First Weeks At Home With A New Born
After the initial excitement about the arrival of a baby, dawns the reality of caring for a newborn. A little awareness and preparation ensures that you become a great parent.
Medical Checkup on the Third or Fourth Day of Life
Early discharge from the newborn nursery has become commonplace for full-term babies with no other complications.In general this is a safe practice if the baby’s hospital stay has been uncomplicated. These newborns need to be re-checked 2 to 5 days days after discharge to see how well they are feeding, urinating, producing stools, maintaining weight, and breathing. They will also be checked for jaundice and overall health.
The Two Week Medical Check-up
This checkup is probably the most important medical visit for your baby during the first
year of life. By two weeks of age your baby will usually have developed symptoms of any physical condition that was not detectable during the hospital stay. Your child’s healthcare provider will be able to judge how well your baby is growing from his or her height, weight,and head circumference.This is also the time your family is under the most stress of adapting to a new baby.
Try to develop a habit of jotting down questions about your child’s health or behavior at home. Bring this list with you to office visits to discuss with the healthcare provider. Most physicians welcome the opportunity to address your agenda. If at all possible, both the mother and father should go to these visits. Most physicians prefer to get to know both parents during a checkup rather than during the crisis of an acute illness.If you think your newborn starts to look or act sick between the routine visits, be sure to call your child’s healthcare provider for help.
Feeding Your Baby: Achieving Weight Gain
Your main assignments during the early months of life are loving and feeding your baby. All babies lose a few ounces during the first few days after birth. However, they should rarely lose more than 7% of the birth weight. Most breast-fed babies regain birth weight by 10 days of age. Then infants gain approximately an 20grams per day during the early months. If milk is provided liberally, the normal newborn’s hunger drive ensures appropriate weight gain.
A breast-feeding mother often wonders if her baby is getting enough calories, since she can’t see how many ounces the baby takes. Your baby is doing fine if he or she demands to nurse every 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, appears satisfied after feedings, takes both breasts at each nursing, wets 6 or more diapers each day, and passes 3 or more soft stools per day. Whenever you are worried about your baby’s weight gain, bring your baby to your healthcare provider’s office for a weight check. Feeding problems detected early are much easier to remedy than those of long standing. A special weight check 1 week after birth is a good idea for infants of a first-time breast-feeding mother or a mother concerned about her milk supply.
Dealing with Crying
Crying babies need to be held. They need someone with a soothing voice and a soothing touch. You can’t spoil your baby during the early months of life. Overly sensitive babies may need an even gentler touch.
FOR YOU MOM
The Postpartum Blues
You are not alone. More than 50% of women experience postpartum blues on the third or fourth day after delivery. You may be experiencing tearfulness, tiredness, sadness, and difficulty in thinking clearly. The main cause of this temporary reaction is probably the sudden decrease of maternal hormones. Since the symptoms commonly begin on the day you come home from the hospital, the full impact of being totally responsible for a dependent newborn may also be a contributing factor. In any event, these symptoms usually clear in 1 to 3 weeks as the hormone levels return to normal and you will develop a routine and a sense of control over your life.
There are several ways to cope with the postpartum blues:
- First, acknowledge your feelings. Discuss them with your husband or a close friend as well as your sense of being trapped and that these new responsibilities seem insurmountable.
- Second, get adequate rest. You will probably feel overworked, even overwhelmed. Inadequate sleep will leave you fatigued. Caring for a baby can be a lonely and stressful responsibility. You may wonder if you will ever catch up on your rest or work. Every baby awakens one or more times a night. The way to avoid sleep deprivation is to know the total amount of sleep you need per day and to get that sleep in bits and pieces. Your baby doesn’t need you hovering while he or she sleeps. If sick, your baby will show symptoms. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of your baby.
- Third, get help with all your work.
- Fourth, renew contact with other people; don’t become isolated. Get out of the house at least once a week.
- If you don’t feel better by the time your baby is 1 month old, see your healthcare provider about the possibility of counseling for depression.
Dad’s To Do List
You need to take time off from work to be your wife during labor and delivery, as well as on the day she and his child come home from the hospital.
Not only does your wife need your support to help her with household chores, the baby also needs to develop a close relationship with you. You may participate in feeding, changing diapers, bathing, putting to bed, reading stories, dressing, disciplining, homework, playing games, and calling the doctor when the child is sick.
You need to be your wife’s support system. The longer you go without learning parenting skills, the harder it becomes to master them . Remember parenting is jointly done by both the parents.
Visitors
Only close friends and relatives should visit you during your first month at home. They should not visit if they are sick.
Friends without children may not understand your needs. During visits the visitor should also pay special attention to older siblings.
Taking Your Baby Outdoors
You can take your baby outdoors at any age. You already took your baby outside when you left the hospital, and you will be going outside again when you take him or her for the two-day or two-week checkup.
Dress the baby with as many layers of clothing as an adult would wear for the outdoor temperature. A common mistake is overdressing a baby in summer. In winter, a baby needs a hat because he or she often doesn’t have much hair to protect against heat loss.
Cold air or winds do not cause ear infections or pneumonia.
The skin of babies is more sensitive to the sun than the skin of older children. Keep sun exposure to small amounts (10 to 15 minutes at a time). Protect your baby’s skin from sunburn with longer clothing and a bonnet.
Camping and crowds should probably be avoided during your baby’s first month of life.Also, during your baby’s first year of life try to avoid close contact with people who have infectious illnesses.
Authored by :Dr.Subramanian M.D