Throughout your pregnancy, you’ve been waiting for the first days with your new baby. You may be surprised at how tired and sore you feel. You may not know what to expect in those first few days home with the baby. They spend most of their time eating, sleeping, messing diapers and crying. It takes time to get to know your baby, so give yourself a break.
Breastfeeding is the best choice you can make for your baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for the first year of life. For a variety of reasons, some mothers choose formula for feeding. In the end, you have to make the choice you feel is right for you and your family.
Breastfed babies should only be fed on demand and not put on a feeding schedule. Even formula fed babies should be fed on demand in the early days. Don’t wait for your baby to cry in hunger. Look for clues the baby is hungry. These include making sucking sounds and rooting.
Babies spend a large portion of their time sleeping in the early days. They take short and longer naps throughout the day. In general, babies wake every couple hours to be fed. This happens day and night. To keep from getting exhausted, sleep during the day with your baby. Forget about the cleaning, cooking and laundry. Ask family members or your spouse for help.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends only putting babies to sleep on their backs. Since they started the Back to Sleep Campaign, the rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has been reduced. The baby should be put to sleep on her back, on a firm mattress with no pillows, heavy blankets or comforters. These are suffocation hazards and should never be used near a small baby.
Newborns need their diapers changed frequently. Between ten and twelve diapers each day is considered normal. If you are breastfeeding, keep an eye on how many diapers your baby is using. This will help you know that the baby is getting enough milk. In general, they wet more as the milk comes in and they are taking more.
In the first few days, the baby’s bowel movements will be very black. This substance is called meconium and resembles sticky tar. Around the third day of life, the color changes. It becomes more yellow as the baby passes all the meconium and is getting more milk.
Crying is how newborns communicate with their parents. Crying babies can really stress out a new mother. Keep in mind that it will take time for you to learn to interpret your baby’s cries. Try feeding, changing, holding and rocking the baby. Eventually, you will learn the difference between cries and understand if baby is tired, hungry, wet or uncomfortable.