Babies do not come with an owner's manual. Many new parents are left confused and overwhelmed when dealing with crying, feeding and sleeping issues. Newborn babies are a lot of work, but the most important thing any parent can do is to remember that it is only temporary. By the end of the first three months, most babies are eating and sleeping well and the new parents have learned to decipher their cries like old pros.
Babies cry. What is not always as clear is why they cry. Determining why a baby is crying is the most daunting--and most important--ask a new parent faces.
Babies cry when they are hungry. A newborn baby usually eats every two hours. His tummy is very small and cannot hold enough milk to keep him full for longer. If baby is crying and it has been around two hours since his last meal, offer him a meal.
Babies cry when they are uncomfortable. Discomfort may be caused by a wet diaper, a scratchy fabric, loud noises, bright lights, being too cold or too hot or being lonely. Pay attention to the things that make baby uncomfortable and try to avoid them.
Babies cry when they are gassy. Make sure to burp baby very well after each feeding. Lay baby on his tummy across your legs and rub his back if he still seems to be in pain. This will often reduce gas and eliminate crying.
Babies cry sometimes for absolutely no reason. They have no other way to communicate, and sometimes they cry because that is the only thing they can do. When babies cry and no other solution seems to calm them, just hold the baby while he cries; if this doesn't calm the baby, try playing soft music and minimizing sensory input. A baby who is fussy usually just wants the comfort of someone who is there to hold him while he lets it all out. If baby's crying is making you tense, baby will sense it. In this case, it is best to put baby down in his crib and walk away for a few minutes to calm yourself down.
Feeding a newborn baby takes up most of the day during the first month. Babies eat very often, sometimes up to twelve times per day. The first few weeks, you may feel like all you do is feed your new baby.
Babies need either breast milk or formula. While most professionals agree that breast milk is best, there are many situations where breast milk is not an option. Babies who grow up on formula are not at a disadvantage in later life, so a mother who needs to use formula should not feel guilty.
Breastfed babies will probably eat a little bit more often than formula fed babies. Formula is heavier and will make the baby feel full longer. A formula fed baby will take about two ounces at a time, gradually increasing to four ounces per feeding over the first three months. Formula fed babies take about twenty minutes or so to take a bottle. Breastfed babies may stay at the breast as long as an hour in the early days but by three months, she will become efficient at getting the milk faster and feedings should be closer to 20 minutes.
Sleeping like a baby is a misleading phrase. The truth is that babies do not sleep very much. Babies tend to cat nap. Because newborns eat every two hours or so, they generally sleep less than two hours at a time. Babies will usually have one time of day when they will sleep a longer stretch, usually not more than four hours. In the beginning, that stretch is most often during the day. Babies need to be taught that nighttime is for sleeping; they do not know this at birth.
To encourage babies to sleep at night, keep lights dim and sounds soft when they wake to eat in the night. During the day, keep baby in well lit rooms, with plenty of natural light. This will help your baby discover the difference between night and day and eventually that long stretch of sleep will happen in the night rather than in the daytime.
Babies often have trouble falling asleep. Swaddling baby and rocking him to sleep often helps. White noise also helps babies to sleep and to stay asleep longer because they do not hear the other sounds in the house.
