What You Need to Know – The First 10 Days of an Infants Life.

Now you have carried that precious baby around in that gorgeous bump for nine months and the baby is finally here! He is smaller than you imagined, very fragile, and all too cute you can kiss his toes forever. You most likely stare at him every chance you get and want to hold him every minute. This feeling is one that cannot be described no matter how hard you try. That gorgeous little human is yours and you cannot be any more grateful.

However, the moment you leave the hospital it all gets real! Like really real! Now you have to care for this little one the best way you possibly can. You might feel overwhelmed and tired but here’s what you have to know about a baby’s first 10 days in the world and what you need to do to pull through.

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1. There Will be Sleepless Nights;

You know how every mom tells you one of the most challenging aspects of having a newborn is the sleepless night? Well, that’s very true. For a while, you wouldn’t know what uninterrupted sleep feels like. Not until your baby has gotten to a certain age – that is if he becomes a good sleeper or you train him to sleep all night.

I’m not saying all this to scare you. Some mothers have had babies that sleep all night. So fingers crossed, you may just be that lucky. However, if your baby doesn’t sleep all night which is totally normal because the baby has to feed every hour or two, you can still find a way to balance it out getting you some well-deserved rest so you do not feel too tired.

Solutions;

The advice everyone tells you “sleep when the baby is asleep” couldn’t be any more accurate and helpful. Some mothers tend to catch up on house chores or other things when the baby sleeps. DON’T – yes, other things around the home need to be done but catching up with them every time baby is asleep would only tire you out more giving you little to no time to rest. Sleep when the baby sleeps and strap baby on in a sling or carrier to do house chores when you have to – a bit of untidiness here and there every now isn’t more important than your mental health. Baby sleeps quite a lot during the day so you have some time to rest. That way you can have enough energy at night when baby wakes up frequently.
Take turns with daddy to care for the baby.
Put baby close to you at night. Maybe with a next2me side crib, or a co sleeper, or simply a travel bed beside so you do not necessarily have to get up when the baby wakes up and it’s easier for the both of you to go back to sleep.
Always keep light dim and low so as not to wake the baby up completely. This would also make the baby know the difference between day and night
Feed baby immediately he wakes up so he can drift back to sleep faster. Most importantly, always burp baby before putting him back to sleep.

2. Frequent Dirty Diaper;

A newborn poops around the clock. It is not abnormal or uncommon to have baby poop after every feed especially breastfed babies, however, it evens out as the baby grows older most common from 3weeks of age. However the consistency and color determine if it needs medical attention or not because baby’s poop should be soft. Hard and dry poop indicates constipation. The color of a baby’s stool in his first week goes from greenish-black on the first day to greenish-yellow in the first few days to yellowish-brown at the end of the week so do not be alarmed at the changes.

Recommendation;

To make changing episodes easier, always have your diaper and wipes ready and close to you or easily reachable at all times
Wear baby clothes with buttons or zipper at the bottom of the clothing (like this onesie) to allow easy and quick access to change the baby. E.g onesies and bodysuit
Always change baby immediately to prevent rash.

3. Baby Should be Given a Bath Daily;

Some mothers decide to give the newborn a bath from the first day while others choose to dry clean with a face towel till the baby is a bit older. Whichever method you choose to follow is okay as long as baby is cleaned at least once a day.

Recommendation;

Baby bath water should be lukewarm. You can use a bath thermometer to determine if the water is safe enough to be used. Some bathtubs like this 4moms infant tub or this Aquascale 3-in-1 bath have a thermometer installed in them, it even has a digital scale too(win-win!)
You should have a safe bathtub for newborn or with a newborn insert
Bath environment should be safe

4. Baby Will Sleep All Day;

There would come a time where you would literally get worried and go in several times to check if the baby is okay. Babies sometimes sleep for long hours during the day, some can go as long as 14 hours a day. This like I stated earlier should be to your advantage and you should sleep as much as you can when the baby is asleep. It is normal as babies tend to sleep all day and wake up more frequently at night. However, that would stabilize over time.

Recommendation;

Create a conducive and safe environment for baby to sleep
Use a baby monitor if you would be some distance away from baby’s room
Be sure to put baby down quick enough when he falls asleep to not make baby used to being carried when asleep as that can make it tougher for baby to stay asleep later on
Baby should always sleep facing up as baby sleeping on their belly can cause Sudden Infant Death and is not safe for the baby.

5. Baby Feeds A lot;

A breastfed baby feeds as much as every hour or two while a bottle-fed baby can go a little bit longer. This is as a result of their small stomach as it can only take up as much and because it is liquid, it digests faster and they tend to be hungry more often.

Recommendation;

Bottle Fed Babies

A formula maker can make your life a whole lot easier. With the push of a button, the milk is ready to feed. This is a plus as the formula is made with the water being the right temperature and it promotes hygiene as anyone can easily make a bottle for the baby.
Burp baby after feeding
Wash and sterilize baby bottles after every feed.

Breast Fed Babies

Ensure proper latch and make sure baby is getting enough milk to reduce the frequency of feeding
Use a breast pump to know how much milk baby is taking
Burp baby after feeding
For mothers with inverted nipples, using a nipple shield is a lifesaver and would make baby suck properly
Use Lanolin nipple cream to help with sore nipples

6. Baby’s Cry Requires Attention;

Most times a baby cries for one of these reasons;

When the baby is hungry
The baby needs a diaper change
Baby needs to burp
Baby wants to sleep

If you have done all of the above and baby’s still crying or uncomfortable, strip baby naked completely, redress or change clothes. If he still isn’t calm, contact your doctor.

7. Baby Needs Lots of Love;

Baby can never get too much love, cuddles, and kisses. There are no recommendations here, only make sure baby always feels safe, loved, and wanted. Sing to baby or tell him a story every now and then. It is normal to feel overwhelmed so always ask for help from family and friends you trust whenever you can.

Most importantly, don’t beat yourself up when you do not do things the right way or forget stuff. You are new to this and some hiccups are bound to occur. That in no way makes you a bad mother. Do not compare yourself to other new mothers and do not let anyone make you feel bad about your parenting. As long as you are trying, pat yourself on the back, you brought that little bundle of joy to the world and you are a fantastic mother.