With the birth of a child, a woman has a lot of new responsibilities and worries. But ordinary household chores never go away! The first few months after leaving the maternity hospital do not seem like a welcome idyll to a young mother, but a real test of strength! Caring for a child takes up the lion's share of time, but you need to have time to put the house in order, prepare food, pay attention to your loved ones, and you shouldn't forget about yourself! How not to get bogged down in the abyss of everyday problems and manage everything? - we offer TOP 10 tips for young mothers.
1. Time management. The easiest way to rationally manage your free time is to create a daily routine. The main thing is to adjust your schedule to the rhythm of life, and not to adjust your life to a clear routine. And the regime has a positive effect on the child: children who early age They live according to a routine, are more emotionally stable, calm and disciplined. It is better to distribute tasks over time from 3-4 months, when you already notice a certain pattern in the baby’s behavior: when the baby wakes up and goes to bed, when you go for walks or play. Allocate a certain time for each item, and enter other things in the free intervals. Of course, sometimes the schedule can shift (the baby is capricious or, for example, woke up earlier than usual) - you can easily adjust the to-do list.
2. “Time Wasters”. No matter how much a young mother complains about the lack of time, she often has an hour or two to surf the Internet or talk on the phone.
These actions are called “time sinks.” As they say, I just sat down at the computer and the tea had already cooled down and the milk had run off the stove. Optimize costs: allocate 15-30 minutes in your schedule for communication, and otherwise use a computer or TV for background. For example, while cooking or playing with a child.
3. Combine things. There will always be tasks that can be combined without harming the family. For example, while walking, go to a store and do some shopping, while cooking, listen to audio books or study foreign languages, and if the baby is capricious and asks to be held, you can do fitness together or just dance. Even while you are heating up dinner, you can always do something in the kitchen - wipe the dust, water the flowers, straighten the curtains. The main thing is that such actions become a habit, and then everything will go by itself.
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4. Little but often. Many mothers fail to do everything because they are used to doing one thing, but for a long time and conscientiously. Now it’s difficult to find two hours to clean or an hour to cook dinner, because the baby requires constant attention. For this there are so-called “fifteen minutes”. Large and time-consuming tasks need to be divided into several stages: for example, first you prepared and peeled vegetables for soup, read a book with your child, then cut the vegetables and put them in a saucepan - and the food is cooked, and the child is not offended by the attention.
Modern technology also makes life a lot easier for a young mother! If money is tight, it is better to sacrifice the TV, but buy a steamer or vacuum cleaner! Online shopping is also very convenient, especially since most companies practice targeted delivery, so there is no need to travel to the other end of the city with an uncomfortable stroller.
5. Do cleaning correctly. Of course, every housewife wants comfort and order to reign in her home, but tidying up an apartment in which there are children is the same as removing snow during a snowfall! So limit yourself to the fact that household chores need to be redone gradually. In particular, first do a wet cleaning in the baby’s room, and only then move on to other rooms: today spend 2 times 15 minutes tidying up the kitchen, tomorrow - the bathroom, and so on. General cleaning will no longer be necessary if you spend at least 20-30 minutes a day maintaining cleanliness. This can be done during your morning nap, or you can also use a playpen or sling, put a blanket on the floor in the room for your child - and let him play in front of your eyes while you wipe off the dust or, say, wash the refrigerator.
Try to optimize the space: put toys in a large box, try to keep children's things in drawers. In general, there should be fewer open shelves in the apartment - clutter is instantly visible on them. While the child is small, it is better to get rid of extra figurines, vases, and souvenirs on the shelves - these are real dust collectors, and you have to spend more effort and time to maintain cleanliness. Try to put aside perfectionism for a while and iron your clothes only on one side or even buy sets that do not require ironing - believe me, this will save you a lot of time!
6. Cooking complex dishes. You can cook porridge or pasta even during a 10-minute break, but preparing cutlets, cabbage rolls, dumplings and other time-consuming dishes is somewhat more difficult. If you have some free time, it’s better to prepare them for future use and freeze them - they will become your “strategic reserve” for those days when you don’t have enough time to cook. It is best to cook in the morning, when the child is sleeping or has just woken up and can play on his own.
7. Help from loved ones. Mothers show possessive feelings towards their child and sometimes refuse offered help. And completely in vain! After all, it is precisely the time when your husband, grandparents or girlfriend agrees to babysit that you can use for your benefit! Make a list of things you need to do in advance and do it little by little. Don’t be shy about asking for help: after all, when your husband returns from work, he doesn’t immediately rush to the stove or start doing repairs. Your workday is the same, it's just longer, so it's no wonder you can't keep up with everything.
8. Involve children. Older children can also be given simple tasks: take a walk with the stroller while you do the cleaning, play with a brother or sister, go to the store for bread. You can also do household chores with younger children: cooking, vacuuming, dusting, and so on. You can diversify your activities by interspersing household chores with games: exercising on fitball, reading books, finger games, reading books, dancing, massage and so on.
9. Don't be nervous. You can become a superwife and supernanny, but at the cost of your health and nerves. Housework never ends, but infant He won’t tell you: Mom, rest, I’ll play myself. Make time for everything, especially on weekends. Plan on Saturday or Sunday to go to the park, on a visit, to the cinema, and so on - routine is exhausting, so an emotional shake-up will be beneficial. Don’t try to do everything at once: ironing or cleaning can be finished tomorrow, but chronic fatigue can ultimately lead to health problems. You can do a lot during a walk: play, explore the world, read a book. And, having returned home and put your child to bed, you can go about your business.
10. Time for yourself. Like any working person, mom also needs to rest. Of course, a young mother does not have paid sick leave or vacation, but she does have irregular working hours, which is very tiring. Force yourself to rest, even if there are other things to do! Set aside a couple of hours for yourself: sign up for yoga, dancing or shaping, visit a hairdresser, go visit with friends, take a bath - sometimes there is not enough time even for such simple joys! Being confined to four walls with a child 24 hours a day is exhausting, and even 30-40 minutes spent alone with yourself is worth its weight in gold!
Dear mothers, be sure to find time for your loved ones. The main thing is to learn how to properly distribute work, stick to a schedule, then you will have more free time, and it will be easier on maternity leave! Enjoy life and every day and don’t pay attention to minor troubles!
