Top Tips For Dealing With A Newborn
Bringing a new life into the world is an exciting, special time, but it comes with a lot of responsibilities. Your baby depends fully on your care, and sometimes looking after your little one can be a lot of pressure – especially when life starts returning to normal.
If you’re expecting a baby, or if you’ve just welcomed a new bundle of joy into your life, here are a few top tips that will help you deal with having a newborn in your home…
Skin To Skin Contact
Having skin to skin contact with your newborn will create their connection with both parents – they’ll feel comfort from your voice and heartbeat, and their temperature, heart rate and breathing will be regulated, aiding with relaxation and keeping them calm. Skin to skin contact will also give your baby a chance to adapt to life, and can also boost their interest in feeding. For parents, it will help to develop a strong and loving bond with your newborn, so practicing this kind of contact with your little one is important for all.
Tummy Time
Tummy Time can be done from birth, and helps to build your baby’s upper body strength. With a newborn, you can lie them on your chest daily for a small period of time, before gradually building up how long you do this as they get older to strengthen their back, neck and shoulder muscles. When your baby is ready, tummy time can also be practiced by lying them on the floor – you can make this new experience more enjoyable for them by putting toys within reach, propping them up for comfort and interacting with them.
Control Their Environment
Your baby will be getting used to the light when they’re born, and won’t have any idea of what day and night means. You’ll have to control their environment so they can get used to these times of day – when they’re awake, letting lots of daylight into a room will help them associate light with being alert and aware – when they’re tired and ready to sleep, dimming lights, shutting curtains and ensuring the area they’re sleeping in is dark can encourage healthy sleeping habits, with them recognising that the dark means it’s time to rest.
Don’t Clock Watch
Clock watching when feeding, trying to get them to sleep or when you feel tired can negatively impact your wellbeing and cause you to feel stressed. There are no set time-limits to anything when caring for your baby, so take your time and don’t try and rush any steps or get frustrated when things aren’t going to plan.
Accept Help
When you have a newborn, often you’ll find you’re doing everything yourself in order to take care of your baby. It’s ok to ask for and accept help from family and friends from time to time – whether that’s handing your little one over to your partner or parents whilst you have a lie down, or getting assistance with the housework whilst you focus on your baby, support from your loved ones can be crucial in those first few months – so don’t reject or avoid offers that you know would really help you out. That doesn’t mean however you have to say yes to everything – if you want some quiet time with your newborn, let people know you don’t want any visitors at that moment.
Enjoy Time With Your Baby
There’s a long list of needs that come with a newborn, but one of the biggest things that’s beneficial for both you and them is just enjoying time with each other. Cuddling them, gazing at each other, playing, reading, watching them sleep – all of these things will help your baby feel safe and loved, and are really special moments you’ll treasure as they grow up.
Try & Develop A Routine
The first few months can be unpredictable, but trying to establish a routine can be really helpful for you and them. Overtime, they’ll start to recognise when they’ll be fed and when it’s time to sleep or nap, and for parents it can help to delegate responsibilities and plan your time around your newborns needs. Routines don’t need to be rigid and you will find times where you may not to be running to schedule – this is normal and something you should expect.
Remember – it’s ok to feel overwhelmed, especially if you’re a first-time parent. If you need to take a few moments away to recharge, then don’t feel guilty about having some time to yourself – your recovery and your wellbeing are just as important as your newborn. Be gentle with yourself – you may not know how to deal with every situation that arises, but remain calm and remind yourself you are doing your very best to ensure your little one is getting the care they need.