We wish to congratulate you on the birth of your new baby. While this is an exciting time for you and your family, it can also be overwhelming. Please take a few moments to review the following information about your new infant.
Breastfeeding is still the BEST nutrition for your baby in most instances no matter what the formula companies say! See our breastfeeding info page!
Do not be afraid to tell visitors that you and/or your baby are too tired for a visit. This is YOUR time to bond with your baby and you cannot do this with a constant stream of visitors.
Do allow your mother or mother-in-law or another special friend to help you with basic household chores and/or changing diapers, but feeding time should be just for mommy, daddy and baby (and big brother or sister)
Do not be afraid to tell all visitors to wash their hands before holding the baby. This is the most important way to reduce the spread of infection to your newborn. It also will limit your exposure to germs/viruses -- you cannot take care of your newborn adequately if you are sick.
Do not let ANYONE smoke in your house or car. Smoking anywhere in the house (even in another room) will increase your infant’s chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Please remember to place your infant to sleep on his/her back. This is the most important way we know to prevent SIDS.
There are also a few things we would like you to know about your infant’s health:
All newborn babies will spit up some – sometimes it will even come out of the nose – be sure to have a clean suction bulb at all times to clean out the nose if this happens.
Most newborns will also have a variety of rashes that come and go, especially on the face. This is because their skin is so sensitive during the first few months. The best thing to do is to clean the face with a cotton ball and some cool water. The fewer creams and oils you use on the face, the less it will break out.
All newborns will strain when having stools because their tummy muscles are not strong yet. Their stools should be soft to runny, but not hard balls, and can be a variety of colors.
A newborn infant cannot fight off infections well and so you should call the doctor immediately if your newborn is under 2 months of age and has a temp. above 100.3 rectal. You should have a digital thermometer and take the temp. in the rectum. An ear thermometer is NOT an acceptable substitute in the newborn period. After 2 months of age, a fever is no longer an emergency as they are then able to better fight infections.
All newborns will have some congestion in their noses as they make mucous to clean out the nose just like we do. Because an infant cannot blow its nose, it will sneeze frequently to clean out the nose. You may use saline nose drops and the bulb syringe to clean out your baby’s nose.