So what you were striving for happened - the baby was born. You will breathe a sigh of relief.
Not anymore big belly, swelling, back pain and toxicosis, but something else has appeared - this is a long-awaited child who will not let your life become the same.
Pregnancy is over, childbirth is over, but the postpartum period is ahead. The period when a woman's body returns to its pre-pregnancy state. This won't happen soon. The duration of this period is 8 weeks, it has its own nuances and rules of conduct.
For the first 4-5 days you will be in the maternity hospital. Doctors will monitor you. If you need help caring for your baby or advice on breastfeeding, the institution has specialists who will help you. Ask them about everything that interests you, ask them to show you how to properly swaddle a baby, wash it, how to breastfeed, so that later you can be fully equipped at home.
Your baby will be monitored by a neonatologist - a pediatrician. The child will have tests and reflexes checked. If the baby is healthy, then with your permission he will receive the first vaccinations.
❢ In the maternity hospital, the baby will be vaccinated against tuberculosis (BCG) and hepatitis.
You may feel painful contractions in your uterus, especially when you put your baby to your breast. Don't be alarmed, this is how it should be. When nipples are stimulated, the body releases the hormone oxytocin, which causes the uterus to contract. Breast-feeding has a beneficial effect on the involution of the uterus - returning it to its normal state. At repeated births uterine contractions are more painful than the first ones.
❢ The weight of the uterus during the period of its involution decreases from 1 kg to 50 g.
In the first days, you will produce colostrum, a precursor to milk. At this time, it is important to learn how to properly attach your baby to the breast. Milk comes in around the 2-3rd day. Very often this is accompanied by thickening and soreness of the breast, sometimes even the temperature rises. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the amount of fluid consumed in the first days after childbirth. If after your baby has sucked at the breast you still have a feeling of heaviness, then you need to express some milk. Just not everything, as the grandmothers advise, but enough to relieve tension and feel relief in the chest. Quite often during this period, lactostasis occurs - stagnation of milk. It happens due to a discrepancy between the amount of milk secreted and the amount that the baby manages to suck.
An important point in the postpartum period is hygiene. Shower more often. If you have had perineal tears, cracks or hemorrhoids, wash yourself after each visit to the toilet. Don't forget to treat your seams with antiseptic solutions if you have them. It is not recommended to sit for some time after ruptures. And you won’t be able to do this yourself, since the stitches will be quite painful. If after 2 weeks strong pain remains, contact your doctor - the stitches may have become infected.
Postpartum discharge - lochia - will appear for a long time (up to about 4-5 weeks): first of a bloody nature (similar to discharge during menstruation), then bloody, slightly stained with blood. Pay close attention to their nature and quantity. If, after the absence of blood, heavy bleeding begins, consult a doctor immediately - this may indicate uterine bleeding.
❢ Sexual relations after childbirth are possible only after the postpartum period (6-8 weeks).
Watch your diet. Don't forget that everything you eat goes into breast milk. Therefore, give up rough foods, citrus fruits, foods that cause flatulence, smoked foods, and alcohol. Constipation often worsens after childbirth. Sometimes even because the woman is afraid to go to the toilet so that the stitches do not come apart. You shouldn't be afraid of this. Try to eat fiber-rich foods that have a laxative effect: cottage cheese, kefir, beets, prunes, dried fruits. Do not forget to do gymnastics - it improves intestinal motility and, in addition, promotes uterine contraction. Simple exercises can be started within a few days after natural birth, after caesarean section- after 2 weeks.
Try to get more rest. At least while you are in the maternity hospital. It's not always possible, but take every minute to sleep while your baby sleeps. After all, now you don’t need to do the cleaning and cook dinner. At home, do not refuse the help of your loved ones, if possible, let your mother or mother-in-law prepare dinner and clean up, while you rest a little or get yourself in order.
Recovery after childbirth will go quite quickly, the main thing is to remember to pay attention to yourself. Very soon you will become your old self again, and the sparkle of motherhood will appear in your eyes. Everyone around will admire you, and the grown-up baby will be proud of his beautiful mother.
The birth of a first child becomes a real challenge for many young parents. Often they do not know what to do with the baby or how to properly care for him. Therefore, this article, which contains the most important tips for caring for a newborn will be a good benefit for them.
"Dowry" for a child
There is a superstition that it is not advisable to purchase things for him before the baby is born. In particular, this should not be done to the expectant mother. But this is nothing more than prejudice that can deprive future parents and their relatives of the real pleasure from leisurely shopping trips. In addition, purchasing tiny blouses and hats helps a pregnant woman quickly adjust to motherhood, and also saves her from the hectic preparation of things after leaving the maternity hospital.
So, what will the baby need after his birth:
- Diapers (20-25 pieces will be enough, and you need to think about the ratio of thick and thin yourself, based on the season of birth of the baby; it doesn’t hurt to keep in mind knitted diapers, which are very soft and fit the baby’s body perfectly due to their elasticity).
- Blouses or bodysuits (vests without fasteners are no longer relevant these days because they are not comfortable, so it is better to pay attention to things with buttons or ties).
- One-piece overalls (it’s better if there are a couple of thin overalls and one insulated one).
- Hats (2 thin hats and one warm hat are enough; the most practical ones are knitted ones, without any strings).
- Socks (you can safely purchase 5 pairs of soft, knitted socks that will come in handy at any time of the year).
- A blanket or flannelette blanket.
- Woolen blanket.
By the way, some acquisitions can be safely entrusted to grandparents. For example, it is not at all necessary to immediately buy anti-scratch gloves (special mittens to protect the baby from self-scratching), since many newborns like to have their nails trimmed. A pillow for a baby is from the same series - up to a year, a child can easily sleep without it.
In addition to things, the child will also need a first aid kit, which will contain:
- hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green and a pipette (these products are especially necessary when treating a navel that has not healed);
- baby cream, baby oil (it is needed more for lubricating folds and can be replaced with pre-sterilized vegetable oil);
- zinc ointment (for diaper rash and rashes);
- a heating pad with cherry pits, a gas outlet tube, medications with carminative properties (in case of frequent colic);
- potassium permanganate and herbs for bathing;
- antihistamine (like Fenistil), antipyretic (best in suppositories);
- hygiene products (cotton pads, wet wipes, spout cleaner, sterile cotton wool).
