Top Tips on Caring for Your Newborn

‍Feeding‍

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However you choose to feed your baby, it is important to feed them whenever they show hunger cues, for as long as they want; this is responsive feeding. Becoming familiar with your baby’s feeding cues such as rooting,tongue movements, rapid eye movements, head bobbing and sucking on their fists or fingers, can help to prevent them from crying, which is a last resort cue. If bottle feeding, allow them to take as much or as little feed as they choose -don’t force them to finish a bottle. If breastfeeding, a good guide is 8 to 12 feeds in 24 hours in the early weeks lasting between 5 and 40 mins each feed depending on how efficient a feeder they are.

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Skin-to-skin contact‍

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Spending time with baby in skin-to-skin contact (baby naked against your or your partner’s bare chest) straight after birth is one of the most important things you can do. This:

·      Calms you and your baby, regulates their temperature, breathing and heart rate

·      Aids bonding

·      Initiates and supports breastfeeding

·      Kickstarts baby’s microbiome by transferring beneficial bacteria, fungi, and viruses from you to

them. Continuing skin-to-skin contact at home is highly recommended by us and can be done anytime either of you need or want that extra close bonding time.‍

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Sleeping position‍

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Following The Lullaby Trust’s advice which has been adopted throughout the NHS:

DO

·      Place baby in the ‘feet to foot’ position, with their feet at the end of the cot.

·      Always place your baby on their back to sleep (not on their front or side).

·      Have your baby in the same room as you for the first six months.

·      Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress that is in good condition.

·      The room temperature should be between 16 and 20°C.‍

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DO NOT

·      Use any cot bumpers, soft toys, pillows, and duvets in the cot.

·      Sleep in the same bed as your baby if you or a partner smoke, drink or have taken drugs or medications that make you drowsy, are extremely tired, if your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks) or had a low birth weight (2.5kg or 5½ lbs or less)

·      Sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby as this increases the risk of suffocation

·      Smoke during pregnancy or while you are breastfeeding, and don't let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby

·      Let your baby get too hot or too cold – keeping the room temperature around 16-20 degrees is ideal. You can check baby’s temperature by feeling their chest, tummy, or the back of their neck (your baby’s hands and feet will usually be cooler, which is normal).

·      Blankets and bedding should be tucked around the base of the mattress to reduce the risk of baby kicking them over their heads and should come no higher than their armpits with arms left free‍

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Caring for Baby’s skin

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‍Baby’s skin is approximately 30% thinner than yours making it more vulnerable to damage, so we advise:

·      Avoid bathing baby for at least 24 hours but the longer the better – a top and tail is more than enough in the first few weeks

·      Test the temperature of the water before putting your baby into a bath – use a bath thermometer ideally (37-38 degrees C)

·      Use only skincare products that have been designed specifically for baby’s skin – avoid any products with perfumes, essential oils, colourings, or chemical nasties

·      Always moisturise them following a top and tail or a bath – babies’ skin needs extra hydration

·      NEVER leave a baby in a bath unattended –drowning can occur in even an inch of water‍

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Signs of an unwell baby and when to seek advice‍

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Trust your instinct and seek advice from your Midwife, GP, or local A&E if you have any concerns about your baby’s health. Symptoms to look out for that may indicate an unwell baby include (but are not limited to):

·      Temperature above 38°C or below 36°C

·      Changes to feeding patterns

·      Sleeping more than usual

·      Reduced urine output

·      Pale, mottled, or blue skin, or they have a new rash

·      Differences to their breathing (faster, slower, noisy with grunting or ‘tugging’ in at their chest)

·      Bruising, swellings, or bleeding

·      Bulging fontanelles

·      Irritability

·      Any new or excessive vomiting

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