Typical Day and Night for New Mom's

 Bringing home a new baby brings with it an exhausting array of new responsibilities and challenges. Is there such a thing as a typical day and night for new parents? Probably not!
Remember, the baby has just gone through an enormous change too, so part of the process when you first bring him home is his transition from the womb to the outside world. Keep the baby close to you, keep him wrapped and warm. If you're breastfeeding, this will take some time for both of you to adjust to as well.

If you're new baby is formula fed, he'll need to feed every 3 to 5 hours. If you're breastfeeding, he'll need to feed more frequently. Sometimes you will feel that all you do all day and night is breastfeed.  You will probably feel much more empathy with cows! And there will be a lot of diapers to change, especially until you get familiar with his schedule. His diaper will probably need to be changed shortly after feeding, about once an hour in the very beginning.  Be sure to check frequently.

Until the umbilical cord has fallen off, you'll want to keep to sponge baths every few days, but you will want to wash the baby's bottom every day. You can wipe the baby's hands, face, neck and bottom every day with a soft washcloth with warm water. When the baby's ready for full baths, in a few weeks, every day is a good idea to prevent diaper rashes. But keep in mind that too much bathing can dry out his sensitive skin.  So see what works for your baby.

Those little finger and toenails will grow quickly, and they'll need to be trimmed regularly so the baby doesn't scratch himself. The baby's nails can be long, even at birth and attached high on the nail bed. You'll need to gently press the fingerpad away from the nail and clip it with a baby nail clipper. You might want to do this when the baby's sleeping to ensure that he doesn't jerk those little fingers and toes away!

Get used to being busy 24/7 during the first month, at least.  You will be feeding and changing diapers around the clock so get as much help as you can so you can have some peace too.



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Trial and Error for New Mom's

 Every mother, whether a first-time mom or an experienced one, has to make those decisions about what's best for her baby. You can start out with books by "experts" and of course friends and relatives always have advice for a new mother and baby.

These are a way to start, but if what you're doing doesn't work, then you have to try something new. Try different things at bedtime to see what works for you and your baby. She's unique and not like any other baby, after all!

You can try different types of foods at night, or the timing of her last feeding. Are her pajamas soft and not scratchy? Be sure to use special detergents made just for baby clothes, especially in the beginning. Can you hang her clothes and bedding outside in the sunshine to dry? Who doesn't feel all cozy and comfy when going to sleep in bedding that's been dried outside? Just make sure no critters get into the bedding or clothes.

Do you have a ritual at night? Maybe it starts with a nice bath and then a feeding while holding her close to you. Nothing feels more wonderful than holding a baby right out of the bath when they have that wonderful baby smell. It's just important to make this a pleasant and relaxing time for both of you, especially when your baby's very young, in the first months of her life.

If it takes a long time for your baby to wind down, then you might need to start your rituals early in the day. If you've been playing with her beforehand, then it might take a little longer to get her to sleep. Again, those rituals of bath, feeding, talking and singing in a quiet, darkened room will soon signal bed time for your baby (and hopefully for you too!)


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Babies Sleep Requirements

 As a new mother, you probably will wonder whether your baby is sleeping enough, or sleeping too much. There are guidelines of what to expect, but of course these can vary from baby to baby. Even if you've had children before, each baby will be different.

Newborn babies usually sleep about 16-17 hours in a 24-hour period. Most babies will not sleep through the night until they're at least 3 months old. There are several reasons why. First of all, their stomachs are very small and they'll get hungry faster, especially if you're breastfeeding your baby. Breast milk is much more easily digested than formula, and your baby will need to feed more often, especially in the beginning.

Babies also have shorter sleep cycles than adults do and have shorter dream cycles. In general, though, a newborn baby should sleep about 8 or nine hours during the day and 8 hours or so at night. These won't be in 8-hour cycles, of course. In the beginning, those sleep times will be very short.

As the baby gets older, up to about 2 years of age, she'll still be sleeping 13-14 hours, but the amount of daytime sleep will diminish month-by-month. By age 2, your baby should be sleeping through the night with a 2-hour nap during the day. Again, this will vary by child. Your baby might need a slightly longer nap or two short naps. At this age though, try to discourage naps too late in the afternoon, as this can make it harder to get them to sleep a few hours later at bed time.

Once a baby begins to regularly sleep through the night, parents are often dismayed when he/she begins to awaken in the night again. This typically happens at about 6 months of age and is often a normal part of development called separation anxiety, when a baby does not understand that separations are temporary.


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Baby Nursery Setup Tips

 The most important part of any nursery is the crib. You want to make it safe and cozy. No matter what type of crib you get, make sure it conforms to all safety guidelines and standards. Make sure the crib mattress fits snugly against the rails, so the baby can't get wedged between them. You also want to be sure the crib sheet fits snug and tight, nothing loose or bunched up.

Until the baby is at least a year old, you don't want to use sheets or blankets. A comforter or quilt should be for decoration only in that first year. Make sure the baby's sleepwear is clean and soft and appropriate for her age and for the weather. You don't want them too warm or too light, as babies can't regulate their own body temperatures at first.

The only crib accessory that you want inside the crib when the baby's sleeping is perhaps a small, foam wedge that you can use to keep the baby from rolling on her stomach. Sleeping on her back or on her side is the position many experts recommend at first.

The sheets should always be fresh and clean; use unscented detergent in case your baby's sensitive to fragrances.

Keep the room dust-free and the space underneath the crib clutter-free, so it won't accumulate dust. If your baby's sensitive to dust, you don't want to trigger a bout of sneezing and a runny nose at bedtime or naptime.

Make the room and bed sheeting colors soft and restful. Too much color and contrast will stimulate the baby's vision and keep her alert, just when you want her to wind down for bedtime or a nap. The baby's room and crib should be soft and inviting places to be. She has busy days - there's so much to learn and do! The crib needs to be a place that's calm and restful for her.


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