- absorbent diapers and diapers (in the future, depending on the situation, it will be possible to acquire powder or cream for diapers).
Necessary things for mommy
Before the maternity hospital, mommy will also need to purchase some things:
- Postpartum bandage (with it the abdominal muscles will recover better).
- Comfortable nursing underwear ( Special attention pay attention to special bras that allow you to “expose” your breasts).
- Breast pads are absorbent (it often happens that milk “runs away” from an overfilled breast).
- Highly absorbent sanitary pads (you can also buy special postpartum ones).
- Cream against cracked nipples (for example, Bopanten).
- Breast pump (it’s more convenient to get rid of excess milk).
- Breast shields (especially good for cracked nipples).
Well, in terms of everyday life, everything is ready for the baby to be born. Now let's analyze and master the basic procedures, without which not a single day of a young mother can do.
Morning toilet of a newborn
A baby's morning toilet is the same as an adult's washing. But if we can put ourselves in order in the bathroom ourselves, then special preparations will be needed for the baby.
So, every morning mommy will have to prepare a bowl of warm water (preferably boiled), cotton pads and sterile cotton wool. It is convenient to wipe the baby's eyes with cotton pads soaked in water, doing this from the outer edge of the eye to the inner one. After which you need to treat the child’s nose: 1-2 drops are instilled into each nostril special solution(you can use saline solution) to rinse the nose. While the crusts are getting a little wet, so as not to waste time, we twist small cotton wool flagella and use them to clean the nose, doing circular movements. We use exactly the same flagella to clean the baby's ears.
Attention! The nose and ears of a newborn should be cleaned only with cotton wool, without trying to insert them deep. You cannot use children's cotton swabs with restrictions, since they are designed for babies from one year old.
The navel is also treated in the morning. This is done using a clean pipette and hydrogen peroxide: drop a couple of drops onto the navel and wait until the product stops foaming and “brings” the separated crusts to the surface of the wound. We remove them with one cotton swab, and then apply brilliant green with a second one.
Changing diapers
Disposable diapers are very convenient. Therefore, most young mothers prefer to use them rather than diapers. But we should not forget that the diaper needs to be changed every 3-4 hours, or even more often (if the baby pooped, then every time after that!), so that the baby’s skin does not become irritated.
Before changing the diaper, the baby should be thoroughly washed. If he hasn’t crap himself, just warm water from the tap is enough (you can also wipe him with wet wipes), but if so, you’ll have to use soap. When the baby is dry, you need to see if he has any irritation that a diaper cream will help get rid of.
Attention! The umbilical wound must be protected and therefore not allowed to be rubbed by the diaper fastener. If it is not possible to buy special diapers that have recesses in the navel area, bend the edge of the regular ones or place a piece of sterile bandage on the umbilical wound.
Going out for walks
You can walk with your child from the very first day of his life, provided that he is healthy. As for the weather during children's walks, the rule “nature has no bad weather” strictly applies here. That is, the walk can be canceled only if there is abnormal heat outside, severe frost or something else unusual weather condition. By the way, in such cases you can always take the cradle with the baby to the balcony!
It’s best for mom to choose the hours for walks based on the baby’s schedule, not forgetting that babies usually sleep very well in a stroller. It is advisable to start walking for 30 minutes, gradually increasing them to 4-6 hours a day (it is more convenient to divide this time into 2-3 “calls”).
Attention! When going for a walk, you need to dress your baby according to the weather, don’t forget to take with you a change of diaper, wet wipes, a raincoat for the stroller and other essential items.
Feeding
The most appropriate feeding for a newborn is breastfeeding. Therefore, if there are no contraindications, you should not deny it to your baby until he reaches 6 months of age. At the same time, it is not advisable to offer the child its “substitutes,” which also include water, juices and fruit purees.
The baby should be fed not according to the schedule that our parents used to adhere to, but when he wants to. That is, if the baby starts to cry or show anxiety, the first thing the mother should do is offer him the breast. And the baby can stay at the nipple as long as he needs (until he releases it himself), because instincts and nature are much “smarter” than our minds.
Bathing
Water procedures should be carried out every day. It is advisable to maintain the water temperature within 37 degrees, but this is not an indicator: some children feel great in cool water, others in warmer water (it is better to focus on the well-being of your baby).
Today, it is not advisable to boil water for bathing, as was done before, but until the umbilical wound has healed, it would not be superfluous to add an antiseptic to it - potassium permanganate (a weak solution) or a herbal mixture (a series, etc.).
When bathing your baby, it is most convenient to use a small bath. During the first water procedures, so that the newborn is not afraid of water, it is best to wrap him in a diaper. As for soap and other washing products, it is advisable to use them 2-3 times a week, but the rest of the time you should use only water. The baby's head should be washed every time he bathes. At the end of each bath (for hardening purposes), it is permissible to pour cool water over the baby’s legs.
After the bathing is over and the baby is removed from the bath, he should be well wrapped in a towel or warm diaper, not forgetting to cover his head.
Procedures after swimming
After a bath, there are procedures that should be carried out:
- processing the navel (exactly as it is done during the morning toilet);
- trimming nails (while they are steamed);
- rubbing oil on all folds (don’t forget about the area behind the ears - crusts often form there).
Let's go to bed
Basically, all babies fall asleep when they suck on their mother's breast. But you can rock the baby in your arms, and only then transfer him to the crib (by the way, it is better for newborn babies to buy a cradle rather than a crib - the limited space creates more comfort for them, exactly the same as they experienced while in their mother’s tummy!) . It’s not a bad idea to swaddle your upcoming baby in a diaper at bedtime: the experience of mothers suggests that they sleep better this way, without being frightened by their own flapping of their limbs.
Before going to bed, be sure to ventilate the room. Don’t be afraid that you’ll let it get too cold, since the best microclimate temperature for sleeping is considered to be 20 degrees.
Try to put your baby to sleep not on his back, but on his side - this way he will not choke on the vomit that can form during regurgitation and his skull will not subsequently become deformed. To prevent the baby from turning over on its back, you can prop it up with a rolled-up blanket or a small pillow (this is done from the back) and shift it from side to side as often as possible.
