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Your Newborn Baby Care
Crash Course
Surprise! You're a mom! ...And I'm assuming you have your Newborn Baby Care Master's Degree in hand...What's that?
No? tsk tsk...Lucky for you, I've got a set of Cliff Notes all ready and waiting.
For our thesis, let me recommend the phrase... Enjoy being new, avoid being naive.
Isn't that close to perfect? You want to enjoy the wonders of being a new mother, the excitement of a new baby, but you also
want to avoid the pitfalls of making naive mistakes that can be costly.
Costly to your sleep, costly to your budget, and even (gulp!) costly
to you or your baby's health.
In order to help guide you through the basics of newborn baby care, I've split our Master's Degree into Cliff-Note size portions. Starting
with the foundational and moving up from there. (Don't you love how "out there" my method is?)
Side Note: Yes, I'm already going on a tangent. One of the things that surprised me as a new mother was all
the tracking I had to do. I had to track the number of diaper changes, time feeding, time sleeping, medical notes, growth rate...ugh! Who has
time for all that!!
Lucky for you, recently I discovered a series of new books called Baby's Eat, Sleep, and Poop Journal . This simple book has everything
organized and "pretty". You can either choose between girly-girl
lavender
or manly-man
aqua .
I recommend at least taking a peek. It's very helpful
and perfect for organizationally-challenged and organizationally-obsessed mothers alike.
Newborn Baby Care Masters Course #1:
The Emotionally Prepared Mother
Yes, newborn baby care involves dirty diapers, bottles, sleepless nights, burping, etc. But that's really not the first course you
need to pass.
Your first set of courses must evolve on getting you emotionally prepared for this new, exhausting-yet-exhort
challenge.
Let's reflect, for just a moment, on the reality of what has just happened. A new person has just entered your life.
A person with likes and dislikes. A relationship has started. And like any relationship, there
will be times of deep love and tenderness, and there will be times of frustration and annoyance.
Understanding that fact in the beginning will go a long way in helping your expectations of motherhood be realistic.
Making the daily adjustments of life with a newborn can be difficult. To help you pass The Emotionally Prepared Mother course,
I've compiled a few articles to offer what to expect and tips on how to deal with these exciting, yet inevitable trials.
Newborn Baby Care Masters Course #2:
The Bowel Obsession
It's inevitable. You will at some point, start obsessing about your newborn's bowels. Is he going too often? or not enough?
Don't think you're exempt! I get more emails on this subject than any other.
In the first month of life, your newborn should have 5 to 8 wet diapers
a day. Most babies will have daily bowel movements. However, there are
always exceptions to the "poop rule".
My newborn Bella decided to wait 6 days! I called the doctor. Diagnosis? Normal.
She wasn't acting like she was in pain. She showed no signs of constipation. On the 7th day she had a bowel explosion. Up the back...in
the hair...time for Dad to give a bath. 
So, to help you pass The Bowel Obsession Course, here are some articles packed-shmacked with tons of information about poop. (oh joy! No TV tonight!)
- Deciphering Wierd Colors in a Dirty Diaper
Infant bowel movements speak volumes about your infant's health. Understanding the "Language of Poo" can be
a useful tool for evaluating your baby's overall wellness...
- Identifying Infant Constipation
If your baby seems unusually fussy and grumpy, infant constipation could be the culprit. Double check these clues to decide whether your baby
is constipated or just plain cranky...
- Tips on Changing Diapers
The act of changing diapers is certainly on the dark side of parenting. It is the moment of truth when your love is acted out and you
sacrifice your olfactory nerves (a.k.a. nose) to a higher calling...
- Performing a Proper Diaper Check
Doing a proper diaper check is not art. It's simply good habits. These steps will start you on the right path
for proper diaper changing technique. Why does that matter? Because good techniques make your baby
(and you) cleaner, which leads to less sickness...
Newborn Baby Care Masters Course #3:
Feed Like a Pro
{Photo by Chesi - Fotos CC}
If you haven't tried breastfeeding, I recommend giving it a try. For some moms it's as easy as point and latch. For others (like myself) it takes
a little more work. However, the benefits are worth the effort.
