Questions for new parents: Common questions new parents ask

Опубликовано: January 19, 2023 в 6:33 am

Автор: alexxlab

Категории: Miscellaneous

Common questions new parents ask

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Although everything has been leading up to the moment when you leave hospital and take your baby home, it’s probably still a bit of a shock when it finally happens! So don’t worry if you’re feeling a bit nervous to start with – it’s understandable. The good news is that you’ll have plenty of expert help around you in the first ten days, with your midwife or health visitor dropping in to check that everything’s going well, and answer any questions you might have. We’re here to help you too, with some top tips for those early days.

Common question new parents have

How long will I be in hospital?

Photo of a mother holding her newborn baby in the hospital post-birth

It’s different for everyone, and depends on how you and your baby are doing, and what kind of birth you had – it’s important to trust the judgement of the health care professionals. If you or your baby need extra care, or if you had a Caesarean section, you might be in hospital for a bit longer than you may have expected.

Whether you are in hospital or at home, the midwives are there to guide and support you. Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.

What happens after I leave hospital?

In the first 10 days your midwife will visit you at home and support you – including helping you breastfeed, if that’s what you’ve chosen to do. You’ll have been given your neonatal notes when you leave hospital, and this will help your midwife and health visitor to make sure everything is going well. You’ll also need to register your baby at your GP practice and apply for a birth certificate within 2 weeks of the birth.

As long as your baby has a safe place to sleep and a place you can change and bathe them you’re all set. The more you can organise before you go to hospital, the less stressed you’ll feel when you get home.

How do I get my baby home?

No matter how you get your wee one home – in your car, a family or friend’s car, or taxi, your baby needs to be in a car seat. You’re bound to be nervous in that first ride home, so make sure that the car seat fits all the safety requirements. It just means there’s one less thing to think about. You can read more about car safety here.

What if my baby needs special care?

Having a baby who needs neonatal care is worrying for parents, and it’s important to get the information and support you need. Babies may need special care for a number of reasons – such as being born early, of if they are very small and have a low birthweight, have an infection or if the delivery was difficult.

It’s natural to feel anxious if your baby needs special care. Talk over any worries and fears with the hospital staff – and ask them to explain any treatment your baby is given and why. If you understand what’s happening, you can help your baby get the best possible care.

Many hospitals have counselling and advice services. The charity Bliss also provides lots of information and support for parents with babies being cared for in a neonatal unit. You can find out more on the Bliss website.

It can also help to hear other parents talk about their experiences of having a baby in special care. You can watch their stories here.

Why is my baby crying?

Photo of a newborn baby crying in bed

As you and your baby develop a secure attachment it will be easier for you to pick up on cues and respond quickly to your little one. Some babies do cry more than others though. It can help to go through a checklist of what the problem might be, but if you’re worried, speak to your midwife, health visitor or have a look at Ready Steady Baby for some pointers.

How do I cope with my crying baby?

It can be frustrating and emotionally draining when your baby won’t seem to stop crying. So if you’re getting upset, pop them down in a safe place or ask someone else to hold them so you can get a break. Sometimes a cuddle, a warm bath or heading out for a walk for a change of scene can help babies stop crying. Over time, you will be able to recognise your baby’s cues and be able to respond to them quicker and prevent crying – but it takes time to learn. Be patient with yourself and the baby.

What is colic and what can I do about it?

There is a chance the crying could be caused by colic. Colic is the name for excessive, frequent crying in a baby who appears to be otherwise healthy. It’s a common problem that affects up to one in five babies. You’ll find helpful advice on what to do if you think your baby has colic here or speak to your midwife or health visitor.

How do I change my baby’s nappy?

Photo of a baby having their nappy changed

Your newborn will poo several times a day and pee at least 5-6 times a day. You don’t need much to change a nappy – just a changing mat or towel will do, plus some cotton wool or wet wipes. You might also prefer the idea of a changing table. It’s a lot easier on your back – but just make sure you don’t leave your baby alone, in case they fall.

You’ll soon get the hang of perfect nappy changes, but here’s a 10 step guide to help you.

What you’ll see in your baby’s nappy will look quite different over the first month. Wet and dirty nappies are a sign that your baby is getting enough milk. So don’t worry when the number of heavy, wet nappies increases each day – that’s normal. And don’t be surprised when you see changes in the colour and texture of your wee one’s poo – that’s normal, too.

