Some Additional Tips For New Parents
Pay attention to your newborn babys response when you hold him/her. Change the position of your newborn baby if he/she is feeling disturbed. Here are some tips for new parents.
Introducing Baby To Pets
If you have a dog or cat at home, theyll probably be aware of a change during your pregnancy or when you set up the nursery.
Allow your pet to sniff the new baby furniture and accessories. Play recordings of baby noises for them so they can become used to the noises.
After baby is born, bring something with the babys scent, such as a blanket or item of clothing, for them to sniff. Theyll recognize the smell later when you bring the baby home for the first time.
Its important to always supervise your pets interactions with the baby during the newborn stage. Never leave your baby alone in an area where a pet has access. A pets attempts at welcoming a new family member may not be safe for a small baby.
If your pet is being overly friendly or aggressive, try to find positive ways to redirect their attention away from baby. That can help reduce feelings of jealousy or resentment.
Dont Put Your Newborn On Their Stomach At Bedtime
Tummy time is a great way to help strengthen the muscles in your baby’s head, neck, and arms. While your baby is still a newborn, sleeping on their stomach can be dangerous. Similarly, you should avoid putting toys, stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, and sleep positioners in your baby’s crib.
Encouraging your baby to sleep on their back without unnecessary soft objects is safer for them. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome , suffocation, and strangulation are common reasons for infant deaths. To protect your baby even while you’re sleeping, make their crib or bassinet environment as safe as possible.
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Dr Tim And Mrs Noreen Muehlhoff
Dr. Tim Muehlhoff is a professor of communication at Biola University in La Mirada, California where he teaches classes in family communication, interpersonal communication, apologetics, gender, and conflict resolution. Tim and his wife, Noreen, are both on staff with Biolas Center for Marriage and Relationships where he is a co-host of The Art of Relationship podcast.
Putting Your Baby To Sleep
Lets just put this out here right now. According to BabyCenter, most newborn babies will not sleep through the night until they are about five or six months old. This means that you can expect nearly half a month of your newborn not sleeping through the night. Most newborns will sleep the majority of the day, but every baby can be different. When you put your baby to sleep, be sure to put them on a firm mattress and take away any other items from the bed such as pillows or stuffed animals as they can pose a suffocation hazard to your newborn.
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How Often Do You Need To Change Babys Diaper
Your newborn will pass meconium for their first few days of life. This is a black, sticky, tarlike substance.
How often youll need to change their diaper varies depending on whether or not youre breastfeeding or formula-feeding them.
Breastfed babies will typically have several bowel movements per day. Formula-fed babies will have fewer.
Either way, youll want to change your babys diaper every two to three hours.
If the diaper is just wet with urine, you dont need to change it right away and wake up your sleeping baby. However, change baby immediately following any bowel movements to avoid irritation.
You can tell its time to change your babys diaper as soon as you can smell or feel that theyve had a bowel movement.
To determine if the diaper is wet, put one hand on the diaper to feel if its damp. Alternatively, some diapers change color when theyre wet.
- emergency information, including your babys doctor, nearest emergency room, and poison control number
You can also find a premade kit online that contains most of these items.
Preparing For The Arrival Of The Newborn Rabbits
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Protecting Your Baby From Illness
Wash Your Hands Frequently
The best way to prevent spreading germs to your baby is by washing your hands often and thoroughly. Wash your hands before and after you care for your baby, especially before feedings and after diaper changes.Avoid having visitors who have symptoms of a cold or the flu. Be sure to wash your baby’s toys and pacifiers regularly in hot, soapy water or on the top shelf of the dishwasher.
Steps to Good Hand Washing
- Have paper towels or clean towels handy.
- Wet hands with warm water, and then add soap.
- Rub your hands together and lather. Wash your hands for 20 seconds .
- Be sure to wash around your fingernails and the spaces between your fingers.
- Rinse with lots of warm, running water.
- Dry your hands completely with paper towels or a clean towel.
- Turn off the faucet with the towel.
Making your home safe for your baby helps prevent accidents. The following safety tips are recommended:
You will need a variety of things to take care of your baby. The following are some of the key items you should have:
Car Seats
Your baby should be securely fastened in a car seat every time he or she rides in a vehicle. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:
At this time car seat installation services at Women & Infants are temporarily suspended. Staff will provide each family with resources to help them properly install their car seat prior to discharge.
DO NOT USE a car seat if:
Cribs
Bassinets/Cradles
Source: The American of Pediatrics, www.aap.org
Strollers
Dont Let Your Newborn Sleep Through The Night
This seems counterintuitive, but it’s not recommended for newborns to sleep through the night. During both the day and night, your new baby might only sleep for two or three hours at a time. This is normal! Your baby had no schedule in the womb, so they are starting to learn the difference between day and night.
Your new child also has a very small stomach and should eat every few hours. While their stomach is so little and their body is working hard to grow, eating often is extremely important. With time your baby will sleep for longer periods of time. During this initial stage, you should wake your baby for frequent night feedings.
