New Born Baby Care Tips For Moms – A Guide for New Moms

It is the highest form of joy which a woman experience in her life. It cannot be described in words, it is beyond words. Every mother cannot forget the day on which their bundle of joy arrived into this world.This is the feeling which a Father also experiences with the Mother.

But with every joy comes a big responsibility. Responsibilities are not only limited to work and finance but the list keeps on increasing.

Here is a short list with which we can help ourselves as a parent or a would be parent in performing our duties of Stage 1 Parenthood effectively.

  Stage 1 : Parenthood Responsibility For a New born baby. 

    For New born Babies:- Responsibilities to look after are as follows:-

1. Baby’s Health & Weight
2. Breastfeeding/ Feeding bottles
3. Baby’s personal Hygiene
4. Baby’s immunization & selection of good pediatrician
5. Baby’s Oil Massage
6. 6.Baby’s Feeders & bottle sterilisation
7. Baby’s food (6months onward)
8. Baby’s relevant Medicines at Home
9. Baby’s safety
10. 10.Baby’s Recreational activities        

For New born Babies- 

1. Baby’s Health & weight- Depends purely on Mother’s milk and proper 16 to18 hrs of sleep. If due to some reason, Mother is unable to Breastfeed, then they can go for Formula milk as prescribed by the doctor. Sometimes Mother can do both, they can breastfeed & give formula milk both at the same time.

2. Breastfeeding/ Formula Milk- It should be given to babies at an interval of every 2 hrs. Breast milk should be given for a minimum of 1 yr but a Mother can continue for 2 to 3 yrs also as breastfeeding for prolonged period is anyways good for the baby.Same applies for Formula milk too.It’s okay if a parent wants to continue feeding the formula milk a little longer than the breast milk. After 6 months one can also opt for pure Cow’s milk for their baby ,if they want to.

Breastfeeding Mother’s should always be highly conscious whether their baby’s nose is open or not while feeding because very often Mother’s breastfeed their babies when they are sleeping with their them. So if it’s not taken care of properly then there are chances that it can block the baby’s nose & breathing process. So whenever Mother’s are breastfeeding their babies, their open nose should be checked properly. 

3. Baby’s personal Hygiene- Babies should be given bath and cleaned properly.Bathing should be done daily, alternatively or twice a day as per the baby’s requirement & the Weather of the place. Their diapers should be checked & changed frequently as per requirement.

 Baby’s Hygiene also comprises of oral hygiene & Private parts Hygiene. 

For oral hygiene, Mother should take a clean soft cloth which is wet in lukewarm water to clean the baby’s tongue,gums& cheeks. Mother’s need to put one finger of their’s wrapped in the soft cloth into their baby’s mouth gently without hurting the baby& do the cleaning.

For Private parts cleaning, Mother’s need to do the same with another clean & soft cloth dipped in warm water with adding a little bit SUTHOL(a mild herbal antiseptic)to it. Mother’s need to put one finger of their’s similarly wrapped in the soft cloth& do the cleaning.

If it’s a baby girl then all the white discharge accumulated in their upper private parts(Labia minora/ inside lips of vagina) only should be cleaned so that their private part & vagina is fresh & healthy. Only the upper part of the inside two vaginal lips (labia minora)of  the baby vagina should be cleaned. Since vagina has its own natural cleaning process so it doesn’t needs to be cleaned.

If it’s a boy baby then his Private part cleaning consists of his Penis fore skin & upper skin. The baby boy Penis upper skin, testis outer surface with little bit of inside skin & upper hole needs to be cleaned. It is done by just folding the  upper skin of the penis little bit downwards. All the cleaning is done with soft & clean cloth dipped in warm water with the help of one finger wrapped in cloth.

Private parts cleaning of baby girl & boy can also be done during oil massage too with the help of oil.

4. Baby’s immunization & selection of good paediatrician– Babies immunization should be taken utmost care by the parents in order to keep their babies protected against various diseases. For this selection of good pediatrician is very necessary as early as possible. Parents can keep their friendly association with their babies doctor for long term because they are the ones who are their true guide & helpers in times of need, when their babies are not well.

