Avoid These Mistakes When Caring For Your Newborn

Being a first-time parent is not easy. You don't want to mess up. You may read a lot of baby books telling you how to take care of your child, but what about the things that you are not supposed to do? Follow these newborn care tips to keep your baby healthy and happy.

Don't Let Him Sleep

Babies are strange creatures. No two are alike. When babies are very new they often sleep a lot. Some people will tell you to let the child sleep so that you can. However, you should never let your child go past four hours, maximum, without eating. Ideally, newborns should be eating every 2 to 3 hours.

This may seem like a lot to ask. You are tired and want your sleep. Your baby is considered a newborn until he is 28 days old.  After those first 28 days your baby is considered a newborn, you could let him sleep long, about 6 hours. Still, you must wake your baby up a try to feed him while he is young. It is crucial for healthy development. Just because your best friend tells you to let your baby sleep eight hours through the night, so that you can, doesn't mean that it's the right decision.

Don't Pop Her Zits

You are shocked to see that your little princess has zits all over her face. Her head looks like it is covered in oily scales. You may be tempted to pop those zits and scratch at those scales, but that will only make things worse. The zits are a result of maternal hormones still in the body. Your newborn's face will clear up on its own within 2 to 3 weeks. Use a soft warm washcloth without soap or a small amount of infant soap to wash your babies face. Once a day is plenty unless your baby has spit up all over her face.

Scratching and picking at the cradle cap will create a dandruff appearance on your babies head. Excessive picking at the head can cause your baby pain, you can't tell when to stop. Remember, newborn's skin is thin and tender. The right way to get rid of cradle cap is to put a small amount of baby oil, pea-size, on your baby's head. Then use an infant hairbrush to gently massage the scalp. Rinse the baby oil out then wash the scalp with infant soap. The scaly skin will not all go away immediately. Again, this is something that your baby just has to outgrow.

Don't Wait For Your Checkup

The final piece of advice is to not be afraid to go see your pediatrician if you are concerned about your newborn's health. Generally, pediatricians schedule your baby's first appointment for two weeks after birth. However, if you are worried that your baby is not getting enough to eat and not thriving call and ask the nurse if you can come in for a weight check. If there is a problem, you want to catch it as soon as possible. Trust your intuition a make the call to see your pediatrician.


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