Congratulations To Arjun Rampal & Gabriella Demetriades! Baby Care Tips For New Parents

Arjun Rampal and Gabriella Demetriades welcomed their first child (and Arjun's third) today, Thursday, July 18. The happy family (without the newborn and mommy of course!) were spotted coming out from a hospital in Mumbai. All smiles, the Bollywood actor looked over the moon in welcoming his new baby boy!

The birth of a child can be a glorious moment for a family and parenthood is one of the most blessed periods of a person's life. Carrying a child within you is indeed a miraculous experience for most mothers. It may be a completely new experience for you to take proper care of your baby. They may need your constant attention and should be monitored 24/7, sometimes, even when they are sleeping. The instructions of your doctor coupled with your maternal instincts will help you get used to the new routine ^{[1] [2]} .

However, as rewarding as it is, childbirth can be a sensitive time for parents as it involves a never-ending list of getting various things done. Such as bonding with the baby, picking up the baby, keeping the newborn from getting sick and so on ^[3] .

In the current article, we will take a look at the various step and provide tips on the care for a newborn baby.

How To Pick Up A Newborn Baby

One of the first major challenges that parents face does not know how to lift the child. Indeed, right after birth, the child is more like a mass of delicate flesh and one small mistake on your part may cost the child its life or at times a lifetime of impairments ^[4] .

Here, we have provided the steps about the appropriate way to lift a child ^{[5] [6] [7]} .

1. Understand the baby's anatomy

It is important to realize that the baby's neck and head must be supported at all times. When the baby is lying down, the bed does the job. However, when you or his partner lift the baby (either for feeding or for caressing) it loses the support. Thus, at all times it is important for you to support your baby by providing its neck and head the required support through your hands.

2. Talk to your baby

Most first time parents feel that talking to a baby at a very early stage does not have a positive effect on the newborn. However, studies have revealed that the baby can understand feelings and voices. Try to talk to him or her in a soothing voice. Soon you will be happy to realize that your baby recognizes your voice and calms down when spoken to.

3. Use your palms

Gently slide the palm of your hands underneath the child's neck. If you are right-handed, use your right hands for the same and vice versa. Make sure that the entire neck region of your child is well covered with your hands. Any negligence here might result in long-term injury for your child.

4. Cover the bottom

Now, use the other hand to support your child's bottom. By now you have him or her securely and are in a position to lift the child. Gently lift him or her and place the child close to your bosom. Do not worry about the child's safety as he or she is completely secure here. Even if you carry the child like this for hours, the child would be comfortable.

As is obvious from the nature of lifting, placing the child back on the bed will require a motion that is the exact reverse of lifting the child. Here, once you are certain that the child's entire body is touching the bed, you should slide off the hand that is supporting his or her bottom. Once that is done, remove the other hand that is supporting the neck.

Tips To Bond With Your Newborn

Bonding with a newborn may seem to be confusing and hard initially; however, in time, it will naturally happen and you can bond with your baby faster if you put in some effort. Amidst all the baby chores, the parents tend to often forget that they have to follow a few steps to help themselves bond with their newborns and understand their baby better ^[8] .

Bonding with the newborn is extremely important, or it may lead to psychological issues in the later stages. So, here are a few simple tips to help you bond with your newborn better - take a look ^[9] .

Tip 1: One of the major parenting tips to bond with a newborn includes breastfeeding as often as possible, as the act of suckling your child allows your baby to listen to your heartbeat, take in your natural scent, etc., making the bond stronger.

Tip 2: Ensure that you maintain eye contact while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding them, or even while changing a diaper, etc.

Tip 3: Carry your baby and look into a mirror and make sure your baby does the same, even though the baby does not get the concept of reflections, an image of you together will be captured in his/her mind.

Tip 4: Always make sure to spend some quality time with him/her and talk to them, even if they won't be able to understand it.

Tip 5: Parenting tips for new parents include singing to the baby softly so that he/she registers your voice, which also helps the baby bond a lot better with you.

Tip 6: Take baths together. That is, studies have that skin to skin contact can strengthen the bond between a newborn and the parent further.

Keeping Your Newborn From Getting Sick

Babies are born with fully functional organs which start working the moment they arrive in this world. Though they are born with immunity to certain diseases, their immune system is still developing, which makes them susceptible to illnesses ^[10] .

As the development of your baby's immune system takes time, it is up to you to keep them from harm's way. Apart from the regular washing and sanitizing your baby's items, there may be other ways in which you can prevent your baby from falling sick and they are as follows ^[11] :

• Keep your baby warm.
• Wash your hands regularly.
• Do not let strangers kiss your infant.
• Breastfeed your baby.
• Wash your clothes and the baby's clothes regularly.
• Do not miss vaccinations.

Avoid Doing These To Your Newborn

It is very important to understand the needs of your newborn and adapt to the baby's routine and make changes to your lifestyle accordingly ^[12] .

• Do not rock the infant with a lot of force as it can cause damages to their delicate organs.
• Do not stop breastfeeding even before its required as it can lead to malnutrition and digestive disorders.
• Always remember to remove the feeding bottle from the baby's mouth to avoid the infant choking on the milk unconsciously.
• Do not give your infant below 6 months of age water to drink because it may create an electrolyte imbalance in the body and also deplete the developing sodium levels.
• Avoid lying the newborns down on their tummy or sides, as it can block their airways and lead to fatal health complications.
• During the initial months, avoid pillows for your newborn because the elevation may lead to sprains or blockage of the respiratory ducts.