Infants often have their days and nights mixed up. You can help your baby to sleep a little longer at night by making night time a boring time to wake up. Don't talk to your baby or sing to her when she wakens. Try to keep the room dark at night. Use a nightlight instead of turning on bright lights.
Sometimes parents do things at night like changing diapers and burping - that wake up the baby. Then it is difficult for the baby to go back to sleep. So, you may want to skip one diaper change in the middle of the night to avoid waking your baby. You can use extra diaper ointment to protect your baby's skin.
Parents often think they should keep their newborn babies awake during the daytime to help them sleep better at night. Actually babies who sleep better in the day time are learning how to lengthen the intervals between feedings - and, so, they sleep better at night. "Sleep begets sleep" is the phrase some people use to remind parents that babies need to be sleeping - day and night.
You may have noticed that newborn babies sleep better when they are being held. Do not be afraid to let someone hold your baby so both of you can sleep better and longer. You will not be teaching your baby bad sleep "habits". Rather, your baby will be learning she can stretch out her sleep without needing to wake for a feeding. Holding a sleeping baby is a great "job" for grandparents and other relatives - and then parents can sleep better, too.
FEEDING
Babies normally spit up a few teaspoons of milk after every feeding. They can sometimes throws up what appears to be their entire feeding. If your baby throws up once a day, do not be concerned. If she throws up more than once a day, please call your doctor.
Babies often swallow air while feeding, so burping them is helpful. But if your baby does not burp for several minutes, you do not need to keep trying. (Breastfed babies often need less burping.)
Babies also hiccup frequently. You might have noticed that your baby hiccupped before he was born. Sometimes feeding your baby will help stop the hiccups. But if this does not help, you do not need to worry. Fortunately, babies do not seem to be bothered by hiccups and they can often eat and sleep even while they have hiccups. So there is no need for treatment.
Babies have frequent bowel movements, usually after every feeding. Breastfed infants have watery yellow stools that look like mustard paste or scrambled eggs. This is normal and is not diarrhea.
CLOTHING
Babies' hands and feet can look blue or feel cold. This is because their circulation is still immature. It does not necessarily mean that your baby is cold. You can feel her neck to see if she is comfortable or you can take her temperature.
When you are not holding your baby, keep a hat on his head to prevent him from losing too much heat. He needs as many layers of clothes as you have, plus a blanket. When you are holding your baby, he will not need the blanket or hat because he will feel your body's warmth. Be careful not to bundle your baby too much. Making your baby too warm is just as dangerous as letting him become cold.
If you use disposable diapers, you may notice tiny beads of gel on your baby's skin. This is just the absorbent material from the diaper and is not dangerous.
PHILOSOPHY OF PARENTING
There are many different ways to parent your child. Your ideas are formed by your culture, your own background and how you were parented as a child, your temperament, and your attitudes. Your partner will usually have a different approach to parenting. This is normal. We encourage you to begin now to talk about your different ideas so you can both feel comfortable caring for your baby.
BEHAVIOR
Babies will begin to spend more time awake during the day. This is the time to talk and sing with your baby. He will enjoy looking at your face and seeing bright colors. Some babies easily become overwhelmed by all the new things they are seeing and hearing. After a very busy day, some babies will be more irritable or fussy. So plan some quiet time for you and your baby.
Many babies grunt and groan before they have a bowel movement or before they pass gas. They may also draw their legs up tightly, turn bright red in the face, and cry. The babies act as if they are in pain. We do not know why babies behave this way, but we know this is normal for most babies. Some parents think this means the baby has gas. If you would like to try Mylicon drops for your baby, it is safe to do so before using any herbal teas, please check with your doctor.
SLEEPING
Newborn babies sleep a lot. They can breathe very irregularly when asleep and can sound congested. This is normal because babies must breathe through their noses until they are 4 months old. Babies make a lot of noises and move around when they sleep. Parents often differ on their ideas about where the baby should sleep. Some people feel strongly that babies should always be close to their parents. Others believe that babies should sleep in a separate crib. Wherever your baby sleep, please make sure that your baby is safe.
Always place your infant on her back to sleep.
If your baby is sleeping in a crib or bassinet:
- The mattress should fit very tightly next to the sides.
- You should not use pillows or heavy blankets.
- The crib should not have decorations or toys that could strangle or trap the baby.
If your baby sleeps with you:
- Do not sleep on a water mattress.
- Do not use heavy blankets.
- Take all side rails and head boards off the bed so the baby will not become trapped.
- Move your bed away from the wall to avoid trapping your baby.
- Never sleep with your baby if you smoke, use drugs or alcohol.
Never sleep with your baby on a couch or chair with soft pillows.
UCSF Mount Zion Medical Center