1. The first hygiene measures are carried out in the maternity hospital immediately after childbirth. The midwife makes the so-called toilet for the newborn. She processes the baby's umbilical cord; to prevent inflammatory eye diseases, instill a solution of sodium sulfacyl into the eyes of a newborn; sterile wipe cleanses the baby's body of vernix lubrication and blood that occurs during childbirth. Then the midwife swaddles the baby and takes him to bed.
On the fifth to seventh day of life, the child is vaccinated against tuberculosis. This is an intradermal injection into the shoulder. A crust appears at the injection site. When the baby and mother are discharged home and the mother sees this crust, she should not be afraid. Under no circumstances should this crust be treated with brilliant green or any other antiseptic. Also, you can’t get it wet.
Over time, the crust will fall off on its own.
2. You can bathe your baby for the first time on the tenth or twelfth day of birth. Why not right away?.. It depends on the condition of the baby’s umbilical stump... You understand that when the child is born, the doctor ties and crosses the umbilical cord, and also treats it with a disinfectant. Until the “navel has healed,” you cannot bathe the baby, since an unhealed wound is a beautiful entry point for infection; Bacteria will travel through the umbilical artery, like a taxi, into the body and through the bloodstream into all organs and tissues - and this is a very dangerous complication.
Treating the umbilical cord stump is the job of doctors, not parents. Ancestors can only monitor the condition of the umbilical cord wound.
If you see that two weeks after birth the wound is still red, wet and swollen, consult a doctor.
3. Until the umbilical wound has dried, you can only wipe the baby’s body with wet wipes or wash it very carefully.
4. Attitude towards the pacifier. Children are different, and they express themselves differently in relation to the pacifier. Some people can’t live without a pacifier, while others don’t know it at all. What does pediatric science say about the need for a pacifier?.. Most pediatricians advise doing without a pacifier - so that later the gums and teeth develop correctly. At first this can be difficult - especially when the child, for some reason, starts screaming and does not calm down. It’s tempting to give him the pacifier... But the right strategy is to try to calm the baby down (naturally, by eliminating the cause of the crying), so to speak, to bear with him.
5. However, if you could not do without a pacifier, then you must follow the following rules:
- there should be several nipples in stock;
- before using, they must be boiled;
- if the pacifier has fallen off and there are no more pacifiers in stock, do not be lazy - treat the pacifier with boiling water (some mothers make the mistake of wiping the pacifier on a diaper and giving it to the baby - they introduce an infection into the newborn’s digestive tract);
- it is completely unacceptable to lick a pacifier before giving it to a child (in the oral cavity of an adult there is a full range of microorganisms - they get here with food, air, etc.);
- Before insertion, the pacifier must be stored on a clean saucer under an inverted glass.
6. When putting your baby to bed, remember that soft feather beds are harmful to him. The mattress should be quite hard - straw or hair. This is needed for proper development the baby’s skeletal system, namely the spine. No need for a pillow at all. If you still want to slip something under your baby’s head, put a diaper folded in four. The introduction of a pillow from such an early age can lead to curvature of the cervical spine. In addition, it will be difficult for the child to breathe if he is placed with his head on the pillow - after all, the baby has a very short neck.
7. Do not wrap your baby up or pile blankets on him. If he is properly fed and healthy, he is warm under a light blanket. Some mothers, for fear of catching a cold, sometimes even wrap the baby in a feather blanket - and thereby only make it worse. The child sweats, and signs of heat rash appear in almost all places.
8. A very important moment in your baby’s life is bathing. It is best to bathe your baby in the bathroom. From a hygiene point of view, this room must meet almost all requirements: so that damp, stagnant air does not remain in it, the bathroom must be frequently ventilated; it is better if it is tiled, because... tiled walls can be simply washed, wiped and treated with antiseptics; the presence of fungus in the bathroom is unacceptable (and it is a fairly common guest in bathrooms, where all the conditions for it are warm, gloomy and damp); great if the bathroom is quite spacious. Almost everyone prefers to bathe their baby in the kitchen, there is more space, you can put the bath on the table (this is comfortable because you don’t have to bend over, so your back doesn’t get tired). Each family decides this question individually; It’s clear that not everyone’s living conditions are the same.
9. It is best to bathe a baby in a baby bath (use this bath only for bathing the baby - do not wash or soak clothes in it).
10. The temperature of the water for bathing is 36 °C (until three or four months of age, the baby must be bathed in boiled water; the water is prepared in advance and cooled to 36 °C). You can measure the temperature using a special temperature indicator. Buying such a temperature indicator is not a problem - it is included in the kit in the children's first aid kit.
11. When you have prepared everything you need, you need to undress the baby and carefully, slowly, so as not to scare the baby, lower him into the water. Bathing can begin immediately after discharge from the maternity hospital (provided, of course, that the umbilical wound has already healed).
In bathing water, you need to dissolve a couple of crystals of potassium permanganate (bactericidal effect), you can add chamomile decoction prepared in advance.
Bathing time is not particularly important. However, experience indicates that it is best to do this in the evening before feeding. Since bathing somewhat calms the baby, after eating, he will soon fall asleep and sleep more deeply.
During bathing, you need to hold the baby by the shoulders with your left hand - put your hand under the back, and lather with your right hand. Rinse the folds a little more thoroughly - the neck, under the arms, between the thighs. The washcloth must be soft. Don’t be overzealous - the baby’s skin is very warm.
It is necessary to wash the baby in the following order: neck, chest, tummy, arms and legs, back. And only then the head.
Lather your hair carefully so that soap suds do not get into your eyes. If a child's eyes sting, he will remember this problem forever. The baby’s head needs to be thrown back and held with the palm of his hand, and with the other palm, water the hair from the temples to the back of the head; later lather and rinse in the same position. You can carefully wipe your face with a damp cloth. It is necessary to bathe your baby with soap and wash his hair no more than twice a week. On other days - no soap.
12. The duration of bathing changes with age: from a few minutes in the first days to twelve to fifteen minutes in the next, when bathing is no longer only a hygienic cleansing procedure, but also a real pleasure.
13. After bathing, place the baby in a heated terry towel, wrap the free edge around it and pat dry. You don’t need to wipe, but rather blot, so as not to injure the delicate skin. Dry the head first, then the body; Pay attention to the folds listed above, they must be carefully dried. Then dress the baby: two undershirts - first a narrow one, followed by a flannel one. Swaddling.
