Do you want to receive relevant advice on how to take care of a baby? Read these tips and learn why it is important to foster your baby’s development with activities.
Parents, especially new ones, may have many doubts about how to take care of a baby. For example, it is common not to know how to bathe a newborn or how often to breastfeed them.
These and other precautions are important for your little one to develop healthily. In addition, caregivers must communicate with their pediatrician to receive the most appropriate recommendations for each stage of their child’s development.
As we want to help you in this process, we will share 4 helpful tips with you. Remember that each baby develops differently. However, these suggestions may be useful for learning how to take care of a baby and give them all the affection and love in the world.
4 Tips On How To Take Care Of a Baby
Some of the main questions that may arise are why is your baby crying and how to support their development with appropriate activities. Learn more about each of these topics!
1. Learn How Often To Breastfeed Your Little One
To begin with, it is recommended to feed your baby whenever they’re hungry. To do this, you can identify certain signs of hunger, such as opening their mouth, moving their head to the side, sticking out their tongue, and caressing your breasts. Also, your baby might start crying too, but that’s a later sign.
When a baby is still a newborn, they must be breastfed every 1.5 to 3 hours. In the first and second months, the frequency can be reduced to seven or nine times a day. Feeding your baby can take 5 to 40 minutes; there is no exact time. When they’re satisfied, they’re more likely to be calmer and more sleepy.
2. Learn How To Bathe Your Baby
When bathing your baby, never leave them alone and pay attention at all times to avoid any accidents. Also, give your newborn “sponge baths” until the stump of the umbilical cord falls off.
To do this, prepare a plastic container with warm water, two towels (one for the water and one for soap), cotton, wet wipes, a clean diaper, and a change of clothes. You can also use baby soap or shampoo.
Undress your child, leave them in a diaper, and wrap them in a towel. Clean their eyes with moist cotton. Then, use the washcloth to clean their face. The head region can be washed two or three times a week.
Afterward, you can place your little one’s head over the sink (with a little water) and use a small amount of shampoo. Then, clean the neck region with downward motions. Uncover one body part at a time so your baby doesn’t get cold. When your little one is clean, dry them off, and dress them.
After the stump falls off, you can bathe your baby in a clean tub or sink. Pour 2 inches of warm water; be careful that it is not too hot. Have a hooded towel, soap, a container to pour water, a change of clothes, and a clean diaper at hand.
Hold your baby tight, as they may squirm a bit when entering the water. Start by putting their feet in the tub. Use a washcloth to clean their face. When rinsing, use your hands to keep water from getting into their eyes, nose, and mouth. Then, wash the rest of the body. It may not be necessary to use soap every day.
It is recommended to clean the genital region without soap. If your baby is a boy, avoid moving the foreskin. When you’re done, take your little one out of the water, wrap them in the towel, and put on their diaper and clothes.
3. Understand Why Your Baby Cries
Your baby may cry for a variety of reasons. As we have already mentioned, one of them is hunger. In this case, the baby’s crying may be more repetitive and they will search for your breast. Therefore, calm them before breastfeeding so that they’re not too fussy and swallow air, which can cause gas.
It is also common for a baby to start crying when they’re very tired. You may notice them rubbing their eyes and yawning. Another recurring reason for newborns to cry is their need to be held. Your child needs a lot of physical contact, so pick them up or put them in a sling and hug them.
4. Support Your Baby’s Development With Appropriate Activities
Learning how to take care of a baby also implies knowing some activities that can promote skills during different stages of development. In the Kinedu app, you’ll find appropriate stimuli and play activities for each stage of development
For example, if your baby has colic, you can do the Tummy massage activity. This recommends massaging and bringing your baby’s legs towards their belly. On the other hand, if your baby cries because they’re tired, you can check out Kinedu and get tips on how to calm down your baby with activities like Gentle rocking. With this, it is possible to help your little one fall asleep peacefully.
Consult With Your Pediatrician Regularly
In addition to the advice we shared with you, you must visit a pediatrician regularly. You can even ask them about the frequency of appointments.
After reading this article, you learned more about how to take care of a baby by following some essential tips. These recommendations can help you understand your child’s crying, know when to breastfeed them, and how to bathe them. You also understood the importance of supporting your little one’s development with age-appropriate activities.
Did you like learning how to take care of a baby? Take the opportunity to download the Kinedu app for free and access 1,800+ activities created by early childhood development experts!
