Baby Care Tips

baby in father's arms

Caring for a baby involves its share of hurdles, but most parents find that eventually a routine is developed and the overall challenge wanes. Of course, there are a few problem areas that tend to provide the most tension, such as eating and sleeping. These two fields of baby care can even overlap and cause a concentric mess of frustration for both parent and child. Methods vary, but there are a few general principles that can ease stress and provide relief for tired caregivers and their infants.

Sleep Issues and Factors

Sleeping is a huge issue for parents. Age will have a large impact on the amount of sleep a baby gets and/or needs. Sites such as Webmd.com report the differences in sleeping patterns between the newborn, infant, walker, and toddler stages. It should be noted that the disparity between newborn and infant sleep is only about an hour.

Your newborn sleeps typically between 15 and 16 hours a day, losing only an hour of this as he moves towards the four month mark. These sleep habits should continue until he is about one year old. Though 16 hours seems like a considerable time at first glance, the problems lie more along the lines of when a newborn chooses to sleep.

Parental Hurdles

Some things to note about your newborn's sleep habits:

  • Your baby may choose to sleep mostly during daytime hours, remaining awake much of the night.
  • Attempts to wake your baby from his daytime slumber may result in a half-napped infant that is tired and vociferously upset.
  • Hungry babies often have trouble napping.
  • Breastfeeding will have an effect on how long your baby naps and/or sleeps through the night.
  • It is very difficult to wake a napping newborn.

The Night Owl

It is a common syndrome amongst newborns that they will nap intensely during the day and then remain energetic during the night. This is very difficult for parents who are desperate for sleep. Some experts recommend taking measures to keep an infant awake during daytime hours by preventing naps and engaging in stimulating activities. Unfortunately, this does not always work. Many newborns are experts in napping anywhere, even within the loudest environments. A jerky car ride accompanied by heavy metal music can be an ideal napping environment for many infants. Shaking your baby gently, or less gently, may produce no results.

Still, newborn nap patterns can also be very inconsistent. Though baby wakes for one night and sleeps through the next day, the following days may exhibit a completely different schedule. Some ways to encourage your infant to sleep better during the night include the following:

  • Manage the light in the room. MyBabySleepGuide.com points out the important role of light and melatonin release in a newborn. Keep your windows well-draped and make sure that light isn't creeping through the door early in the morning.
  • Babies love constant sounds. Their mother's womb featured incessant amounts of noises that were actually soothing to your infant. You can mimic this effect by purchasing a sound machine that offers a white noise, rainfall, or even a heartbeat sound.
  • Food and hygiene are also important for your infant's rest. Napping on an empty stomach rarely works well. Also, most babies don't like to sleep in wet or soiled diapers. Before you lay your infant down, ensure that his most basic needs have been met.

The Feeding Conundrum

Newborn and baby feedings can be quite diverse depending on whether you use formula or breastfeed your child. Although breastfeeding has often been reported to lower an infant's chances of developing allergies, some infants are actually allergic to elements in their mother's natural milk. You can view a list of potential allergens at BabyCenter.com, but if an infant seems to be responding poorly to breastfeeding, this is not something a parent should ignore in favor of the alleged health perks of nursing.

Formula may also reveal similar results. Some infants are allergic to certain formulas, particularly casein-based formulas. Symptoms to watch out for include the following:

  • Excessive gas
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Failure to thrive
  • Continuous Crying

You'll want to consult your pediatrician regarding any of the above symptoms. KidsHealth.org does report that many milk allergies disappear somewhere between the ages of 3 to 5 years, but these findings do not support all cases.

Feeding Considerations

  • Breast milk is digested and assimilated faster than formula, so baby will generally be hungrier in less time than a formula fed infant.
  • Breastfeeding can be done on an "as needed" basis, but formula must be executed at specific intervals to prevent overfeeding.
  • Breastfed babies may have lower rates of obesity than their formula fed counterparts, as reported by a 2006 article in the New York Times. This is important for parents to note, as their breastfed baby may measure at the lower ends of the growth chart during his first year or so. However, a breastfed baby's development will be even and gradual and should cause little alarm for pediatricians.

Input and Output

You will also want to monitor your baby's diapers to ensure that your child is hydrated and eliminating effectively. KidsHealth.org states that a newborn may use approximately 10 diapers a day. Significantly more or less may be a signal that there is trouble afoot. Always contact your pediatrician about any concerns or abnormal diaper activity.

Your Baby's Pediatrician

Many parents watch their infant's development with close caution and awe. However, one of the most important baby care tips is to visit your pediatrician regularly throughout the first year. There are many small nuances in infant development that can go unnoticed, and an early diagnosis will lead to faster and often more effective treatment.

Final Care Tips

Safety is always an important issue for babies. Whether it's positioning your child properly in his crib for SIDS prevention to baby-proofing your home, you'll want to read about all these important efforts before your child arrives. A home is normally a safety zone for its residents, but a baby can locate many potential danger areas that may have escaped your attention. Visit Webmd.com for a list of the most common areas of caution within the home.