Do I need a routine?

There’s a lot to think about when caring for a baby and some days it can seem like the jobs never end. The best way to cope is to find a routine that works for you. It doesn’t mean you need to plan out the whole day, but babies like structure and predictability so it’s a good idea to have some kind of regular routine in place.

Having a set nap and mealtimes is often enough – the rest of the day can fall into place around these times. Babies like to know what to expect, and a simple routine like this can help them feel more settled.

More information

For more information on looking after your newborn baby, speak to your midwife. There’s also a lot of useful information at Ready Steady Baby.

15 Things to Ask New Parents

My Connected Motherhood Author

Do you remember one of the first questions you were asked after having your baby? Chances are, it had something to do with how they were sleeping, because for some reason that’s where we as a society gravitate toward when speaking to new parents. Today we’re going to offer up some alternative questions to ask new parents, because asking about sleep in those early days can often do more harm than good.

By focusing on a baby’s sleep, especially in the early days, it’s easy to make a new family feel like they’re doing something wrong. Babies are SUPPOSED to wake up a lot and it’s completely normal for them to be wakeful, especially in the beginning. When they start to second guess themselves or feel like they are not getting it “right” their power to be the answer for their baby and really step into the lead can quickly erode, when really they’re just dealing with a typical newborn baby.

The best thing we can do for a new parent is help them engage their parenting instincts. We do this by helping to support them. We want to step in and cheer them on and make them feel normal for all the things they’re going through. We want them to feel like they’re doing a great job with the phase they’re in. This way, they build up the confidence needed to be their babies answer and step into the lead.

Instead of focusing on things that are normal and making parents second guess what they’re doing, here are some more supportive things to ask or say to new parents:⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⁣How are you doing? ⁣Really ask them. The transition to parenthood is such a big adjustment and we need to check in on our new parents to be sure they’re doing okay.

Can I get you anything from the grocery store? Do you remember how hard it is to go anywhere with a baby? Grabbing groceries for them can be a HUGE help.

Can I drop off some dinner for you? ⁣It’s hard to feed yourself when you feel like you’re feeding your baby 24 hours a day. Drop off dinner for the new parents to give them one less thing to do and make sure they’re nourishing their bodies with nutritious foods!

Do you want me to come hold the baby while you shower, use the bathroom, sleep, etc? Some babies will happily sleep in their bassinet in the early days but most of them need a lot of contact and closeness. Offering to hold baby can help everyone in the family have their needs met, and who doesn’t love a newborn snuggle?!

Do you need any extra support? There can be a lot of challenges in the beginning. From feeding, to the adjustment to becoming a new parent, to just figuring out the new rhythm around having a baby. Checking in to see if a new parent needs extra support in one area can be a great way to let them know that support exists and that they’re normal for needing it.

I found x really hard when I first became a mom⁣.. There are so many things we struggled with as new parents but we felt like we were the only ones who had those struggles. Hearing that other people had the same struggles when they first became parents not only normalizes what we’re going through but also allows new parents to take a bit of the pressure off because this is just a hard season

The early days are really tough but it gets easier! The early days are SO hard because they wear on all our basic needs. From the broken sleep, to the interrupted meals and constant touch and being needed, the early days can be really tricky. Ease the burden by reminding families that it gets easier and that this phase isn’t forever.

Babies aren’t meant to sleep for long periods of time. They’re wakeful by design. The antidote to “how is your baby sleeping?” is normalizing infant sleep. When we remind families that babies are wakeful by design it shifts them out of “I’m getting this all wrong” to “I’m not in this alone” and that feeling can be liberating.

I’m so proud of you⁣! You’re an amazing mom/dad⁣! Not that anyone needs the external validation, but it can definitely be helpful when you spend half your day second guessing yourself. Don’t be afraid to tell the new parents in your life that they’re doing a great job at this new parent gig.⠀

It’s okay to cry. Nothing is as healing as a good cry, especially for a new mom who is full of postpartum hormones. Be a safe place for her to express any and all emotion and let those tears flow so she can get back to a balanced and centered place.

How are you feeling? 1 in 5 parents experience postpartum mood disorders so we can’t stress this enough. Check in to see how they’re feeling and do so often. These conversations can help families get the support they need in the beginning.

