Baby Care

For the first three months of her life, you should always lay your baby on her back.

Research in recent years has shown that babies who sleep on their fronts are at greater risk from crib death (SIDS) than those placed on their backs, and media publicity about this finding has resulted in a significant drop in crib death.

One way to carry your baby in your arms is to cradle her head in the crook of either arm, which is slightly inclined. The rest of her body will rest on the lower part of your arm, encircled by your wrist and hand, which support her back and bottom. Your other arm will provide additional support to her bottom and legs, and your baby can see your face as you talk to her and smile at her.

The second way to carry your baby is to hold her against the upper part of your chest with her head on your shoulder. Your forearm should be placed across her back and your hand should support her resting head, leaving your other hand free. This can be used to provide support for your baby’s bottom or to help you balance. Your sense of balance will change at first as you get used to carrying your new baby.

Supporting and cradling

Hold your baby’s head and support the length of her body when carrying her. Holding her close will make your baby feel secure and relaxed, especially if she can see your face.

Lifting your baby

Slide one hand under your baby’s neck and the other under her back and bottom to support her lower half securely. Pick her up gently and smoothly and transfer her to a carrying position.

When you pick your baby up and put her down, do it in a way that supports her head; until she is about four weeks old she’ll have little control over it. If her head flops back, she will think that she is going to fall, her body will jerk, and she’ll stretch out both arms and legs in the Moro, or startle, reflex.

Put your baby down and pick her up with your whole arm supporting her spine, neck, and head. You may want to try swaddling your baby: wrap her firmly in a shawl or blanket so that her head is supported and her arms held close against her body. Once she lies down in the crib, you can gently unwrap her. Swaddling your baby tightly makes her feel secure, so it’s a useful way of comforting and claming a distressed baby.

When you move your baby, the action must be as slow, gentle, and quiet as possible. You’ll find that you instinctively hold your baby close, look into her eyes, and talk soothingly to her. Not surprisingly it has been proven that all children benefit from intimate physical contact, particularly being in a position to hear the familiar sound of your heartbeat. Premature babies, for example, gain more weight when they are laid on fleecy sheets, which give them the sensation of being touched, than when they are laid on smooth ones. Your newborn baby will find comfort in any kind of skin-to-skin contact, but the best way to give her this is for both of you to lie naked in bed. Here she can smell and feel your skin, and hear your heart beating. In this way, too, you can make sure that she becomes familiar with the smell of her father’s skin.

A newborn baby may appear very vulnerable and fragile, but she is more robust than you imagine. With this knowledge uppermost in your mind, you will be able to inspire confidence in your child rather than uncertainty. For the baby’s comfort, and for your own peace of mind, it’s important to feel at ease when you handle her; you must be able to hold your baby confidently in order to bathe, dress, and feed her successfully.

All manual pumps work with suction and have a funnel or shield, pump mechanism, and container. The assembly and operation of different brands of pump will vary slightly, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Using a pump Place the shield over your nipple, then squeeze and release the handle. Your milk should be drawn into the vacuum created in the bottle. If this causes you any pain, stop immediately; expressing should be painless. Try again a little later.

You may feel anxious that you can’t see how much the baby has taken, but he is fine if he’s wetting about 8 diapers each day.

• If your baby wants to continue sucking even though he’s finished feeding from both breasts, it doesn’t always signify hunger; he may just enjoy sucking
• Thirst may cause your baby to go on sucking after he’s emptied your breast. Try giving about 1 – 2 ounces (30 – 60 milliliters) of cooled, boiled water from a bottle
• If the baby seems fretful and hungry, have him weighted by the pediatrician to check of he is gaining weight as quickly as expected. If not, then your milk supply has been reduced – perhaps because you are tired and run down. You may be advised to give supplementary feedings from a bottle until your supply is back to normal. If you are at all worried, you should contact your doctor
• Low – milk syndrome is a rare condition in which a newborn baby fails to get enough nutrition. This is nearly always due to difficulties in learning how to latch on and suckle. In a very few cases, it may be due to a mother’s failure to produce enough milk. This doesn’t preclude breastfeeding, but supplementary bottles will be needed. I cannot stress enough that mothers and babies must be given time to get the hang of breastfeeding
• One warning sign of low – milk syndrome is in the diapers; of your baby wets fewer than six diapers a day, check with your pediatrician.

You should keep your baby on the breast for as long as he shows interest in sucking.

• If your baby continues to suck after your breasts have emptied, it may be that he is just enjoying the sensation; this is fine for a few minutes, but more may irritate the nipple
• When your baby has finished feeding from one breast, gently take him off your nipple and put him onto the other breast. He may not suck as long on the second breast
• Alternate the first breast you offer at each feeding. To help remember which breast was used last, put a safety pin on your bra.

Breastfeeding creates a strong bond between mother and baby if feeding time is relaxed and pleasurable for both. Make sure your baby can see you, and smile and talk to him while he is suckling. He will come to associate the pleasure of feeding with the sight of your face, the sound of your voice, and the smell of your skin. Make sure you are both comfortable before you start. You should feed your baby from both breasts, and you may want to burp him before changing over.

Lying down is ideal for night feedings; when your baby is very small you may need to put him on a pillow so that he can reach your nipple. You may find a lying position the most suitable if you have had an episiotomy and sitting is uncomfortable. If you’ve had a cesarean section and your stomach is still tender, try ling with your baby’s feet tucked under your arm.

Lying positions

Breastfeeding positions that let the mother lie down offer a restful alternative and can keep wriggly babies off tender cesarean incisions.

Sitting position

Make sure that your arms and back are supported and you are relaxed.