When a newborn baby spends its first hours in this world, it initially needs nothing more than love, security, warmth, and good breast milk. Over time, however, this will change, and the child will need to be able to rely entirely on its mother's help if it is to remain a clean and healthy child. Here are some tips on how to care for a child during the first few months.
10 baby care tips from a mother
1. Bathing
In the beginning, it is not at all necessary to bathe the child every day. After birth, the baby is rubbed with the remaining vernix caseosa – the body's own cream that surrounds the baby in the amniotic fluid. This provides the skin with optimal care and prevents dryness. Frequent and daily bathing only harms the baby's skin and dries it out very quickly. Various washing lotions or bath additives are also not recommended for the newborn in the first few months, as they only further disrupt the pH balance. If bathing is essential, a good baby oil or body lotion should be used after drying to rub and nourish the baby's skin. However, if the baby cannot get enough of bathing, this is a lovely evening ritual that many babies love.
2. Cutting fingernails
If the fingernails are already very long in the beginning, you can protect the newborn's face and other parts of the body with small mittens so that it does not scratch itself. Later, the nails can be carefully cut straight across using special nail scissors for toddlers. Do not cut them in an oval shape, as this carries the risk of ingrown nails. It is best to cut the nails when the baby is sleeping – this way, it won't fidget and cannot hurt itself.
3. How much should I dress the baby?
If you are unsure whether your newborn is dressed warmly enough outside, you can use the rule of thumb: "always one layer more than the mother." Feeling the back of the neck can also be helpful – if it is too cold, the child should be dressed in one more layer of clothing; if it is too hot, you are welcome to remove a bodysuit or replace it with other clothing. Feeling the hands and feet, on the other hand, is deceptive – babies often have cold hands or feet, but they are not necessarily cold.
4. Cradle cap
If the child develops so-called "cradle cap" on their head after some time, do not comb it off roughly or with pressure. Rubbing it with plenty of baby oil has proven effective here. After letting it soak in for several hours, it can be easily combed out with a natural hair brush.
5. Protecting the skin
Before going for a walk, the baby's skin should also be cared for. A wind and weather cream prevents drying out in winter, and a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor protects the young skin from burning in summer. In any case, you should apply cream before going out into the fresh air.
6. Airing the diaper area
After changing diapers, the baby's skin should always get enough fresh air in between to avoid soreness. If it does occur, it is recommended to use a good wound healing ointment. Powders or similar preparations should be avoided, as they form clumps when mixed with wound ointment, which only irritates the skin even more.
7. Dental hygiene
Once the first baby teeth have formed later on, it is advisable to start dental hygiene right from the beginning. The use of toothpaste is not yet necessary here; this can wait until the first birthday and should then only be used in small doses.
8. Ear hygiene
You don't need to worry about hygiene in the ear area for the first while. The use of cotton swabs is absolutely discouraged and not recommended because they would only push the dirt back into the small ear canal. If there is dirt outside the ear, it can be removed with a damp cloth. Further cleaning is not recommended, as the ears practically clean themselves.
9. Vitamin D
The regular intake of Vitamin D tablets or so-called D-Fluoretten is also essential. These are important for the child – especially in the winter months when the sun is not shining, the child receives insufficient Vitamin D through UV rays. Furthermore, they are crucial for the supply of calcium and act against rickets.
10. Breast milk
As long as it is possible, the child should be provided with breast milk, as this is best for the child. If this is not possible for personal or natural reasons, it is important to provide the baby with Pre formula or HA-Pre formula – with hypo-allergenic properties – at the beginning. This milk is modeled on breast milk and provides the child with the most important nutrients and vitamins.
Read also:Â Household with baby
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
