You are in for a new adventure! After going through the ups and downs and pregnancy, you are now entering a new stage of parenting: parenting a newborn baby.
From birth to three months of age, a baby is called a newborn. Your child, all new to the world, is in their first stage in life. Thus, you can expect that there will be great adjustments that apply to both you and your baby.
Every day will be different, and you will discover that anything can happen with a newborn baby. But sooner or later, you will get the hang of it.
Feeling anxious about dealing with all of these changes is completely normal. Don’t worry – you can handle this! First, you need to understand that despite their tiny size, your lovable newborn baby is their own person. Parenting a newborn usually works best if you consider the needs and feelings of your baby and follow their lead.
Next, you can never be too ready. It may initially seem like preparing two diaper changing stations at home is an overreaction, but it may come to your rescue one day!
Finally, even if you are being stressed out by all the challenges of parenting, always find ways to hold your baby. Your newborn baby loves the feeling of your warmth, so give them a lot of it. It will make them feel more secure, which will help them adjust more easily. After all, it’s impossible to spoil a newborn baby.
Read on for more specific ways to care for your newborn
17 Genius Hacks for New Parents
Feeding
1. If you breastfeed, breastfeed on demand.
Let your baby lead the way when it comes to feeding. It may seem like your baby needs milk very often, and you’re right! Your milk is very easily digested, and your baby needs all the nourishment they can get to grow healthy.
2. If you bottle-feed, let your partner feed the baby.
While you can certainly bottle-feed your baby, too, it is best to let your partner offer the bottle. It will prevent confusion (especially if you are lactating), and it will give the two of them a chance to bond.
Sleeping
3. Keep a newborn baby asleep by using dark or blackout curtains.
Creating an atmosphere that soothes your baby is a great help in keeping them asleep. Aside from a musical mobile, you may want to use dark curtains to keep the light from coming in. You may also use a lampshade if it is too dark to see.
4. Don’t tiptoe around your sleeping baby.
But, at the same time, you don’t need to tiptoe around your sleeping baby. Let them get used to normal household noises so that they will not have problems sleeping later on. If it gets too noisy, you can play some white noise to mask it.
Wellness
5. Let your baby do tummy time on your belly.
Tummy time is essential in the growth and skills development of your newborn baby. Aside from the play mat, you may also want your baby to do tummy time on your chest or belly for skin-to-skin bonding and added warmth.
6. Use wearable blankets instead of loose blankets.
At this stage, your newborn baby has limited control of their body. Thus, it is better to use a wearable blanket that stays in place rather than a loose blanket. Don’t forget to choose a breathable blanket that is safe for your baby’s skin.
7. Relieve gas by doing the bicycle exercise.
Can’t figure out what’s causing your baby to cry incessantly? The pain and discomfort of gas could be the culprit. To relieve this, bring your baby’s legs to their chest and do gentle bicycle motions.
Medicine
8. Use a pacifier to help your newborn baby drink their medicine.
It can be challenging to have your newborn baby drink their medicine. Rather than using a dropper, you can use a pacifier with a hole in it and let your baby suckle. If your pacifier doesn’t have a hole, use a sterilized needle to puncture it.
9. Draw a simple calendar on the side of the medicine bottle to track dosage.
With all the things that you are doing at home, it is easy to forget the last time you gave your baby a medicine dose. To prevent this problem, you can draw a calendar on the side of the medicine bottle to keep track of the doses you gave.
Hygiene
10. Remove cradle cap with coconut oil.
Cradle cap is normal and is no cause for worry. However, you may want to remove the flakes for your baby’s comfort. Avoid pulling them out dry as it may hurt. Instead, use a baby comb and some coconut oil to gently take them out.
11. When taking a onesie off, pull it down instead of pulling it up.
Onesies have a wide neck for a reason: they are supposed to be pulled down your baby’s body instead of being pulled over the head. This keeps your sleeping baby from getting disturbed, and it’s especially helpful during diaper blowouts!
12. Trim your baby’s nails while they are fast asleep.
The best time to trim your baby’s nails is when they are fast asleep. You can do this at around 15-20 minutes after they fall asleep. You can use baby nail trimmers, nose hair trimmers, and other safe options.
Diaper Changing
13. Prepare a diaper changing station on each floor of your house.
If you live in a house with multiple floors, you are going to greatly benefit from preparing different diaper changing stations at each floor. You wouldn’t want to have to run upstairs after an urgent diaper blowout!
14. Or prepare a portable diaper changing basket.
If putting together different changing stations is not practical, you may also opt for a portable basket that you can bring up and down whenever you need it. Look for a durable basket or container with a wide mouth and sturdy handles.
15. And always have a stash of diapers and wipes inside your car.
It is alarmingly easy to forget to put a pack of wipes or extra diapers inside your diaper bag. For emergencies, it is useful to just stash extra diapers and extra boxes of wet wipes inside your car. Don’t forget a change of clothes, too!
Bonding
16. Capture every moment.
Your child is only a newborn baby once. Remember to pull out your phone or camera every now and then to capture moments that may not happen again. It may seem like a stressful time now, but you will miss it when it’s over.
17. Change your perspective.
Finally, it definitely helps to change your perspective. Your day may be full of challenges and it will be very tiring, and it’s okay to get stressed. But instead of thinking that your newborn baby is giving you a hard time, think about this: they are having a hard time. They are little, and they just can’t help it!
For you, the newborn stage is demanding and hectic, but for your newborn baby, it is terrifying. They need you to be there to guide them, provide for them, and love them. We hope that these simple parenting hacks make life a tad easier for both you and your baby!