14. Pieces of lignin are used to wash the eyes. A separate piece for each eye. Wash from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner with boiled water. If your baby's eyes are festering, the doctor advises from time to time to instill boric water (not to be confused with boric alcohol!), also chamomile.
15. You need to clean your baby’s nose and ears often. To do this, use cotton wool twisted into thin wicks. You can wrap cotton wool around a match or a special stick, but especially do not get carried away with such cleaning - do not get very deep into your ear or nose so as not to destroy the membrane or injure the mucous membrane; In this case, it is not excluded that a cotton wool remains in the external auditory canal or in the nasal passage, and then a specialist will have to be called to remove it; get the cotton wool out yourself and don’t try - you can still push it even deeper.
16. Try to bathe your baby together. Let you, the mother, be helped by your spouse or the baby’s grandmother. A couple of extra hands won't hurt - especially in the first days, when you don't yet have enough skill.
17. Which bath is best to use for bathing? Better iron enameled or coated with zinc, also plastic. It's not a shortage lately. You should not use a wooden bath to bathe your baby - dirt can linger in cracks and all kinds of irregularities, in which, as in an ideal nutrient medium, a microbial infection develops. The principle is simple: those baths that are easy to clean are suitable.
18. Practical housewives (especially in rural areas where it can be difficult to heat water) prefer not to miss the opportunity to wash some small items in the warm water that remains after bathing the baby. This cannot be done in a bath. Pour the water into some other container and wash it to your health. You will be convinced that during subsequent bathing you will not “give” your baby an infection.
19. When you have bathed your baby and put him to bed, take care of the bath - clean it properly ( washing powder, for example), rinse thoroughly so that no trace of the cleaning agent used remains, and hang it on a nail. The bath must be stored in a dry state - this is again designed to prevent microbial infections and fungi from nesting on the surface of the bath.
20. Before bathing your baby, you must prepare a bath. It is best to scald it with boiling water and only then pour water into it for bathing.
21. When bathing a baby, the following supplies are required:
- baby soap in a separate soap dish;
- a cup of cooled boiled water - for washing the face;
- pure boron water or chamomile decoction - for washing the eyes;
- glass jar with lignin squares for eye wash, also for cotton wool;
- temperature indicator to control the water temperature;
- scissors and hair brush;
- powder;
- baby linen, diapers, terry towel.
It’s comfortable when all the listed items are in one place: on a tray or side table. Everything is at hand, you don’t need to find anything, you don’t need to be distracted from the baby.
22. In the morning, the baby needs to be washed. After these procedures, you yourself will notice that the baby will be in a better mood, and, accordingly, feel better... After sleep, undress the baby and put him on the sheet. Using a moistened napkin (moistened with boiled water), lightly wipe your face, then your hands; don't forget - under the arms. Then pat dry immediately with a towel. Another step is to turn the baby on his side and hold him with his left hand, wash his back and buttocks with his right hand and immediately dry him again. Later, the turn comes to the chest, abdomen, legs.
Morning washing is done without soap.
23. After you have wiped the baby's entire body, wash the external genitalia. For boys, we simply wash them without exposing the head of the penis. For girls, washing and drying are constantly done in the direction
leniya front to back; Otherwise, you can spread the infection through stool to the genitals.
24. After washing, we begin feeding.
25. Even if you are very tired, try not to skip aqua procedures. They are very important for your baby - much more important than for an adult.
It must be clear to you that human skin also breathes. In a baby, the percentage of oxygen absorbed from the air by the skin is significantly higher than in an adult. How important this is becomes clear when we remember that the lungs of a newborn are still underdeveloped and breathing through the lungs is very shallow (the child inhales the deepest when he screams; let him scream from time to time - this, as they say, is good for health!). Now imagine that you were lazy and didn’t give your baby a bath, and later missed the morning toilet. The pores of the baby's skin are already clogged - with the secretion of the sebaceous glands, desquamated epithelium, on the chest - with the remains of regurgitated milk, on the buttocks - with the remains of stool, etc. The skin does not breathe, the child feels bad and uncomfortable. However, he won’t say anything about it... Unless he bursts into tears... Don’t punish your own baby, don’t skip water procedures, which also have a hardening effect.
26. On the changing table, either nearby in a cabinet, or in a special box, you must store everything you need for changing and caring for a newborn: bags of sterile cotton wool, powder, brilliant green, boric water, baby ointment (oil from company "Gohnson & Gohnson"), used for diaper rash, also spotless diapers.
27. In the first weeks of life, all the baby’s clothes are a vest, blouse, cap and diapers.
You must have already seen that your child does not really like to dress; and in general, if a child is full, he prefers not to be disturbed. Therefore, try to dress him and swaddle him as quickly as possible. If you don’t yet have the necessary skill, practice on a doll... It’s better to put on a vest and a blouse right away, after putting them on one another. Then we swaddle. If you still can’t do it, watch how a visiting nurse does it.
28. Do not try to swaddle particularly tightly, as was done in the old days. Your grandmothers and great-grandmothers believed that if you do not swaddle the baby tightly, pressing one leg to the other, then the baby’s legs may become crooked. So we were on the safe side. Modern medical science is categorically against tight swaddling; By tightening the baby's legs tightly, you thereby remove the head of the leg from its natural position, and in the future a dislocation of the leg may completely develop.
29. Diapers should be in sufficient quantity and completely unstained. If the diapers are poorly washed, microscopic crystals of uric acid remain in them, which, when they come into contact with the baby’s gentle skin, begin to irritate it; the baby experiences itching in areas of irritation, and later pain - even with the slightest touch; then, if appropriate measures are not taken, the redness gives way to rashes, blisters and sores.
Taking into account the above, wash diapers as thoroughly as possible. It would be a good idea to soak wet diapers in cool water before washing. Dirty
The diapers must first be cleaned under running water and only then soaked.
After boiling the diapers in soapy water, carefully wash them so that there are no stains. After washing, rinse in several waters. Now you can boil them again.
30. Is it necessary to smooth out diapers?..
Until your baby is 3 months old, diapers must be smoothed out. Firstly, after ironing, the diaper fabric becomes softer and does not rub the baby’s skin too much; secondly, bacteria die under a hot iron (no matter how painstakingly you wash, bacteria are always in diapers).
