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Birth marks the beginning of a journey
during which your baby will grow and become a self-sufficient
individual with skills, thoughts and feelings of his own. In order to
give him the best start to childhood, it is important that you
understand how his health, normal growth patterns and development are
closely connected. A good preparation will help you ensure that he
receives appropriate care, nutrition for vitality and attention to his
practical needs (for example, hygiene).
1. Baby needs
A baby room with baby cot, baby clothes, and utensils for bathing
should have been prepared. Cotton napkins may be useful as they are not
as occlusive as disposable diapers. However, to minimize work,
disposable diapers can be used in the initial few weeks especially when
dealing with the sticky meconium (stools) passed by your baby in the
first few days of life.
A cot is ideal and safe for the newborn. The cot mattress should be a
foam type with air holes that allow the baby to breathe if he turns
over on to his front while asleep. Cotton cot sheets with cotton
waterproof sheets used below the cot sheets to prevent leakage are
useful.
Because a young baby cannot regulate her body temperature effectively,
cellular blankets are a good choice so that you can easily add one or
take one away. Research into cot death has shown that babies who get
too hot are at a greater risk. To prevent cot death, avoid using
blanket that is loosely placed over the baby. Place your baby so that
the feet are at the end of the cot. The blanket should be fitted
tightly together with the cot sheet tuck in nicely under the mattress.
The top of the blanket should just cover the baby’s chest. In this way,
the baby will not “move” and “slip” beneath the blanket. A baby alarm
may come in handy too.
2. Baby’s general care and hygiene, making bathing activity less scary
Clean the baby’s room and bathroom before the homecoming of your baby.
Baby room should be comfortable, well ventilated with suitable
lighting. It is a good idea to have curtains that can be closed to keep
the room dark when the baby is sleeping.
A simple bath tub and cotton towel is the basic bathing equipment.
Prepare also cotton buds for cleaning the outside of the ears and
nostrils. Do not bulk buy baby shampoo and baby bath until you are sure
that there is no skin reaction. As a natural defense, newborn babies
are covered with vernix (that is how they can afford to get ‘soaked’ in
the amniotic fluid for months when they are in the mothers’ womb); baby
bath will usually wash this layer of natural protection off. Instead, a
few drops of Lactacyd baby wash into the bath tub is ideal for bathing
the baby in the first few months. This saves you the worry of accidents
as baby bath are soapy and slippery and it is definitely not easy to
handle a newborn who has yet to gain head control. A useful tip is to
line the tub with a non-slip mat.
Cord spirit will often be provided upon discharge from the hospital.
Make sure the cord and areas around it are properly clean and dry.
3. Making diaper changing a more efficient activity
This activity is done several times a day. Make sure the logistics of
it is looked into before the baby returns home. Portability is also
important as you may need to move the baby from one place to another. A
changing table at the standing height where you can comfortably change
the diaper is necessary. Plastic basket with the following items will
be helpful:
a) Cotton balls in a container
c) Disposable/cloth diapers
d) Barrier cream for the diaper area
e) Clothes
A plastic mat to be placed on top of the mattress would help to
minimize spills or leakages.
4. Dressing the baby
Look for clothes that are soft and comfortable, more importantly, those
that can be put on and taken off without too much disturbance. Front
fastening clothes enable you to dress your baby without having to turn
him over.
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