If you decide to breastfeed, make sure you continue to take your prenatal vitamin every day and monitor your diet for foods that may
make him gassy (broccoli, peppers and onions are usual suspects).
If you have to take medication, be sure to share with your doctor that you
are breastfeeding, since some drugs can be harmful to your infant and he will get some of the medication through the milk.
If you decide to use formula, start with either free samples or small containers. Every baby will react to formula differently. Purchasing small
(or better yet, free) allows you to discard the formula guilt-free if your baby gets too gassy, or just doesn't like it.
Obviously, you'll want to ace your Feed Like a Pro course in our Newborn Baby Care Master's Degree. To do that, here are some
additional articles I think you'll find helpful.
- Top 5 Baby Nursing Myths Exposed (and other Breastfeeding Tips)
Start your baby nursing adventure on the right foot by discovering the truth behind
the 5 most popular newborn nursing myths. It's information like this that can make the difference between a
fantastic or frustrating nursing experience...
- How to Breastfeed: A Step-By-Step Guide
Learning how to breastfeed is often the first challenge a new mom makes after delivery.
These useful tips and easy steps on how to breast feed will help you meet that challenge head on...and win!
- Burping Baby Tips
Would you be comfortable with a huge balloon in your stomach? A burping baby doesn't have to live with that discomfort. What is
the consequence of popping that balloon? A happier baby. What's the lesson for you? Learn how to get that burp...
Newborn Baby Care Masters Course #4:
Growing By Leaps and Bounds
How do you weigh your baby at home?
Weigh yourself first. (Yes, you have to look.)
Then weigh yourself holding your infant. Subtract
the two and...voila!
Your baby's weight.
In the first week of life, your baby may lose up to 7 - 10% of his birthweight. After that, you're looking for growth, growth, growth.
In fact, by the end of week two, he should be back to his birthweight.
Up to his third month, look for a daily gain of about 2/3 ounces a day. At the 3-6 month mark, your baby will probably slow down growth, tapering
down to .5 ounces a day. The older your baby becomes, the slower his weight gain should become.
If your baby doesn't seem to be gaining at this rate, call your doctor.
Naturally, you probably won't be able to weigh your baby every day. At the beginning, once a week is fine. Eventually, you can switch to monthly.
And then you can just wait for Well Baby Appointments to tell you how he's doing
I'll even give you this permission: You don't even have to weigh your baby at all. Yes, you heard me. NOT weighing your baby doesn't make
you a bad mom. Hooray! Just watch to see that he is eating regularly, and growing out of his clothes at a good rate.
But...in case you're curious and need to cram for the Final in your Growing by Leaps and Bounds Newborn Baby Care Masters Course, you can
cheat by reading the articles in this section on your newborn's growth and development milestones.
- The Best Baby Learning Toys to Sprinkle "Brain Magic" All Over Your Newborn
In the world of newborns, there are baby toys...and then there are baby LEARNING toys. I lay out, milestone by milestone, which skills are on the learning table.
That way you can find (and hit Grandma up) for the toys that will give you the most for your brain-boosting-buck.
Newborn Baby Care Masters Course #5:
Good Stuff Vs. Bad Stuff
Babies are a billion dollar industry. Yes, there are products out there that are helpful, beautiful, and worth every penny. There
are also products out there that are just, well, not worth every penny.
I've dedicated an entire section of this website to reviewing and discussing newborn baby care products. See the best baby product winners (and losers) here.
Enjoy looking around...and add your own reviews while you're there!
Did You Adopt?
A Resource Just for You
I understand many of my visitors may be needing this information for a baby that isn't theirs. If you are a
grandparent or foster parent and are interested in adopting a baby, let me happily recommend you check out
http://www.child-adoption-matters.com.
It
gives you all you need to know about child adoption: ideas, information, and advice from someone who has been
there. It includes adoption options, requirements and more.
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