A Little Advice For New Parents

As a new parent of a newborn baby you face many problems and issues that you need to understand and deal with immediately.  A newborn baby does not come with an instruction book so here are some baby care ideas on some things that you need to know about being a new parent.

Bathing your baby: Your baby’s umbilical cord will fall off in about one to two weeks after your new baby is born. Until it falls out, you should only give your new baby sponge baths. You could dampen a cotton ball or cotton swab with alcohol to help dry the umbilical stump or simply follow your pediatrician’s directions. You can give your baby a bath in a sink or shallow tub after the stump falls off. 

Caesarian delivery:  A caesarian is usually performed to make delivery safer for you or your baby.  C-sections can be done for many different reasons including stalled labor, complicated labor, problems with the baby that may make delivery difficult, or other problems.  It does not matter if you deliver vaginally or by a caesarian section, you are still a mother with a beautiful new blessing.   

Circumcision:  A lot of doctors feel that there are many benefits to having your new baby boy circumcised, but it may not be absolutely necessary.  It may help to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections and eliminates just about any chance of penile cancer.  Circumcision will not cause any long-term emotional problems for your baby boy. 

Crib death (SIDS):  Many studies have been done regarding SIDS.  Although the cause of SIDS has not been definitely defined, there are some correlations that have been made between SIDS and the following things:

Female babies are less likely to die from SIDS than Male Babies
The risk is greater with premature birth
Minority children are more likely to be affected by SIDS than non-minority children are.
More children of young, single mothers die of SIDS
Smoking in the home greatly increases the risk of SIDS

Some people think that sleeping with your new baby is okay and continue to let their babies sleep with them. The American Academy of Pediatrics disagrees with this and says that there is a greater risk of SIDS in babies who sleep with another person. New babies should sleep alone in a cradle or crib either next to or near an adult. You should never put pillows, blankets, stuffed animals or anything that might put your newborn baby at risk in their bed.

Most pediatricians recommend that babies sleep on their back to decrease the risk of SIDS. The reason for this is widely debated between health experts. If you have concerns please talk to your pediatrician. There are no dumb questions when it comes to the health and safety of your child, so please don’t be afraid to ask for help.