Being a parent is a great blessing, but with this great blessing comes great responsibilities and the need to do everything perfectly for the baby. If it is your first baby, you might feel an overwhelming sense of fear of making a mistake that might harm your baby. You can read all the parenting books in the world, but the moment you hold your baby, you seem to forget most of it by seeing how fragile they are. While it is unlikely that you will get everything right, but with some research, you can know mistakes to avoid after giving birth to a baby. So, follow these tips below to avoid making mistakes immediately after giving birth.
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#1. Don’t believe everything you hear
When you become parents, you seek advice from everyone who has been through it. Even if you don’t want their suggestions, everyone seems to have a piece of advice ready for you, anyway. This advice mostly is contradictory and ends up confusing new parents even more. For example, one person tells you to co-sleep with the baby while others tell you to let baby sleep alone. The only opinion that matters is yours when it comes to taking care of your bundle of joy. As a doctor once wrote, ‘You know more than you think you do‘. So, listen to others, but follow your instincts as they are your best guide.
#2. Don’t bathe baby before their umbilical cord stump dries and falls out
At first, it was a standard protocol to bathe baby within the first hour after their birth, but this practice isn’t followed these days. Babies come from an environment where they were very warm and cozy, so they are not happy when they are whisked away from their mother’s warmth for bathing. This makes them exhausted, and they end up needing to rest more than they prefer breastfeeding. Till their umbilical cord stump heals, just give them a sponge bath.
#3. Know the proper car seat safety
Some hospitals require you to take the baby home in a car seat, be sure it is properly installed in your car during the last few weeks of your pregnancy’s term. Figuring how to install it correctly is a real challenge for many parents. If you need help in installing one, then find a trained technician through the National Child Passenger Safety Certification site. Also, practice with a soft toy before your baby arrives to know how to safely strap in your newborn to make sure their head doesn’t flop back because newborns aren’t able to control their neck muscles yet.
#4. Put your baby to sleep on their back to avoid the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related deaths among infants
Put your baby to sleep with you in their own crib. Make sure the crib’s mattress is firm and has nicely fitted sheets. Remove any toy pillow or soft blanket before putting the baby to sleep in there. Avoid using a blanket and dress your baby appropriately for bed according to the temperature to keep them warm. Also, have a car seat installed in your car before your baby gets here, as most hospitals do not let babies leave without one. Make sure it is properly installed and practice with a soft toy to know how to strap in a newborn baby.
#5. Feed baby every 2 to 3 hours during the first few weeks
Some new parents make the mistake of letting their baby nap too long and not waking them up for feedings due to exhaustion and their own need to get a bit of rest. Newborn babies need to be fed every 2 to 3 hours even if they don’t demand it for the first few weeks or at least till they regain their birth weight. Also, never let your baby go more than 4 hours between feeding. This helps your baby to meet their nutritional needs and also helps you in establishing your milk supply if you breastfeed.
#6. Do not take your newborn baby into crowded places
Some parents want to take their new bundle to a large family gathering so that everyone can see and coo over their little miracle. This can be a mistake because the baby’s immunity system is not very developed and they are more vulnerable to catch diseases. These diseases can be quite ordinary for adult humans but can become fatal for your tiny human being. So, wait for a few weeks before taking your baby out in crowded places. Limit the visitors to the hospital as well and don’t let people touch your baby without sanitizing their hands first. Also, don’t let anyone kiss your baby on the face.
#7. Give your baby proper tummy time to help them achieve their growth and developmental goals easily
Don’t keep them constricted into a car seat, bouncer, swing, and rocker all the time. Also, when some parents are out and about at the park or restaurant, they keep interacting with their friends or other people while the baby remains strapped in their car seat. Spending too much time in the car seat or on their back can cause a soft spot to develop on the back of their head. Also, not interacting enough with your baby can cause language delays and other issues due to a lack of stimulation. So, take some time out for the baby’s tummy time in their routine when they are not sleeping. This will help them develop strong head and neck muscles and achieve their developmental goals easily.
Above are 7 mistakes to avoid after giving birth to a baby. Making a mistake as a first time mom is unavoidable, but the thing is, ensure the mistake is not a costly one. Study the mistakes above and avoid them as much as possible. This will help you in making decisions for your baby, but deep down you already know what’s best for your baby. So, trust your instincts.
