Becoming a parent for the first time is quite overwhelming. It comes with a lot of ifs and buts, giving parents quite a handful to deal with after they bring their newborn home from the professional care in the hospital.
Even though when a newborn is discharged, hospitals do advise and give the new parents health booklets and other information needed by the parents.
I had a discussion with the pediatricians at Madhukar Rainbow Children’s Hospital and came up with 5 tips for taking care of your newborn. Don’t miss out on these tips!
- Newborn screening: Newborn health screening is very important these days for babies at birth. It is used to identify 44 uncommon but serious disorders known as Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) which can cause brain damage and physical disabilities if not diagnosed and treated early.
This test is mandatory in most of the developed countries, where screening the newborn is a part of postnatal care.
The test is performed by pricking Baby’s heel and collecting a few drops of blood on a special filter paper.
The filter is allowed to dry and then sent to the newborn screening laboratory. Different tests are performed using an advanced technology.
- Newborn Care: For first-time parents, it is quite exhaustive to take care of their newborn. Firstly, it is a new routine for them.
Secondly, they are still unprepared about what the little one needs. These days, with the increasing nuclear families we don’t have any guidance or help from our elderly at home.
We have got a special team of doctors whose expertise lie in helping parents with a newborn right from feeding- be it breastfeeding, bottle-feeding or express feeding, sleeping pattern, soothing babies and understanding their cries (whether it is a colic baby or a hungry baby) to bathing, common illness etc.
They not only give you advise on taking care of your newborn but they also help parents in transitioning from hospital to home, essentials of new moms diet and sleep so that she can properly manage taking care of herself and the baby.
These days, dads too play an important role in taking care of both mom and the baby.
- Postnatal Care: We all know that the moment a baby is born, a mother is born as well with significant changes in her body.
You need to take care of your wounds and stitches for normal vaginal delivery and C-section respectively. Cervical screening or pap smear test is a must to prevent cancer by detecting and treating early abnormalities.
New Moms Queries
I remember few things which I had in mind after my delivery and surely all the new moms have these questions too.
- Bleeding after Delivery
- Sitting and getting up after delivery especially when you had a normal vaginal delivery
- Passing Urine
- Hygiene and Pain Relief
- Feeling tired all the time
- Exercise
- Breastfeeding : We all know that Breast milk is the best food for our baby as it contains all the nutrition that our baby needs in his/her first 6 months.
Through breastfeeding, baby acquires immunity against certain illnesses and most importantly, it enhances the bond between the mom and her baby.
There are a few common problems faced by breastfeeding mommies like engorged breasts, sore nipples. With the proper guidance and tips from the experts, you can learn how to take proper care of your breasts.
- Child Safety: Our home, which was perfectly okay, suddenly becomes a dangerous place when a baby comes home.
Every parent should know how to prevent common accidents which can happen to your child. The foremost among them is “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)” followed by choking, bumps and falls.
The pediatric team helps parents to identify and how parents can reduce the risk of these accidents at home.
In developed countries, parents undergo CPR classes as a first-aid measure to handle unexpected accidents concerning the baby.
The special team of doctors from Rainbow Hospitals in association with Safe Baby, India’s first business focused on child safety are spreading awareness about the importance of baby safety.
It was started in 2011 and it conducts workshops on preventing accidents among children. It also teaches parents first-aid measures that are helpful during an emergency.
Safe Baby has also worked with some of India’s leading play schools, daycares, toy stores and hotel chains.
There is so much to know about being a new mom. I feel like so many of us aren’t well prepared! It is a learning experience for sure and moms need all the help we can get
These are such great tips for first time mamas! Love this! So helpful!
These are some really great tips. I will be sure to bookmark this post for when I am ready to have my little one. Thanks for sharing this with us.
This is some great information for new moms especially! I was so lost and confused after delivery and my first few weeks at home with a newborn. I wish I had this information back then!
I am not a mom yet but I am sure new mommies will find your article to be very useful. Love the detailed information provided 🙂
This is really very helpful and beneficial for new mummies and who doesn’t have experience for these it is really very helpful and thank you for sharing this awesome article.
Regards,
Deepa
Really useful information. You have touched all the areas. If going to be parents have all this information handy then parenting doesn’t look scary to them.
A very good list for newbie moms especially about breastfeeding and child safety. A very informative post.
These are such great tips for new moms.. the first time moms.. wish in had something ready to read while I was a new horns mom
This is such a helpful information for new moms.. Will make it a point to share with some of my friends who are expecting. Thanku for sharing..
These tip would have been so handy when I was expecting. Will pass on to a pregnant friend. Thanks
These tip would have been so handy when I was expecting. Will pass on to a pregnant friend. Thanks