How Long Does It Take to for a Baby to Consider a Baby

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And so you've brought habitation your little bundle of joy -- at present what? Though taking care of your newborn can exist ane of the nigh special and rewarding experiences of your life, you may feel at a loss for what to do and volition need to give your child abiding attention and care. To take care of a newborn, you lot demand to know how to requite your babe the residue, sustenance and care that south/he needs -- also equally a healthy dose of dearest and affection.

1. i

   Help your newborn get plenty of rest. Newborns need to get lots of rest to continue growing healthy and strong -- some can remainder up to sixteen hours a day. Though in one case your baby is three months or so onetime, he may be able to sleep for six-8 hours at a time, in the beginning, your babe may only sleep for 2-iii hours at a time and should exist woken up if he or she hasn't been fed for 4 hours.

   • Some babies accept their days and nights confused when they are born. If your baby is more alert at night, attempt to limit nighttime stimulation by keeping the lights dim and your talking low, and be patient until your baby begins a normal sleeping cycle.
   • Make certain you identify your baby on his back to lower the risk of SIDS.
   • You should alternate the position of your baby'south head -- whether it'south leaning to the left or the correct -- to eliminate the "soft spot" that can announced on a babe'southward face if he spends too much time sleeping with his head in one position.

2. two

   Consider breastfeeding your newborn. If you want to breastfeed your baby, then feeding your baby the first time y'all hold her afterwards she is delivered is a great place to starting time. Y'all should plow your babe'south body toward you, so y'all are property her breast toward yours. Touch her upper lip with your nipple and pull her to your chest when she opens her mouth wide. Once she does this, her oral fissure should embrace your nipple and as much of the areola as possible. Hither are some things y'all should know almost breastfeeding your infant:^[i]

   • If the baby is getting plenty food, it will produce 6-viii wet diapers a day, along with steady bowel movements, exist alert when it's awake, and will steadily gain weight.
   • Don't stress if your baby has a difficult time feeding at get-go; it takes patience and do. You can get assistance from a nurse or even a lactation consultant (who tin exist helpful before nativity).
   • Know that nursing shouldn't hurt. If the latch-on hurts, break the suction by placing your pinkie finger between your infant's gums and your chest and repeat the process.
   • You should nurse near viii-12 times during the first 24 hours of baby's nascence. You don't take to stick to a strict schedule, but should nurse whenever your baby shows signs of hunger, from increased mouthing and activeness to looking for your nipple. Yous should nurse at least every four hours, fifty-fifty gently waking your infant to feed her if necessary.
   • Make sure to go comfy. Feedings can have up to 40 minutes, so choice a cozy spot that can give you dorsum back up when yous're nursing.
   • Swallow a salubrious and well-counterbalanced diet. Stay hydrated and be prepared to feel more than hunger than normal and follow information technology. Limit your use of alcohol or caffeine because it will enter your chest milk.

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3. iii

   Consider formula feeding your newborn. Choosing whether to formula feed or breastfeed your babe is a personal decision. While some studies bear witness that breastfeeding may be healthier for your baby, you also have to consider your own wellness and convenience and a variety of other factors before making this determination. Formula feeding tin make information technology easier to know how much you've fed your baby, to limit the amount of feedings, and to not take to restrict your own diet. If y'all do choose to formula feed your babe, here are some things yous need to know:^[2]

   • Make sure to follow the directions on the label of the formula when you lot prepare information technology.
   • Sterilize new bottles.
   • Feed your babe every two or three hours, or whenever he seems hungry.
   • Discard any formula left out of the fridge for over an hour or any left unfinished past the baby.
   • Store formula in the fridge no longer than 24 hours. You can carefully warm it considering many babies adopt it that way, but it'southward not necessary.
   • Hold your baby at a 45-degree angle to help him take in less air. Cradle him in a semi-upright position, offering plenty of head support. Tilt the bottle so the nipple and neck are filled with formula. Never prop it, which tin can cause the baby to asphyxiate.

