Im going to be a first time mom in 5 weeks, any advice?

Question

Just looking for advice on how to care for a newborn, what to do if theres problem, if no matter what I do he won't stop crying. That sort of thing.

Answer 1

If he keeps crying, just start crying with him. LOL Believe me, I've wanted to do that many times when both of my boys were newborns!

This is such a broad question, I don't know where to begin!

I guess first and foremost, it's NORMAL for newborns to sneeze, so if he sneezes for a while after he's born, don't get scared or worried UNLESS he has diarrhea, vomiting, a cough or a fever. The sneezing is just his way of cleaning extra amniotic fluid out of his nasal passages, throat, etc. :)

If he's gassy: You can try infant Mylicon drops, or bicycling his legs. Place him flat on his back on a firm surface (spreading a blanket out on the carpet works best, I think). Grab his ankles and start pedaling his legs up, down, back and forth (like he's riding a bike). You want to sort of push his knees into his abdomen to help remove trapped gas (but don't push too hard!). You could also try holding him up high, so his stomach/intestines are sort of resting on your boobs (to put pressure on his stomach and let out trapped gas). Finally, hold him with him lying on his stomach along the length of your arm, so his head/face is resting in the crook of your arm where your elbow bends. The palm of your hand should be on his stomach/abdomen (for pressure) and his little legs will just sort of hang there. All of these worked for my boys. They were both incredibly gassy AND colicky.

If he screams for hours on end for no reason, and it's usually during the same time every day, it's probably colic. Nobody knows what colic is or what causes it. There are several things you can buy for it. At your local healthfoods store, you can buy Gripe Water...an all natural blend of baking soda, fennel, ginger, and I forget what else. It did nothing for my younger son except make him belch. (No, these weren't sweet little baby burps...this stuff made him BELCH like a grown man drinking beer and watching football!) The only ONLY thing that worked for my older son was to switch his formula. He went from Enfamil to Enfamil ProSobee (soy), to Enfamil Nutramigen (pronounced "new-TRAM-a-gin". It's hypoallergenic and is for babies who have a milk allergy, or who have overly sensitive digestive systems. Its base is whey protein, I think. Anyway, that worked for him. With my younger son...oh this poor baby...NOTHING worked for him. We just had to wait it out. (He stopped when he was about 3 months old.)

Also to soothe a colicky baby, take him for a nice long walk (weather permitting), put him in his swing, or strap him in his car seat and go for a drive. The swing and the car were my two saving graces...worked every time.

No matter what happens, if you find yourself becoming increasingly more agitates and upset that he's crying and you can't stop him, just set him down in his crib, make sure he's not hungry or has a dirty diaper, and shut the door and leave the room. I don't care WHAT anyone on here says, there have been times in all our lives (those of us who have experience with colicky babies, that is) where we thought we were going to lose it if we had to listen to our babies cry for 10 more seconds. If your baby is colicky, just remember...he can't scream forever. Eventually he will give up, pass out, and go peacefully to sleep. :)

Newborns don't need baths every day, as they don't get dirty. Bathe him once a week.

Change his diaper often...every hour or so when he pees, and immediately if he poops. If he gets diaper rash, Calmoseptine is the best! You have to ask the pharmacist for it (even though it's non-prescription, they still keep it behind the pharmacy counter for some reason). If your boy gets really really BAD diaper rash (like, bad enough that his skin gets sort of oozy looking) use a little Neosporin on it a few times a day. Diaper rash should clear up in a day or two. If it doesn't or gets worse, take him to his pediatrician because he might have a yeast infection, fungal infection, or UTI. Also, if he has diaper rash, don't use wipes (even unscented ones). Wash his butt off with a wet wash cloth until the rash clears up.

Spitting up is normal. Some babies do, some don't. Some babies spit across the dang room and they're still fine. :) If he actually vomits though, that's not good and you should take him to the doctor.

I can't think of anything else off the top of my head now. I guess the big thing is...make sure you find him a GOOD pediatrician and if you have ANY questions, don't hesitate to call the doctor. That's what they're there for, trust me. :)

Answer 2

I'm a first time mom too. My son is 4 months now. The only advise I can give to you is this: Give plenty of love to your son. Having a newborn is not the easiest job in the world. You need lots of patients and always be calm. My son was diagnosed with severe acid reflux at 4 weeks old. When we brought him home from the hospital he would cry non-stop and vomit everything he would eat. He would never sleep like most newborns because he was so uncomfortable. In the hospital we were told that he was just a "spitty" baby, come to find out that he had acid reflux and needed medication. Once on the medication to control the acid he was a different baby all together. At that time I was a complete mess! Just keep your eye's open to those signs. Nobody ever told me about this. I learned on my own.. Keep smiling and try to take breaks when he sleeps. Do something that you want to do or take a hot bath and relax. You can't break them, so don't be scared.... Your natural instincts will just come to you the first time you hold him. It's the most amazing thing you will ever experience. Hope this helped you some what. Good Luck to you and your new family. I will keep you in my prayers! If you need to talk E-mail me, I'd be happy to help you... :)

Answer 3

Go watch four or five movies in the Movie Theater this weekend.

You'll miss some of those freedoms, but the rewards FAR outweigh anything you miss out on. It is a totally life changing experience.

--Baby proof the house if you haven't done so.
--If you're going to paint or do someting to the baby's room do it NOW. you don't want the room smelling of paint fumes (it affects the baby).
--Buy LOTS & LOTS of hand wipes & hand sanitizer ... when baby is bord.... you'll have visitors ... and they'll want to hold, pick up, play with baby. You'll be glad you got it.
--Invest in a really good digital camera. Kids grow up so fast.

