Organic Baby Blog – News & Tips on Organic Parenting

Newborn Care – What You Should Know About

July 28th, 2010

Your newborn baby will probably look wrinkled and slightly blotchy at first. When he is born his skin may have a bluish tinge and the legs may even be a different colour to the rest of his body. This will only last for a short time, until oxygen from the lungs has hard time to reach the bloodstream. You may also find patches of dry skin. Eyes may be reddish and slightly swollen and your baby may still be covered with vernix, the greasy white substance which has been protecting the skin from becoming waterlogged by the amniotic fluid. There may also be a covering of lanugo, fine hair which covers the shoulders, upper arms, and legs.

Your baby’s head may look too big for his body. It is usually about one-quarter of the total body length and it may be a slightly odd shape because of the pressure that was put on it during the birth. His features may also appear slightly flattened from being squeezed through the pelvis. Your baby’s head may be covered with very thin hair or have a thick thatch that stands up on end.

An increase in female hormones from the placenta just before birth affects both boys and girls and your baby’s genitals may be enlarged and breasts may appear slightly swollen.

It is quite usual for the breasts of both boys and girls to have a milky discharge; girls may have a slight vaginal discharge as well. All these features will disappear over the next few weeks.

Newborn Baby Size

Although the average weight of a baby at birth is 3.4kg/7Mlb, wide variations occur so, assuming that your baby was born around the estimated date of delivery (EDO), it could weigh anything between 2.5-4.5kg. Your baby’s weight is determined by a lot of factors, including your size and the size of your partner, how much weight you put on in pregnancy, and your general health.

Your baby is quite likely to lose weight during the first week. This is because it takes a little while for regular feeding to become properly stablished. Once an infant is feeding well his weight should remain stable for a couple of days and then, within seven to 10 days, he will regain his birth weight. A baby’s weight gain is one of the easiest ways of telling whether he is thriving.

The average length of a newborn is between 48—51cm/19—20n, but as with weight, this can vary, although most babies are somewhere between 45-55cm/18-22in.

Newborn Baby Crying

Your baby may make his first cry as soon as his chest has been delivered, others wait until they have been born or until they start to breathe normally. These first cries are often not much more than a whimper and the full-bodied cry follows later. A baby may look red and angry while crying, but this is quite normal. Crying is a baby’s way of communicating as well as a means of exercising his lungs.

Hunger is the main reason for a newborn to cry, but being lonely, wet, or tired will also make a baby cry. Some babies cry because they don’t like being undressed, others when they are immersed in water. Some babies are more fretful than others so they cry more. You will quickly learn to recognize why your baby is crying and the best way to soothe him.

Special Care For Newborns

If your baby is born several weeks early, the birth weight is low, or your child needs extra care for any other reason, he may be put in the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU). Here the infant will be monitored so that he gets all the special treatment required. It can be distressing to see your baby in a special care unit, especially it he is surrounded by an array of strange equipment. Ask the staff to explain what the equipment is for and why your baby needs it. Try to spend as much time as you can with your baby in special care because, even if you can’t pick him up and hold him, your baby will be able to hear your voice and it will soothe him. You will probably be able to touch your baby through the side of the incubator.

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How to Dress Your Newborn Properly

July 21st, 2010

There are baby clothes to fit every size of newborn, from the tiny premature baby to the bouncing 10-pounder. Most baby clothes are sized by the approximate age and height of the child. Your baby probably won’t require a great number of first-size clothes and may well grow into the next size within a matter of weeks — some babies are even big enough when born to go straight into second-size clothes.

Dressing and undressing your newborn can be difficult enough without having to worry about doing up complicated fastenings, so keep first clothes simple and save buttons and bows until later. Choose well-designed baby clothes that allow you to dress and undress your baby with the minimum of fuss. Look for garments that have wide, envelope necks that will stretch, so that you can slip them over baby’s head easily. Stretchsuits which have fastenings up the inside leg will allow you to change a nappy without having to remove all your baby’s clothes. All-in-one bodysuits, which fasten between the legs, will prevent your baby from getting cold around the middle and are ideal if you dress your baby in separates.

If you have a girl you may well be tempted to put her in dresses from the beginning, but dresses are not practical everyday wear for a young baby. They ride up and can be uncomfortable to He on, they will allow draughts in around her middle, and they get in the way when she is starting to crawl. It is better to save them for special occasions or for when she’s older.

Lacy jackets and shawls are best avoided too, as little fingers can get caught in the holes.

As your baby grows, colourful rompers and dungarees can take the place of stretchsuits. They are versatile and are suitable for both boys and girls. Rompers, which are really stretchsuits without feet, are easy to wear as they allow your baby freedom of movement. When you buy dungarees make sure that they have generous turn-ups and adjustable shoulder straps so that you get the maximum wear out of them.

When the weather is warm, babies need to be dressed in clothes that will keep them comfortably cool, and you should always cover their heads with a sun hat if you are out and about. Outerwear for cold days should be roomy enough to fit easily over everyday clothes.

Easy-care Fabrics

Your baby is quite likely to get through as many as three or four changes a day so it makes sense to buy clothes made in easy-care fabrics that will wash and wear well. Check the labels before buying and avoid any garments that are going to need special treatment. Choose natural fabrics as these are best for warmth and absorbency. Pure organic cotton is ideal for your baby’s underwear and also her stretchsuits.

Whether you are machine- or hand-washing garments, always follow the instructions on the labels so that your baby’s clothes retain their shape, color, and texture. Avoid using “biological” washing powders as these may irritate your baby’s skin. It is important that all clothes are well aired and completely dry before being put away.

Tags: clothes, newborn
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Caring for Your Newborn Baby

July 14th, 2010

Your newborn baby will seem fragile at first, but is actually quite tough. It is natural to be worried about how to pick your new baby up and hold him without hurting him in any way. Before you pick up your baby make sure that you have his head and neck supported with one hand, then slide the other hand underneath his back and bottom to support the lower part of his body before lifting. Hold your baby firmly against you, either cradled against your chest with one arm still supporting the head and the other holding the bottom and lower back, or cradled in your arms with your baby’s head King in the crook of one arm while your other arm supports his back and legs. Always keep any movements gentle so that you don’t hurt or frighten your baby.

The Newborn Baby at Delivery

Your baby will also be weighed and measured by the doctor and will probably receive the first of three doses of vitamin K, by mouth, to prevent a rare bleeding illness which occasionally affects newborn babies. A second dose is given at 10 days and a third at six weeks. Vitamin K is given by injection to very premature babies or those who have had a traumatic birth.

After the birth, the umbilical cord will be cut and a plastic clamp placed about l-2cm from the infant’s body. Over the next few days the cord will shrivel up and after about a week it will drop off com­pletely. During this time the area around the cord should be kept dry and clean to avoid the risk of infection. Try to let the air get to the healing navel as much as possible so that moisture from wet nappies doesn’t affect it.

Some babies are born with a lot of hair, others arrive almost bald. Any first hair that a baby has will rub off within a couple of months, but this will be replaced with new hair growth. The new hair may be a different color.

Most white babies are born with eyes that appear to be blue-grey in color. This is because melanin, the body’s natural pigment, is not present in the eyes until some weeks afterbirth. Babies with brown or black skins may have brown eyes at birth. If your baby’s eyes are going to change color this will gradually happen over a period of weeks or even months.

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