4. 4

   Diaper your newborn. Whether you're using cloth or dispensable diapers, if you plan on taking intendance of your newborn, you'll take to be a diaper-changing good, and fast. Whatever method you employ -- and you should decide before you bring home your babe -- yous should be prepared to change your infant'southward diaper effectually 10 times a twenty-four hours. Here what you lot have to exercise:

   • Become your supplies ready. You'll need a clean diaper, fasteners (if you use textile diapers), diaper ointment (for rashes), a container of warm h2o, a make clean washcloth, and some cotton balls or diaper wipes.
   • Remove your baby's dingy diaper. If information technology's wet, place your babe on his back and remove the diaper and use the water and washcloth to wipe your infant's genital area. Wipe girls from front to back to avert UTIs. If you see a rash, identify some ointment on it.
   • Open the new diaper and slide it under your baby, gently lifting your infant's legs and feet. Move the front of the diaper upward between your baby's legs, over the belly. Then, bring the agglutinative strips around and snugly fasten them then the diaper is nice and secure.
   • To avoid diaper rash, change your baby's diaper as soon equally you notice that it's soiled.^[iii]

5. 5

   Bathe your newborn. Parenting specialist Jami Yaeger recommends "giving your babe a sponge bath rather than a full bath if their umbilical string is still attached." Once the umbilical string falls off, you can beginning bathing your infant regularly, around two to three times a week. To exercise this the right way, you should assemble your supplies, such as towels, lather, a clean diaper, etc, in advance, so that your infant isn't fussing around. Make full the tub or baby tub with about iii inches of warm water earlier you brainstorm the bathroom. Here'due south what you should do side by side:

   • Meet if you lot can get assistance. You may feel a trivial scared or uncertain when yous bathe your infant for the first time. If so, see if you can get your partner or a family member involved. That way, ane person can hold the baby in the water while the other person bathes the babe.
   • Undress your baby carefully. So, slip your baby into the tub anxiety showtime, while using one of your hands to support the baby's cervix and hands. Continue to pour warm cupfuls of water into the bath and then your babe doesn't get cold.
   • Use mild soap and use it sparingly so you don't get it into your baby's eyes. Wash your baby with your hand or with a washcloth, making sure to gently wash your babe from top to bottom and from front to back. Clean your baby's torso, genitals, scalp, hair, and any dried fungus that has collected on your infant's face.
   • Rinse your infant with cupfuls of warm water. Wipe your baby make clean with a washcloth. Lift the baby out of the tub, continuing to use one manus to support her neck and caput. Be careful -- babies are slippery when wet.
   • Wrap your babe in a hooded towel and pat your baby dry out. After that, put a diaper and dress on your baby and kiss him and then he has positive associations with being bathed.

6. six

   Know how to handle your newborn. You may exist intimidated by how tiny and delicate your newborn seems, just with a few basic techniques, you should experience more confident about handling your baby in no fourth dimension. Here are some things you lot should do:

   • Wash or sanitize your hands before you handle your baby. Newborn babies are susceptible to infection because their allowed systems aren't quite so strong yet. Make sure that your easily -- and the hands of anyone else who handles the baby -- are make clean before you lot brand contact.
   • Support your baby's caput and neck. To hold your baby, cradle his head whenever you carry him and support it when you lot're property the babe upright or putting him downward. Babies tin't hold upwards their own heads yet, so don't always allow a infant's head bomb effectually.
   • Avert shaking your baby, whether yous're playing or angry. This can crusade bleeding in the encephalon, which tin lead to death. Don't try to wake up your baby by shaking it, either -- instead, tickle its feet or requite information technology some other gentle touch.
   • Learn to swaddle your baby. This is a great way to keep your baby feeling secure before he reaches the ii month mark.

7. seven

   Concur your newborn. You accept to brand certain to give your baby every bit much head and neck support as possible when you hold it. You should let the infant'southward head residue inside your inner elbow, with the length of his body resting on your forearm. His outer hip and upper legs should rest with your hand, with its inside arm resting over his breast and belly. Hold the baby snugly and give your baby all of your attention.^[4]

   • Y'all tin can also concur the baby by pacing his breadbasket on your upper chest, while using the same side hand to hold his body, while using the reverse hang to support the baby's head from the back.
   • If your baby has older siblings or cousins or is effectually people unfamiliar with holding babies, carefully instruct them on how to hold the baby and brand sure they are sitting down with a knowing adult nearby to go on the baby safe.

