If
you are a new parent, then it is a big challenge to take proper care
of your baby. You won't be having sufficient knowledge and experience
in caring for your new born. There will be times when you will be
left wondering about what to do. Whenever you pick up and carry your
baby, make sure that you support the baby's neck and head as the baby
cannot hold the head up on its own. When lifting the baby, lay him on
his back. Then scoop him up with both arms. One arm should support
his head while the other should support his lower back and bottom.
You
can also hold your baby in upright position close to your chest. For
this, make sure that one of your arms supports the baby's head and
neck while the other supports the bottom. This can be a good way to
carry your baby if he is crying or if he wants to sleep. However some
babies will not fall asleep in this position and might start staring
at other objects in the house, which will drive away their sleep
further. You need to feed your baby every 2-4 hours. Babies who are
breastfed might feed more frequently as breast milk is easily
digested than formula milk. As the baby grows, its feeding frequency
might decrease but the duration and amount of milk per feeding would
increase.
If
the baby is full, it will turn away from the nipple
or bottle. Older babies might push away the bottle or mother's
nipple when they had enough. Most of the water requirements of the
baby will be met by the milk they consume. So you don't need to give
them water until they reach 6 months of age. Only in some rare cases,
if the babies show signs of dehydration, they need to be given clean
water.
Signs
of dehydration to watch out for are - lethargy, dry sallow skin etc.
Check with your doctor if you suspect the baby of dehydration. Babies
need to be burped after every feeding. They tend to swallow lot of
air during feeding. This can make their stomach upset, making them
uncomfortable. So they need to be burped. In order to burp the baby,
hold him in upright position against your chest and shoulder. Hold
the baby in this position for a few minutes. You can even pat his
back. You can even make the baby sit upright on your lap for a few
minutes. Make sure that his head and chest rest against your body
properly. With a few tippers it is not all that though nut to feed
your baby!
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