuver the infant seat to the table edge and fall. Also, curious toddlers have been known to pull infant seats on top of themselves in an effort to obtain a closer look. Walkers – Walkers will not misalign healthy normal legs, but can be the cause of serious accidents, as they allow the infant to move faster than she should. Therefore, we do not recommend the use of walkers. Use a stationary exersau- cer instead. Toys – Early in life, babies prefer simple black-and-white shapes but soon become attracted to colorful and shiny objects. Keep small objects such as buttons and pins out of the baby’s reach so she cannot pick them up and swallow them. Skin – A baby’s delicate skin can be burned easily. When you take the baby outside, shade your baby from the hot rays of the sun. Always use a hat when outside to protect baby’s head and eyes. Set your water heater to lower than 130°F (54.4C). Always test the temperature of the water before your baby’s bath to be sure it’s not too hot. Smoking cigarettes while feeding or playing with the baby is harmful to the baby’s lungs and dangerous because hot ashes could fall on the baby. Also, don’t hold the baby while cooking. Hot food could splatter on the baby, or she could touch hot pans or their contents. For Your Baby’s Comfort Room Temperature – Try to keep an even, comfortable temperature (68◦-70°) in your baby’s room. Windows may be opened in warm weather, provided the baby is not in a draft and the room temperature does not fall below 68°F. Crib – Cover the mattress with a waterproof cover, quilted pad, and soft baby sheet. Clothing – A baby does not require any more clothing than an adult. Dress your baby according to the temperature. Some babies are allergic to certain materials, so keep an eye out for rashes in areas where clothing touches the skin. 4 5 Advocare Sinatra & Peng Pediatrics Caring for Your New Baby Outdoors – You can take your baby outside whenever the weather is pleasant. Babies born during warm weather may be taken outside after they are about two weeks old. If you use a carriage or stroller, be sure the wind blows over the top and not into it, or directly on your baby. Avoid taking your baby to crowded places in the first two months of life due to the increased potential for infection. Jaundice Jaundice frequently occurs in newborns. The baby’s red blood cells break down to form a pigment called bilirubin. The bilirubin undergoes further changes in the liver until it is excreted in the stools. Most newborns have an immature liver; hence bilirubin tends to accumulate in the skin, giving the baby a yellow color. As the baby’s liver matures and as the baby feeds more, the bilirubin is handled more efficiently and excreted. In a full term baby this maturation occurs about the third or fifth day of life. This normal process may be exagger- ated if there is an incompatibility between the mother and baby’s blood type. Breastfed babies also tend to have more jaundice than bottle fed babies. If your baby is jaundiced a blood test will be done to check the bilirubin level. Newborn Supplies Shampoo Rectal thermometer Ointment (A&D, Triple Paste, Desitin, etc.) Bottles Baby Oil (for dry scalp) Nipples Pacifier (one piece) Cotton balls Diapers (disposable or cloth) Mattress pads Detergent (Dreft, Ivory, All clear) Crib sheets Nasal aspirator Wipes (unscented) Salt water nose drops (Nasal, Ocean, Ayr) Measuring spoons, syringe Baby bath and lotion (unscented) 5 Advocare Sinatra & Peng Pediatrics Breast Feeding Nursing is the most convenient and natural way to feed your baby and has numerous benefits such as the transfer of protective antibodies and a signifi- cantly decreased risk of developing food allergies. Additionally, breast milk is at the perfect drinking temperature and over time adapts to the baby’s changing energy needs. Once established, a mother’s supply of breast milk will usually meet her baby’s needs and the quality of her milk will remain fairly constant. At first, breast feeding requires patience as the milk does not really begin to flow until about three to four days after delivery. During this period the baby receives small amounts of a very nutritious substance called colostrum. Because of the limited amounts, babies will feed more frequently in the first few days of life until the breast milk begins to flow. You may be tempted to offer your baby formula for fear that she is not receiving enough. We encourage you to be patient as frequent nursing in the initial days will stimulate your body to produce more milk. Occasionally, a baby may lose significant weight in the first few days of life and we may recommend supplementation with formula. Should this become necessary, it is important to still continue nursing and offer your baby formula after each nursing session so that the supplementation can be discontinued once your milk starts flowing. Before nursing, wash your hands with soap and water, and then wash your breast with clear water. When you nurse you should be relaxed and comfortable. Numerous nursing positions work well, i.e. lying on your side, or sitting in a rocking or low arm chair. Commercially available “u”-shaped nursing pillows work well and are highly recommended. Cradle your baby’s head in your arm so that the infant’s head is higher than his or her stomach. Gently stroke his or her cheek nearest the breast—she will then turn his or her head and open his or her mouth searching for the nipple. Use one of your hands to hold your breast and the other to gently push your baby’s head towards your nipple. Be certain that the whole nipple and as much of the surrounding areola (the flat brown part of your nipple) as possible enter the baby’s mouth.

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