bringing baby home - coles baby club

In the last weeks of your pregnancy, you need to plan ahead, preparing a nursery or space for your new baby with a cot, change table and other everyday nursery needs chosen with safety in mind. You should also have fitted your car with proper restraints, so that on the day you leave the hospital, you can concentrate on your new baby rather than on what you still have left to do.

The day you leave hospital with your new baby can feel like the start of a great adventure – but it can also seem overwhelming. Suddenly you are responsible for taking care of this brand new human being. You are expected to know the difference between your baby’s cries of hunger and the wail that signifies he needs a nappy change. You are expected to know when and how to feed him, and when to get him immunised. To say nothing of looking after your home, your partner and yourself.

What to expect

Expect to feel tired for a little while – particularly in those early weeks. Try to rest when baby rests and accept as much support as you can from your partner and family. If your partner can take a week or two off work after the baby arrives, this will give you both time to bond with your newborn. Your partner can also take over some of the day-to-day chores so that you can rest, particularly if you are breastfeeding. If you are bottle feeding, your partner can help. If it’s not possible for your partner to get time off, see if a close relative can come and provide the same kind of care.

Many new mothers feel like a good cry following baby’s birth. Some women can feel a bit weepy and even depressed. This is normal and occurs because of hormonal changes in the new mother. It usually settles down in a few days after the birth, as breastfeeding becomes established. If there is concern, give your midwife or doctor a call.

Feeding

Newborn babies tend to feed every two to four hours – some days more often, especially if baby is breastfed. It can also be several weeks before a pattern of feeding and sleeping emerges. In the first few weeks a newborn will feed regularly during the day and night. Babies have very small stomachs and need to feed often. Formula takes longer to digest than breast milk and this can be the reason why bottle-fed babies sometimes feed less than breastfed babies.

Sleeping

Newborns can sleep for up to 18 hours in a 24-hour period, but many do not. All babies are individuals and will have different sleep patterns and needs. Sometimes their sleep will follow a pattern for a few days and then change. After the first couple of weeks, babies commonly have one five- to six-hour sleep, several two- to three hour sleeps and some shorter naps.

Babies and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

SIDS is the largest cause of death in infants between one month and one year of age. It’s still not clear exactly what causes SIDS. However, research in Australia and around the world suggests it is possible to reduce the risk. Three ways to do this are:

• Put your baby on his back to sleep. The risk of SIDS is increased if babies sleep on their tummies.
• Make sure your baby’s head remains uncovered during sleep. Tuck your baby in securely so he can’t slip under the bedclothes.
• Keep your baby smoke free, before birth and after.

Tips on coping during the first month

Learn to cut corners. Let the dishes accumulate in the sink and leave the carpets un-vacuumed. Give yourself permission to set aside as much time as possible for rest and relaxation. Your top priorities should be taking care of your baby and yourself!

Stay connected. Keep in touch with the other new parents you met at prenatal class, and take advantage of the opportunity to compare notes on your babies’ sleeping, eating and crying patterns.

Get out of the house. Nothing adds to stress levels more than being housebound day after day with a new baby. Take baby for a brisk walk or for a leisurely stroll down to the shops – it’s important to avoid getting cabin fever!

Don’t worry about spoiling your baby. Ignore any well-meaning relatives who warn you against this. A study at Johns Hopkins University during the early 1970s revealed that those babies whose cries were responded to quickly cried less at age one than babies whose cries were not responded to so promptly.

Don’t forget about your relationship. After a few weeks, you and your partner may like to spend some time together, just the two of you, so ask someone you feel comfortable with to baby sit for a couple of hours while you go out and have a coffee.