After all those ten months of anxiety and anticipation, your young master has finally arrived and you seem to be getting tantrums all over again about raising the little one.
If you are a first time parent ,this kind of an anxiety is common and normal. Most of the time we are left wondering ,how parents of yester years could manage as many as a dozen children easily and conveniently, while we are found going to parenting classes and doing a lot of internet surfing right from the time of conception.
A few things, if borne in mind could make the entire process of raising a child interesting and simple.
The most common question raised is:
How do I know for what could he be crying for? Could something be wrong with him?
Crying is just a means of communication that your child needs attention.A whinning child is something which most first time parents find alarming. As most parents you would be wondering whether something is really wrong. Here are a few reasons as to what is it that needs attention.
Mom I am hungry…….
The main reason would be hunger.Ensure that the little one is fed periodically and adequately .Remember, only if his stomach is full will he sleep adequately. Your doctor might advice you to breast feed right from the day one.
However,some women may not secrete milk during the first few days.In such cases, you can always go for bottle feeding after consulting your paediatrician. Commonly recommended brands include Lactogen and Dexolac. Ensure that you administer first time formula milk as dilute as possible .
If he fails to pass out ,do not panic.If you are feeding formulated milk, it is quite common to cause slight constipation.Once you are able to breast feed,you may carry on with the same. He may take time to adapt , so keep trying until you both get accustomed to each other.
During the initial few months, you may have to sacrifice a few hours of sleep at night to get up and feed him if he cries.Do not hesitate to do the same, as a loss of few hours of sleep to you would mean more immunity to him.You may feel bottle feeding might make him sleep longer but formulated milk will not provide him with all the antibodies he requires for immunity.
As a mother you will have to get accustomed to sleep when he sleeps and remain up when he is awake.Also remember,if he continues to sleep without feeding it is not necessary that you wake him up to feed him. He would demand you to be fed when needed.
An important note: if he fails to suck immediately,do not conclude that he doesn;t like to be breast fed. You may also try to using a nipple shield. Keep trying till you get him to breast feed.
My nappy seems wet:
A wet nappy could annoy him and prevent him from having a peaceful sleep.Make sure you periodically change his nappy.If you reside in places with a warm climate ,a cloth diaper is far advisable than a disposable one.Though disposable ones may seem convenient, your little one;s skin is still tender and a disposable nappy tends to make his skin all the dry.
Ensure that the clothes you use for him are washed separately and preferably sun dried.Avoid using too much of detegents as this may cause irritation to the skin.Alternatively, you may use detergents meant for baby clothes.
I need sleep:
Most babies,require a physical presence beside them as a reminder of some kind of secuirty. During the initial few days ensure that you have your baby beside you while sleeping .A soft cuddle or a lullaby would go a long way to make your baby sleep well and tight.Some babies prefer to be breast fed to sleep ,while some would like you to walk and put them to sleep.
So try out a variety of these things and determine what is it that he likes and go by the same to get him to sleep.
If you prefer to put him in a cradle, make sure you place a soft bed underneath him.A pillow may not be required in the first few days.Ensure that his cradle is free from any kind of small insects,bugs and mosquitoes.
I am cold:
Most babies prefer to be warm during the intial days as your womb has been keeping him warm when he was inside. Hence,make sure that he is wearing soft and warm clothing. Avoid clothes which have a lot of frills or buttons as these maybe irritating on the skin.Clothes which can be knotted at the back are quite right.
I need to pee:
“My baby cries all the time he pees could something be wrong” .This is quite a normal scenario and there is no need to panic as some babies,find this whole process of secreting something to be a new sensation.Just ensure that you change his nappy immediately as he might catch a cold if he left this way for too long.
Time to call the doctor:
However, if you child continues to keep whinning even after being fed fully and you really feel that something is definitely wrong, do not hesitate to contact the doctor. Remember, a mother can always perceive when something is wrong her little one and there is nothing wrong in Crying Wolf.
No comments:
Post a Comment