Your young baby has no fear of falling, so wherever she sits she will have to be strapped in for her own safety.
Your baby can be propped up in a specially made chair so that she can look around her. When she’s on solids, you can sit her in the chair and feed her, but ensure that she is safely strapped in to keep her from slipping.
Using a backpack You can carry your baby in a backpack once he can sit up by himself. Make sure he is comfortable and is not restricted by the leg opening.
Using a sling Your baby will feel safe and secure inside a sling, and it leaves your arms free.
For the first three months, your baby must be able to lie flat. Reclining strollers are most common, but a carriage with removable bassinet is more versatile. Some models have an extra “sitting” unit.
Your baby will spend most of her time being carried, wheeled, or secured in some way, and there is a wide variety of strollers and carriers available. When choosing equipment of this kind, safety and portability will be your main considerations.
Slings the most popular way of transporting a newborn; they’re light and comfortable, and allow you to carry your baby close while keeping both hands free. Try one on with your baby in before you buy it. Backpacks, which can be used once the baby can sit up on his or her own, have supportive frames that will make it easier to bear a larger baby’s weight. Make sure backpacks have a safety strap for your baby and a stand so you can put it on without any help. For longer journeys you will need a carriage or stroller in which your baby can sit or lie down. Choose one that will let your baby lie flat for the first three months, until she has head control. Consider where you will keep it and whether you will need to take it on buses and trains or up stairs. Whatever stroller you choose, it should have a safety harness or rings to install one.
A baby monitor will allow you to keep in touch with your baby, even when he’s in another room.
Keeping in touch Monitors come in two parts – the baby’s transmitter and the parent’s receiver.
Research has shown that babies who get too hot are at a greater risk of crib death. While the temperature of the nursery is an important factor, how the baby is covered is even more so. If the nursery is at 65°F (18°C), a heavyweight fleece sleeper and one blanket will keep your baby at an ideal temperature. If it is warmer, you should dress her more lightly. Avoid lambswool fleeces and mattress pads and natural sheepskins; they have been implicated in a few cases of suffocation and SIDS in infants. Be sure bumpers are securely tied, and don’t give your baby a pillow.
Your newborn will spend much of her time asleep, and she’ll be able to sleep almost anywhere. A bassinet or Moses basket is best at first, and easily portable, but once she outgrows these she’ll need a crib.
The best choice for your newborn is a Moses basket, cradle, bassinet, or a carriage with a bassinet; some carriages like this convert to strollers for use when the baby is able to support herself sitting up. Your baby will outgrow baskets or cradles quite quickly, so don’t waste money on an expensive one unless you’re sure you can afford it. When your baby outgrows her bassinet or cradle, you’ll need a full-sized crib. Choose one with side rails that are set closely together – a distance of no more than 2 ⅜ inches (6 centimeters) is suitable – and drop sides so you can lift your baby out easily. The mattress should fit snugly, so your baby can’t get her arm or her leg, or even her head, trapped down the side. The crib will last you until your baby is big enough to climb out, when you’ll need to buy a bed – at about two or two and a half years, or 36 inches tall. The crib mattress should be a firm foam type, with air holes that allow your child to breathe if she turns over onto her front while asleep. Portable cribs are very useful for going on vacation or taking your baby out for the evening. They have fabric sides and are collapsible so they can be carried easily.
Although a newborn’s vision is limited, cheerful colors and decorations will provide a stimulating environment.
