When your little one was in your womb, the only connection between you and him was the umbilical cord. It was through this life-giving pipe that you could pass on those essential nutrition and oxygen to your growing baby.
Once you deliver your baby the cord is cut and what remains is the small portion of the cord attached to his belly button. In the initial days of your baby’s birth, it is important to take utmost care of this belly button. In case of improper care or ignorance, there are chances of your baby developing an infection in the belly button..
The small stump of the umbilical cord which remains attached to your baby’s navel might fall off naturally within 1-2 weeks after the birth. But during those times you need to take proper baby belly button care, so that it withers away naturally.
Below are the suggested ways to take care of your baby’s belly button:
You should maintain proper hygiene when it comes to the umbilical cord stump.
This is still a debatable issue.
The belly button is the most delicate part in your baby’s body. At the same time it is a hindrance when you dress up your baby or make him wear diapers.
Let the stump get withered out on its own.
After the umbilical stump falls off, your baby’s belly button shows up. Because of the fall, the belly button may look red or have rashes. In some cases even blood can ooze out of it. But this is again normal and not a cause of worry. The belly button will also heal in a time of 2 weeks.
In certain cases, things might go wrong if the belly button causes any infection.
Be aware of the infections that can happen to your baby’s belly button. It is better to act on priority in such situations. Go by your instinct, and remember, your doctor is the best person to turn to for any advice.
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Article written by Palak Shah
I never knew the value of sleep, until I had a baby. Sleep seemed to be the most elusive thing with my newborn around. What was once an easy thing seemed to be next to impossible. I had sleepless nights for the first few months, while my baby was happily awake.
It’s normal for some newborns to sleep up to 20 hours per day according to Scott Cohen, pediatrician and author of Eat Sleep Poop: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby’s First Year.
A newborn sleeps for 16-18 hours on an average. They sleep for a longer time during the day and stay awake through the night. Getting the baby to sleep is challenging, but being aware of sleep-related dynamics, might ease you and prepare you for those sleepless nights to come. Here’s how the newborn’s sleep is going to be like in the first month:
Week 1: The newborn will sleep for 30 minutes to three hours at random times while feeding in between. You have to wake him up frequently for feeds. When newborns go to sleep, they slip into ‘active sleep’. This is similar to REM (rapid eye movement) sleep in adults, where they wake up quickly at the slightest of sounds. Babies are likely to sleep in this state for 25 minutes, and then transition to ‘quiet sleep’, which is a deep state of sleep. Unlike active sleep, newborns do not wake up quickly during quiet sleep.
Week 2: The newborn is likely to sleep anywhere between 16-18 hours a day. Now that you are fairly acquainted with his feeding time and sleep pattern, you can let him sleep and wake him up for regular feeds.
Week 3: Babies learn to fall asleep on their own by the third week. He will be more awake, and wakes up or cries whenever he is hungry or his clothes are soiled. You can keep track of his feed time, and that will make him sleep when he feels full.
Week 4: By the fourth week newborns will sleep for 12 – 16 hours. But some baby’s sleep for nine hours while a few other babies might sleep for 19 hours in a day. You can try introducing a sleeping routine at this time.
Every baby has an individual rhythm, some babies sleep for hours, while others are up in an hour. Newborns are not ready for a strict sleep routine or schedule until they are six months old. Here are some tips to help your baby sleep better:
Motherhood comes naturally to a woman. You will instinctively know when the baby is hungry or sleepy, or when he needs your warm touch. So, don’t lose your patience, instead keep trying at least for two months.
We hope our tips will help you set a sleep routine for your baby. So, don’t worry about the sleepless nights – it’s just a passing phase. Let your baby slip into that deep slumber, while you can relax like a queen.
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This post was originally posted on MomJunction
As a new mum, most things related to your baby will be confusing. One of these things is how much to feed your newborn baby.
Feeding your baby for the first time is as exhilarating as giving birth. Every aspect, from holding your baby correctly to feeding her the right amount of milk, is a cause for concern. When it comes to the quantity of milk that your newborn baby takes in, it is difficult to fix a measure. Every baby’s need is different, so you will have to respond to the same.
