Tips for Parents of a Newborn

Welcome to the world, newborn baby! Parents, here are some tips for the first month.

Fever - temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a sign of infection. Call for advice or go to ED if under 1 month old. Once older than a month, a fever is not as urgent and can be seen in the office.

Belly button - Infected if a lot of redness, hardness, and a large amount of green-white discharge pouring out. It’s normal for the belly button to appear a little wet or have dried blood when the umbilical stump is detaching typically around 2-3 weeks old. This small amount of blood or wetness would dry up a couple days after umbilical stump detaches. Before stump detaches, give baby a sponge bath every few days. Then, once the stump has detached, then may give baby a full bath.

Vitamin D supplement drops should be given for any breastfed baby. That is available over the counter. Studies showed that even if a mother take vitamin D supplement herself, inadequate amount transfers to the breastmilk. However, if your baby is only formula fed, then the formula should have adequate Vitamin D without needing the supplement.

Cough - Persistent coughing is not normal and should be seen at the office. But hiccoughs and sneezing are normal sounds.

Nasal congestion - This is normal. If it seems to affect the breathing while eating, then you may clear the nose by using nasal saline spray once on each side, then suction out any mucus with a bulb syringe or Nose Frita. A humidifier may help nasal congestion as well.

Spit ups - About 99.9% of newborns have spit ups of varying degrees. It could be related to reflux which is very common, or gas. Keep the baby upright for 20-30 minutes after feeding. Burp between ounces or breasts when nursing, and burp after feeding, and burp again 5 minutes afterwards. Sometimes switching formula to a sensitive or soy formula may help. Rarely, if it causes extreme fussiness or poor weight gain, a medication may be prescribed or a referral made to see a specialist. Rarely it is a sign of something more serious. Therefore, be patient, know you will deal with soiled clothes for a while, and spit ups should resolve after 4-6 months old.

Emotional care for the mom is important. Your physical health, your mental health, and stress affects the newborn. Take help when it’s offered if you know it will lessen stress. Ask for help. Communicate with your spouse/family.

Be ready to feel the positives or negatives. Be aware if you need help and accept it from others. You may feel a sense of lost identity as a mom but know you will find yourself again whether it takes a few weeks or months. It’s ok if you feel unproductive at the end of the day. As long as you have done the task of feeding and changing your newborn, you’ve done your duty. Every mom and every baby is different, so you could read a lot but you may not fit the mold. It’s not too late to try something new (whether related to nursing if you choose to do that, or sleeping, etc). Don’t worry, it’ll be good soon. Your baby is not trying to give you a hard time, he’s or she’s just having a hard time. Nursing could make you sleepy. Be kind to yourself.