Solve Common Struggles with a Newborn Baby (7 Expert Tips) - Babies Development

In this article you'll learn 7 key tips to make caring for a newborn baby so much easier.

These are really simple but most new parents don't know them.

Once you know them you're going to be able to read your newborn, there will be less tears and you'll be more confident as a first time parent! These newborn baby tips will help you communicate with your baby, soothe your baby, improve baby's sleep, promote developmental milestones and much more!

Solve Common Struggles with a Newborn Baby (7 Expert Tips)

When I look back on, when I first became a parent to a newborn, I really wish people had told me the information I'm going to share with you in this article, because it would've made parenting a newborn significantly easier.

And it would have also given me the confidence to tell those people who are being really generous in giving you information that maybe what they're telling me, isn't that correct.

So in this article, I'm going to cover the information, you must know when you're a new parent for the very first time.

This will give an invaluable peace of mind as you'll know when to be expecting skills and when to be concerned.

So the first thing I think is important to know is that all newborns are communicating with you already.

Instead of using words though, your baby is using facial expressions and body cues, to tell you four different things, either that they're hungry, they're tired, they want to play, or they need a break.

Once, you know and can identify these subtle cues within your baby, parenting a newborn is going to be significantly easier and your relationship with your baby will become stronger.

And that is because you are able to read your baby well.

They will start to feel less stressed, more safe and secure.

The second thing that all parents need to know is that sucking a finger or a hand is actually really calming for a baby and that is because when a baby sucks your finger or their own hand or toy, the brain releases the hormones, Dopamine, Serotonin and Endorphins, which have a calming and soothing effect.

Now unfortunately, babies can't actually put their hands into their mouth because they don't yet have the strength until around three months of age.

But you can actually give your baby a clean finger to suck on, or you can actually help them put their own hand into their mouth when they become upset, because it will help calm them down.

Now, the therapeutic information that I think all new parents need to know is that babies do not sleep well in a loud bright room.

I know we often get told that babies need to be able to sleep in a loud, bright, unpredictable environment, because it means they're going to be adaptable in the future.

But babies are little humans and research shows that humans of all ages, sleep best in a dark room, which is cool and has limited noise.

Honestly, how well would you sleep if you were lying in the lounge? And I was in the kitchen, banging pots and pans, and answering to a screaming child, you're not going to sleep well and that's the same as our babies.

The added difficulties that babies have is that they find it really difficult to filter out information and they get easily overstimulated.

And when they get over tired, it becomes significantly more difficult to put them to sleep.

Now, I know you will hear from people that say, my baby's always slept in a really noisy room, they could fall asleep and I could vacuum underneath the cot.

And that might've been the case.

But what that baby is doing is actually habituating, which is where basically they're working really, really hard to fall asleep and then stay asleep.

And if you actually watch their little one, when they're sleeping, you will notice that every time there's a loud, unpredictable noise, that baby is going to startle.

So their arms will fling out to their side.

They'll cry and they'll bring their hands back to the middle and that can actually wake them up from their nap.

And when they wake up from their nap in general, after habituating, they are generally a lot more cranky because basically they are working hard.

They haven't had a peaceful, rejuvenating sleep.

Rather they've worked hard to try and stay asleep and then they've woken up and they're cranky.

So if you are told that your baby really should be sleeping in a bright, loud room, maybe depending on your mood, you might nod, or you might tell them, no thank you, that's not necessarily correct.

It's better than sleeping in a dark, quiet room.

Now the fourth bit of information, which is really important for all new parents to know is that all babies go through a period of purple crying.

So that is at two weeks of age, your baby is going to start crying in the afternoons or evenings.

You'll have no idea why, and you'll find it really difficult to soothe them.

Initially it might only be for a short period of time, but by six to eight weeks of age, that time that they are crying for and unsettled for will increase.

And then after six to eight weeks, your baby's time that they're crying for will start to reduce and go by three to four months of age.

So if you're a parent returning home from work in the afternoons, you would generally arrive to a baby who is crying and really they want to be with that main caregiver.

Your baby does still like you.

They are just going through that period of purple crying.

And it is a hard time, but it will pass.

You also need to know that you can actually do tummy time from day one.

You don't need to wait until your baby is strong enough, or they're not going to cry in tummy time.

And you're not actually going to hurt them.

All babies cry, generally in tummy time.

They don't initially like it.

And honestly, you're not going to like it either, but it is important to push through.

And over time as your baby gets stronger, it will become a lot more enjoyable for you and your baby.

Now, the next bit of information is often quite new for parents who have multiple babies or parents of a newborn.

And that is all high chairs are too big for babies.

No matter when you start feeding your baby solids for the first time, whether or not it's at four months or six months, the high chair is going to be too big.

Your baby is going to fall to the side because the seat itself is too wide.

Your baby's feet are going to be hanging and they're not going to have support, which is going to impact how well they sit and their arms are going to be up near their shoulders.

So it's going to be hard to play and interact with that food and also see the food.

Now, all of these factors have a significant impact on how successful your baby is going to be at eating and also how willing they got to be at staying in that high chair for meals.

So you really need to make sure when you're starting to give your baby solids, that you put them in that highchair and ensure that it fits them well.

So you will need to give them additional support.

Now, if you want information on how you can do that, then make sure you check out the link above.

And lastly, babies do not need jolly jumpers, baby floor seats, exersaucers or baby walkers.

And that is because these pieces of equipment place your baby in positions that they're not yet able to do independently and can lead to developmental delays and significant injuries.

What your baby actually needs at this age is really you and only a few toys like the baby gym, Oball, a rattle and a tactile, touch and feel book.

And if you want information on how to adjust that high chair, so it will fit your baby well and make mealtimes, a hell of a lot easier.

And hopefully I'll see next week where I'll share more parenting tips and tricks.