Top Tips for New Parents: Caring for Your Newborn’s Health

Now that your kid is here, your life has completely transformed, and you may be wondering what to do. First-time parents can promptly gain optimism regarding their ability to care for a baby by following these recommendations. Taking care of oneself is a crucial aspect of caring for a newborn. During this period, which can be stressful and a little overwhelming, think about seeking assistance.

Friends and family may wish to provide a hand. Their own experiences may be useful, even if you don't agree on everything. Anyone who handles your child should be up-to-date on their vaccinations in order to keep them healthy, and they should only assist if they feel well. However, don't feel bad about restricting guests if you don't feel comfortable hosting them or if you have other concerns. Scroll down to explore top tips for new parents that can help them take better and stress-free care of the newborn’s health.

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Newborn Health Checklist

• Wipe the infant dry and clean, and wait at least 24 hours before giving the first bath.
• Keep the infant warm with one or two layers of clothing and cover the head with a warm cap.
• Have the infant examined for eyesight, hearing, and jaundice.
• Before touching a baby, wash your hands with soap and water. 
• Be aware of any warning symptoms, such as poor feeding, rapid breathing, or high fever. Seek medical attention if necessary.

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Top Tips for New Parents for Caring Their Newborn’s Health

As a parent, you nourish, guard, and mentor your children, giving them a wonderful start in life. You have a lot of options for keeping your newborn safe and healthy. If you have a newborn, the following new-parent tips can help you in taking care of your baby in the best way:

Tips to Handle the Baby

• Before touching your kid, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer. Newborns are susceptible to infections because their immune system is still developing. Ensure that all those who handle your infant have clean hands.
• Give support to the head and neck of the little one. 
• When your baby is playing or becoming frustrated, never shake them, as it may cause brain hemorrhage. 

Tips to Bond with the Baby

• Parental bonding starts right from the early hours and days of life. 
• In addition to fostering an emotional bond, physical proximity can aid in your baby's overall development. 
• "Falling in love" with your infant is another way to conceptualize bonding. 
•  Skin-to-skin contact, commonly known as kangaroo care, is another effective method that involves holding the infant against your chest. Babies benefit from this in terms of heart rate regulation and calmness. Mothers and fathers should practice this to create deeper bonding with their parents.

Tips to Soothe the Baby

Babies might feel happier and more at ease when you help them relax. Here are some suggestions for calming your infant:

• Massage: Babies may benefit from massage, particularly those who were born prematurely or have health issues. Certain kinds of massage may strengthen bonds and aid in the development of infants.  However, proceed with caution—babies are not as strong as adults, so give them gentle massages.
• Sounds: Talking, chattering, singing, and cooing are some of the vocal signs that babies often like. Infants find soft music and rattles soothing.
• Swaddling: It is another relaxing method that some newborns respond favorably to during their first few weeks. Swaddling properly keeps a baby's arms close to their torso while allowing their legs to move slightly. It keeps a baby warm and gives a sense of security and contentment to babies. Swaddling may also help reduce the startle reaction, which can wake up a newborn.

Diapering Tips

• Your child will dirty diapers around ten times a day, or roughly seventy times a week, regardless of whether you use cloth or disposable ones; change it when it's dirty. 
• Use a washcloth or wipes, water, and cotton balls to gently wipe your baby's diaper from front to back.
•  If you have a diaper rash, apply diaper cream.
•  After changing the diaper, wash your hands.

Tips to Bathe the Baby

• Babies are given sponge baths for the first couple of weeks. 
• Babies can thereafter take baths in a sink or small plastic infant tub once the umbilical cord stump comes off and the circumcision heals (if your baby was circumcised).
• The first baths should be short and gentle. 
• Return to sponge baths for a week or two if your infant becomes agitated, and then attempt the tub bath once again. 
• During the first year, a bath two or three times a week is acceptable. The baby's skin may get drier with more frequent bathing.

Umbilical Cord Care Tips

• Use plain water to clean the area surrounding the cord stump, then blot dry until the stump dries out and falls off, which should happen in ten days to three weeks. 
• It is common for the cord stump to turn from yellow to brown or black before falling off. 
• If the area seems red, smells terrible, or has discharge, call your doctor.

Breastfeeding Tips

• When your baby is hungry, they may make sucking noises, cry, or put their fingers in their mouth.
• An infant must be fed every two to three hours.
• Babies that are breastfed are most likely eating enough if they:
  • appear content
  • have around six wet diapers and many poopings per day, sleep well\
  • gain weight on a regular basis.
• You can also determine whether a breastfed baby is receiving enough milk by observing whether your breasts feel full before feeding and less full after. 
• If you are worried about your baby's growth or baby feeding schedule, speak with your doctor.
• During feedings, babies frequently swallow air, which can cause discomfort to them. Burp your infant frequently to prevent this.

Baby Sleep Tips

The fact that babies sleep for at least 16 hours may surprise you. They usually get two to four hours of sleep. At three months of age, most infants sleep through the night for six to eight hours, but it's okay if yours doesn't. Babies have their own sleep cycles and habits, much like adults. To reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), newborns should always be made to sleep on their backs.

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Conclusion

Maintaining good cleanliness, feeding your baby appropriately, setting up a secure sleeping environment, and engaging in regular bonding activities are all important aspects of taking care of their health.

Choose IRIS Hospital, the best neonatal care hospital in Kolkata, for the right care. Book your consultation now!

FAQs

Q1: What’s the right room temperature for my baby?
A: Keep the room between 22 and 24°C and avoid overdressing to prevent overheating.

Q2: How do I know if my baby is getting enough milk?
A: Look for 6–8 wet diapers a day, steady weight gain, and active feeding.

Q3: When should I worry about my baby crying?
A: Crying is normal, but seek medical care if your baby cries inconsolably for hours, has a fever, has reduced feeding, or seems unwell.