TAKING CARE OF NEWBORN BABY
Coming home
When you come home from the hospital with a new baby, a brand-new period of your life begins. It may take several weeks, or even several months, for the mother to recover from the physical stress of labor and delivery. At the same time, the new baby is completely dependent on the parents for food, shelter, and comfort. To accommodate the mother’s physical tiredness and the baby’s constant needs, you may have to review what is most important to you as a family. For example, keeping the house spotless may have to take second place to caring for the baby and allowing the mother to get the extra rest she needs. Household jobs may have to be reassigned so that the mother can devote more time to the baby. Your social schedule may have to change as well. You may find that your preferences have changed, and you would rather stay home with the baby than go to a party or a movie. This certainly does not mean you must—or should—give up going out or never do the things you enjoy. It only means that your priorities will probably change when you have an infant in your household.
Feeding
In the first months of life, eating is a major concern of your baby. This activity will take up a lot of your time and a lot of your energy. But whether you breast-feed or bottle-feed your baby, feeding time is a time of closeness. You are giving the baby nourishment and thus meeting the child’s most basic need. At the same time you are holding and cuddling the baby, and he or she is getting to know your touch and your voice.
Burping the baby
As the baby nurses, from the bottle or the breast, air is swallowed along with the milk. Burping the baby helps to expel excess air and prevent discomfort. Interrupt the feeding once in the middle for a burp, and also burp the baby after a feeding. Expelling extra air in the middle of the meal ensures that the baby’s stomach will fill up with food, not air.
To burp an infant, put the baby over your shoulder, sit the baby up on your lap, or place face down across your lap. Pat or rub the baby’s back gently until you hear a good, solid burp. Some babies prefer one position while others need to be moved around until they burp. If burping is difficult, experiment with different positions and combinations of patting and rubbing. Some babies will protest the interruption of the meal, but burp them anyway at mid-meal. They will get more nourishment and your life will be easier.
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