Tuesday, January 11, 2011
11:19 AM
Knowing what to expect when you have a newborn can ease the anxiety that every new parent feels and give you confidence as you bond with your new baby. Here you'll find advice and information on everything from bathing and feeding your baby to establishing good sleep habits, interpreting your baby's cries, and knowing when to call the doctor.
Bathing your Baby
For the first week or so, until your baby's umbilical cord stump falls off and the area heals, it's best to stick to sponge baths with a lukewarm, moistened washcloth. Wash his face and hands frequently, and thoroughly clean his genital area after each diaper change.
Tub baths
After the umbilical cord stump dries up, falls off, and the area heals, you can start giving your newborn tub baths. While a baby is tiny, it makes the most sense to use the kitchen sink or a small plastic baby tub instead of a standard tub.
Although some parents bathe their babies every day for the sheer pleasure of it, until a baby is crawling around and getting into messes, a bath isn't really necessary more than once or twice a week. When you do bathe your newborn, you may find it a little scary at first. Handling a wiggling, wet, and soapy little creature takes practice and confidence, so stay calm and maintain a good grip on him.
Some babies find the warm water very soothing. If this is the case with your baby, let him linger. Others cry through the whole bath — that's when you'll want to get him in and out. Keeping the bathing room warm can help.
Bath safety
* Never leave your baby unsupervised, even for a minute. If the doorbell or phone rings and you feel you must answer it, scoop him up in a towel and take him with you.
* Never put your baby into a tub when the water is still running (the water temperature could change or the depth could become too high).
* Set your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. A child can get third-degree burns in less than a minute at 140 degrees.
* Never leave your child unattended. (Yes, it's so important we listed it twice). A child can drown in less than an inch of water — and in less than 60 seconds.
How to give your baby a bath
1. Gather all necessary bath supplies, and lay out a towel, a clean diaper, and clothes.
2. Fill the tub with 2 to 3 inches of water that feels warm but not hot, about 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius).
3. Bring your baby to the bath area and undress him completely. (TIP: If your baby cries through every bath, leave the diaper on at first. It can give him an increased sense of security in the water.)
4. Gradually slip your baby into the tub feet first, using one hand to support his neck and head. Pour cupfuls of bath water over him regularly during the bath so he doesn't get too cold.
5. Use mild soap and use it sparingly (too much dries out your baby's skin), as you wash him with your hand or a washcloth from top to bottom, front and back. Wash his scalp with a wet, soapy cloth. Use moistened cotton balls (no soap) to clean his eyes and face. If dried mucus has collected in the corners of your baby's nostrils or eyes, dab it several times to soften it before you wipe it out. As for your baby's genitals, a routine washing is all that's needed.
6. Rinse your baby thoroughly with cupfuls of water and wipe him down with a clean washcloth. Then lift him out of the tub with one hand supporting his neck and head and the other hand supporting his bottom, with your fingers around one thigh (babies are slippery when wet).
7. Wrap your baby in a hooded towel and pat him dry. If his skin is still peeling from birth, you can apply a mild baby lotion after his bath, but this is generally dead skin that needs to come off anyway, not dry skin. Then diaper him, dress him, and give him a kiss on his sweet-smelling head.
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Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Definitely. Think about how music affects you — how an upbeat tune fends off the blues and soft music helps you fall asleep. Your baby is no different. Lullabies have a proven track record for soothing infants — ask any parent who has resorted to singing them when the baby wakes up at 2 o'clock in the morning. "I remember rocking my son to sleep to the tune of 'Snuggle Up,' " says Rich Ham-Kucharski of Canton, Michigan, father of Alex. "When we didn't play music, he would fight sleep."
The jury's still out on this question because not much research is available. Some experts claim that learning to play an instrument makes kids smarter in math, but that conclusion is based on research that focused on older children, not babies and young toddlers. For instance, one study found that piano lessons may enhance children's spatial reasoning skills (the ability to understand three-dimensional space), but experts tested only 3- and 4-year-olds.
Babies seem to be able to tell a melody from speech, even if they aren't sophisticated enough to know anything about music. For example, Norman Weinberger, a cognitive sciences and psychology professor at the University of California at Irvine, says in one study, babies as young as 4 months old seemed to know when researchers played the "Happy Birthday" song incorrectly.
Do listening to music benefit Your child....?
Music may even help strengthen premature babies. Researchers from Brigham Young University studied the effects of music on 33 premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. Cassette players piped voices of men and women singing lullabies into each baby's isolette for 40 minutes a day for four days. When doctors examined the babies on the fourth day, they found that babies who were exposed to music gained more weight, and had lower blood pressure and a stronger heartbeat.
Music can benefit you, too. It has the power to lift your spirits, soothe your frayed nerves, and move you to dance. And music helps with bonding. Imagine the joy you'll share with your child when you sway to the beat of a lovely melody (try Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"). Or how soothing it will be for you and your baby when you sing him a lilting lullaby ("Hush Little Baby" is always a winner).
Music can benefit you, too. It has the power to lift your spirits, soothe your frayed nerves, and move you to dance. And music helps with bonding. Imagine the joy you'll share with your child when you sway to the beat of a lovely melody (try Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"). Or how soothing it will be for you and your baby when you sing him a lilting lullaby ("Hush Little Baby" is always a winner).
Music make Your baby smarter?
The jury's still out on this question because not much research is available. Some experts claim that learning to play an instrument makes kids smarter in math, but that conclusion is based on research that focused on older children, not babies and young toddlers. For instance, one study found that piano lessons may enhance children's spatial reasoning skills (the ability to understand three-dimensional space), but experts tested only 3- and 4-year-olds.Babies seem to be able to tell a melody from speech, even if they aren't sophisticated enough to know anything about music. For example, Norman Weinberger, a cognitive sciences and psychology professor at the University of California at Irvine, says in one study, babies as young as 4 months old seemed to know when researchers played the "Happy Birthday" song incorrectly.
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