While no one can specifically say how much milk newborn babies drink when you breastfeed, here are some approximate figures according to age of the baby:
The exact amount that your baby drinks each time cannot be measured. However, once she is satiated, she will show these signs:
You will soon learn to observe these signs when your baby has her tummy full.
This is also something that differs for all babies. Some factors which will impact the time taken for a feed are – the ease with which your milk flows, alertness of your baby while feeding and positioning of your baby.
Here are some general guidelines that will help you understand how much milk to feed a newborn baby:
This one is a tricky question. You may be asked to follow a time schedule for feeding, which can be every hour or so. But a better way to time your feeds is by observing your baby for signs that she is hungry and needs to be fed.
These signs can be:
Reacting timely to your baby’s hunger signs will be the best course of action. If kept waiting for long, your baby may get irritated and weak. Also, the milk in your body is produced according to the demand of the baby. So, feeding frequently and when she is hungry will give signals to your system to produce more milk.
A key to remember here is to ensure you feed your baby every two hours.
There are some signs that will tell you whether you are providing enough milk to your newborn or not:
On the other hand, if your baby is fussy and does not seem to gain weight as expected, then your feeds may be less than sufficient.
Learning about how much to feed a newborn baby may take some time. But you will always have people who can guide you. So do not worry and let her suck on to her heart’s content.
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Article written by Needhi Gandhi
Image credit: Flickr
I’m pretty sure you’re more excited about baby’s first Christmas than they actually are! It’s a great time to introduce the little one to the memorable traditions you grew up with or you’ll have a chance to create your own little traditions with them.
Sure, baby might be a little too young to appreciate or understand what’s going on, but Christmas does bring out a warm and fuzzy feeling in everyone! Not to mention the sparkly lights and glittery decorations that baby will be amused and mesmerized with.
With that said, we’ve listed down some tips to make the most of baby’s First Christmas…
1. Keep baby around you while you spruce up your home
Let baby watch as you set up the Christmas tree and decorations. They won’t get it on the first year, but trust me, keep doing this every year and baby will pick up the idea and excitement really soon! They’ll come to associate decorating as a thing that leads up to Christmas!
2. Stick to your routine
Try to keep baby’s day as normal as possible. It can be difficult with all the party hubbub, but baby will be calmer and less fussy! It’ll be ideal to sneak in an early bedtime the night before and an extra nap before the party, so baby won’t be overtired throughout the day.
3. It’s okay if baby fusses
Despite your best efforts, baby may still be overwhelmed with all that is going on. This may make them a bit uncomfortable and cranky. It’s fine if that happens! Don’t let it dampen your Christmas cheer. Just bring baby to a quiet room to calm him down. Put him down to sleep if you have to.
4. RESIST the urge to splurge on toys!
At this age, baby simply don’t need them. Especially if they are newborns! As many parents will agree, they’re better off playing with boxes or ribbons than the most expensive baby gadget out there. After all, the play value of a toy is 10% toy and 90% imagination!
Your friends and family will most likely be buying baby gifts anyway, so save the money! Consider getting them items to help with development instead.
5. Skip the visit to Santa
As a new parent, it’s extremely tempting to bring baby to visit Santa and get a picture for keepsake. Do think twice! While older children love him, babies often find Father Christmas to be a big and scary man.
6. Start new Christmas traditions
This one is really up to your creativity. There are plenty of ways to start a family tradition! You can consider making a Christmas ornament with baby’s handprint every year to put it up. They’ll have a memorable collection when they grow up!
Another idea is to bake a special cake or cookie with them. It might seem redundant now as baby can’t even eat it, but once they’ve past 1 year, they’ll be excited, and you can even get them involved in the process. You’ll definitely appreciate all the effort as your kids get older and start to talk about the wonderful traditions they grew up with.
7. Remember to baby-proof
With all the excitement going on, remember to keep baby’s safety in mind! Avoid having glass ornaments or decorations within baby’s reach. For toddlers, they will be picking ornaments off your tree and throwing it around. So, think twice before putting up your expensive collection!
Your baby is born tough. If you notice how the hospital nurses treat your newborn, you will realise that they are not as delicate as you think.
Your baby spent nine months suspended in amniotic fluid so when the journey continues outside of the womb, his body is still learning to adapt.
Copyrighted Pregnancy & Baby by Mummys Market 2019