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Feeding And Burping Your Baby
Whether feeding your newborn by breast or a bottle, you may be stumped as to how often to do so. Generally, it’s recommended that babies be fed on demand whenever they seem hungry. Your baby may cue you by crying, putting fingers in his or her mouth, or making sucking noises.
A newborn baby needs to be fed every 2 to 3 hours. If you’re breastfeeding, give your baby the chance to nurse about 1015 minutes at each breast. If you’re formula-feeding, your baby will most likely take about 23 ounces at each feeding.
Some newborns may need to be awakened every few hours to make sure they get enough to eat. Call your baby’s doctor if you need to wake your newborn often or if your baby doesn’t seem interested in eating or sucking.
If you’re formula-feeding, you can easily monitor if your baby is getting enough to eat, but if you’re breastfeeding, it can be a little trickier. If your baby seems satisfied, produces about six wet diapers and several stools a day, sleeps well, and is gaining weight regularly, then he or she is probably eating enough.
Another good way to tell if your baby is getting milk is to notice if your breasts feel full before feeding your baby and less full after feeding. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about your child’s growth or feeding schedule.
If your baby tends to be gassy, has gastroesophageal reflux, or seems fussy during feeding, try burping your little one after every ounce during bottle-feeding or every 5 minutes during breastfeeding.
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What To Do When You’re Not Okay
Life can be pretty stressful. Between work, relationships, and other obligations, the pressure builds, and we lose sight of who we are. Counselor Debra Fileta helps you better understand your emotions, assess your mental, physical, and spiritual health, and intentionally pursue a path to wellbeing. In dealing with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, Debra understands the importance of self-examination as well as the benefits of seeking professional help. She offers biblically-based advice, tools, and encouragement to help you get on a path toward healing and wholeness.
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When Should You Call For Help
or seek immediate medical care if:
- Your baby has a rectal temperature that is less than 97.5°F or is 100.4°F or higher. Call if you cannot take your baby’s temperature but he or she seems hot.
- Your baby has no wet diapers for 6 hours.
- Your baby’s skin or whites of the eyes gets a brighter or deeper yellow.
- You see pus or red skin on or around the umbilical cord stump. These are signs of infection.
Watch closely for changes in your child’s health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- Your baby is not having regular bowel movements based on his or her age.
- Your baby cries in an unusual way or for an unusual length of time.
- Your baby is rarely awake and does not wake up for feedings, is very fussy, seems too tired to eat, or is not interested in eating.
Friends Partners And Lovers: What It Takes To Make Your Marriage Work
Most marriages survive by gritting teeth and holding on. But marriages can and will not only survive but thrive when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another. Those are the powerful words of bestselling author Gary Thomas in his newest bookCherish. And in a world desperate for marriage redemption, it is needed now more than ever. Thomas shows that although there are a countless number of marriages consisting of two people just going through the motions, there are real ways this pattern can be reversed: when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another in proven, loving, and everyday actions and words.
Newest Release – Episode 2: Heroes Providing Hope
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Yes, I Promise to Pray for the Pre-born and Their Moms!
Will you pray for the pre-born and moms that are facing unexpected pregnancies? We will send you a 7-day prayer guide that will help guide you along this journey with us!! You can even choose to receive this great resource by text!
Newest Release – Episode 4: Sometimes the Choice is Hard
Yes, I Promise to Pray for the Pre-born and Their Moms!
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Yes, I Promise to Pray for the Pre-born and Their Moms!
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Dont Be Too Hard On Yourself
Your life will change significantly when you bring your newborn home. You might have less time to cook, clean, shop for groceries, do laundry, or many of the other normal things that typically fit into your routine. In the first days you spend at home with your child, there will be many memorable moments.
Your newborn will be small, but you can go on walks, nap when they do, and do other simple activities. Fresh air is good for you and your baby, and exercise is great for your physical and mental health. Sleep will be in short supply once you bring your newborn home, so it’s wise to take every chance you get to rest.
When Should I Take My Baby For A First Doctors Visit
A health care provider should check your baby within the first 48-72 hours of leaving the hospital or at any point if you feel your baby isnt well.
If your baby was born preterm, you will develop a plan for follow-up care with your health care team before your baby leaves the hospital. They will also make sure you recognize the early signs or symptoms of any problems.
At the first visit your health care provider will:
- Weigh your baby and measure their length and head circumference, if this was not done in hospital.
- Check on how feeding is going for you and your baby.
- Do a physical health exam.
- Ask how the family is adjusting to the new baby.
- Complete any screening tests not done at the hospital.
This visit doesnt have to be with your regular paediatrician or family doctor. The exam can be done by the doctor at the hospital where you gave birth, your midwife or a public health nurse. And it might be at home, in the office or in a hospital clinic. If your baby doesnt see their regular doctor at this visit, it will happen soon after.
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