This is part one in a series of care articles for your baby through the first year.
Human babies are the most helpless of all mammal babies and stay that way for much longer than the average mammal’s young. That only seems fair seeing as how we are an evolved species and therefore should be able to handle the constant care, protecting and nurturing that it takes to grow these tiny humans. Even at that, it can be really, really hard.
Here are some of the top googled trials new parents face when left to their own devices with their precious newborn.
Temperature: Whether it is winter or summer the ideal temperature for a room is about 70 degrees. It is actually a good idea to have air circulating in the room your baby sleeps in but do not put them directly under a fan or vent. Babies need to be in one more layer than what would be comfortable to an adult. It’s also important to not overheat your baby so pick clothes, swaddles and sleep sacks that are 100% cotton or another more natural fiber. Polyester and synthetic fibers do not breathe well and babies are more likely to get overheated. If you are concerned about your baby’s temperature, a simple digital thermometer placed under their arm will usually suffice. Your baby’s temperature should be between 97.5- and 99.5-degrees Fahrenheit.
Pro Tip: Have your newborn sleep in the same room as you. Keep a fan on to provide air circulation in the room (not directly on the baby). Make sure your baby’s arms, legs and feet are all covered in either a sleep sack, swaddle or sleeper in a breathable fabric.
Feeding: Not all of your newborn’s cries will be hunger related, but they will be the majority. Babies are hungry often and need to be fed at least 8 times in 24 hours. Most babies will eat more than that, including a few snacks. Feed your newborn when they are hungry and do not put pressure on yourself or your baby to be on a strict feeding schedule, especially in the early days.
Pro Tip: Newborn babies will typically sleep for longer stretches during the day and want to eat more at night. To gently ease them into a more favorable routine for your own sake, start waking them up every two to three hours during the day to feed. You do not need to wake a sleeping baby at night if they have eaten plenty of times during the day (remember the minimum of 8 feedings) and they have passed their birth weight and were born full term.
Elimination: During the first 24 hours, your baby is expected to have at least one bowel movement and urinate at least once. Day 2 and 3 it’s expected that the baby will have 2-3 of both. The bowel movements these first few days will be very dark and tar-like. This is called meconium and consists of the baby’s bowels before birth. After your breastmilk transitions from colostrum to mature milk (typically day 3-5) the stools will change to a yellowish and curd-like stool. During those days we expect the baby to urinate at least 6 times in 24 hours and have 3 bowel movements. Whether breastmilk or formula is fed, the stools of babies who are not eating solid food is very soft and sometimes runny. It is often confused with diarrhea. Unless it’s actually watery it’s probably not, but always check with your pediatrician or family doctor if you have concerns that it might be diarrhea.
Pro Tip: The first days can be worrisome for new parents who sometimes can’t tell whether or not the diaper is actually wet with urine. The newborn diapers with a line that turns blue when it gets wet can be very helpful. Another thing I tell parents to do when they are concerned is to line the diaper with a piece of tissue that will show obvious signs of being wet.
Intuition: This is a short article with a little bit of information about some basic newborn care. There is so much more information available. I encourage you to seek out your resources through books, peer reviewed studies online, your doctor and medical professionals, doulas, lactation consultants and local organizations like Healthy Beginnings, About Families and WIC. Listen with an open mind and gain knowledge and confidence in caring for your baby. With knowledge and confidence your parenting intuition is amplified. Learn to trust it.
Pro Tip: Seek out local resources and be around other parents. Take a childbirth class, strike up conversation at the doctor’s office. Understanding that we are not alone in the new parenthood thing helps us to listen to our inner selves. Lastly, love on your new baby.
