Saturday, June 27, 2009

New Parents and Baby Care Basics

By Bonnie Lynch

Nine months of excited anticipation and finally your precious bundle makes his debut! Gosh, you cant wait to show him off to the world. Only now you have to make the transition from having hospital staff support to doing it all yourself. All of the responsibilities now fall on Mom and Dad. Yikes! Suddenly it dawns on you; you've never done this before.

Relax! Remember every parent goes through momentary panic at the idea of first-time baby care. The great news is all babies survive those first few days at home with new parents without a scratch, so don't worry, yours will too. You'll easily manage those first few days and weeks by arming yourself with a little education about baby care basics before your baby is born. That will carry you through everything from diaper rash and diaper bags, to bottles and burping.

You Need to Ask for Help

The most challenging are the first few weeks with your new baby. Dont be afraid to ask for help. Having helper can be a great calming influence. Even better is one with experience who can be an invaluable source of advice and information. Please note that a mothers body needs to adjust to the postpartum stage of her pregnancy. That requires rest for Mom as well as baby. The rest will speed your recovery as well as build your confidence in your new parenting role. Someone who can pick up the slack in the baby care department while you're resting will be worth their weight in gold.

Kisses and Cuddles and Other Good Stuff

The first days and weeks are also a time for you and your new little one to bond with each other, so enjoy all of the cuddling you would like during this time. Your baby will thrive under your gentle touch, and the physical closeness will translate to an emotional bonding as well. In these early stages, there is no way that you can spoil an infant by giving her too much cuddle time so pick her up to your hearts content. Make sure that both parents get equal time on the snuggle part of the baby care as well, since Dad needs his time to bond with baby too.

Getting Answers to your Baby Care Questions

The basics of baby care are mostly diapering, feeding, sleeping and bathing, since your little bundle does little else during the first weeks of life! You can consult from a virtual library of baby care books for answers to your questions about baby care basics. Get a few to have on hand before your infants arrival so that you'll be prepared even before the first labor pains hit. Your doctor is another invaluable source of information on the baby care basics is your doctor. Your frequent visits with him during your child's first year will give you ample opportunity to get answers to all of your questions.

Having your first baby can be a frightening as well as an exciting adventure. You'll have fewer and smaller concerns with the process by educating yourself on baby care basics before you ever bring your pride and joy home.

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