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1. 1

   Requite your baby "stomach time" every solar day. Since your baby spends and so much of its time on its back, it'southward of import to besides requite your baby fourth dimension to stay on his tummy so that he develops both mentally and physically and strengthens his arms, head, and neck. Some doctors say babies should get 15-20 minutes of breadbasket time a mean solar day, while others say that you should only place your baby on his breadbasket for v minutes during different parts of the twenty-four hour period as he develops.

   • Y'all can kickoff with stomach time as soon as a week after the baby is built-in, in one case the umbilical string falls off.
   • To make breadbasket time fun, get level with your infant. Make eye contact, tickle your infant, and play around.
   • Tummy time is difficult work, and some babies will be resistant to it. Don't be surprised -- or requite in -- if this happens.

2. 2

   Care for your newborn'south umbilical cord stump. According to parenting specialist Jami Yaeger, "The umbilical string will autumn off in ane-2 weeks. Like whatsoever other wound, it ends up healing, scabbing, and going away." It will change in color from a yellowish green to brown and black as it dries and falls off on its own. Yaeger also suggests "keeping an eye out for signs of infection. Information technology's natural to see a fleck of dried blood or a petty bit of chaff virtually the stump; all the same, yous should see a physician immediately if the stump produces a smelly discharge or yellow pus, continues to bleed, or is swollen and red." Hither are some more than tips on how you tin care for your infant's umbilical cord:^[five]

   • Go along it clean. Clean it with plain water and dry information technology with a make clean and absorptive material. Make certain to launder your easily before you handle it. Stick to giving your baby sponge baths until it falls off.
   • Keep it dry. Don't give your baby a full bathroom until the stump falls off. Expose it to air so the base of operations dries out, keeping the front end of your infant's diaper folded down and so it is uncovered.^[six]
   • Resist the urge to pull it off. Let the stump autumn off at its own pace.^[seven]

3. 3

   Learn to soothe a crying newborn. If your baby is upset, information technology's not always easy to find the reason right away, through there are a few tricks y'all can try. Check for a wet diaper. Try feeding them. If that doesn't work, try adding a layer of clothing if it's cold out or removing a layer if it's hot. Sometimes, your baby but wants to be held, or is experiencing likewise much stimulation. As you go to know your newborn, you'll become better at finding what's wrong.^[8]

   • Your baby also may merely demand to be burped.
   • Rocking them gently and singing or humming a lullaby to them will help. Requite them a pacifier if that doesn't piece of work. They might but be tired then lay them downwards. Sometimes, babies only cry and you have to let them until they fall asleep.

4. iv

   Interact with your newborn. You can't play with the child just yet, only they exercise get bored like we do. Try taking them for a walk to the park once a day, talking to them, putting pictures in the room where they spend most of their time, listening to music, or taking them in the automobile. Call back that your baby is just a baby and is not prepare for rough play; practice not roughhouse or shake your baby and be as gentle as possible instead.

   • In the beginning, the most important thing you can exercise is to bond with your baby. This means you lot should stroke your infant, cradle your babe, give the baby some skin-to-peel contact, or fifty-fifty consider giving your infant an infant massage.^[nine]
   • Babies love vocal sounds, and it's never also early to beginning talking, babbling, singing, or cooing with your babe. Play some music for the baby while you lot're bonding, or play with toys that make noise, such as rattles or mobiles.
   • Some babies are more sensitive to touch and light than others, so if your babe doesn't seem to be responding well to your attempts at bonding, then yous can take it easier with the noise and lights until your infant gets used to it.

5. 5

   Take your newborn to the doctor regularly. Your baby will pay frequent visits to the doctor during its first year, for scheduled check-ups and shots. Many first newborn visits occur just 1-3 days after y'all and your baby are discharged from the hospital. Afterward that, each doctor'due south plan will vary slightly, simply you should generally accept your newborn to the doctor at least two weeks to a month later on birth, after the 2d month, and and so every other month or so. ^[10] It's of import to schedule regular visits with your baby to make sure that your baby is growing normally and receiving the necessary care.^[11]

