Basic Baby Care Tips
Friday, April 6th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
The day you bring your first new baby home from the hospital is one of enormous joy but it doesn’t matter how prepared you are as you will still probably feel a bit scared and rather unsure as well because you don’t want to do anything wrong. However, there are a few basic baby care tips that all parents should follow.
Baby Care Tip #1: Your Baby’s Room
A newborn baby is not yet able to regulate her body temperature that well so you need to make sure her room is kept at the right temperature both during the day and night. The ideal temperature is about 20C (68f). Make sure your baby’s cot and changing area aren’t directly under a bright light so you can feed and change her at night without disturbing her too much.
Baby Care Tip #2: Settling the Baby
Give the baby time to bring up her wind and change her nappy. Swaddling the baby can be very comforting is an effective technique for calming a crying baby too. Sometimes babies cry not just because they are hungry or messy, but also because they do not feel secure, and properly swaddling the baby will provide them with that security.
Baby Care Tip #3 Bathing the Baby
Some babies hate being bathed at first and your baby won’t come to any harm if she doesn’t have a bath for a few days as long as you keep her clean by topping and tailing. If you have a baby bath then any warm room in your house will be a suitable place to bath your baby. Don’t over fill the bath – it should be deep enough to just cover most of your baby’s body while you support her head and shoulders out of the water.
However, once your baby can sit up unaided you might want to bath her in a regular bathtub. If you choose to do so it is important to remember that the water should be no more than 3 or 4 inches deep. But never leave your baby alone in the bath even if she is able to sit up as it is possible to drown in just an inch or two of water. When it comes to the temperature of the water, test it by dipping your elbow in it. This part of your body is more sensitive than your hand and it should feel pleasantly warm.
Remember, taking care of a baby can be a steep learning curve but it is a rewarding (if tiring at times) experience but have patience and you will succeed. Good luck!
