Did You Know?

There is a line of thinking that says parenting a newborn baby “comes naturally.”  If you are a parent, you know this isn’t totally so.  If you are expecting to become a parent, you will find out soon enough.  Even if you have a sleepy baby who sleeps and eats, eats and sleeps and you tend to be naturally organized, there will be times when you wonder how you will get everything done.

“There are more ways to skin a cat than to choke him with a piece of meat” as my paternal grandmother was fond of saying.  You can learn this quickly by reading baby books by several different early child care professionals.  It doesn’t mean that one is right and the other wrong, only that their preferred approaches are just different.  It is up to you to learn as much as you can and then, through trial and error, discover which one works best for your wee one.

What do you think is the most effective way to take your baby’s temperature?  That’s right, rectally.  Be sure to use a rectal thermometer.  Dip the tip into some petroleum jelly or apply a bit of KY lubricant.  Insert the bulb an inch into the rectum and wait 60 seconds.  Remove and read.  (Note:  Don’t be surprised if your infant poops right away.)

How many bowel movements are normal for an infant baby in 24 hours?  Until six to eight weeks of age, your baby may give you several “presents” a day.  After that, digestion slows and you will likely see fewer soiled diapers.  When your baby is past the newborn stage, it isn’t a concern for her to go a day or two with no bowel movement. However, if it has been five days with no smelly activity, she seems uncomfortable or fussy, her belly is distended, or she’s vomiting or running a fever, call her health care provider.

What’s the best way to treat a baby’s stuffy nose, even on a newborn?  According to Parenting magazine, you should gently squirt saline drops into her nose and wait several minutes to allow the liquid to loosen the mucus.  You should then be able to remove it with a bulb syringe.

Your three-week-old baby screams for at least three hours every night.  What might be the problem?  Oh MY!  Colic is the likely culprit.  Be assured, it isn’t likely anyone’s “fault”.  Typically, colic begins around three weeks of age, the baby cries for three or more hours each day, and this continues for three or more weeks.  Babies usually outgrow this phase by three months of age, but it can last up to six months or more.  If so, contact your pediatrician.  And may God bless you that you remained sane during this trying time.

As you try your best to be a good parent, but you feel at times that you really don’t know what you are doing, please know that you are not alone.  If you know someone who is feeling stressed with a new baby, offer help and a promise to lift them in prayer every day.  No matter how stressful it gets, “…this too shall pass.”  Continue to enjoy the good times.  Happy parenting.

©2012 Brenda Holland-Robinson