5.Baby’s Oil Massage- Many people prefer not to oil Massage their baby. As doctor’s generally never recommend for oil massage. But Granny’s and old wives of ancient times do recommend this as an important part of your baby’s upbringing & toned body. There is no harm if you give body oil massage to your baby, as it gives them relaxed and peaceful sleep. Moreover it can rejuvenate them from tiredness as they are mostly sleeping. It can make their bones and muscles strong if massaged properly. Massage should be given atleast 4 to 5 times a day for new born in cold weather  & Minimum 2-3 times a day in hot weather. For babies above 6 months number of times of oil massage should be lessened. Max- 1 or 2  times.

Almond oil ,olive oil, Mustard oil, jhonson baby oil or Dabur lal tel can be used for oil massage. For cold & cough it’s good to give mustard oil massage. Routine oil massage is good  for their growth & development. Most importantly massaging process for new born babies must be learnt or if new Mother’s can’t do then experienced ladies from the home should do. Mother’s can continue massaging their babies till they are in their walking & running phase.

6. Baby’s Feeders & bottle sterilisation- If Babies are on Feeders & Formula milk.Their Feeding bottles & nipples needs to be sterilised. Nowadays there are sterilisation machine easily available in the market for the babies. If not willing to use then you can always boil your babies bottles with nipples after proper cleaning & washing with bottle cleaning brush.

Bottles should be boiled for 10 minutes highest. 9 minutes, boil the bottles & for last 1 minute boil the nipples of your baby bottles. It should be done twice a day to ensure healthy Hygiene for the babies.  

7. Baby’s food (6months onward- Weaning period)- When Babies are 6 months old, they are in the stage of starting their weaning period or first food eating.The Parents have to prepare healthy home cooked food for their babies like khichdi, ragi ,etc. They can add vegetables likes, beans, carrot in their foods too with little butter toppings.

Fruits & green vegetables should also be regularly given for essential vitamins & minerals in their diet. Fruits such as banana mashed with milk & boiled Apples mashed properly are highly recommended for babies.

Cerelac & other baby food can also be added.

8. Baby’s relevant Medicines at Home-

Parents need to keep all the relevant Medicines at home prescribed by their doctors for their babies, Medicines for cough& cold, stomach pain, vomiting, ear pain, fever, loose motion etc. should be kept at home for times of emergency.Whereas doctor visit is compulsory for baby’s safety if the problem persists.

9. Baby’s safety- Baby should never be left unattended, as newborn babies can cover their face with their cover cloth which can create problem in their breathing, they can always fall from the bed if they are left unattended, so make sure that somebody is sitting beside the baby when you are in the next room or washroom. If there is nobody for help then its better to be near your baby or carry them wherever you go.

Pets and animals safety should be taken care of for the babies. Babies should be kept away from small children too as they can hurt the babies unknowingly. Safety toys should be given to babies for playing .Batteries& sharp objects should be kept away from the babies.

Crawling Babies should not go near switchboards or fire.Switchboard holes can be nicely taped which are within the reach of the baby’s finger. Crawling babies can also put small objects in their mouth if left unattended So proper Safety measures should be adopted & nicely taken care of. 

10. Baby’s recreational activities- For Baby’s recreational activities -Lullaby’s song should be sung by Mother’s. They need to be taken for outing to Parks & gardens. There the baby can get fresh air in the evening.

Soft toys and Baby toys of  ‘0’months should be provided to them. As Babies grow, their toys also change from 0 months to 3months  then 6months and so on. Baby toys are one of the important things for their Recreation & enjoyment.

Whereas Story books & stories are also one of their loved items of recreation. So Mother’s & Father’s should read them story books for reviving their cranky & upset mood sometimes.

This is one of the most lovely stages of Parenthood though every stages of Parenthood is as lovely as the other. This is lovely because in this stage, they are in the beginning of a new phase of life where they are welcoming a new born.