Everyday Advice for New Parents Part 1

Are you pregnant with your first child, an expectant mother and father, or just a new parent trying to handle the ever increasing stress posed by your new baby; perhaps you’re just hoping that one day you’d become that good parent that you have always dreamed of, let’s take a ride in this journey of parenting that you never taught was necessary until you were faced with reality. It’s a pleasure to provide you with that information that will help you achieve that your age-long dream of contributing to the nurturing of a new generation, just as your parents did.

Make no mistake about this: parenting it’s not and has never been an easy task. Despite the usual joy, the feeling of fulfillment, and the bonding that comes with parenting, almost everyone at one time or the other will have a need to ask a silly question about a certain unwholesome and stressful aspect of it that will inevitably come to play.

Most new parents make that mistake of thinking that theirs is peculiar and unacceptable, and as such more harm is often done to a situation that ordinarily is nothing to worry about. Some of these situations are what we shall be examining here to help you and many others that are in this category.

The Initial Fear and Anxiety:- every one of us is guilty of this anxious feeling over certain conditions and circumstances in the life of our dear Babies. So if you’re a new mom, be assured that sooner, you’d have a share on this, even while you listen to older parents make a joke of it as if they’re not seeing what you’re showing them.

Very funny indeed if those making a joke of a perceived serious situation is your closest confidant. The issue could be anything from baby vomiting to irregular or more frequent bowel movement. Experts are of the opinion that most new parents worry too much over some issues, adding also that the anxiety so created has a way of affecting the child; as he or she also becomes aware of the parent’s anxiety. Nature is so kind to us, so they said, as babies seem stronger than we had always thought.

As a parent, knowing that you can handle a lot of things about your new vocation, would definitely help you stay calm, when necessary in this journey of parenting.

When babies cry, for instance, they do so because they’re designed to cry, not because you did something wrong. It’s their way of talking to us, and as usual, we’re meant to look for a solution for their cry.  If everything seems right about your baby and yet, the cry persists, then you can let the doctor in on that for a possible medical condition.

It’s not uncommon to find parents waking up their newborn from sleep in order to breastfeed them during the night, fearing perhaps that the breast milk is not enough as to serve the baby throughout the night. But this is not always right as medical experts believe that infants are capable of sleeping thru the night.

There is also a usual misperception between vomiting and spit-up. While spit-up is more often a result of feeding and is usually done forcefully, you will recognize vomiting with its frequency; meaning that a gastrointestinal virus infected baby is likely to vomit within every 45 minutes.

On body temperature, Babies do have a fever but if a fever is above 100.4 rectally within the first three months of birth, it’s a serious source of concern that requires an emergency, unless that which comes within 24hrs of first immunization.

Self-medication in an early year of your baby is very wrong because their immune system is not fully developed to independently handle the infection.

With the stress that is characteristics of new parenting, we often forget that our baby’s teeth need attention. Regularly Dentists has advised that your infant is not supposed to be given milk in bed, once you notice an offshoot of teeth, as doing that increases cavities issues. Damp gauze will be useful in cleaning the gums until your baby is a year old, then you can get an appropriate toothbrush; and as a way of ensuring sound oral health, ensure that your baby is having enough fluoride. Usually present in water, fluoride help stop cavities.

With the fear and tension obviously building up within your first childbirth, you’re naturally inclined to deviate from the marital duties. Commenting on this a psychologist John C. Friel noted: “staying connected within the marriage, when you first have a child is really important…”   adding that parent must regulate in a moderate manner the way they fight or suppress anger in front of their baby, since according to him, even a 3 months old baby is able to pick up feelings.

As a rule, avoid unreliable sources for any parenting-related advice, and only apply that from a reliable authority.  In any case, learn to do things your own way, regardless of the number unsolicited advice that you might be getting from all angle. Do what the doctor says and stick to instructions. The rest should be your instinct, as no one knows the actual situation better than you…