Insider Tips For Caring For Your First Newborn

If your baby is due in the next few days, it is important to make sure that you are prepared for what life with a newborn is really like. Many people will give you advice and tell you how little sleep you'll be getting, but they do not take the time to explain to you the important details that every first time parent needs to know. The following guide gets down to the nitty gritty of first time parenting.

Diapers Are Not Filled with Poop at First

When you first change the diaper of a newborn who has gone number two, the sight that you will see may be shocking. Newborns do not pass the typically poop that you are used to seeing at first. There is a substance that resembles black tar more than poop that will be found in their diaper. Do not be alarmed when you see it. It is natural and normal for the first few bowel movements.

Develop an Affinity for Daytime Sleeping

While newborns do not sleep throughout the night typically, they do take plenty of naps during the day. Many first-time parents are so sleep deprived because they use nap time as the time to get housework done. This is not a good idea. When your baby sleeps, you should sleep. Babies are not going to get up and walk away if you lay them in a bouncy seat or swing while you clean so take advantage of any sleep you can get when you can get it.

You Don't Bathe a Newborn in a Bathtub

When a newborn first comes home from the hospital, they are too small for you to actually bathe them in the bathtub. Many parents choose to place a foam carrier in their kitchen sink and wash their baby in their instead of in the bathtub because they are easier to handle and maneuver.

Gadgets and Gizmos Are Not Necessary at First

When you have a newborn, there are all kinds of gadgets and gizmos on the market that are designed to entertain your child. Most newborns sleep more than they are awake and typically are not interested in any gadgets or gizmos for the first few months because they do not have the ability to hold up their head to see what the gadgets are. Save your money and wait to buy these things until your child can enjoy them.

Now that you have the insider tips for first time parenting, you are properly prepared to tackle anything that arises. It will take a lot of adjusting, but once you learn how to read your child, parenting a newborn will be a breeze. If any issues arise, contact your pediatrician, such as Pediatric And Young Adult Medicine, right away and he or she will be able to give you any advice you need.