As baby gets older he will begin to love his bath. If the room is kept warm there is no reason why he should not be allowed a little extra time to splash around and enjoy the sensation of water on his skin and freedom from clothing. Eventually he will like to play with toys in the bath. However, no baby should be left in the bath without someone responsible being there to hold and watch him. Read More
Keeping Baby Warm – and Cool
When you first bring your new baby home from the hospital it is important to keep him warm. The hospital may have had really warm heating turned on and so baby was quite comfortable in a vest and nappy, with just a light cotton wrap over him. But most homes are not so warm. Read More
Cleansing Delicate Areas
All of baby’s skin is delicate, but some of it is even more so and needs extra care. The folds under the arm should be tended to carefully and only patted dry after the bath, not rubbed. Under the neck is a delicate area and is often prone to rash due to baby’s dribbling making it moist. It needs to be cleaned thoroughly but gently and patted dry too. Read More
Caring for Baby’s Skin
All babies have delicate skin but the skin of the newborn is the most delicate. No harsh soap or other cleanser is needed for bathing, but water only. However, most mothers use some brand of baby wipes for cleansing the nappy area. This has been formulated especially for babies and doesn’t seem to hurt them at all. And it is certainly more convenient than using a dish of water with a washer. Read More
Bathing the New-Born Baby
Bathing the new born baby need not be seen as an intimidating or stressful time. Little babies need to be kept clean and fresh; otherwise they develop that stale milky smell that is not altogether pleasant. Bathing your new born will make him or her feel refreshed and happy, just like it does for children and adults. Babies often settle down and have a great sleep after their bath. Read More
What Prevents Baby from Sleeping?
Many babies fall asleep and establish a good routine right from the start; others need a little help from their mother in establishing the correct sleeping patterns. Still others seem to cry at night for no rhyme or reason and the whole household is upset and disturbed for months – sometimes years. So what are the things that might prevent baby from sleeping well during the night? Read More
Use of a Night Light During Baby’s Sleep Time
A newborn baby does not need to have a night light to sleep well. Tiny babies can sleep well anywhere, at any time of the day or night. It is only as they get older that some toddlers develop a fear of the darkness and need a night light. But many nurseries are not completely dark anyway, there are frequently street lights close by that shine in through the curtains and traffic lights may also flash by.
However, using a night light rather than a bright light for the night feed can often help baby to settle down more easily afterwards. By remaining in a dim light full wakefulness will hopefully, be prevented. However, do what works best for you as the mother, and baby will soon adjust to it.
Read MoreTraining Baby to Sleep
Probably the worst thing about having a new baby is the number of times mother must get up through the night either to feed or settle the new addition to the family. Sleep deprivation makes everyone feel crabby and unable to cope. It is not so bad if this only lasts for a few weeks, but when it goes on for months life is certainly not enjoyable. So what can be done?
It is natural for the new-born infant to waken during the night hours to be fed, but going back to sleep afterwards should also be part of the pattern. Baby needs to sleep a lot – it means he is content and happy. Lack of sleep means baby will be cranky and not feed or settle properly. To train your baby to sleep properly you need to establish a pattern of feeding, wake/play time and then sleep time.
Read MoreSleep vs. Night Feeding
In some rare cases, lucky mothers find their baby sleeps through the night almost from the time they are brought home. But most are not so fortunate. Nearly all new babies need to be fed through the night; some even require more than one feed.
Since breast milk is so easy to digest, breast fed babies tend to waken for more feeds through the night because they get hungry more quickly. But there comes a time when baby needs to learn to sleep right through the night. Sometimes this happens naturally, but very often mothers must encourage it to happen. Since no one wants to be constantly getting up for night feeds, working towards such a goal is necessary.
Read MoreDay Sleeps for Baby
Newborn babies can be expected to sleep most of the time including through the day. They will awaken when they get hungry – and be awake to be bathed and tended to, but for the most part newborns do sleep a lot. Naturally, as the baby gets a little older he or she will be awake for longer periods of time until at about four to six months you can expect them to be mainly awake for two hours and asleep for two hours alternately throughout the day.
Of course, every baby is different and those who have trouble with gas or colic may be expected to be more wakeful due to their discomfort. Also, some babies just seem to be more wakeful and alert than others, but this does not mean they should miss their day sleeps.
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