Are you a Newborn Mom in Miami?

1. Don’t Hush-A-Bye-Baby

You don’t have to be quiet while the baby is sleeping. The womb is loud, and newborns are used to the noise. When ours first came home, we watched television and I would vacuum, wash dishes and talk on the phone around her while she slept. She got used to sleeping with noise, and I could get stuff done. I am still able to vacuum in her room while she sleeps (she is 14 months), and she is peaceful and well rested when she wakes up.

2. Soothe Your Wailing Newborn

When my baby cries, I comfort her by patting her back in a heartbeat-like rhythm. That helps her burp more quickly, and it also helps her relax if she’s crying from insecurity. If this doesn’t work, I also try one or all of Dr. Harvey Karp’s five calming moves: swaddling, shushing, holding her on her side, swinging her or letting her suck. Sometimes it takes all six!

3. Keeping Your Baby Awake During Feedings

When our baby was eating slowly and sleepily, my husband and I would massage her cheek to stimulate her to eat faster. A gentle stroke with a fingertip on her cheek was all it took, and on those long sleepless nights, this simple trick was a godsend! Our friends have found it works great with their infants too. When babies eat efficiently until they’re full before going to sleep, they sleep for longer between feedings. And that means you’re both likely to be calmer!

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4. Help Your Baby Bond with Dad 

Make sure your baby has ample time alone with Daddy. His touch and voice are different than yours, and this will begin a bonding process and give you a break. Plus, it gets the baby used to being with someone other than you. The first few times can be hard. Make sure your baby is fed and well rested, as this will give you at least one or two hours before you’re needed again. Then leave Dad and the baby alone. If you stay nearby, make sure the baby can’t see or hear you, and resist the urge to go into the room and “fix” things if she starts crying. Your baby cries with you and you experiment to find out what’s wrong. Dads need time to do this too – in their own way. By allowing this time, your child will learn there is more than one way to receive comfort, which will help immensely when you leave your baby with a sitter or another family member for the first time. You could have your partner bathe her, put her to bed or just read or talk to her.

5. Let Your Baby Lead The Way 

Being a first-time parent can be stressful – especially when everyone wants to put in their two cents and what they’re telling you doesn’t feel right. As soon as I came home with my baby, my friends and relatives started giving me advice (more like demands) on how to raise her – they wanted me to do everything on schedule. It was nerve-racking, but I learned to ignore it and remember that this is my child. I couldn’t bear the thought of hearing him cry in hunger because it hadn’t been three hours since his last feeding. If you let your baby – not someone else – tell you when he is hungry or tired, you will find that he (and you!) will be much happier and healthier.

Source: mom365