One of the things we did was not video-tape but do an audio recording of the babys birth. Our daughter is older now and we gave it to her one day as a b-day gift. She was totally in awe over it. Hearing her birth. .... So if you can pack a digital sound recorder or tape recorder for the "trip" to the hospital .. then do so.

--Spend a day at the spa and get pampered.

BTW ... don't worry about the newborn. And don't worry if you don't KNOW what to do right away. But like everything in life once you are in there, you figure it out or ask someone what do i do. But in general .... you'll try a couple of things and just learn with the baby as well. Perfect example .. we were driving home one day after a friends b-day party and baby was 3mos. She cried & cried. Tried water, bottle, juice, pacifier, diaper... sheesh... out of options. So I thought I wonder if she's just uncomfortable. THe new dress wasn't soft as all the baby-blankets and baby clothes she was used to. We took the dress off... happy baby! ... Things like that. Basically you learn and try diffeerent things.

Answer 4

There is a lot of really good advice here. The only thing I want to add (and excuse me if it's already in here), is when I had my baby, only 8 months ago, I went home and refused to ask anyone in my family for help. I wanted to prove to them that I could do everything on my own because I am only 25, just got married, etc. I know my family would be and have been very supportive with me but I didn't want them to think that I couldn't handle it. My advise is to ask for help. Maybe have your mom or husband's mom stay with you for the first week or so to help out so you can rest. It's worth it. I had a colicky baby and it is very hard to deal with. I would suggest joining a new mother's group and you will be able to discuss with them any issues that you are having and you will not feel alone!! Enjoy your pregnancy and congratulations!!

Answer 5

Congrats!
Now every baby is different. I'm also a first time mom my son is now 5 mths. old, time flies.
Do you have a birthing plan? I said to myself that I wouldn't use any drugs, so I went in the tub for a few hours (very nice by the way), but I did get an epidural anyways, it didn't work mind you but just keep your options open.
My son had his days and nights mixed up so what I did is I wouldn't let him sleep too long during the day, I would wake him up and play with him, talk to him, sing to him, that way they see that the day is more exciting then the night.
Problems I had? Always and still ask the doctor. My mom passed away a few yrs. ago, otherwise, I would ask her (she had 7 kids).
My son was also colicky, I thought I was going to kill myself. I was nursing at 1st but had to go back to work, so I was adding formula to breast milk in bottles and he got so cranky. I then switched him to soy formula and someone told me to bring him to the chiropracter, both worked. He is the most perfect baby now.
Another wise thing I was told was that once they reach 10 pounds they don't need a thru the night feeding anymore. So what I did when my son reached that was, I would just give him his soother and leave him in his bassinet and he would go back to sleep and eventually he started not waking up at all.
Also find a book that goes from week by week on what your infant is supposed to be doing, it also tells you what to do in certain situations, etc. Found it very helpful.
Babies up to a certain age also love to be swaddled, that also help my son from crying and I would hold him close to my chest (the heartbeat thing, really works).
Good luck.

Answer 6

My advice...
Ask for help when you need it. Many of us act too proud to ask.
Relax and enjoy your time to bond with your baby. Housework and stuff will always be there, this time is priceless.
Get lots of rest now because it will be exhausting taking care of a newborn.
If you plan on breastfeeding, have lots of healthy snacks on hand.
Don't go buy a whole lot of stuff. Most the baby stuff you won't even use. Just get the basics and buy other things as you need them.
Most of all, relax! Take things a step at a time. Good luck and congrats!

Answer 7

First off, honey, sleep now!!! It might be the worst rest you've ever gotten being big and uncomfortable and all, but at least, try!! My biggest problem was breastfeeding, my son only liked the right side!!! Oh and don't forget to rule out changing a diaper!! I thought that every time my boy cried, he was hungry....but, in the end, he just needed a new diaper.It must have been the meds they sent me home with! Oh, but enjoy it all, and don't complain about anything!! It all goes by so very fast, before you know it your baby will be walking!! When baby cries, it could be hunger, diaper, gas, or just wanting mommy! Using a tight wrap will cure most and just rock that that little baby and adore!!!! Best Wishes!

Answer 8

You will be amazed at how naturally it will all come to you.

My advice for the delivery is to get an epidural -- they are wonderful.
As far as after the birth, just make sure he is eating enough and keep track of his diapers. Make sure you go to all the doctors appointments.
Have you read the book, 'On Becoming Babywise"? I read that before the birth of my now 20 month old, and it is GREAT. It talks a lot about what to do to get a kid to sleep through the night, which was kind of a priority for me. If you haven't read it yet you still have time, it's not a long book and it is WELL WORTH it.

Answer 9

Start stocking up on food that can be heated easily or see if friends/family will bring you food. Keep visitors to a minimum. The most important thing is to take care of yourself. If your basic needs are met (except for sleep deprivation) then you will be able to handle the crying much better.
Also, if he does not stop crying and he has a clean diaper and just ate, he's not cold or has a hair tangled around a toe I would call the Dr.

Answer 10

First of all sleep now!! My best advice is get a routine, Kids need them and it makes life for new mommies so much easier. Do you have a pediatrician picked out? If you do you can make a apt with them before you have the baby and talk to them about concerns and what not. I did that and it really helped me feel at ease. You can not hug and love a newborn enough, they love to be swaddled, because they are used to that from the womb. Congrats, and I wish you best of luck and happiness!

Answer 11

The best advice that I got was to accept any help that is offered to you. Never turn down a free trip to the store or a diaper change.
You do not have to follow all the unasked for advice that you receive and ignore those that are offended when you do not.
Join a new mothers group. Hospitals usually sponser them and they can be a life saver. They are an immense source of support if you plan to breastfeed, too.