Babies bring smiles to faces of young and old alike. And while having a baby is one of life's greatest joys, the 1st year with a little one also brings worry and concern. Although stress cant be totally eliminated, thorough preparations will smooth those initial twelve months.
Going Home
That 1st car ride home with your baby in the backseat can be nerve-racking. Ease your fears by covering all the bases when it comes to purchasing a car seat. Although many well-meaning family members and friends will offer their used baby items once they find out youre expecting, politely decline used car seats. An older car seat may have missing parts or hidden structural weaknesses. And because seats have expiration dates six years from manufacture date; they may not have all the latest safety features. Three out of four parents install car seats incorrectly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Have your installation checked at a car-seat inspection station. To find a station near you and to see recall lists, visit the Web site here.
Changing Time
Once your bundle of joy arrives home, there are a couple of things you can expect to happen every day, all day. When they 1st get home, babies are in a cycle of eating and sleeping, says Rosanna Brammer, Certified Registered Nurse at Mercy Medical Center mother-baby unit in Des Moines. This means, in the beginning, parenting is all about feeding the baby between periods of sleep and, of course, changing a lot of diapers. Most babies go through about a dozen diapers a day at 1st, Rosanna says. She suggests keeping track of how many wet and dirty diapers your newborn goes through each day, especially for the 1st few months of life. That's information your pediatrician will want to know right away if you call in with a concern, she says. It helps to have all the details recorded and ready to go. There are certainly a lot of diaper brands to choose from; so many, in fact, that it might be difficult to choose. Rosanna says the type of diapers you buy doesn't matter; it's parental preference. To save money on quality baby products, try the Hy-Vee brand Mother's Choice. The brand has diapers, formula, baby food, safety devices and most other necessary infant items.
First Meals
Growing newborns will wake up every 2 1/2 to 3 hours to eat. What to feed your little miracle? Breast milk is the perfect milk, Rosanna says. It's made specifcally for baby, and the immunities in it can protect the baby for at least six months. About 95 percent of new moms who are breast-feeding tell Rosanna that they're worried the baby isn't getting enough food. The baby's diaper will indicate if there is a problem. A newborn can have as many as ten bowel movements a day, but as long as she has at least one per day along with five more wet diapers, she is most likely getting enough breast milk or formula. If she goes more than a day without a bowel movement, consider calling the doctor. Baby formula is another option for meals during the 1st year. The nutrition science behind formulas has improved so much that babies eating these products are assured of growing healthy and strong. Rosanna suggests checking with your pediatrician for a formula recommendation. Hy-Vee sells all the top pediatrician-preferred formulas, including Infamil and Similac. When your little one is approximately six months old, you can begin introducing solid foods in baby-food form. Solid foods during the 1st year are meant more for practice than anything else. Your baby will still be getting nutrition primarily from breast milk or formula. Letting him try some baby peas, carrots, bananas and apples will let him practice his eating techniques. There is no rule about how much solid food a baby should have each day;it really depends on how much he wants. Follow your baby's cues. When buying bottles for formula feeding, look for a BPA-free label. Bisphenol-A (BPA), found in many plastics, can be a dangerous endocrine disruptor. Some states have already banned it from being used in bottles; others states are considering a ban. While borrowing bottles from friends is probably OK (if the plastic is BPA-free), Rosanna suggests buying new nipples for the old bottles. We recommend not borrowing anything that's had bodily fluids on it, like nipples.& Nipples can harbor bacteria.
Sweet Dreams
During the 1st days that baby is home, you'll learn what it means to sleep like a baby. Newborns sleep almost all the time;at least 16 hours a day. Research indicates that babies are safest sleeping on their backs. The incidence of SIDS [sudden infant death syndrome] has gone down since doctors started teaching that babies should sleep on their backs, Rosanna says. Babies begin having slightly longer periods of wakefulness after being home a few days. After about an hour or so of being awake, your baby will become drowsy and need sleep. Watch for signs of drowsiness, such as less movement in arms and legs, droopy eye-lids and signs that may be specific for your baby. If baby is drowsy but unable to fall asleep, perhaps because of overstimulation, she will become overtired and stressed. This causes chemical changes to occur in the body, which make it even more difficult to fall and stay asleep. Peace and quiet is the antidote. Some babies need a dark, quiet environment to fall asleep while others don't mind light and noise. Every baby is different. But every baby needs sleep to support healthy brain development. You can tell if your baby is getting enough sleep if he is calm and alert while awake. Overtired babies are cranky and irritable during wakeful periods. For more information about developing good sleep habits, read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Childby Dr. Marc Weissbluth (Ballantine Books, 544 pages, softcover).
Staying Healthy
Plan to avoid exposure to germs in the 1st few weeks by asking friends and family members to wash their hands before holding the baby. Also, request that anyone who's recently been sick to wait awhile before visiting. Many new parents worry that they won't know which symptoms to look for in a sick child and whether or when to call the baby's doctor. The 1st thing I tell parents is that, if they feel like their baby is warm, they should check the temperature under the arm, Rosanna says. If a baby has a temperature of 99 degrees or more, it's time to call the pediatrician. Hy-Vee carries several types of baby thermometers. Renee Chiaramonte, a Registered Nurse at the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit at Mercy Medical Center, cites five other symptoms that may indicate a need for medical attention.
Call a doctor if your baby:
• cries all the time and can’t be consoled
• looks pale or bluish
• coughs at times other than feeding
• is lethargic and doesn’t easily rouse from sleep
• has fewer wet diapers than usual (6 to 8 per day)
If your baby cries uncontrollably each time you lay her down to sleep, she may have an ear infection. Ear fluid may be building up as she lies flat on her back. Watch to see whether she tugs at her ears and check to see if there's any visible redness in the ear canal. If you notice these symptoms, call her pediatrician. Keep in mind that even healthy babies have six or more colds before their 1st birthday. Medicine cannot cure these colds; the baby's developing immune system must fight it off. No child under the age of two should ever be given any over-the-counter cold remedies. And doctors warn that children in general should never be given cough suppressants. If your baby is at least 6 months old, baby Tylenol or ibuprofen may help with fever discomfort. Never give your baby aspirin, which can cause Reye's syndrome.