What do you need? New parents try their best not to burden those who love them but they always could use some extra support. This simple question is a great way to support them when they may not know how to ask for help themselves.

The transition to parenthood is tough and I’m here to talk if you need me⁣. Normalize the challenges and offer your support. You’ll make them feel way less alone and feel like if they do run into a trickier challenge they have the help they need to navigate through it.

Call/message me anytime with questions⁣. Wouldn’t it be nice if babies came with a handbook? Well the next best thing is having a support person you can turn to for help at any time so you can settle into your new role as a parent. Offer to be that person for the new parents in your life.

You’re doing an amazing job⁣ and your baby is so lucky to have you. This is hands down the one thing that more families need to hear in the early days. Let them know they’re doing great. Remind them that their efforts and sacrifices are all being poured into this new baby. They are doing great things and their baby is SO lucky to have them!

So there you have it. 15 better things to ask or say to a new parent that will help them feel normal, supported, and empowered to step into their new role. If you feel like they need more support with sleep, our Free Nap Guide and our Free Sleep Progressions Guide are our top downloaded guides and we’re sure they will help them get off to a great start!

Categories: Sleep Without Sleep Training, Motherhood, Normal Infant & Toddler Sleep, Newborn Sleep

Test for future parents: are you ready for the birth of a child?.

Dropi

November 11, 2018, 19:59
/ Author: Julia Zhiltsova

“Children are the flowers of life” – how often do we hear these words. But are you ready to become a caring gardener for such a “flower”? Answer 10 questions of our test and find out for yourself how physically and mentally ready you are for the addition to the family.

Miscellaneous tests
#children
#paternity
#maternity

Comments

10 questions of young parents that drive you crazy

Sometimes we do not dare to disturb the doctor once again, and if the baby’s health starts to cause concern, we consult with friends who have children or try to find a solution to the problem on the Internet. It is not right! After all, each case of childhood malaise is special, there are no two identical situations. Better safe than sorry!

Should I be vaccinated?

Not sure if your baby really needs them? Drop doubts! It was only thanks to vaccinations that doctors managed to end the terrifyingly high infant mortality at an early age and lay the foundation for health for the rest of their lives to every child in infancy. There are not so many reasons for medical withdrawal from vaccinations.

Firstly, these are acute conditions – respiratory and intestinal infections: only a month after recovery, the baby can be vaccinated.

Secondly, an allergy that manifested itself in all its glory. Having muffled its symptoms and prescribed the appropriate drugs, the child is still vaccinated anyway – after all, allergies are more difficult for allergy sufferers, and they react to drugs with increased diathesis: they need vaccination even more than healthy children!

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Thirdly, really serious, progressive neurological diseases and immunodeficiency, in which the slightest cold is complicated by inflammation of the lungs, middle ear, urinary tract, suppuration of soft tissues. But pediatricians also try to vaccinate such children, only with weakened vaccines – not alive, but killed. After all, these kids especially need a shield against infections!

The foundations of health are laid in early childhood. There is a problem? Do not put off a visit to a specialist!

Why can’t you sleep?

There can be many reasons why the baby wakes up at night: colic, overexcitation before bedtime, or hunger if the baby is not well fed at night. But some children also have calm insomnia – this is how pediatricians call the child’s night vigils, when he suddenly wakes up and begins to babble slowly, play with what comes to hand: the edge of the blanket, a dummy, his own arms and legs, in a word, he entertains himself and little by little it calms down.

Don’t interfere! Do not try to drink some water, do not pick it up, do not rock it, so as not to frighten off a sleepy mood. Leave everything as it is – the baby will coo a little and fall asleep.

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When to introduce complementary foods?

Modern doctors are for a flexible approach to this issue. In general, the baby is ready for feeding at 4-5 months, but if the mother has enough milk and the baby grows and develops well, acquaintance with new food can be postponed for up to six months. And yet, it’s not worth it to delay too much with complementary foods. Oddly enough, a child who was introduced to solid foods after 6-7 months adapts to it worse than one who was started on time. There is also nothing good in the early introduction of complementary foods – at an early age, it does not so much complement, but displace breastfeeding. The child suckles less often, as a result, milk production decreases, and this is not necessary at all!