31. You should establish the best daily routine for yourself and your baby and stick to it from now on. It will be comfortable for you and the baby. The routine organizes and educates, under a certain regime the necessary conditioned reflexes are developed - and the whole life of your baby up to one year is built only on reflexes.
Let's take the work of the stomach as an example. Research by scientists has long shown that the stomach works not only when a portion of food enters it. If the stomach “knows” (and the bio clock that is embedded in each of us tells it about this) that feeding time is approaching, it begins to prepare in advance for eating - it produces gastric juice. And if a portion of food arrives at the right time, then it is digested faster and of better quality; and it’s easier for the stomach, better digestibility, and less energy costs... This is how the body, accustomed to the regime, prepares for anything.
It has been noticed: children whose mothers try not to disrupt their usual routine get sick less.
32. In the first months of life, your child sleeps a lot during the day; Do not miss the opportunity to do your business at this time.
33. Your baby’s daily routine includes feedings, walks, and sleep. If you can't create a routine yourself, try this one (for a newborn; seven feedings a day, three hours apart):
6.00 - 1st feeding; make it a rule: swaddle your baby before feeding, and put him to bed after feeding;
8.45 - baby’s morning toilet (see above); then sleep;
9.00 - feeding; After feeding, you need to hold the baby in an upright position for about 5 minutes so that the air that has entered the stomach can burp; dream;
12.00 - feeding;
12.45 - if the weather is excellent, you can take a walk;
15.00 - feeding;
15.45 - sleep with the window open or on the balcony (in calm, clear weather) or while walking;
18.00 - feeding; then - sleep;
20.30 - bathing the baby and necessary hygiene procedures;
21.30 - feeding; dream;
and another feeding at night; There is no specific time specified - the child will wake up on his own when he gets hungry and start crying. Several months will pass, and the child himself will refuse this night feeding - he will sleep soundly until the morning.
34. As for your baby's night sleep... Don't leave the night light on or the light in the next room.
Let your child get used to sleeping in the dark at night. Let him learn not to be afraid of the dark.
35. If a child wakes you up at night by clicking, do not rush to start feeding right away, figure out the reason for the click - maybe the child is just wet. Then, naturally, he needs to be swaddled.
36. From what time can you accept guests? It is better for the child not to be in contact with outsiders
within 6-7 weeks. All for the same reason - guests can bring an infection without even suspecting it themselves. However, even after the specified period, do not initiate visits to not very close relatives and friends. But if they come, do not give the baby in their arms. It is better if a distance of two meters is maintained between the child and the guests - this is a certain guarantee that the child will not become infected with an airborne infection.
They showed the baby and - that's it, you are welcome to another room. No one will be offended, everyone will understand your concern for the child.
37. Well, you yourself will be able to receive guests starting from the fourth week after discharge from the maternity hospital. You just need to be sure that your guests are this moment not dangerous in terms of microbial or viral infection. Perhaps the time has come when you can safely not shake hands with your guests - so that they do not share bacteria with you. And if you do shake hands, wash your hands with soap afterwards.
38. It’s great if your guests also wash their hands with soap (they were traveling in transport, they grabbed the handrails, which in car parks are unlikely to be treated with antiseptic),
and it’s absolutely great if they wash their face, because, you see, there’s so much dust on it after the streets!..
39. Let the father be more actively involved in caring for the child. The more dad helps, the more time you have for rest. And rest and peace for a nursing mother are very important; the mother’s poor health and mental balance do not directly affect the lactation process; If a nursing mother is nervous and completely tired, she does not produce enough milk.
Having risen at night to a screaming child, a caring father can, without the help of others, “make a diagnosis” as to why the baby is crying. If the baby is just wet and doesn’t ask for food yet, dad will swaddle him and thereby give mom the opportunity to sleep.
40. You can get comprehensive answers to any questions regarding baby hygiene from your local nurse. Write down her phone numbers and pediatrician; Sometimes consultation is needed promptly; it can also be obtained by telephone.
41. 1st walk. If your baby is healthy, was born full-term and is gaining weight well, then the first walk can take place 10 days after being discharged from the hospital. However, if there is any concern on the part of the pediatrician, consult him.
42. It is necessary to walk with your child in good, quiet weather. You can even do it for several hours at a time. If it rains, you can wait it out under an overhanging roof or under an entrance canopy, in a gazebo; if it’s snowing, that’s also not a hindrance; but the air is unusually clean. The main thing is that you must be convinced that the child is dressed warmly.
Experienced mothers can determine whether a child is cold simply by feeling his nose; if it’s warm, everything is fine; if it's cool, it's time to go home.
43. During a walk, especially in winter, make sure that the child breathes through his nose. The nose is a very important organ: it warms, purifies and humidifies cool air.
44. Another little trick. When it's frosty outside and you're walking with a stroller and want to be sure that the baby is breathing through his nose, give your baby a pacifier.
45. Beware of walking in windy weather. The wind raises clouds of dust, and the dust is full of bacteria.
46. If the weather turns out to be appropriate and you go out for a walk, beware of very noisy and crowded places - avenues, squares, markets. In addition to the fact that the noise itself will disturb your baby and prevent him from falling asleep, these crowded places are also a gathering place for all kinds of infections; adults, endowed with good defense mechanisms, actually do not get sick from the infection that they carry with them everywhere and exchange, but a child...
An ideal place for walks is a quiet square, a park, or any deserted corner. By the way, a walk is useful not only for the child, but also for you, the nursing mother.
47. Do not take yourself and your child for walks near the roadway. The air here is polluted not only by dust, but also by exhaust gases containing carcinogenic substances. It is unlikely that such walks will be beneficial.
48. If you meet someone you know, do not allow him to bend over the stroller, over your baby.
bald. This will protect your baby from unnecessary contact with infection. There is an even relationship here: the child will feel better - and you will have fewer problems.
49. Just like at home in bed, during a walk the child should lie in the stroller on a flat surface - on the mattress; no need for any pillows.
50. On a clear, hot summer day, beware of direct sunlight on your baby - so that the child does not feel hot and does not sweat. Place the stroller somewhere in the shade. Also protect your baby from the wind.
51. Your baby is used to the pacifier. Well! I’m used to it, I’m so used to it... Your concern is to keep your nipples clean. It is necessary to have them in stock and store them, for example, in a saucepan or under an inverted glass on a saucer. When you are going outside, tie one pacifier to a wide ribbon. With this precaution, you will not drop the pacifier on the ground, and you will not have to go back for a new pacifier.
