Congratulations!
Settling In
Sleep
Feeding
Crying
Temperature Regulation

he staff of the Women's Center at Decatur General congratulates you on the birth of your new baby. As a special resource to new parents, we are proud to offer you this online issue of our Newborn newsletter, covering your baby's first month of life. Each issue is composed of five sections: Physical Growth, Parenting Issues, Health & Medicine, Nutrition, and Socialization & Learning. We hope you find this information educational as well as encouraging.

Birth is as difficult for your baby as it is for you, the mother. Your baby will probably not look like the bright, cheerful babies you see on television. Her face may be puffy, ears pressed against the head, nose flattened or bent, and eyes swollen. Quite often the baby's coloring is a grey-blue at first sight. Rest assured that everything will return to normal soon, just as it will with mother. Our bodies are very resilient.

During the first days, baby and mother recover from labor and birth and the baby adjusts to its new world. She must now breathe for herself, feed, and get rid of wastes. Baby will also be exposed to air that can be hot or cold, damp or dry, and to strange scents and odors. In addition, there are new noises and bright lights. Your baby has much to adjust to.

It is important to rest as much as possible – and then some. Try not to invite too many people over to see your new child for the first week or two. Having friends and relatives over is fun, but also exhausting. You may find that you are on an emotional roller coaster. You may feel exhilarated one moment at just the sight of this sweet baby and in tears the next moment (will I ever sleep again?). It may help to know that you are not alone. All across the country, parents are watching the sunrise as they feed, diaper, and burp their babies or pacing the floors hoping to ease the cries of a colicky baby. Rest, rest, rest! We know, "When, when, when?" Take the phone off the hook, catch cat-naps, have your partner make a sandwich for your midnight awakening. It is more important to be recovering and having time with your new one than to have a clean, organized house.

During the first month, your baby is more like a visitor than a family member. You may already love her dearly, but you don't yet know her patterns of feeding, sleeping, waking or crying. As much as you want to anticipate and meet these needs right from the start, you can't. This is because your baby doesn't have patterns yet – she's too new. In the coming weeks, you will get to know each other better. Try not to hold yourself to impossible standards of perfection as a parent. It will only frustrate and exhaust you.

No two babies are alike. Some sleep longer than others, some more soundly than others. Nature provides the newborn with a deep nourishing sleep after the birth, and this rest will last for 24 to 48 hours. By the third day, babies generally sleep 14 to 16 hours per day, waking only to feed. This sleeping pattern is a recovery and stabilization period for your baby. He may often awake startled, sneezing, or breathing irregularly, and he will sometimes spit-up and choke. This is quite normal. Breathing, reflexes, eating and sleeping habits will soon stabilize.

The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that parents place babies on their sides or backs for sleeping. This recommendation does not apply to infants who are premature, have respiratory problems, or a condition susceptible to vomiting. Ask your health care provider for his views on the subject.

You may have noticed "his" rather than "hers" has been used in the paragraph above. Well, we live in a democratic society that is comprised of 50% of the opposite sex, so in fairness to all, we will freely substitute the use of he and she as we go along.

Your baby's stomach is only about the size of her fist, so she will probably need to eat every 2 to 4 hours, day and night. In the past, parents believed that babies should be fed by the clock. Few people believe this anymore. Each baby is different and develops her own feeding habits and growth rate. Your baby will let you know when she needs food. Try to feed her soon after she starts to show signs of hunger to prevent her from getting upset and voraciously hungry.

Babies actually have to learn how to eat. Your baby must breathe through her nose, suck and swallow, and do all of these in the right order. A "burst-pause" pattern will develop in your baby's nursing. This allows her to eat (in bursts) and to pause intermittently.

Much of a baby's early sensory and social development takes place at feeding time, since she is now awake and most alert. This is the time to sing lullabies, smile, and coo to your baby. She will respond to you more and more as time goes on. Be patient. Alert periods will lengthen with time, especially if you extend them with lots of attention. Feeding time is the biggest event of your baby's day. Try to devote as much time to it as your baby needs. When things get too hectic around the house, go away to a quiet room with your baby and enjoy this special time together.

No two babies are alike; some cry more than others. Crying is a natural response to discomfort, and it is baby's only means of communication. When you comfort an unhappy baby, you are not reinforcing the urge to cry; you are letting him know that he can get help and security when he needs it.

Among the discomforts in a baby's early life are hunger, swallowed air (and the need to burp), wet diapers, waking up, loneliness, too much stimulation, and illness. Sometimes the problem is unknown and your best efforts will not stop the crying. Motions, going outdoors, or holding and singing may help. Sometimes nothing will help. Babies, like adults, are sometimes just plain cranky.

It is important to remember that your baby is easily affected by changes in temperature. Placing her in direct sunlight for an extended period of time can raise her temperature to fever levels. Likewise, placing a baby near a fan can cause a sudden drop in temperature. Remember, your baby is accustomed to the climate-controlled environment of the womb. Be aware that perfectly normal conditions for us can cause great harm to a baby.

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