Physical care for neonates involves monitoring developmental milestones, managing digestive health, and addressing maternal postpartum mental health concerns.
Birth is a stressful event for a newborn. Newborns must make many physiologic adaptations immediately after birth, and any number of things can occur at that time. The circulatory system changes, a new oxygen source must be utilized, and the newborn must learn to coordinate sucking and swallowing to obtain nutrition.
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It's often difficult for novice parents to accurately judge whether their newborn baby's behavior falls within the range of normal. Even perfectly normal newborn movements, sounds and behavior can seem odd to nervous first-time mothers and fathers.
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Breast-feeding has numerous proven health benefits for your baby, but in some cases you can't -- or don't want to -- continue breast-feeding.
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Newborns need to eat every few hours, since their stomachs don't hold very much milk at one time. It may take a few days for your baby to wake up and start eating normally after birth. A newborn that suddenly stops eating after that needs medical evaluation, unless you're offering feedings too close together.
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Breastfeeding may be natural, but it doesn't always come easily to new moms. Getting the baby to latch on properly and then to release the nipple when he's done prevents injury to the nipple. If breastfeeding causes pain, you may become fearful of nursing.
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In some ways, bottle-feeding is easier on new parents than breast-feeding; you can tell how much formula the baby is taking. Still, you may worry that the amount your baby takes in too little or too much. Babies, like adults, vary in the intake from day to day and even meal to meal. A little variation is no problem.
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When you're pregnant, you might become obsessed with eating well for your baby. Once she's born, that preoccupation with your diet might continue if you're breast-feeding, especially if your baby is gassy and fussy, as many are.
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Newborns can develop a number of condition that alarm new parents but have little or no medical significance. A whitish collection of mucous-looking material that accumulates in the corners of newborn eyes falls into this category.
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Life with a newborn baby would be less stressful if babies came with an instruction manual. Many new parents don't know when to take a newborn to the emergency room -- or to the doctor's office, for that matter. When you have a sick baby, every symptom appears life-threatening to inexperienced parents.
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When you're shopping for infant formula, you might wonder if it's prudent to switch brands if another brand is on sale. If your baby is doing well on one formula, you might worry that changing brands could cause side effects, such as diarrhea.
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Simethicone drops -- an over-the-counter remedy used by some parents with colicky infants to reduce gas bubbles in the intestines -- are generally safe for use in newborns. While gas drops are generally safe, it is unclear whether they are effective in decreasing the symptoms of colic.
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Breast-feeding mothers aren’t immune from pain. But if you’ve had a cesarean section or need to take pain medication for any reason, you may hesitate out of concern for its effect on your nursing infant. Both acetaminophen, the generic name for Tylenol, and codeine are usually considered compatible.
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It's easy for new parents to worry about every detail of their newborn's health -- including his weight. Most newborns lose weight in the first few days after birth, for a number of reasons. Weight loss of less than 10 percent of birth weight during the first week is considered normal.
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