#AD – I am now a Mummy of 3 beautiful children; two girls and a boy. It’s mad to think I have gone through the newborn baby stage three times now. Established breastfeeding, survived on very little sleep and got pooped on many, many times!
As a first time Mum I was winging it from day 1; we all are! You are thrown into a newborn haze. Learning as you go, getting to know this little creature you have created. It is an amazing experience but is exhausting and quite intimidating too!
However, by baby number 3 I had learnt a few things. Got a bit more experience and felt just that little bit more confident. All babies are different but you do have the groundwork after your first little one.
Looking After Your Newborn Baby
There are a few things I think are so important when looking after your newborn baby and here they are:
– Firstly look after you! You have just given birth, whether it be a C-section or vaginally and this takes time to recover from. It is so important to rest, eat and drink well, don’t worry about the housework and accept as much help as you can, if offered. I didn’t do this for my first as much but learnt and spent a lot more time resting and snuggling with my second and third. You need to recover to be a healthy, happy Mum. That newborn bubble passes so quickly, so try to rest and enjoy it.
– Don’t get worried about a routine. My babies have all been breastfed and I always fed on demand. I never had a feeding routine until they were weaning! Some days they would feed every hour and other days every 2-3 hours. Naps were variable too. Try not to worry about this and go with the flow. I was much happier when I stopped worrying that they should be feeding every 3 hours! Routine came but much later.
– Have a nappy changing station upstairs and downstairs with all the things you will need. This includes a mat, nappies, wipes, nappy sacks, muslins and a barrier ointment like Bepanthen, with a clinically proven formulation. All babies are different and some go days between poos but all mine always went multiple times a day; sometimes a small amount I didn’t always notice. My little boy is an explosive pooper. We have had so many burst nappies and lots of mess all over. This can make his delicate skin on his bottom a bit red and sore. A Bepanthen application with each of his nappy changes helps, as it contains Provitamin B5 which helps the natural recovery of his skin. It can be easily applied onto a clean, dry bottom. Bepanthen creates a transparent, breathable barrier to help protect from the irritants found in the nappy (wee and poo) that can cause nappy rash. It can also be used straight from birth and makes such a difference. I have found my baby’s little bottom is free from nappy rash with regular Bepanthen application. This makes life easier, as he would get upset with all the wiping if had a sore bottom.
– Don’t worry if your baby wants to sleep on you or be carried in a sling to be close to you. All three of my babies have been appalling at going to sleep without a cuddle and rarely self-settled during the day. To help with this I have carried them in a sling or carrier and got a few jobs done and looked after my other children. I have snuggled in front of the television and let them, sleep on me. As they get older this changes and they do sleep alone and get into more of a routine. Little newborns just want warmth, your heartbeat and to feel safe, like they did in the womb. It gets easier!
Life with a newborn passes so quickly and before you know it, you have three month old, that looks like a giant in comparison and is smiling and cooing; a little person! It’s a crazy, emotional time and you learn as you go but it gets easier and you become little pros. You have got to know your little baby.
Disclosure – this post is sponsored by Bepanthen. Learn more about how to protect baby’s sensitive skin on https://www.bepanthen.co.uk.
