After nine months, your baby has finally arrived. With his appearance, your happiness is immeasurable, but along with that, there will also be many challenges that you will face. Caring for the baby in the first month is one of them.
In the following lines, we share some basic guidelines that will be useful to you in the new start of your life.
Feeding the baby
Breast milk or baby formula is the only food your baby will need for the first 4-5 months of his life. A newborn should not take goat's or cow's milk before its first year.
These milks are high in protein and s alt and are more difficult for the baby's stomach to digest. In addition, these milks do not contain many of the important vitamins and minerals. Your baby needs folic acid and vitamin B12, two nutrients that help prevent anemia and iron deficiency. If you breastfeed your baby, know that in the first month he will need about 10-12 feedings a day.
Many mothers buy an electronic scale and measure the baby before and after feeding. This helps them track if the baby has eaten enough, but also track in the first months if and by how much the baby is gaining weight.
How to know if the baby is breastfed. When the baby is full, it will separate itself from your breast. If you feed the baby with artificial formula, it is important to consult with the pediatrician how many meals should be.
Crying and colic
Crying is the only way your baby communicates with you in the first month. The reasons for a baby's crying can be different, such as hunger, tiredness, fear, pain, temperature, when the baby is too hot or cold, dirty diapers and last but not least, colic.
If you have ruled out all possible causes of a baby's crying, then only colic remains. Some of the tell-tale signs of colic in babies include:
- Crying or nervousness most of the day or night.
- You are having difficulty soothing the baby.
- The baby is calm during the day, but in the evening and at night he is restless and cries.
- When the baby suffers from colic, he curls his legs to his tummy and others.
If you are breastfeeding, it is very important what food you will consume. It is recommended to avoid spicy foods, caffeine, some dairy products, vegetables that cause gas. It is important when breastfeeding to stand the baby up every 5 minutes so that he can burp.
This rule also applies to bottle-fed babies, but their burping occurs after the feeding is over.
What can help relieve colic?
Massaging the baby's tummy is one of the first methods that can calm him down. Some mothers prepare fennel tea to give to babies after feeding. Others favor the power of homeopathy in the fight against colic.
A safe and effective homeopathic product you can trust is. It is the only colic care product that can also be given prophylactically from the first week after birth.
It is easy to take as it is in the form of drops. Its composition includes five homeopathic preparations:
- chamomile - known for its antiseptic and soothing properties, santonin wormwood - relieves stomach discomfort in nervous children, cow's milk whey - leads to maturation of the stomach lining and helps with digestive disorders; colocynth – an African plant, fights against spasms and stomach pains and magnesium chloride, which helps in the painless release of gas and has a beneficial effect on constipation and flatulence.
The prophylactic intake of Kolikind is 3 drops 3 times a day, and in case of acute symptoms, it is recommended to give the baby 6 times 3 drops every hour (maximum up to 6 times a day).
The course of treatment can last up to 2-3 months or until the symptoms are relieved.
Bathing the baby
One of the biggest challenges for parents is bathing the baby. During the first weeks of its appearance, the baby will need to be bathed every 2-3 days. Thus, the baby will get used to a program that will become part of his life.
To make the baby bath comfortable for you and the baby, follow a few basic rules:
- The room in which you will bathe the baby must be well heated in advance.
- Before you start bathing, prepare everything you need, such as a full bath, baby cosmetics, clean water for watering, a thermometer to measure the water temperature.
- Keep the water temperature pleasantly warm, but not hot.
- Before putting the baby in the bath, always test the temperature of the water.
- Always wash the baby's face with clean water and a soft cloth.
- Wash the eyes with clean water starting from their inner corner to the outer corner.
- Use a soft cloth and appropriate baby cosmetics to wash the rest of the body.
- Pay special attention to folds and creases.
- To avoid the water cooling down quickly, wash the baby's head first.
- After finishing the bath, put the baby in a soft towel and wrap it gently, making sure not to miss the head.
Skin Care
The skin of a newborn is extremely delicate.
During the first month, your main concern will be the bud, if it has not fallen in the maternity hospital.
It should be cleaned with alcohol, protected from moisture, wetting and inflammation.
