Caring for a newborn baby in the first month of life: basic rules

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Often, the expectation of a baby becomes a joyful event for all family members. A mother who already has children behaves more balanced and calm during pregnancy than a woman who is pregnant for the first time. Usually this condition is associated with a lack of experience and fear of not being able to cope with a tiny creature. We will help young mothers gain confidence and talk about the development of the child in the first month of life and caring for the baby.

Preparing for the hospital

Most moms take care of their baby even before it's born. This is facilitated by a balanced diet of a woman, a measured regime, ensuring good sleep and rest. And contrary to the traditions coming from past centuries, modern parents acquire things and devices in advance to facilitate the postpartum period of the mother and the arrival of the child into this world. What you need to purchase during pregnancy for future carenewborns in the first month of life? In order not to waste precious time on trifles and enjoy being near the child at the initial stage, pediatricians advise preparing all hygiene products and household items for the baby and taking them with you to the hospital:

• Disposable diapers for babies weighing 3-5 kg (at least a pack of 24).
• Wet wipes marked "for newborns" - 2 packs of 100 or more.
• Dummy for age 0+.
• Disposable diapers - 5-10 pieces.
• Feeding bottle and pacifier.
• Sterilization device.
• Gel for washing a newborn.
• Diaper rash cream or powder.
• A towel or a pair of diapers.
• Clothes for the baby: 2 vests, 4 rompers, scratches, socks and a hat.

Because it is also important for moms to keep themselves perfectly clean at this stage, her postpartum kit should include:

• Urological and conventional pads (there should be 3 packs in total).
• Disposable postpartum mesh panties (5 pieces).
• Breast pump.
• Breast pads.
• Cream for cracked nipples.
• Toilet paper - plain and damp.
• Disposable toilet seats.
• Liquid soap dispenser.
• Shower gel and shampoo.
• Towel.
• Comb and mirror.
• Two bras and two regular briefs.
• Ward room clothes (if allowed, two shirts and a gown should be brought).
• Waddeddiscs and sticks.
• Electric kettle or kettle.

In the maternity hospital

Immediately after birth, neonatologists will take care of the baby. They also record the main indicators of the baby. In this case, caring for a newborn in the first month of life, namely in the first hours, does not require any effort from the mother, except to attach the baby to the breast. Medical workers themselves will carry out all the necessary activities, including:

1. Cutting the umbilical cord.
2. Clamping the umbilical cord with a special staple.
3. Clearing the airways.
4. Eye drops to prevent infection.

Doctors carry out a few more necessary manipulations within 24 hours after the birth of a child. In the first month, care comes down to ensuring perfect cleanliness and establishing the feeding process. The last event must be started in the maternity hospital. Mother's milk will not only benefit the baby, but will also allow the woman to relax during feeding and enjoy communication with the newborn in the near future.

As for hospital care for a baby in the first month of life, the following procedures are carried out immediately after birth:

• Treatment of skin folds with a 2% solution of iodine or salicylic alcohol.
• Washing baby's head with running water and baby soap.
• Removal of amniotic fluid and lubrication with special oil.

The next few days, baby care is eitherby qualified medical personnel, or by the mother if she and the child are doing well. Events develop differently if the mother is very weak or the child was born prematurely. Usually neonatologists closely monitor such children in the maternity hospital, and after 5-7 days they are transferred to the department of premature newborns. In the first month, care for such a child is also carried out under the supervision of nurses in a children's hospital, where a bed is provided for the mother along with the baby. Here, the responsibility for keeping the child clean and for feeding falls on the shoulders of the parent. Manipulations of a medical nature, prescribing drugs, providing medical care are entirely the responsibility of the institution.

For home use

In order to provide care for a newborn in the first month, the child needs a number of additional tools and devices. The list for purchase should include:

1. Crib.
2. Bed linen.
3. Bottles and nipples for them.
4. Empties.
5. Pampers.
6. Wet wipes.
7. Cotton sterile.
8. Disposable diapers.
9. Sterilizer.
10. Breast pump.
11. A couple of the simplest rattles.
12. Fabric diapers.
13. Caps.
14. Scratches.
15. Body or vests with sliders.
16. Detergent for washing baby clothes.
17. Bathing and washing gels.
18. Bath.
19. Herbal bath collection.
20. First aid kit with a minimum set of necessarymedicines.
21. Means for washing bottles and a brush for it.

How to help the whole family during this crucial period?

