Newborn Care

On the day you bring your newborn baby home, life as you know it changes forever. It can be overwhelming learning all about newborn care as well as recover from the birth. The information below will help you.

Baby Skin Care

Its amazing how soft and pure your baby’s skin can be, so it’s no wonder it needs gentle care. Baby’s skin can easily be damaged by dryness and exposure from the harsh effects of the sun. Building a skincare routine can keep your baby’s skin well protected at all times.

Protection from dry skin and eczema

Many babys and adults for that matter, suffer from dry skin and eczema. In most cases, simple changes in diet and choice of skincare product can help manage it:

A mild natural body wash, cooler bath temperature and remembering to moisturise after your bath can help reduce dryness
A natural organic diet which includes some healthy oils can also help

It’s a good idea to consult your doctor or health care professional if you have any concerns for your baby’s skin.

Protection from nappy rash

Nappy rash is a common condition thought to affect up to one in three nappy-wearing babys at any given time. It is usually caused by your baby’s skin coming into contact with all those nasty things that usually sit in their nappy. Whilst the material used in nappies help keep leaks in, unfortunately it also keeps air out. This can cause your baby’s skin to become sore and irritated where the nappy fits.

Letting baby out of the nappy and ensuring the area is clean and dry can help prevent red patches and blotches.

Protection from the sun

Protecting babys delicate skin from the sun’s harsh rays is the most important baby skincare step you can take. When taking baby out remember to:

Stick to the shade and make sure they are well covered by protective clothing and a brimmed hat

Use a broad spectrum sunscreen for parts of the body which cannot be covered up, such as little hands and faces

Breastfeeding

Both you and your baby benefit from breastfeeding and feeding can be a very loving time for you and the new baby to spend together. Breast milk has all the right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins for your baby’s growth and development. Your breast milk also contains antibodies to help your baby’s vulnerable immune system ward off diseases and infections like pneumonia and diarrhoea.

It is recommended that women without any health problems breastfeed their babies for at least the first 6 months after birth. Aim to start breastfeeding your baby as soon as possible as just after birth a nutritional substance called Colostrum is produced and this is incredibly beneficial for your baby.

Not everyone wants to breastfeed and many find it difficult, which is why we have done our best to explain why it’s so important to try and breastfeed and how to actually do it. It can be harder than you think.

Why breastfeed?

Some mothers decide not to breastfeed and instead use formula because they are worried about what breastfeeding might do to their breasts. Other women try to breastfeed and find it very difficult and so choose to use formula instead. Unless you have serious health issues (like HIV or Hepatitis), you should try and breastfeed, to nourish your baby. As mentioned above breast milk contains natural disease fighters (anti-bodies) to fortify your baby’s fragile immune system.

Breast milk is very easy for baby to digest, so there’s less spit and vomit for you to clean up, which is always a bonus. What’s more, breasts are (as you would know) very portable and don’t need to be prepared, warmed, washed (well except for the odd shower) or sterilised – a fact you’ll appreciate when your hungry baby bellows for his next meal during a party, shopping trip or in the middle of the night.

Breastfeeding is also good for mums. Breastfeeding causes the release of certain hormones that help a mother bond with her baby. These hormones relax you and cause you to feel particularly ‘motherly’ towards your baby. There’s also the physical closeness of breastfeeding, which further aids the bonding process.

Some studies show that breastfeeding can help you lose a lot of the weight that you may have put on during pregnancy. For reasons not completely understood, breastfeeding may reduce the chances of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Breastfeeding has also been found to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis in nursing mums.

How To Breastfeed

Breastfeeding is supposed to be one of the most natural things a new mum can do – but is it really? New mums have been doing it for millions of years but that doesn’t mean that it’s always easy, especially if this is your first shot at it.

The first thing you need to do is position yourself correctly, make sure you are sitting in a comfortable chair or sofa with your feet up. Place a pillow behind your back and on your lap to support your baby. It’s important that you are relaxed and comfortable. You baby should be lying sideways with their face positioned towards you and with their head level with your nipple. Use your fingers to support your breast as you offer the nipple to your baby. Make sure your fingers are out of the way so they don’t interfere when your baby latches onto your nipple.

If your baby turns his head away from your nipple, gently stroke his face (on the side closest to you). This will cause your baby to face towards your nipple. To get your baby to open his mouth, gently rock him towards and then away from your nipple. When your baby’s mouth is open wide, gently move him towards your breast (chin first). You need to make sure that your baby’s bottom lip and tongue make contact with your breast first. Once he latches on, hold him firmly against your breast. To suck properly, your baby will need to squeeze the area behind the nipple with his mouth. When your baby is finished nursing off the first breast, put your finger into your baby’s mouth to release the sucking, and offer the other breast.
Aim to breastfeed for 10 to 15 minutes per breast 8 to 12 times every 24 hours.

