How to Take Care of a Baby

Change your baby's diaper as soon as you notice that it is soiled or wet. Keeping a fresh diaper on your baby will help to prevent daiper rash. Before you start to change the diaper, gather all of the needed supplies. You will need the diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream (if needed), and a change of clothes if needed. You will need all of your supplies with your before beginning as you will not want to leave your child alone on a bed or changing table.

When you change the diaper, it may be easier for you to slide the new diaper under the soiled diaper. If the diaper is more than just urine, you can give his bottom a quick wipe with the front of the soiled diaper and then fold it in half. Remove the soiled diaper and place it well out of reach of your baby's hands. You would then hold the baby's legs up at a very slight angle (don't fold the baby in half!) and wipe his bottom. Once you get the baby clean, you can secure the new diaper. If your baby still has his umbilical cord stump, fold the diaper down so that it does not rub the umbilical cord area. There are also some diapers made specially for baby's that still have it.

Take the old diaper and use the fasteners to wrap it tightly into a ball. Throw it away into the trash or a diaper tower made for throwing away soiled diapers.

Once done with the diaper change, place the baby in a safe place and wash your hands with soap.

Treat your baby's diaper rash. If your baby has red or irritated skin, apply diaper rash cream liberally to the red area. A diaper rash is uncomfortable for your baby and, if left untreated, can lead to an infection and/or pain for your baby when he urinates. Never let reddening of the skin go untreated.

Make sure you are vigilant in keeping your baby's diaper dry.

If your baby has a rash that cream alone doesn't seem to help (or if you just don't have any diaper rash cream on hand), you can just wash the area gently, pat dry and let your baby lay without a diaper. A lot of people recommend laying your baby in the sunlight, but I live in Texas and do not recommend it! It is too hot.

The nursed in the NICU told me not to use baby powder on my newborn.

Feed your baby. Whether you are feeding your newborn breast milk or the bottle, use this time for bonding. Making eye contact and talking or singing softly to your baby will go a long way toward creating a sense of security and establishing a strong bond between the two of you. Do not prop the bottle. Your baby may choke and it is important you spend this time making a connection.

When preparing a bottle, do not microwave it. Microwaving a bottle can create hot spots that can burn your baby's mouth. A bottle should be made with your baby's preference in mind. Whether it is slightly warm or room temperature. There are also bottle warmers that can be purchased at baby supply stores or online.

If you are concerned that your baby is not eating enough at each feeding, see the article "How to Get Your Newborn to Eat More at Each Feeding". This article includes tips I gathered from the nurses in the NICU.

Burp your baby. My baby was a preemie, though he wasn't very tiny. But I used to just sit him up holding his chin in my hands (making sure he could breathe easily) and pat and rub his back. Don't stop after the first burp. You will soon know your baby well and will know if they burp just once or two or three times. My son always has a second burp. Be sure you have a burping cloth or a cloth diaper handy to wipe up messes or protect your clothes.

You can also burp your baby over your shoulder. Another technique that my sister uses is to lay the baby stomach down over her lap. She then pats and rubs his back.

Do not skip this step to save time. You may end up with a cranky baby with gas in his tummy later.

Cuddle, snuggle and love your baby. This is the most fun part of having a baby. Enjoy it! You always hear it said, but it is true, the housework can wait. Snuggle that baby! I love the smell of my son's head and can just drink that smell in for an hour or more. Don't let this time go without giving your baby a ton of love. You will regret it. Nothing you can think of is more important. Making sure your child feels loved is just as important as eating or sleeping.

Swaddle your baby. You will have generally learned this from the nurses at the hospital. They are experts! If not, you can find instructions and pictures for swaddling online. Swaddling can help to calm your baby and make them feel secure.

Help your fussy baby. Your baby will cry. That is a fact. See article "How to Soothe Your Fussy Baby" for ideas.

Use a baby sling. Your baby will want to be held close to you. But, realistically, you will have things to do. A baby sling can create the closeness your baby needs while allowing your hands to be free.

Give your baby a bath. Make sure to gather all of the supplies you will need before you get your baby. Always make sure the bath water is not too hot or too cold. Keep at least one hand on your baby at all times.

You will want to be sure that you don't bathe your baby in a tub or baby bath until after the umbilical cord stump has fallen off and healed. Prior to that, you can just give your baby a sponge bath.

For more detailed information on baby bathtime, see "How to Give Your Newborn Baby a Bath".

Treat your baby's cradle cap. Cradle cap is just like baby dandruff and is not dangerous. It does look bad. If your baby suffers from cradle cap (usually not before 2 weeks of age), just shampoo gently as usual and brush gently with a baby brush. It will clear up.

Clean your baby's ears. There are special q-tips made just for baby's that will not allow you to injure your baby's ear. Or you can just use a baby wipe or warm washcloth.

Trim your baby's nails. A newborn's nails seem to grow very fast. You will want to keep their nails trimmed to make sure they do not scratch themselves.

You will need baby nail clippers or a baby nail file. Be sure not to cut to closely as this will be painful for the baby. If you are too nervous to trim the nails, you can very gently use the baby nail file. Just be gentle. Or, you can call on grandma to handle the nail trimming!

Purchase a nasal aspirator. This is the booger-sucker-outer that you probably left the hospital with. Make sure you have this on hand. No doubt your baby will get stuffy in the middle of the night. Although your newborn will hate this, it is necessary and will help.

I recommend a battery-operated nasal aspirator. If you have this ready to go, you will thank me one night! It is much easier and more effective.

If you can't seem to clear up the mucus blocking your child's nose, you can put one drop of saline in each nostril. This will loosen the mucus so you can suck it out with the battery-operated nasal aspirator or just the bulb aspirator.

They now also offer baby Vicks.

If your child is stuffy, prop him up so that he is not laying flat. My child's doctor also recommends a cool-mist humidifier.

Call the pediatrician. If your baby is unnaturally fussy, has a fever, or seems too stuffy to breathe comfortably, call your doctor.

Be informed. There are great books that will walk you through your baby's first year. Some books explain how to care for your baby week by week. You can also find a lot of useful information online. If you find a helpful website, bookmark it. You will, no doubt, want to find it again.