Have you welcomed your newborn baby? If so, you must be a very excited person. Having a newborn baby is the first significant achievement that couples can make in life.

But are you a first-time parent? If yes, then know you have a demanding task of parenthood ahead of you. Let's be honest: taking care of children as a first-time parent can be challenging.

When taking care of a baby, you can't manage to make an error. Newborn babies are delicate, and making a mistake could put their lives at risk. However, you must meet all the newborn baby's needs, from feeding, bathing to dressing.

I know by now, taking care of a newborn baby seems like almost an impossible task. It might be challenging, but taking care of a newborn is very easy when armed with appropriate skills. Do you want to gain the skills of taking care of your newborn baby?

Continue reading this article to learn 11 tips for taking care of your newborn baby.

1. Holding the New Born With Care

Do you know that you should never shake a newborn baby? Newborn babies have very weak muscles that cannot support their heads. Shaking a newborn baby puts the baby at risk of developing brain damage.

Now that you know how delicate your baby is, how should you hold them? When holding a baby, first ensure you offer neck support. When taking a walk around the compound, it would be better to use a stroller.

A stroller does not only offer neck support to the newborn, but also comfort. If you have to drive with a newborn in your car, ensure to use a rear-facing car seat for neck support.

2. Burping the Baby

Do you think burping is an effective method of reducing a reflex action for a newborn baby? If you do, then you are wrong. The best way to reduce reflex action among children is by avoiding overfeeding them. This is especially more prevalent If you are feeding a baby formula milk. Read the preparation and feeding instructions carefully, because there is an increased risk of over-feeding. It is best to use a clean organic brand like Holle milk formula which avoids giving the baby unnecessary sugars and preservatives that can cause indigestion.

However, burping is an essential part of feeding a newborn baby.

Burping helps in getting rid of air that babies swallow during feeding. Do you know how you should burp your newborn baby? You just need to hold your babysitting up on your lap.

Then support the chest and the head of the baby with one hand. After that, using your hand in a cuff position, pat the back of your baby until they burp.

3. Sponge Baths

A newborn baby must be bathed regularly to prevent skin rashes and to chafe. Are you planning to bathe your newborn baby? Don't try giving them submerged baths, as their bodies might not support the pressure of the water.

Sponge bathing is the most suitable method of bathing a newborn. All you need is a sponge and lukewarm bathwater. Then gently clean all body parts of your newborn baby.

4. Sleep

Newborn babies spend much of their time sleeping. For this reason, you have to ensure your baby maintains the appropriate sleeping position. The wrong sleeping position for your newborn might put them at the risk of suffering from infant death syndrome.

How do you prevent your newborn baby from getting infant death syndrome? Having your child sleeping on the back or a firm sleeping surface will prevent infant death syndrome from developing. But beware, using pillows, bumpers, and toys to offer support to the head of a newborn is wrong.

5. Dirty Diaper

Dressing your newborn in a diaper is very important in holding off their waste. But make sure to change the diapers frequently. Letting your newborn baby stay with a diaper for prolonged hours puts the baby at the risk of developing diaper dermatitis.

Newborn babies who stay with diapers for long hours also end up developing rashes.

After changing a diaper, ensure to use lukewarm and an air dryer to prevent skin irritation. Then go ahead and dress your baby in the best baby clothes you have and have them looking attractive.

For all your baby clothing needs, Hanna Andersson got you covered.

6. Sanitize Your Hands When Taking Care of a Baby

Newborns usually have a weak immune system, and hence you have to ensure your hands are clean before holding them. For a mother, before breastfeeding, she has to sanitize. If a newborn eats dirt during the breastfeeding process, they can develop a condition known as botulism.

This is a condition that makes the newborn baby vomit and develops facial weakness. Sanitizing before holding a newborn baby is the only way to prevent them from developing botulism.

7. Body Massage

Massaging your newborn helps strengthen the bond. The bond of a mother to a baby is either strengthened through breastfeeding or skin-to-skin contact. Massaging your baby is a good way of creating skin-to-skin contact.

Giving your baby abdominal massage also helps in improving digestion and decreasing gases. Furthermore, a body massage is an effective way of making the baby feel relaxed.

8. Applying Moisturizer

Applying moisturizer is very important, especially for babies living in a dry climate. Applying moisturizer helps in softening and nourishing the skin of the newborn baby.

However, when applying moisturizer, avoid using unscented and non-comedogenic moisturizers. Scented and comedogenic moisturizers are not safe to use as they can cause skin irritation.

9. Umbilical Cord Stump Care

Taking care of the umbilical cord stump is very important after a baby is born. If the umbilical cord stump is not well cared for, it can develop infections. Dry code care under very minimal manipulation of the umbilical cord is an excellent way to prevent infection.

It would be best if you cleaned the area around the umbilical cord stump regularly for proper hygiene.

10. Trimming Nails

Most parents find it surprising how the nails of the newborn grow fast. Long nails in your newborn are risky, as they can scratch their faces or eyes. For this reason, you need to trim the newborn nails regularly.

The nails of newborns are usually soft. Hence, you have to use a baby nail clipper and be very gentle.

11. Vaccinations

The immune system of newborns is usually fragile, thus making them prone to diseases. Having your baby vaccinated is the best way to prevent them from contracting some common infectious diseases.

To boost your newborn's immunity, make sure they get Vitamin K, as all infants have a deficiency of vitamin K. You should also have your newborn vaccinated against diseases such as Hepatitis B.

Apply the Above Essential Tips for Taking Care of a Baby

Taking care of a baby as a first-time parent is an arduous task. That is why you need to be prepared with key tips to get you started on your parenting journey. If you use the above tips, taking care of your child will become easy-peasy.

Did you enjoy reading this article? If so, check out more informative blog posts from our website.