Breastfeeding Tips

Try to offer your baby your breast as soon as you can after giving birth, even in the delivery room if this is possible
Limit the amount of visitors you have right after you give birth so there are ample opportunities for you to bond with and nurse your baby
Breastfeed for as long as necessary. Some newborns may need up to 45 minutes to complete a feed
Try not to restrict the amount of time or frequency of breastfeeding
Don’t try to breastfeed a crying baby. Calm your baby down first and then start to breastfeed
If your nipples are sore or cracked try a soothing ointment or balm. Make sure it’s non-toxic and specifically for breastfeeding mums. Some mums find their own breast milk soothes sore nipples
Long before you start breastfeeding you should quit smoking as it can make the milk taste bad for your baby
Try to avoid underwire bra’s whilst breastfeeding as these can cause infection

Breastfeeding is vitally important to for your baby’s health. It is also a very important part of the bonding process. If you are having difficulties with breastfeeding, there are many breastfeeding support groups and nurses out there who can work with you to solve your breastfeeding problems so you can enjoy this wonderful part of being a mother.

Baby Formula

The term formula feeding means giving your baby formula milk in a bottle. Formula milk is based on cow’s milk that’s been processed to make it more easily digested by a new baby. It’s for babies who don’t get breast milk, or in addition to breast milk. No matter how persistent some women are with attempting to fully breastfeed their baby, they find for one reason or another, that it is better for themselves and their baby to change to bottle-feeding. This can be a difficult decision for some mothers to make, especially if they had their heart set on breastfeeding their new baby.

If you are trying to establish breastfeeding, it has been suggested that the early use of bottles and dummies can interfere with the establishment. It can reduce both the infants sucking capacity and stimulation of the breasts. This may result in delayed and poor establishment of lactation.

What you need to know

Babies who aren’t breast-fed must only have formula milk – ordinary cow’s milk is not suitable.

It’s important to keep all feeding equipment clean by sterilising between uses. This is because formula fed babies don’t get the same protection from infection as breast-fed babies.

Bottle-feeding with formula milk, or with expressed breast milk, gives mother’s flexibility when they go back to work.

However you feed your baby, you and your baby will love spending the time together. Hold your baby close when you’re bottle-feeding, and enjoy it.

A Guide to Bottle Feeding

You may bottle-feed from the start, or find you make the change from breast-feeding later on.

What you need

If you plan to fully bottle-feed you’ll need:

Sterilising equipment
At least six bottles and teats
Mixing jug
Bottle warmer (optional)

For an occasional bottle only, one or two bottles and teats will be fine. You may not need to buy all the sterilising equipment.

Preparation

Make up your baby’s feeds according to the instructions on the pack. The main points you need to remember are:

Ideally boil the water for 5 minutes and then allow to cool
Always put the amount of boiled water in the mixing jug or bottle first, before the powder
Always add the correct amount of scoops, making the feed either too weak or too concentrated can be potentially dangerous. DO NOT pack the scoop too firmly with formula powder. Level off the scoop with a knife. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions
You can buy pre-measured sachets of dried milk which ensure you have the proportions right. Ready-to-feed formula is even easier, though it does cost more
Keep made up formula refrigerated and only store this way for 24 hours
Do not add anything else to your baby’s bottle such as cereal powder, honey sugar etc

Important: Heating bottles of formula in a microwave oven is NOT recommended. The heat can be uneven, leading to scalding hot spots in the bottle.

When you bottle-feed:

Hold your baby close, and make sure the teat is always filled (this reduces the amount of air-swallowing)
Every so often, you’ll need to take the teat out of your baby’s mouth as the sides stick together and prevent a good flow
Wriggling, crying and pushing the teat out with the tongue may mean your baby needs sitting up to get rid of wind
Do not leave your baby unattended while they are drinking from a bottle
Prepared formula may be stored at up to 4 degrees C towards the back of the refrigerator, but should be kept for only a maximum of four hours
Some babies take a bottle straight from the fridge, but most mothers feel it’s kinder to warm it by standing the bottle in a jug of hot water first, or using an electric bottle warmer
Discard made up formula that is not used after two hours at room temperature and do not reheat used feeds
Note: test the formula by shaking a drop or two onto your wrist or the back of your hand. It should feel more or less the same temperature as your skin.

If you need to switch to bottle feeding, do it gradually unless you’re changing over in the first few days. A sudden changeover can mean an uncomfortable build-up of milk in the breasts, which could lead to problems like mastitis. If you think you are developing mastitis contact your doctor immediately. Early treatment is essential.