Baby Care

Having a New Baby, particularly your first, is one of the most exciting events of your life, but at times it can also feel like one of the most frightening!

Tasks that you may expect to "come naturally", like breastfeeding, bathing or settling a crying baby can become traumatic if your new baby does not seem to want to cooperate

Baby NailsTry cutting your baby's nails when they are asleep, it's less stressful and there is less chance of cutting the end of there fingers off.
Register your baby's birth Don't forget to register your baby's birth. In the When you receive the birth certificate, make sure it's correct and if not, get it corrected as soon as possible

Sensitive skin in the sun If the sun is out, remember to give baby a covering of good sun block to keep out those harmful rays

Blisters on lipsIf you notice a blister on your baby's upper lip, do not be alarmed. These are known as sucking blisters and may occur at any time while your baby is purely milk fed. they will disappear on their own usually within a day or so

Bathing Baby
Some people advise you to use a baby bath for months, they are happier to be in the big bath, lying on their backs in very shallow water (2 cm deep)
Always Baby Talk
At a young age your baby will start to talk or babble as is sounds. Although they are not able to pronounce real sounding words, your baby is trying to communicate with you. Talk back and answer them as you would an older child. When looking at things or going for a walk, point things out to them and tell them what they are. Even if you think that they are too young to understand what you are saying - they will start to associate words with situations and things & will soon start trying to pronounce them. After all, children are like computers, they only output what you input!

Sleep! Problems Even when the whole house is being shouted down by your troublesome two year old, stick to your guns. It is very important to keep to routine even when your baby/toddler thinks otherwise. Try to keep to a strict bed time. You have to keep to this routine for a couple of weeks before you see a change but it will get better. In the Summer time it can be a good idea to darken the child's room if there is too much light coming through

Diaper Changing If you're using a changing table, strap your baby in for safety. Never leave your baby unattended or out of your reach.
After unfastening the diaper, use it to wipe away most of a bowel movement, from front to back. Then clean away any urine and remaining feces with a wet cotton ball or diaper wipe. Pat your baby dry with a towel if you've used a cotton ball. If you're changing a boy's diaper, keep a fresh diaper over his penis as much as you can and aim the penis downward when putting on a new diaper to keep wetness from drenching his clothing.
Put on the clean diaper. If you're using cloth diapers, they're probably pre-folded and ready to use, but you may need to fold them further until your baby gets bigger. (The extra fabric goes in the front for boys and the back for girls.) Slide the diaper under your baby so his waist aligns with the top edge.
Bring the front up between his legs, and hold it in place while you fold the sides in toward the center and fasten, by using either a Velcro diaper cover or a diaper pin.
Then, if you're not using a diaper cover, put a pair of waterproof pants over the diaper. Waterproof pants should fit snugly -- but not so snugly that they irritate your baby's skin.
If you're using disposable diapers: lay the diaper flat, with the tabs at the back. Slide the diaper under your baby so that the top aligns with his waist. Bring the front up between his legs and tuck it around his stomach. Unpeel the tabs, pull them firmly over the front flap and fasten the diaper. (Be sure not to fasten the tape to your baby's skin.) The diaper should fit snugly, but it shouldn't be tight.
Cord Care
The umbilical cord connects the placenta and your growing baby at the navel (belly button) area. The cord is closed with clamps and is cut shortly after birth.
To help the cord dry up so it can fall off (in one to three weeks) and prevent infection, cord care must be done.
Gently move a cotton ball or cotton swab, dipped in alcohol, around the bottom of the cord where it attaches to the navel. Be sure to get the alcohol on both the cord and the skin.
Cord care should be done each time you change a diaper & after bath time.
Keep the diaper from touching the cord.
Contact your physician if any of the following are noticed: pus coming from the cord area, a foul smell coming from the cord area, area around the navel is more red than usual or red streaks on the tummy around the navel, or if the skin on the stomach around the navel is extra warm to the touch.