Caring for a newborn

Caring for a newborn is the most important task after the delivery. You may find the first weeks at home with your new baby quite difficult, especially if you are still feeling weak and emotionally down.

Don’t get upset if the house is a mess; it is much more important for you to spend time with your baby than to do homework. If you are still in your dressing gown at lunchtime don’t worry; your baby will not care and it is how he or she feels that matters most at the moment.

Caring for a newborn will seem fragile at first, but is actually quite tough. It is natural to be worried about how to pick your new baby up and hold him without hurting him in any way.

Before you pick up your baby make sure that you have his head and neck supported with on hand, then slide the other hand underneath his back and bottom to support the lower part of his body before lifting.

Hold your baby firmly against you, either cradled against your chest with one arm still supporting the head and the other holding the bottom and lower back, or cradled in your arms with your baby’s head lying in the crook of one arm while your other arm supports his back and legs. Always keep any movements gentle so that you don’t hurt or frighten your baby.

The Newborn at delivery

Caring for a newborn also involves the process where as soon as the baby is born it will be assessed on the five points of the Apgar score: heart rate, respiratory rate, color, activity, and response to stimulation.

The baby will be given a maximum of two points for each category, so if he is pink, active and responsive the score is 10. The Apgar score is usually done twice – one minute after birth and five minutes after birth – and it may be done again later if there are any problems.

Caring for a newborn will also involve the process that will also be weighed and measured by the doctor and will probably receive the first of three doses of vitamin K, by mouth, to prevent a rare bleeding illness which occasionally affects newborn babies.

A second dose is given at 10 days and a third at 6 weeks. Vitamin K is given by injection to very premature babies or those who have had a traumatic birth.

After the birth, the umbilical cord will be cut and a plastic clamp placed about 1-2 cm/half-1 in from the infant’s body. Over the next few days the cord will shrivel up and after about a week it will drop off completely.

During this time the area around the cord should be kept dry and clean to avoid the risk of infection. Caring for a newborn cord area is very critical. Try to let the air get to the healing navel as much as possible so that moisture from wet nappies doesn’t affect it.

Your baby has soft spots known as fontanelles on the top of the head. These are the spaces between the skull bones, where they have not yet joined. There is usually a large one on top of the skull and a smaller one further back.

They will gradually fuse over the next two years. Caring for a newborn also requires you to carefully observe that the fontanelles are covered with a tough membrane to protect the brain and you should never press them hard. If you notice a bulge or the skin seems very tight over the fontanelles you should get in touch with your doctor immediately.

Some babies are born with a lot of hair, others arrive almost bald. Any first hair that a baby has will rub off within a couple of months, but this will be replaced with new hair growth. The new hair may be a different color.

Most white babies are born with eyes that appear to be blue-grey in color. This is because melanin, the body’s natural pigment, is not present in the eyes until some weeks after birth. Babies with brown or black skins may have brown eyes at birth. If you baby’s eyes are going to change color this will gradually happen over a period of weeks or even months.

Although a new baby may cry quite a bit during these early weeks there probably won’t be any tears. Some babies don’t produce tears until they are six months old – this is not a cause for concern.

Slight swollen or bloodshot eyes are common aspect seen while caring for a newborn. This is caused by pressure from the birth and will disappear within a week or two. The Muscles that control a new baby’s eye movements are still very weak so they may look slightly cross-eyed at first.

After a month or so the muscles will have developed sufficiently for the eyes to work together. However, even when looking cross-eyed, a baby can focus on things up to 20-25 cm/8-10in away, so hold your face close when you are feeling or talking.

Another aspect widely seen when caring for a newborn are the enlarged genitals and breasts are common in both boys and girls when they are firs born. In some cases the breasts may even ooze a little milk and baby girls can have a slight vaginal discharge.

This is caused by your hormones, which are still in your baby’s bloodstream. In a few days these effects will disappear.

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