The Child in the House: The Newborn’s First Days

While the birth of a child is indeed a fantastic, happy event, nobody mentions that it is equally intimidating. When you arrive home suddenly, you realize that you are, in fact, utterly clueless about how to provide proper care for your child in the first days but also later in life.

In this text, we will address some of the critical things you are supposed to know to make your newborn’s first days as amazing as possible.

Getting Used – First Days

Be sure that it is perfectly normal to have a ton of questions in the first few days with a newborn. As the time goes by, you will be panicking less. Learning about when and how to nurse or change your baby, helping him or her sleep, and understanding what they need is indeed a 24/7 job.

A gadget that you will find very helpful during the first days is a baby breathing monitor. It is virtually impossible to deny that many new mothers get absorbed by the desire to give the best care to their children.  Remember, however, that mothers need care as well. A fascinating book called the first forty days: the essential art of nourishing the new mother is what every mother should have.

Sleeping Patterns

During the first days and months, babies spend around 17 hours sleeping, but in intervals from 30 minutes to 2 or 3 hours and between day food.   Many babies have night and day mixed up, thinking they should sleep during the day and be awake at night. Even though it varies, lots of them don’t start sleeping through the night before they turn three months.

Each baby is different; you just need to follow the eat/sleep patterns during baby first days home. Changes in baby’s sleep patterns can be a sign of the growth, so they need more food, or they’ve been overstimulated. But still, pay attention because they can indicate a problem.

Feeding Time

A question we have for you is: which of the following provides the main source of energy for a newborn during its first days?

• Breast milk
• Formula
• Prepared meals
• Sleep

Understanding everything about breastfeeding the first few days can be challenging. On average, newborns weigh 6- 9 (2.7 -4 kg) at birth and will need about 15 -30 ounces (450 -900ml) of milk per day.    In the first days, also weeks, you will need to feed your kid every 2-3 hours.  You can find here the article that will help you understand better sleep/eat patterns.

Crying

Crying is a sign that your child is healthy. If you notice that your little one doesn’t cry when she or he needs something, you should consult a pediatrician, because it can indicate a problem.

But what do you do if your kid won’t stop crying?

If your bundle of joy isn’t hungry, wet, sick, or bothered by something else but is still screaming her/his lungs out, maybe she/he wants some affection. Try to soothe her/him by rocking, singing, cuddling, and so on. Another option is also to put him/her in a crib or other safe place for a few minutes.

Also Read: Navigating Your Baby’s Teething Journey

Breathing

Breathing during baby first days of life can cause a lot of headaches. Their breathing patterns differ from ours, and we need to understand why to avoid running to the ER every time we think baby’s breathing is strange. Breathing is different because:

• They breathe through the nostrils
• Their airways are smaller and get obstructed easier
• Haven’t used lungs while in the womb so now they have to learn and get used to breathing

While many of the things you notice are perfectly normal, you should consult a pediatrician if:

• Whistling sounds
• Wheezing
• Cough
• Hoarse cry

Conclusion

We covered some things you should know to be prepared for the baby’s first days. It is essential to know that there are midwives and other services that you can contact if you have concerns or problems. You are not alone!  What were the first weeks/month like for you after you brought a child home?

Also Read: Budget-Friendly Sustainable Living Tips for Moms