All My Children

This timeworn phrase is reinforced whenever we behold a baby in deep, relaxed sleep. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could sleep like that?

Well, not exactly.

During the first three months of life, a baby’s sleeping patterns are quite different from those she will experience the rest of her life. A newborn sleeps anywhere from twelve to eighteen hours every day, but this is not unbroken slumber. Her small stomach capacity and her round-the-clock need for nutrients to fuel her rapid growth essentially guarantee that her life will consist of ongoing three- or four-hour cycles of feeding, wakefulness, and sleep. Like it or not, two or three feedings will be on the nighttime agenda for the first several weeks. Continue Reading »

Aside from daily cleansing of the diaper area, newborns and young babies don’t need to be bathed more than two or three times a week. Before the umbilical remnant falls off, don’t immerse your baby in water. Instead, give him a simple sponge bath, using a soft washcloth and a basin of warm water (comfortable to your touch) containing a small amount of a mild baby soap.

The remnant of your baby’s umbilical cord may generate some goopy material, and for the first several days the area around the umbilical stump should be kept clean and dry. Use a cotton swab moistened with rubbing alcohol to wipe away any moist debris that accumulates until the cord falls off. The remnant of the cord will shrivel and fall off within two or three weeks. You may notice small spots of blood at the umbilical site for a few days. Continue Reading »

See color insert for color photos of skin conditions.

A new baby’s skin is so sensitive that at times looking at her cross-eyed may seem to provoke a new rash. You will see spots and splotches come and go, especially in the first several weeks, but most don’t need special treatment.

The characteristics of newborn skin and some common conditions including erythema toxicum, milia, and salmon patches. In addition, during the first few weeks many babies develop pimples on the face, neck, and upper back, which in some cases look like acne. These pimples most likely are a response to some of mother’s hormones acquired just before birth, and with rare exception they will resolve without treatment. If they become progressively worse, however, have them checked by your baby’s healthcare provider. Continue Reading »

As you settle into your routines with a new baby, you’ll begin to notice patterns developing in a number of his behaviors. Although a newborn has only a few basic activities that occupy his first days and nights, he will carry them out in ways that are uniquely his. Mothers are often aware of differences between their children well before birth, as they feel the kicks and prods inside. The initial cry, the first waving of arms and legs, the attachment at the breast, and the willingness to cuddle will be some of the first strokes of a unique signature for this person you have brought into the world.

While every child is one of a kind, there are certain common threads and trends in behavior that have been observed in many newborns. Continue Reading »

For those parents who don’t want to wait twelve weeks, there are two basic, but quite different, approaches to helping this baby—or, for that matter, any baby— fall asleep. Each approach has advocates who tend to view their ideas as vital to a happy, stable life for both parent and child, while seeing the other as producing troubled, insecure babies. In reality, both have something to offer, and neither will work for every baby-parent combination.

One method calls for parents to be intimately and directly involved in all phases of their baby’s sleep. Proponents of this approach recommend that she be nursed, cuddled, rocked, and held continuously until she has fallen asleep for at least twenty minutes. She can then be put down in her customary sleeping place, which may be Mom and Dad’s bed. Continue Reading »

Newborns do not typically sleep in long stretches during the first several weeks of life, nor do they know the difference between day and night. By two months, however, they are capable of lasting for longer periods without a feeding. Most parents will go through the pulse-quickening experience of awakening at dawn and realizing that the baby didn’t sound off in the middle of the night. “Is he okay?” is the first breathless concern, followed by both relief and quiet exultation: “He slept through the night!” Continue Reading »

By the time your baby arrives home for the first night, you will have had to address a basic question: Will she sleep in her own room, in a cradle or bassinet next to your bed, or in your bed right next to you? There are advocates for each of these arrangements.

Those who espouse sleeping with your baby point out that this is widely practiced throughout the world and that it gives the newborn a sense of security and comfort she won’t feel in a crib. Critics of shared sleeping raise concerns about parents accidentally rolling over and crushing the baby; however, the risk of this is remote. The more immediate concern is the potential disruption of parental sleep, intimacy, and privacy. Continue Reading »

Dealing with colic

According to a long-standing definition, if your baby cries three hours a day three days a week for three weeks, and he’s between two weeks and three months of age, he has colic. A simpler definition, without counting hours and days (and more to the point), is “a whole lot of crying that doesn’t calm down with the normal measures, and the doctor says there’s nothing really wrong with him.” True colicky episodes tend to occur around the same time each day, usually in the late afternoon or evening, and are marked by intense activity on the baby’s part, such as flailing about or pulling his knees to his chest. From all appearances, he acts like he’s feeling a lot of discomfort—and undoubtedly he is. Continue Reading »

So what do you do for a colicky baby, assuming that he is fed, dry, and not sick? You can try any or all of the following, once or many times. If a particular measure helps one time but doesn’t the next, don’t panic. You may get impressive results today with something that failed miserably last week.

Soothing movements.Gentle rocking or swaying in someone’s arms is a time- honored baby comforter. Unfortunately, when a baby is wailing at full volume, you may unconsciously begin moving faster or more forcefully—but you should avoid rapid, jerky movements, which not only make the problem worse but may even injure the baby. Cradles and baby swings that support the body and head can also provide this type of movement. Continue Reading »

One of the greatest mental and emotional adjustments new parents must make is sorting out the meanings of, and their responses to, the new baby’s crying. In most cases, crying is a clear signal that a stomach is empty or a diaper full, and the appropriate response will quiet it. Even in these routine circumstances, however, the newborn cry has distinct qualities—insistent, edgy, and downright irritating. Indeed, it can sound almost like an accusation—”I don’t like the care you’re giving me!” Continue Reading »