   • Information technology's also important to pay a visit to your doctor in case y'all notice annihilation abnormal; even if yous're non sure that what is happening is abnormal, you should always call the doctor'southward part to check.
   • Some symptoms you should await out for include:
     • Dehydration: less than three wet diapers per day, excessive sleepiness, dry out mouth
     • Bowel movement problems: no movement during the start two days, white mucus in stool, flecks or streaks of cherry in the stool, overly high or low temperature
     • Respiratory problems: grunting, flaring of nostrils, fast or noisy breathing, chest retractions
     • Umbilical cord stump problems: pus, odor, or bleeding from stump
     • Jaundice: yellow colour in the chest, trunk, or eyes
     • Prolonged crying: crying for over thirty minutes
     • Other disease: persistent coughing, diarrhea, paleness, forceful airsickness for more than than two consecutive feedings, fewer feedings than vi per day

6. 6

   Ready to take your baby on car rides. You'll need to be prepared to take your babe on car rides before the baby is born since you'll need a way to become the baby home from the hospital. You'll need to go a motorcar seat that is advisable for newborns and that fits all current safety guidelines and regulations.^[12] Though you may not need to spend a lot of fourth dimension in the machine with your newborn, some mothers find that taking the infant for a ride can actually assistance put him or her to sleep.

   • Yous should also get an infant seat for your baby. These seats are there to help your immature baby sit up, not to help your baby exist secured in a motorcar. In this kind of seat, the base should take nonskid surfacing and should be wider than the seat, and it should take a secure locking mechanism, along with washable material. Never place your baby in the seat on an elevated surface that the infant can fall from.
   • Equally for child safety seats, make sure the seat meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standard 213 and that information technology actually fits your kid. Infants and toddles should sit in a rear-facing seat until they are at to the lowest degree 2 years onetime.

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1. 1

   Become as much help every bit you can. If you're raising a infant solo, so you lot volition need every bit much mental and emotional forcefulness every bit possible. If you're lucky plenty to have a spouse or a caring parent or parent-in-constabulary, and then it's of import to arrange for some extra assistance to be at that place when your infant is born. If you tin can hire a nurse, great, but if not, just see if y'all tin can get some extra help, preferably from people who know what they're doing.

   • Even if your babe spends most of his time sleeping, yous will exist feeling a chip overwhelmed, and the more help you take, the more confident yous'll feel nearly handling your baby.

2. ii

   Have a strong support system. You need a good back up organization for your family and y'all. Information technology may be a married man, swain, or your own mom and dad. Yous need someone always in that location for you and your kid throughout their babyhood. If you lot're trying to raise your babe completely alone, you will be probable to run into trouble or to feel exhausted.

   • That beingness said, you should too establish visiting hours and rules. Having too many friends and family unit members prove up for unexpected visits to see the baby can actually lead to more stress.

3. 3

   Take care of yourself. Though it'southward important that you be there to accept intendance of your baby, this does not mean that you lot should fail caring for yourself. Make sure to breast-stroke regularly, maintain a healthy diet, and to get every bit much slumber as you can. Y'all and your spouse can work out a organisation where both of you have at least some time to take care of yourself. ^[xiii]

   • Attempt to create a postpartum programme earlier your baby is built-in. Include things like how you'll swallow, when you'll slumber, whether you'll need help from family or friends, and so on.^[14]
   • While this probably won't be the time for you to take up a new hobby or to get-go writing a memoir, you should make certain to get some exercise, encounter your friends at to the lowest degree a piffling chip, and merely to accept some "me time" when you can get it.
   • Don't think that y'all're being selfish by wanting a bit of time to yourself subsequently your baby has merely been built-in. If you lot take even a picayune flake of time to take care of yourself, you lot'll be a improve caretaker for your baby.
   • Be easy on yourself. This is not the time to clean the whole house or lose 10 pounds.

4. 4

   Articulate your schedule. Anything tin can happen, especially during the first month of your baby's life. Make sure you haven't made also many plans and that you're prepared to give your baby the time it needs. Eliminate your stress in accelerate past letting people know that you'll exist very busy with your baby, and don't force yourself to socialize too much or to make appearances with your baby unless that's something you lot really want.