Of course, the purchase of a washing machine and dishwasher, as well as a microwave oven and a multicooker, will greatly facilitate the task. All this is expensive, but with the help of such simple technical assistants, a woman will be able to devote time in parallel not only to the newborn, but also to the rest of the family. If there are no funds for all of the above, then at least provide the woman with an electric kettle and an electric cradle for rocking the baby. It is also advisable to enlist the support of a close relative who can help the parent care for the child in the first month of life.

Newborn development at this stage is minimal. The main advice of most pediatricians is as follows: you need to adjust the diet, sleep and wakefulness.

Breastfeeding consultants prioritize the principle of multiple breastfeeding on demand. More importantly, the choice is yours. But remember that the development of a newborn begins with his birth. He explores the world every day. Therefore, devote all your free time to him and involve all family members in the care and development of a newborn in the first month of a baby's life.

Leather

Care for a newborn child begins with maternal care for the well-being of the baby, with the prevention of unnecessary suffering, with the prevention of pain. In the first month of life, it is problems with skinintegument and mucous membranes can deliver the most unpleasant moments. But you should not despair. Daily procedures will help to avoid negative consequences, and in case of occurrence, quickly emerge victorious from the current situation.

Because the baby's skin is too thin and hypersensitive, it is not able to fully perform protective functions and carry out thermoregulation of the body. Therefore, the baby-baby both quickly overheats and cools down at a high speed.

Daily morning care for your newborn baby will help you. In the first month of a baby's life, it includes washing, cleansing the nasal passages and ears, and treating skin folds.

Wash the child with a cotton pad or gauze pad soaked in warm water, after which you need to wipe your face dry. For the treatment of each eye, a separate wet swab is used, passing it from the outer corner of the eye to the inner one. Ears are cleaned with turundas twisted from cotton wool or special cotton buds for babies. The nose can also be treated with homemade cotton flagella, and if dry crusts appear, they can be removed using oil. Folds on the skin of the baby can be treated with powder or a specially designed cream for use in a newborn baby. Care in the first month of life does not end there. Perhaps special attention should be paid to hygiene products.

Diapers

No matter how some say thatdiapers are evil, the advantages of using such a tool are huge. And in order not to tease opponents of diapers from the environment of close relatives, you can not give them a reason for indignation. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor the infant and clean his skin more often. Be sure to wash your baby with every diaper change. If redness appears, try another series of diapers or products from another manufacturer, since the market is saturated with such products for any wallet.

The basic rule for using a diaper is to change it every three hours. As for the use of diapers, the hygienic care in the first month for a newborn boy or girl when changing them is almost the same. The step by step instructions are the same for both genders. The only significant thing is that some manufacturers produce separate product lines for girls and boys. However, it is important to observe this principle of selecting funds when the child reaches six months of age.

Now we learn the recommendations of experts on the issue of changing diapers. Pediatricians advise to act as follows:

1. Remove used diaper.
2. Wash baby under running water. Up to two times a day, the use of gel or liquid soap for a newborn is allowed.
3. Wipe baby dry with flannel.
4. Place it on a special table or in a bed for air bathing for a few minutes.
5. Treat baby's folds with diaper cream or special oil. In case of diaper rash, purchase a healing ointmenttype "Bepanten" or "Dexpanthenol" and lubricate problem areas.
6. Let the product absorb.
7. Put on a diaper.
8. Wrap your baby according to the room temperature. It should be remembered that overheating a child is just as harmful as leaving him in a cold room without proper clothing.

You have a girl

As described above, in the first days, care for a newborn practically does not differ and does not depend on the sex of the child. But it is necessary to observe the genitals of the girl. It should be noted that vaginal discharge is the norm for females, but their appearance requires attention. There are three types of secretions:

1. Bleeding, which can occur during the neonatal period, is associated with an excess of mother's hormones in the girl's body.
2. Whites that do not need special control if there is no redness.
3. Whitish coating is a lubricant that protects the organs, so it cannot be removed with napkins or cotton pads.

It is necessary to wash girls, moving from the pubis back. The original lubrication that remains in a newborn girl needs to be removed, as it can lead to fusion of the labia. Any problem that a child has should be referred to a specialist.

What to do with the boy?

It is also necessary to carry out daily care of the boy. The first month of a newborn's life, parents are required to take into account several important features that distinguish their heir from representativesfair sex. Although this has nothing to do with changing a diaper, and the order of hygiene procedures is almost identical, there are a couple of nuances.

The head of the baby's penis is closed by a fold, under which there are glands that produce lubrication. Improper care can lead to inflammation in this area. Since the fold in this state will be located up to about four years, it is necessary to properly cleanse the penis.

