We love talking all about babies! One of our specialties is offering education surrounding newborn care. We do this in our group classes, as well as organically and as needed during 1:1 postpartum visits. This blog is an introduction to our top newborn care topics. We hope that it serves as an educational resource for you as you prepare for and/or adjust to life with baby.

Newborn Care Basics

Diapering

The first step in diapering is preparing your supplies. This includes a fresh diaper (or two), wipes, cream, and potentially a new outfit if baby had a blowout. As baby gets older, you may also need a distraction, such as a lovey or toy or song to help baby stay still during the change. What To Expect has a detailed guide that walks you through diaper changes. A few tips we like to point out include:

• Make a few diaper-changing stations in your home, especially during early postpartum.
• On disposable diapers, the tabs start in the back.
• If your baby still has the stub of their umbilical cord, fold the top of the diaper down so it doesn’t cover the belly button.
• Wipe from front to back.
• For babies with penises, keep the genital area covered in case they start to pee.
• Keep hand sanitizer at each station for easy use before and after changes.

Resources:

• Diaper changing technique from a chiropractor
• What to Expect newborn poop guide

Swaddling

This video offers a great demo of safe hip swaddling, which is really important for babies under the age of six months. The Bump offers visuals that can be helpful as well. The goal is a secure wrap that helps baby feel snuggled and cozy (like they were in the womb). However, it’s important to ensure that baby has range of motion in their legs and hips, which helps prevent hip dysplasia.

Resources:

• The importance of swaddling + our favorite swaddles on ABG

Feeding

We are here to uplift your family’s feeding goals and needs. This can range from exclusive breastfeeding to exclusive pumping to triple feeding to exclusive formula feeding. The first important piece of information is to know that newborns need to eat every 2-3 hours or whenever they ask for the first several days of life. Then, baby should be eating ~8 feeds per day for the first three months.

Recognizing hunger cues is an important parenting skill. These include:

• Licking lips
• Sticking tongue out
• Rooting
• Hand to mouth repeatedly or sucking on things
• Opening mouth or lip-smacking
• Fussiness

Resources:

• Paced feeding info on ABG
• Breastfeeding reminders and affirmations on ABG
• Info about reflux on ABG
• Storage and preparation of breastmilk via CDC
• Ameda newborn stomach size guide

Soothing Baby

When (not if) baby is communicating by crying, there are a few steps you can follow to help them soothe and regulate. First, start with the basics: Does baby need a diaper change? Is it time to eat? And/or comfort feed? Does baby need to burp? 

If baby is still not settled, other ideas for soothing them include the following: 1. Movement: rock baby or repurpose your birth ball; match your rhythm and pace to the intensity of baby’s cries. 2. Noise: White noise via a machine, Spotify, shushing, etc. or try music! Sometimes dancing and singing does the trick, as you hit #1 and #2 at once. 3. Snuggle: A parent may try skin to skin or perhaps a swaddle.  4. Help with gas: Baby may benefit from some gentle abdominal massage, gas drops, or doing the bicycle. (Gas is to be expected and is totally normal for a newborn)

The 5 S’s, as branded by Harvey Karp is another shortlist of ideas to try. They are: Swaddle, Swing (or bounce), Side-lying (only for soothing, not for sleep), Sucking, Shushing.

Resources:

• 6 items to have for baby on ABG
• Harvy Karp’s Happiest Baby on the Block video

Sleep

Studies about sleep rhythms are based on age. If your baby was born premature, then you should use their estimated due date (EDD) of your baby to correctly figure out age. This is important to keep in mind when trying to determine what type of schedule your baby needs.

From newborn to eight weeks, these are some key ideas to know:

• There is no sleep pattern and sleep happens when it does. 
• Parents cannot really influence sleep at this age. 
• Babies may be fussy in the late afternoon. 
• Many babies often experience day and night confusion.

That said, we encourage parents to work on sleep routines. Keep it simple, predictable, and calming. This may include steps like swaddling, dimming lights, reading a book, and then rocking for a bit.

Resources:

• Sleep routines info on ABG
• Newborn- 12 months sleep guidelines on ABG

Bathing

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends delaying baby’s first bath until 24 hours after birth, unless this is unacceptable for cultural reasons. Some people like to have baby bathed before they leave the hospital (if that’s where they birthed) while others prefer to wait days or weeks. This guide from healthychildren.org has a lot of helpful information about why families often delay baths, as well as how to bathe your baby. 

These are some of the crucial ideas we like to highlight:

• You may stick to sponge baths until the umbilical cord is healed; although this is an American protocol, so know that many other folks skip this step.
• Don’t bathe baby daily.
• Use a cup to gently pour water on baby’s body.
• Use an infant-safe tub. (Many have inserts or conversions that make newborns more secure until they get bigger.)
• Place the infant tub on a taller surface like a kitchen counter so you don’t have to bend over.
• Use soap in a pump, although use it sparingly, especially for the baby’s first few months of life.
• Check the water temperature with the inner part of your wrist.
• Know that it’s normal if baby is not enjoying their first baths (aka crying).

Resources:

• Step by step guide to bathing baby by Emma Hubbard

ABG is Here for You

We are here to support you as you navigate newborn care. Join us in class or reach out about in-home postpartum services! It’s an honor to support your growing family.