52. When your child is still very small, but is already sitting confidently and you can take him out for a walk in a folding stroller, be sure to secure the baby with special belts (such belts are included in the set strollers), because the child is already quite mobile, so that he can leave the stroller without the help of others and add more trouble to you.
53. As the child grows, the number of feedings becomes smaller, but the child eats more. The duration of sleep also changes. In the first weeks of life, if the baby does not eat, then he sleeps, and if he wakes up,
then only later, to announce to you with a click that it’s time to swaddle him; Often the child falls asleep, having had enough, but not yet releasing the breast. From the second month, the duration of sleep gradually decreases, and the child sleeps 18-20 hours. Hours of wakefulness arise. The child begins to more actively comprehend the world around us, looking around with a more or less meaningful gaze. Communicate with him during this time. Be sure that your child will appreciate it and will give you many pleasant moments.
54. However, you must be prepared for the fact that the child will keep himself awake at night. He is still too small to understand the difference between night and day, and has no idea that his father has to go to work tomorrow morning, and his mother, tired during the day, so wants to sleep sweetly... You wake up because the child is tossing and turning on his own place, smacks his lips, tests his voice (sometimes one can sense surprise in the voice)... Don’t be irritated. Over time, the child will figure out where is night and where is day. And don't go near him - maybe he will fall asleep. However, if he starts screaming, he will have to come up to make sure that the child is not wet. If you are convinced that he is dry and not hungry, and screaming is just a requirement for communication, then let the child scream, do not follow his whim (by the way, do not forget that shouting a little is useful for a child - both for the development of the lungs and for the development of the muscular system), wait out this scream.
55. So, if a child is screaming and you are convinced that, apart from a whim, there are no special circumstances for a click (the child is dry and has not been in diapers, the child is well-fed and healthy), you do not approach him. A completely relevant question: how long should you not approach him if he yells and screams?.. Be patient and try to hold out for up to an hour.
Do not let your child feel weak from this age - otherwise, he may grow up capricious and will rule you as he wants.
However, don't overdo it, if you're a pretty strong-willed mother... don't miss the big reason for crying. In general, you will have time to understand the character of your baby...
56. Your baby should always have fresh air in his room. Therefore, do not forget to open the window more often. Stale, stuffy air (naturally full of bacteria) can lead to respiratory diseases in your baby.
57. Don’t forget about hardening procedures. Eg, air baths. They can be started when the baby is 2-3 weeks old. The air temperature in the room must be at least 22 °C.
To begin, undress your baby three times a day (when swaddling) for 1-2 minutes. You should gradually increase the duration of the air baths; the air temperature should be uniformly reduced to 17-18 °C.
58. Surely, while still preparing to become a mother, you have read a mountain of popular literature about children and caring for them. And more than once we have come across information about the need for the body, especially children, to have vitamin D. The significance of this vitamin is that without its role in the body, calcium cannot be absorbed and stored - an element absolutely necessary for the formation and growth of bones. In the absence or deficiency of vitamin D, the child develops rickets - his bones soften, become distorted, the general condition of the body suffers, and immunity decreases.
Under natural conditions, this essential vitamin appears in the body under the influence of sunlight. Therefore, your child should be exposed to the sun frequently. However, which is completely understandable, not in the hot sun.
Firstly, the room in which the baby’s bed is located must be sunny (if, of course, your apartment has one). And from time to time you need to give your baby sunbathing: for example, on a warm day in the summer with the window open ( ultra-violet rays, under the influence of which vitamin D appears in the skin, do not pass through glass) hold the baby in the sun.
Secondly, walk more in sunny weather. The best time for sunbathing is morning and evening, when there are more ultraviolet rays and less infrared rays in the sunlight. A child should sunbathe with caution: starting from 2 minutes and then adding one minute once a day. Remember that a baby’s skin is much more delicate and therefore more vulnerable than yours. It's very easy to get a sunburn.
59. It is better to start sunbathing evenly: first, expose the baby’s legs to the sun, later - the tummy, on the 3rd day - the chest, etc. And only when it’s slightly tanned can you expose it to the full sun. Know that fair-haired children are often more sensitive to the effects of sunlight, while children are naturally dark-skinned, and their tan looks different. If you have a dark-skinned child growing up in your neighborhood, and he has a wonderful tan, like coffee with milk, and you want the same for your child, do not overdo it, do not harm your baby.
60. Hardening with the rays of the sun is best done in the morning - in the interval from 9 to eleven -
ten o'clock. Try to avoid direct sunlight, and use only scattered or reflected rays. You need to start sunbathing from 1-2 minutes. After a month, the session is increased to 10 minutes.
61. On hot days, protect your baby's head and eyes from direct sunlight. The sun can very soon bake a child's head, which causes a sharp rush of blood to the brain - this is dangerous.
Fabric perfectly reflects the sun's rays white. While walking, protect your baby's head with a white cap or cap. Also, do not forget about the irritating effect of flashy light on your eyesight. Do not place the stroller so that direct sunlight enters your eyes; let the baby's face be in the shadow; If the child is sleeping, you can cover his eyes with a handkerchief.
62. Whenever you go for a walk, take a bottle of boiled water with you. On the street, especially if the weather is hot, the baby is thirsty more often than at home.
185. It is completely unhygienic and even dangerous for a baby when one of the adults - even the mother - kisses him. Especially on the lips. Loving parents obviously find such kisses very pleasant. However, resist the temptation if you do not want to harm your child. If you really want to, you just don’t have the strength, kiss him on the ass; at least you will be convinced that this infected or conditionally infected place will not become a source of infection (unlike hands that a child will pull into his mouth in a minute).
63. In the third month, the baby should sleep approximately the same amount as in the second. Since then only
It’s clear that he is already beginning to slowly navigate the time of day. Some babies at this age do not wake up at all from evening to morning feeding. If your child is not one of those children, do not be upset or annoyed - everything will come, you just need to be patient a little.
64. For 2 months I had to wash the child’s eyes with boron water, boiled water, weak tea or chamomile decoction. This was done because the baby’s eyes did not yet produce tears and could not clear themselves without the help of others. In the third month, the lacrimal glands begin to work, so constant eye washing becomes less and less necessary. Except for conjunctivitis.
