But before anything else, if your little one is only in her first few weeks, just give her sponge baths. Use a lukewarm, moistened washcloth. And frequently wash her face and hands. After each diaper change, make sure to clean the genital area. Once her umbilical cord stump falls off and the area completely heals, that’s the time to give her warm tub baths.

Bathing a newborn infant is quite scary at first so it’s okay to be nervous. Just remember to stay calm. You’ll get used to it soon. Babies find warm water to be soothing so there’s less chance that your baby will cry and fuss uncontrollably during the whole bath.

To ensure your baby’s safety, remember the following tips:

•  Do not leave your baby without supervision. If you need to attend to something unexpected, like a ringing phone, get a towel, scoop her up and take her with you.

•  Do not put your baby into a tub with running water. A baby can drown easily, even in less than an inch of water.

•  Make sure to set your water heater to 120˚ Fahrenheit. At 140 degrees, your baby can easily get third degree burn in less than a minute.

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Changes in hormones after birth (low level of thyroid hormones can lead to symptoms of depression) as well as exhaustion and being overwhelmed are possible major players in postpartum depression. Additionally, research also show that certain nutritional depletion can be a prime suspect as well. How is that possible?

Naturally, the unborn baby’s source of nutrients is its mother. The developing fetus gets its supply of nutrients as the placenta pulls them from the mother’s bloodstream. Then, during child birth, the mother’s nutritional reserves is further depleted as she loss a lot of blood during the delivery.

Several studies show that there is a connection between certain nutritional deficiencies and depression, even in severe cases. Through these studies, experts have found out that lack of some B Vitamins in the body, as well as EPA (Eicosapentaenoic) can affect a person’s mood swings.

Women who are having postpartum issues can replenish their depleted nutritional reserves by taking a healthy supply of multiple vitamin and mineral supplements. Fish oils (rich in EPA) may also be taken as these are natural solution to depression. It is also advisable for mothers to continue with their prenatal vitamins a few months after giving birth.

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To help you make your initial efforts a success, here are some breastfeeding tips that you can follow.

1. An hour after the delivery, you may begin breastfeeding your newborn. The yellowish milk a new mom produces in the first 3 days, called colostrum, is very healthy for the baby.
2. You will know that your baby is getting enough breast milk when he or she urinates at least 6 times in 24 hours.
3. Whenever your baby chooses to feed, allow him or her to do so. This is beneficial to both of you since more suckling allows you to produce more breast milk. Frequent feeding eases breast engorgement and breast infection.
4. Make sure that your baby is getting enough fore milk as well as hind milk. Fore milk is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and proteins. It also quenches the baby’s thirst. On the other hand, hind milk is rich in fat and calories.
5. To ensure that your baby is getting enough hind milk, breastfeed from one side until he or she leaves the breast deliberately.

Your breastfeeding session is one of the many bonding moments you can have with your little one. As much as possible, avoid bottle-feeding entirely. Some babies cannot tolerate bottle-feeding, which may lead to serious illness.

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Baby health experts would agree that sleeping on her back is your baby’s ideal sleeping position. To keep your baby safe during her sleep, make sure that she is on her back not on her stomach when you lay her down for bedtime. Studies indicate that most babies who die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS are those who were lying on their tummies.

Furthermore, to keep your sleeping infant safe, make sure that:

• You keep her from rolling. Do not lay your baby down on her sides to prevent her from rolling over.
• Her bedding is clean. And make sure that there are no toys or other object inside the crib before you lay her down. This will keep her from grabbing and choking on these items as soon as she wakes up.
• Your baby’s face and head are not covered when she is asleep. Do not use pillows, she doesn’t need it to sleep comfortably. Although it rarely happens, pillows can suffocate sleeping infants.

Remember that keeping your baby safe while sleeping is as important as watching over her when she is awake.

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Drooling

A common sign of teething, drooling usually starts to happen sometime in the baby’s third month, at the earliest. You better prepare some towels and bibs once the drool flood gate is opened.

Biting

Babies experience discomfort and pain when they are teething. So, they tend to bite on something as a relief. Offer your baby something cool and hard to bite, like cold teething biscuits, once you notice this sign.

Bulging gums

An outline of the teeth may appear underneath the gums during the teething stage. Soothe the swelling by giving your baby a cool compress or popsicles.

Cranky mood

Teething can cause terrible pain to babies that it can affect their mood, to the point that they’d refuse to feed. When this happens to your baby, offer her cool mushy foods instead.

Be reminded that your baby’s fussiness may also be a sign of something else other than teething. It’s always a good idea to check with your doctor to confirm any doubts.

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Once your baby reached the stage when she’s ready to eat solid foods (around her sixth month), it’s good to introduce her to healthy and easily digestible foods you yourself prepared. Here are some steps you can follow in making baby food.

1. Wash your hands thoroughly before starting. Make sure that all the cooking materials you’d be using are clean as well.

2. Prepare fresh vegetables and fruits. Scrub, peel, and remove pits or seeds accordingly. Any skin, bone, gristle, and fat must be removed from meats. Remember: never use leftovers in making baby food.

3. With a little amount of water, cook food until tender. Water should be used if the recipe requires liquid.

4. Do not make the mistake of adding salt or any seasonings.

5. Do not add sweeteners, such as sugar or honey. Babies like fruits and other natural food stuff just the way they are. Besides, honey and corn syrup are considered not safe for infants below 12 months old. They may carry botulism spores – a baby’s digestive system is not yet capable of destroying these spores.

6. Mash the cooked food.

7. Package and properly store the food in the refrigerator or freezer.

Prepare several servings to save you time and effort for the next feeding. Doing this will require careful storage so take note that you can only store one to three additional servings in the refrigerator. Homemade baby food with cooked vegetables and fruits are best consumed within three days. Those with raw fruit and meats are not good for babies when stored beyond 24 hours.

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To make your baby enjoy the nice feeling of being hugged by her blanket, follow these newborn tips on how to swaddle a baby.

1. Spread the baby blanket on a flat surface. Fold one corner of the blanket, then lay your baby on the blanket diagonally, with her head and neck just above the fold.
2. Take the right corner of the blanket. Wrap it carefully over your baby’s arm, tucking it securely into the opposite side.
3. Fold the opposite corner of the blanket over your baby’s chest. Make sure that it’s not covering the mouth and nose. Then tuck it behind her back.
4. Finally, take the bottom corner of the blanket and gently tuck it under your baby’s chin.

Always make sure that your baby is not wrapped too tightly. This will make her too uncomfortable. Remember, she wants to be snugged rather than squeezed. Conversely, don’t make the blanket loosely wrapped. Tuck your baby’s arms in at her sides so you can nicely wrap the blanket around her. This will make her feel more comfortable and secure.

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I’ve packed my hospital bag
The nursery is almost set up
Birthing class is done
Car seat is installed and checked by a tech.
My mom gets here in a week
I’m finding a mohel (for the circumcision)
I’ve interviewed pediatricians but can’t make appointments till I’ve given birth
My house is getting cleaner by the day
I’ve worked with my Pets behavior around small kids.
I’ve gotten all the paper work filled out for my husband’s paternal leave

This is our first child and I want to do it right. I was wondering if I’ve left something out. Or if any new moms regret not having something set up ahead of time? Any one have a pretty little check list? Its been months to get ready but the closer the due date the less I feel prepared for this.
Yes we’ve set up all the gear and washed all the clothes in dreft baby detergent.

As for the extra food thats why my mom will be here

I’m trying to relax but its hard cause my mind just keeps going over things like a broken record.
Image taken on by .

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