   • Though you should give your babe the time it needs, that doesn't hateful you should be holed up in your house with your babe. Get out of the house as much as y'all can -- it'll be ameliorate for you lot and your babe. ^[15]

5. five

   Get prepare for the ride. Even if you feel that one day with your newborn baby is 100 hours long, you'll before long run across that your baby will be over the newborn stage before you lot know information technology (people debate whether babies terminate existence newborns later 28 days or upwardly to 3 months). So, be prepared for all of the emotions you lot will feel: intense joy at seeing your baby, a fright that you may not be doing everything right, a panic that you accept lost your independence, an isolation from your childless friends. ^[16]

   • All of these feelings are perfectly natural, and any hesitations or fears you have will fade to the background as you commence on a new life with your babe.

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Add New Question

• Question

  What should I know near taking care of a newborn?

  

  Jami Yaeger is a Parenting Specialist, Doula, and the Possessor of AustinBorn, an online customs offering comprehensive and modern didactics to growing families. With 10 years of experience, Jami specializes in whole family support for pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting. Jami earned her BA in Theatre Performance from San Diego State Academy and earned her Certification as a Lactation Education Counselor from the University of California, San Diego. She is a Certified Infant and Child CPR Teacher, Birth and Postpartum Doula, and Childbirth Educator.

  

  Parenting Specialist

  Expert Answer

  

  Back up wikiHow past unlocking this expert answer.

  One of the most important things you can exercise is to make sure y'all're taking care of yourself. It can help a lot to make a postpartum plan ahead of time so when you get dwelling house with your new baby, you won't have to worry most how you're going to eat or sleep. You lot can besides make up one's mind ahead of time whether y'all'll demand help from family, friends, a doula, or a nanny.

• Question

  How long should you let your newborn sleep without eating?

  

  Sarah Siebold is an International board certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Certified Lactation Educator Counselor (CLEC) based in Los Angeles, California. She runs her own lactation consulting practice chosen IMMA, where she specializes in emotional back up, clinical care, and evidence-based breastfeeding practices. Her editorial work about new motherhood and breastfeeding has been featured in VoyageLA, The Tot, and Hello My Tribe. She completed her clinical lactation training in both private do and outpatient settings through the University of California, San Diego. She besides earned her 1000.A. in English language and American Literature from New York Academy.

  

  International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

  Expert Reply

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this skillful answer.

  Before they regain their birth weight, we want to wake a sleeping baby between every two and 3 hours, unless they wake themselves, to brand sure they go the minimum number of feeds. Don't ever allow your newborn who'southward notwithstanding under birth weight sleep for longer than a iii hour stretch.

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• Supervise your pets when they are around the child. This is for your baby's sake and for your pet's sake. Your pet could easily hurt your baby, or your baby could exist too rough and injure your pet.

• Don't force yourself to carry the baby while irritated when yous're already feeling sleepy. You may injure the baby. Try having an assistance from your families or friends around you, and take a bit of sleep.

• Put a crib in your bed room so it will not go scared.

• Taking intendance of a human beingness is difficult. But your parents did information technology for yous. Take tips from them and your md also.

• If yous take a job brand sure they give you maternity leave, and enough time to spend with your infant, four months at least.

• Take pictures of them growing upward.

• Have other people concord the babe then they get used to other people holding him/her.

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• Never feed your newborn "regular" food. They have no teeth to chew information technology with, and their digestive arrangement isn't prepared yet.

• Ever supervise your babe while giving them a bath. A infant can drown in less than an inch of h2o.

• Go to a physician if the baby:

  • does not reply to sounds or sights
  • has a confront that is paler or bluer than usual
  • does non urinate
  • does non eat
  • has a fever

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Things You'll Need

• Clothes for the baby
• Money
• Formula for the baby
• Car seat and motorcar
• Stroller

About This Article

Article Summary 10

To take care of a newborn, feed them breastmilk or formula every 2-3 hours. Since you'll be feeding them so ofttimes, plan on changing their diaper around 10 times a day. Likewise, make sure they're getting enough of rest and so they abound good for you and potent. Once your newborn'due south umbilical cord falls off, bathe them with balmy soap 2-3 times a week to continue them clean. When you hold your newborn, remember to ever support their head and neck. For more tips, like how to soothe a crying newborn, continue reading!

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