From this age (as you saw tears), all you have to do is clean the corners of your eyes from time to time, where dried secretions accumulate after sleep, especially at night. This discharge must be removed carefully, using a gauze swab or cotton swab soaked in boiled water (but be careful not to let the lint get into your eye). Toilet your eyes carefully so that the removed lumps do not fall on the conjunctiva. Don't rub your eyes. If you still need to rinse them, rinse so that the flow of water is from the inner corner of the eye to the outer and so that the rinsing solution does not get from one eye to the other.
65. Your baby's nails are growing soon enough. Don’t forget to cut them just right - so that the child doesn’t scratch himself. Do not cut your nails very briefly, otherwise skin will then grow on your nails - a very disgusting phenomenon, and it torments some people all their lives. Who would have thought that the origins of this phenomenon are here - in the first months of life...
66. Over time, the baby’s daily routine diversifies. After all, your baby is not only sleeping, but also asking for communication. From time to time you quickly leave him naked - so that the child can move for his own pleasure, so that his skin can breathe. IN summer time try to have the child spend more time in the fresh air - sleep in the garden, and if at home, then by an open window.
At this age, the foundation of health is laid.
67. Keep toys clean, especially if you have other children who can take toys from the baby. Don’t forget that older children already have a strong immune system and are not as susceptible to infection as a baby. It is preferable to play with toys made from materials that can be treated with an antiseptic or simply washed - wooden, rubber and plastic toys. You understand that a child puts all objects in his mouth. And this is not by chance, he will explore the world: visually, by touch and, naturally, by taste...
68. About the duration of walks...
The very first walks should last 10-15 minutes in the warm season and 5-10 minutes in the cool season. The duration of walks increases evenly to 2-3 hours in the warm season and up to 2 hours in the cool season. In summer you can walk two or three times a day, in winter once or twice.
Perhaps, if the temperature rises above 30 °C in summer, the walk should be cancelled. In winter, try not to take your baby outside at temperatures below -10 °C.
69. You can start giving your child a massage quite early - from one and a half months of age. Getting a massage
while awake, twice a day. At first, the massage session lasts one or two minutes, later the duration increases. One massage session - 5-6 minutes. It takes 10-12 minutes a day... Massage promotes the process of blood circulation, the movement of lymph, that is, it relieves stagnation in the tissues and, as it were, provokes metabolism.
70. Do not massage immediately after feeding, otherwise the baby may regurgitate. Wait about 40 minutes and you can start. Or you can have a massage session twenty to thirty minutes before feeding.
71. At the age of one and a half to 3 months, the following set of exercises is recommended:
- stroking hand massage (done in the direction from the wrist to the shoulder);
- stroking leg massage (done in the direction from the foot to the thigh);
- then laying on the stomach;
- stroking back massage;
- turn the baby onto his back and do a stroking tummy massage (clockwise movements);
- foot massage (do rubbing and light kneading);
- place the baby on his tummy again; let him rest his feet on your palm; push the legs a little, the child will try to crawl.
The whole complex should take no more than 6 minutes.
72. It is most convenient to do a massage on a table. Cover the table with a flannelette blanket, then with oilcloth and a sheet. Now you can put the baby down. Trace-
those for air temperature. The best temperature for gymnastics and massage sessions is 22-23 °C.
73. When you massage your child, do not make sudden movements or raise your voice. The situation must be calm. It will be nice if you turn on some quiet music.
74. It is best to see the techniques of massage and gymnastics before doing them. Your clinic probably has a trained specialist. Contact him and he will teach. Knowledge will give you conviction.
Based on materials from the site: medkarta.ru
This new status implies not only taking care of the baby, but also the ability to stay awake on the go and look like a “human.” We tell you how a young mother can manage everything while maintaining a positive mood.
The birth of a baby radically changes the life of any girl. And it’s not just about the new virtuoso skills of getting enough sleep in 4 hours, hearing a child’s cry in his sleep and “seeing” through the walls what your little one is doing. The question is also about organizing the regime - after all, no one has canceled household chores, and your loved ones (first of all, your beloved husband) are waiting for your attention and care no less than a newborn baby. We tell you how to improve your life so that it doesn’t seem so complicated.
To begin with, take it for granted that dreams of a romantic dinner with a movie and a leisurely three-hour walk with older children should be postponed “for later.” With the birth of the child, the maximum that will be at your disposal is 1.5-2 hours (about how much the average baby sleeps continuously if nothing bothers him). This means that this time needs to be used as usefully as possible. For example, give each person important to you 20 minutes, and when communicating with them, do not be distracted by anything else. Immerse yourself in the process headlong (be it a heart-to-heart conversation or any other activity). Yes, it’s not an hour or two - only 20 minutes, but they are yours.
Again, due to lack of free time, try to turn all large-scale tasks into a couple of small ones. So, it will be much easier for a new mother to set aside three minutes a couple of times a day to iron a couple of towels and diapers than to “give” a whole 20 minutes to sort through a mountain of things. The same rule works great for other household chores.
In some cases, on the contrary, it is worth remembering about optimization - and reducing the to-do list, combining similar tasks whenever possible. Why complicate an already busy schedule? For example, you can give up an extensive menu and cook one or two universal dishes that will appeal to every family member. Many things can be done at the same time: going for a walk with your baby? Call a friend - a short meeting will distract you from your worries, and her from the everyday routine. And don’t be afraid to involve your husband and older children in household chores, because during this time they not only help, but also communicate with you.
We are willing to bet that in your dreams there are a couple of “large-scale” important things that, however, you never get around to. Or maybe they are not so needed? Yes, of course, I would like to celebrate the arrival of the baby with a noisy feast with relatives or a family party with friends - but, frankly speaking, this event can be postponed to another important date(to combine with the baby’s christening or first birthday).
If you are one of the active business mothers who manage to find the strength, time and desire to work even while on maternity leave, set aside for mental activity daytime hours. Most often, babies begin to become active and capricious in the late afternoon, so it is better to devote this time entirely to the baby.
No matter how tough it may sound, you shouldn’t drop everything and rush to your baby’s crib at the first call. It is not at all necessary that every time you hear crying, you immediately take the baby in your arms and try to rock it to sleep. Give your child time to understand his own desires. Of course, if the baby continues to cry, you cannot ignore him.