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How many times to pack during the day?

Until the end of the ninth month, babies usually sleep three times a day, at the tenth they switch to a two-time regimen. Of course, the needs and characteristics of the child must be taken into account. You should not walk the baby on purpose if he is sleepy, and you should not rock him when he is alert and full of a thirst for activity. Focus on the baby – he will tell you which of the dreams to cancel. But keep in mind – this should be in the first, and not in the afternoon, otherwise your child will not fall asleep well in the evening. Well, from a year and a half, one daytime sleep is already enough.

At what age should massage begin?

Everyone knows about the benefits of massage. In order for the baby to develop faster and grow strong, a masseuse is invited to him or the mother herself masters the necessary skills. He starts massage almost immediately after discharge from the hospital and does it until the child learns to walk. You can not do it this way! In the first month, massage is prohibited – the child must adapt to new living conditions! And in the future, the course should not last more than 20 days – after that you need to interrupt for 2-3 weeks, otherwise the child will get overexcited, his sleep will be disturbed.

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What to do if the child bumped his head?

Apply cold to the bump. But whether to show the baby to the doctor or not depends on how likely it is that, in addition to the bump, he has a concussion. If the baby stuffed a bump, falling to the floor from the height of his own height in the process of learning to walk, cried for a minute or two, and then forgot about the injury, then everything is in order with him. Fell out of the crib or stroller? Did you cry long and inconsolably? After the incident, he became lethargic, inhibited, burped profusely, was there vomiting? The child should be examined by a pediatrician as soon as possible!

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Should you bring down the temperature?

Fever is natural with a cold! There is no need to be afraid of him, trying to bring down the temperature by any means. On the contrary, if the mercury column stays at around 38 °, it means that the baby’s body is actively fighting the infection. Do not interfere with nature if you do not want the disease to drag on. In case of severe fever (above 38.5°C) or at the first signs of convulsive readiness (trembling fingers and chin), even at a low temperature, call a doctor.

Is coughing dangerous?

• When it comes to an infant, this symptom always requires consultation with a pediatrician.

• Listen to the baby’s lungs for bronchitis or pneumonia?

• The doctor will prescribe treatment, and you will use special techniques to help clear mucus from the bronchi and reduce coughing.

• Massage the respiratory system 2-4 times a day. Place a pillow under the baby’s tummy so that the head and chest are lower than the legs, and the face is turned to the side. Stroke and rub the child’s back with open palms, gently beat it with relaxed fingers.

• In order to avoid congestion in the bronchi and lungs, try to turn the baby from side to side and back more often, take it on the handles, keep it in a “column”.

• Place a pillow under the crib mattress to raise the baby’s head and torso about 20°.

How often should I bathe my baby?

Some guides for moms say that this can be done not every day, but pediatricians still advise not to skip a single one. After all, bathing a baby is necessary not only for cleanliness! Daily baths improve the condition of children’s skin, harden, stimulate the nervous system of the crumbs, improve its motor and mental development, make it grow faster and gain weight. But when to bathe, in the morning or in the evening, decide for yourself.

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In what order should doctors be avoided during preventive examinations?

It is better to start a routine medical examination of a baby with a visit to an ophthalmologist: the results of an examination of the fundus will be useful to a neurologist when he makes a conclusion. And it will already help to orient the orthopedist. Well, the order of visiting the ENT doctor does not really matter. The main thing is that you visit him before visiting a pediatrician, who systematizes and analyzes the data received from specialists.

By the way, the baby’s pediatrician should be seen monthly, the pediatric neurologist, orthopedist and surgeon (the last two specialists usually act in the same person) – at 4 weeks, and then 3, 6 and 9 months and a year. An ophthalmologist and an otolaryngologist examine the baby twice: for the first time – at 2 months (eye doctor) and at 6 (otolaryngologist) and once a year. Specialists from the reserve list – a cardiologist, an allergist, a pulmonologist, an immunologist, a dentist, an endocrinologist, a nephrologist, a dermatologist … The pediatrician who monitors your baby engages them for consultations as needed.

Moreover, this need is not always associated with a suspicion of some specific disease, for example, heart disease. In order to refer a baby to a cardiologist, a pediatrician is quite enough to find risk factors for heart disease in your child, which, in particular, include low (below 2.