They wash the boy in the same way as the girl, that is, in the direction from front to back. It is strictly forbidden to move the foreskin, direct a strong jet of water at it, or expose the head of the penis.

Belly button care

A few days after the birth of the baby, the umbilical cord together with the clip attached to it disappears, and a wound remains at the place of separation. Since caring for a newborn baby in the first month includes a solution to this problem, we will tell you how to treat the navel to speed up tissue regeneration.

During the stay in the hospital, nurses look after the navel. They also process it twice a day. After discharge, the mother independently provides care for the umbilical wound. It is better to do this after washing. First, you should soak a cotton swab in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, gently slide it over the wound and separate any crusts that have formed. If the wound remains wet, you need to remove moisture with a dry stick, then lubricate the navel with brilliant green or drop two drops of brilliant green with a pipette. Pediatricians advise once again not to touch the wound, not to put pressure on it. If healing is notoccurs within the first month, then you need to see a doctor. He will prescribe other drugs to treat the navel.

Bathing

You can wash your baby in a couple of days after the umbilical residue falls off. Until the wound has healed, the water should be boiled. In order to provide an anti-inflammatory effect, a few crystals of potassium permanganate or decoctions of string, chamomile, oak bark should be added to the baby bath.

As for the navel, it is better not to touch it once again, do not wash with gel or soap, do not massage, provide air access and control the absence of pressing the diaper to the wound. If, when peroxide gets on the skin, it stops foaming, then the wound has healed. In this case, you can stop boiling water and treat the navel.

Features of premature babies

You can identify a number of signs that distinguish these babies from children born at term:

• Short arms and legs.
• Large fontanels.
• Weak thermoregulation.
• No fat layer.
• The dark color of the skin, which, in addition to the shade, is wrinkled, they are also very thin, almost transparent.
• Ears pinned down.
• Low pressure.
• Quiet pulse.
• Prolonged jaundice.
• Tremor of the chin and limbs.
• Anemia.

All this indicates the need for special care and increased attention to be given to newborns in this category.

How to care forpremature baby

If a child was born prematurely, then after a certain time he is transferred to a children's hospital. There he is provided with professional care in the first month of life. The development of a newborn in a hospital setting is perhaps impossible. Yes, and pursued during this period, completely different goals. When the baby has gained weight, and nothing threatens his he alth, the baby and mother are allowed to go home. A prerequisite for discharge is good test results, body weight over two and a half kilograms and various examinations. The child should have a developed sucking reflex, swallow food well. He should not have respiratory arrests and other problems that require constant supervision of specialists.

Because premature babies need special attention, especially during the newborn period, pediatricians advise following these guidelines at home:

1. Observe the optimum temperature in the living room within 25 degrees.
2. Ventilate rooms periodically.
3. Don't give your little one air baths.
4. Do not freeze your baby or overheat.
5. The humidity level in the room where the child is located should be around 70%.
6. Drafts must be avoided.
7. Walking, of course, the baby needs, but only if the air temperature is above +10 degrees.
8. It is best to use mixed feeding of the baby. For the first month, there is no need to rush the baby, because he is much weaker than ordinary babies and eats more slowly due to immaturityreflexes.
9. You should choose formulas that are suitable for this category of newborns.
10. Be sure to use sterilized bottles and nipples when feeding.

Professional massage is the only right way to ensure the development of a newborn premature baby in the first month. Caring for the baby in accordance with the recommendations of the doctor will help the baby get stronger, and mom, watching the results, calm down and enjoy the baby's success.

It should be noted that for such newborns, the pediatrician must draw up an individual vaccination schedule. Usually premature babies are given a medical exemption for up to six months.

In closing

So, summing up what a child needs in the first month of life, experts say that he needs medical care only in the maternity hospital. In the case of a premature birth, a small patient is observed much longer. This period may last several months.

Be sure to prepare for the arrival of the baby in advance. Get all kinds of devices that make life easier for a young mother. This will help her endure the difficult period of the newborn, which lasts only one month, but takes all the strength of the parent.

Mom should get ready to breastfeed and be patient. This period will end soon anyway, everything will get better, the child will grow up and most of the problems will go away.

Pediatricians advise the closest environment to help parents with the baby if they ask, and not interfere ifyoung people do it themselves. You can offer to go shopping, wash clothes, take a walk with a sleeping baby, give good advice when asked, but do not bother a tired and exhausted mother with instructions from past centuries. Remember, this is their life and their baby.