When I read these tips, I found myself nodded my head over and over again. The reality of having a newborn in the house is far from what you could ever anticipate, expect or predict. You can read every book out there, listen to all your “seasoned” mama friends tell stories about their newborn baby days but when your baby arrives, with his/her little personality and unique “wiring”, it’s good to have just a few basic (and realistic) tips in the back of your head as you explore your new life as a parent.
Here are some pretty good, basic tips from Playtex Baby and Dr. Laura Jana to keep in mind once you bring your new baby home.
DR. LAURA JANA’S EXPERT TIPS FOR HEADING HOME WITH YOUR NEWBORN
New parents are filled with joy and excitement upon bringing home their newborn, yet this time
can also be overwhelming. To help address the anxiety that new moms face during this time,
Playtex partnered with Dr. Laura Jana, a renowned pediatrician and co-author of the awardwinning, newly released second edition of the book, Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality. Here, Dr. Jana provides some simple tips to help new parents adjust to
parenthood and the important role they play in feeding their newborns.
• Go with the Flow with the Feedings: Getting babies to follow some semblance of a
feeding schedule is subject of great interest to many parents of newborns. It helps to
remember that not everyone eats the same thing, in the same amount, at the same time,
day in and day out–and babies are no exception! Prepare for a reasonable amount of
variation in the amount your baby eats as you establish a routine with your baby. Focus your
attention on making sure that your newborn is waking up every few hours to feed and is
getting enough to eat to gain weight and grow as expected.
• Babies, Bubbles and Burping: Gas, colicky symptoms and spit-up are some of the most
common feeding challenges new moms face. If you find yourself faced with a gassy baby,
try burping your baby halfway through the feeding as well as after. Also try to reduce the
amount of air your baby swallows while feeding by responding to your baby’s cues that he’s
hungry before he really starts crying to keep him from swallowing extra air. To further
reduce colicky symptoms, gas and spit-up, consider using a bottle that doesn’t interfere with
an infant’s natural suck, swallow and breathing patterns or cause the baby to swallow extra
air. A bottle system like Playtex Drop-Ins that allows babies to suck more naturally and
without extra air -similar to how they would when breastfeeding – can help make the bottle
feeding experience smoother and less likely to cause gas, colic and spit up.
• Prevent Nipple Confusion: While most new parents have heard of (and often dread) the
words “nipple confusion,” many are not actually clear on what nipple confusion really is.
Simply put, some babies adjust to the use of an artificial nipple better than others. For those
babies who will be going back and forth between the breast and the bottle, the potential
“confusion” between sucking the two types of nipples can pose a bit of a problem. Look for a
bottle with a nipple that allows for age-appropriate flow and is designed to more closely
resemble the breast – helping babies avoid any unnecessary confusion and thus facilitating
a much smoother transition to successful bottle-feeding.
• Moms on the Go: If you know you’re going back to work or traveling, try introducing the
bottle several weeks before, so you can address any challenges in advance. Experiment
with different bottles and nipples until you find the one that works best for you and your
baby. Using a bottle that allows your baby to continue using a natural sucking motion
typically makes it that much easier to switch between bottle and breastfeeding.
• Decrease Stress: A new baby and a significant dose of sleep-deprivation is understandably
enough to make new parenthood seem a bit overwhelming. To help manage this stress,
accept any and all offers of help when it comes to cooking, cleaning, and otherwise
maintaining some semblance of order in your new daily routines and don’t be afraid to ask
rather than waiting for an offer. The support of a hands-on spouse or family member is
important, and for babies who are bottle-fed, simply having someone else take over a single
feeding can also afford you a longer uninterrupted stretch of sleep or a couple of very
valuable hours in which to feel more caught up and in control.
• Think Outside the House: There is a lot of advice out there about taking your newborn out
of the house with you. While planning your day around your newborn’s anticipated feeding
schedule may not always go as planned, it is worth a try. You may increase your odds of
success by venturing out just after your baby’s just nursed or taken a bottle, has a clean
diaper, and is content. In addition, going out for errands during off-hours or in less crowded
places is also a good idea as you and your newborn get the hang of heading out of the
house together.
• Go Pro: Your pediatrician, a lactation consultant, or other health professionals can all serve
as valuable expert resources as you go through many firsts with your new baby. When it
comes to new parenthood, there’s no such thing as a stupid question, and every pediatrician
wants to help make feeding your baby, along with all of the other daily activities of
parenthood, successful and enjoyable.
For more helpful information on caring for your new baby from Dr. Jana and Playtex, check out
her book, Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality and visit
www.Playtexbaby.com.