5 Helpful Tips for a First-Time Mom

A newborn at home turns your world upside down. In the beginning, it may seem you cannot handle it. It may seem your life is now totally destroyed by childbirth. However, after a few days, you'll see that you're getting used to a new living mode, and life goes on.

But before you feel more or less confident about what to do with your newborn, you'll face many new challenges and ask many questions. You'll find it easier to adopt a new lifestyle by following universal principles that work well for every mom and every newborn. Here they are.

Swaddling

Some newborns require almost constant attention. Excessive fussiness may be due to difficulties in adjusting to the new reality, and this is where swaddling comes into play, helping to provide the baby with sensations similar to those felt in the mother's womb.

Place the baby on a thin blanket. First, cover the little legs, then wrap the tiny arms, ensuring the baby is not too tightly wrapped. The covering should not be too thick, as it may trigger another crying spell. For those not experienced in swaddling, I'd suggest buying swaddle-style sleep sacks and wearable blankets.

Babywearing with stuff like a woven wrap or a structured carrier helps with swaddling a newborn and provides an environment similar to being swaddled in a blanket, with a sense of comfort and warmth and free hands for you to do some housework.

On-Demand Feeding

Healthy newborns typically want to eat approximately every one and a half hours, starting from the end of the previous breastfeeding session, both during the day and at night (if the newborn sleeps through a feeding time, you must awaken her). They communicate their hunger through crying – after just a few days, you will recognize that the baby is asking for food.

A single feeding session can last up to 40 minutes, as infants can tire quickly from sucking. So it's pretty standard if it seems to you that you're feeding all day (and night) long.

Changing Diapers Often

The skin of a newborn is several times thinner than an older child's. Even a few minutes of contact with stool and urine can irritate it and cause painful rashes. That's why changing a baby's diaper is essential immediately after a bowel movement. If the diaper is clean, it should be changed at least every two hours from the previous diaper change.

Minimizing Stimulation

The nervous system of a newborn is not yet fully adapted to new conditions, which is why an excess of stimuli can trigger crying that is difficult to soothe.

A newborn does not need toys, especially loud rattles or toys above the crib, which they cannot yet see, and the sound of a music box can irritate them. It's better to save such attractions for a few months later when the baby's vision improves and they can associate cause and effect. Due to the flickering light, which is a strong stimulus, isolating the baby from the television and computer screen is also a bit of good advice.

Sleep in the Rhythm of the Child

Being constantly available and lacking sleep results in irritation and fatigue. Therefore, it's worth using every free moment, especially when the child is asleep, for rest or relaxation. Take the opportunity to nap, even if it means sacrificing cleaning or preparing dinner, and don't feel guilty.

Even a short moment of a nap during the day will help you better endure the following night and enable you to function better the next day.