Having a baby is the best experience you will ever have. That special feeling you will have knowing that there is one little human being that is a part of you will change your perception of love for life. But there will be a lot of questions raising in your head and feeling you are not doing things right. You will feel fear and be concerned, especially if you are a first-time parent. Don’t worry – you may be a first-time parent, but you are a parent and your baby’s best interests are always on your mind.
Sleep
Although newborns have few activities, they use all their time to sleep, eat and poop, as they grow and become older, the level of their activities changes. They become more alert by their surroundings, they become receptive to sounds, movements, your voice and your touch. You will give your baby all the attention he or she needs, but there will be a time when you have to leave him or her alone. Best time to do so is when the baby is asleep. To be sure that your baby is doing fine and to put your mind to rest, the great idea is to get a baby monitor. Baby monitors have different features. One of them is that you can listen to what your baby is doing. Another one is that you can see what your baby is doing by a camera that is inside the baby monitor. This way you will be sure that everything is going perfect and will be able to react instantly if needed.
As a newborn, a baby will sleep most of the time without much of your help. As he or she grows up, it will need more of your help to get to sleep. You may need to rock it in your arms and sing some lullaby. Don’t worry, because your baby will feel the comfort of your nearness and it will help him or her get to sleep. But as your baby becomes older, you will want to start letting him or her fall asleep on their own. By the time of nine months, you should stop putting your baby to sleep and let him or her fall to sleep on their own. You’ll be tempted to take your baby into your arms “just one more time”, but don’t! Studies show that babies that fall to sleep on their own grow up to be more confident, more independent and more ready to answer different tasks as grown-ups. You are not doing your child any favours. It will be difficult for the first few nights. If your baby is crying, try to calm him or her down by singing or talking to him or her. It will be enough for your baby to know you are there.
Going out
No matter how much time you spend with your baby inside your home, you need to take your baby outside as well. Spending time outside on the fresh air will boost your baby’s immune system and will help him or her be more healthy. It will also be great for a baby’s physical and psychical development. Getting to know new things, new sounds, new smells will help baby develop senses. Get a good quality stroller that will support your baby as it grows up and changes position from laying down to sitting. Get good quality, sturdy car seat for your baby as it can save your baby’s life. You may want to look at Maxi Cosi as they have a model that can serve both as a stroller and a car seat. Facilitate yourself by getting a gear that is easy to use and strong enough to last as you will not be buying new stroller often.
Even it is very healthy for your baby to be engaged in everyday walks it is very important to know that there will be a time when there are more benefits in staying inside than go outside. If it is too hot or too cold, if it rains or snows – don’t go out! Extreme weather conditions can harm your baby even if you dress him or her according to the occasion. Strong sun and extreme heat can harm your baby, from sunburns to heat stroke so don’t subject your baby to it. Extreme cold is as dangerous because it can lead to cold or some other illness. Rain and snow are not good for small babies. You should avoid them as much as possible. There will be plenty of lovely days that are ideal for walks in the park.
Playing
Play pays a big part in babies’ lives. Playing doesn’t only help babies develop their manual skills it helps develop their imagination too. Get your baby toys that are appropriate for the baby’s age. There are plush toys and toys made from soft cotton for small babies that still don’t have skills to play with more serious toys. As your baby becomes older it is time to get him or her new toys, more didactic and appropriate for more skilful hands. Playing helps your baby develops skills he or she will use throughout all his or her life. Play with your baby as children need to learn how to play. Through play, they learn about life that surrounds them and develop social skills as well.
Although you can see your baby is having fun playing with his or her toys, don’t leave him or her alone during play. Toys can be broken in an instant and small parts can be swallowed. Baby can hurt him or herself with toys or while you are not there to supervise the play. Don’t leave your baby while playing as unsupervised play isn’t a good play. Even if toys are safe you don’t want the play to get out of the hands. Babies still don’t know how dangerous some things may be so don’t let your baby finds that out the hard way.
Being a first-time parent is not an easy task. You have to fight with your fears and concerns and still to take great care of your baby. Let your love for your baby be your guide and have fun with your baby. Spend much time with him or her, hold your baby, play with him or her, give your baby surrounding that is filled with love, singing, and laughter. That’s what the best parents do.