In the last trimester of pregnancy, most of the anxieties of the expectant mother concern the upcoming birth. Many during this time try to acquire a dowry for the crumbs, so that after his birth, he does not delegate this duty to his newly-made father. But almost none of the future parents think about the features of the first week of a newborn’s life. And therefore, they are unprepared for this period, which pediatricians attribute to the most important for infants. Moreover, relatives are always ready to share their ideas about what you need to know about the first week of a newborn’s life. Not always their advice turns out to be correct, and experience is suitable for your baby. All this leads to an increase in the nervousness of the young mother, affecting the emotional state of the baby. To avoid such conditions, you need to learn as much as possible about the first week of a newborn's life. In the article we will consider various aspects related to this topic.
Collecting dowry
Of course, experienced moms do it in advance. After all, no one knows better than a mother what to buy for a newborn. Usually a shopping trip lasts for several months, so it’s best to do it in the second trimester of pregnancy, when the woman’s physical condition favors long walks in shopping centers, and the acquisition of cute little things for children cheers up and sets up a positive mood.
However, most of the expectant mothers sacredly believe in the sign, which says that before the appearance of crumbs in the world, it is impossible to acquire any things for him. In this regard, all the trouble of buying a dowry falls on the shoulders of a young father. And he, as usual, buys a lot of unnecessary things in a children's store and spends almost the entire family budget on this. At the same time, papa tends to forget about important trifles, which makes women nervous and quarrel with their inattentive missus.
Therefore, try to make a list according to which the baby's father could acquire all the necessary things. Do not make it too long, it is better to include here only the most necessary things in the first week of a newborn’s life. Then you can go to the store together and purchase what you like. So what to buy for a newborn?
The answer to this question directly depends on what time of the year the baby will be born. We will try to give generalized information in the article. Based on her, each mother will be able to make her own list. Let's look at a basic list of things:
- Diapers. Most parents think about this subject first of all. Disposable diapers today allow parents to raise their babies in more comfortable conditions than grandparents had to. For the first time, one pack of diapers of any manufacturer will be enough. Do not listen to the comments of friends and relatives telling us that one company is much better than another. All manufacturers produce a quality product that meets all Russian standards. However, only in the process of use you will understand which brand of diapers is right for your baby. Usually, each baby by the age of one and a half months lets parents know what she likes. But the size of diapers should be considered in more detail. Usually, even at the stage of pregnancy, the mother is informed about whether the baby will be large. If you are planning the birth of a small baby with a weight within the normal range, then buy a pack of diapers labeled "newborn." But for a hero it is better to take those that are designed for a weight of three to six kilograms.
- Diapers This subject has recently caused a lot of controversy among mothers and pediatricians. Many completely refuse swaddling and consider this a relic of the past, while others, on the contrary, support the methods of our grandmothers and do not think the first weeks of a newborn’s life without diapers. In any case, take care of purchasing thin and warm diapers from a bike or flannel. They will be useful to you in the process of caring for the baby, and besides, they can be taken on a planned visit to the pediatrician. In addition, on a walk, most mothers prefer to swaddle their baby so that he sleeps more calmly. Therefore, buy five thin and warm diapers in the store.
- Soother. At first, many mothers literally flee the pacifier from the baby's seemingly unreasonable, at first glance, vagaries. In the store, choose a dummy made of the smallest size latex or silicone. Then it will have to be changed, since the nipple should grow as the baby grows older.
- Caps and hats. Be sure to buy a hat for the newborn, they put it on the baby immediately after birth so that it does not freeze. The hat should be the smallest size. In the first month of life, the little ones come in handy caps on the ties that can be worn at home and during a walk. If your baby is winter, then take care of a warm hat. Just give preference to knitted patterns.
- Baby's undershirts, blouses and romper suit. These things do not happen much, but often parents are mistaken in size. For the first month, five sliders, three vests or blouses for the newborn and five blouses for the house a little larger will be enough for you.
- Socks. Today, maternity hospitals are allowed and even strongly recommended to wear little socks. They need to be taken with you during childbirth. In stock you must have at least three pairs of socks.
- Suits for a walk. Usually relatives give young parents a large number of all kinds of elegant costumes. It is a pity, but more than half of them will wear a crumb once, and from others it will grow at once. Therefore, get no more than one or two suits - warm or thin, depending on the season.
- Crib and bedding sets. Choosing a crib for a baby is very difficult, so mothers spend a lot of time on this. Take care of this even before giving birth by purchasing a baby mattress and three sets of bed linen.
- Cosmetic supplies. This phrase usually means cotton pads, sticks with a stopper, baby cream, small scissors with rounded ends and so on.
In our list, we did not include a stroller, bottles, rockers and other devices for crumbs. The thing is that in the first week you do not need a stroller. Therefore, you can choose it after the baby is born. You can leave him in the care of your grandmothers and spend your free time on a fun shopping trip with your husband. Believe me, it will seem to you a real holiday. As for the remaining items, their advance purchase often does not justify itself. Only in the process of caring for a newborn in the first week of his life will you understand what exactly you are missing.
The first days in the hospital
So, behind is an excruciating clock of pain and expectation. You look at your little one and experience an indescribable gamut of emotions. Believe me, the crumb is also not easy, since from the moment it was born, it enters the newborn stage, which is considered the most difficult for it.
The baby spent all nine months in very comfortable conditions. Every second he felt the beating of his mother’s heart and her emotional state, he was always warm, and the food came through the umbilical cord, without causing any concern. But after a tiring path through the birth canal for your baby, everything changes dramatically. After all, now he must adapt to the new conditions of existence and know his needs, which will be very difficult for him.
When a happy mom and a baby are discharged from the hospital, few people think that behind them is already several days of his independent life. Moreover, during this time the baby managed to enter the period of adaptation, and its development and health were evaluated on a special scale. We’ll talk about this.
In the fifties of the last century, anesthetist Victoria Apgar introduced a special scale for assessing newborns. A team of doctors taking birth, led by a pediatrician, on a ten-point scale evaluates the following parameters of a man who was just born:
- breath;
- reflexes
- skin color;
- movement and muscle tone;
- heart rate;
- facial expressions.
Evaluation is carried out immediately after the baby’s first cry and then five minutes later. As a result, an average figure is displayed, indicating the level of physical development of the crumbs. When a young mother with her treasure is discharged from the hospital, the Apgar scale indicators are necessarily included in the package of accompanying documents and then are transferred to the pediatrician at the place of registration of the baby. It will be useful for parents to know what exactly the points indicated in the document mean:
- from seven to ten - the absence of deviations;
- from five to six points - the existence of minor health problems;
- from three to four - serious deviations;
- from zero to two is a threat to life.
In the first days of life, the baby is very susceptible to all kinds of viruses and bacteria. Therefore, before being discharged home, he is given two vaccinations. They are very important for the health of the crumbs, and mothers must understand that it is not easy for their baby to survive. He can worry, lose sleep and be naughty. However, babies usually perceive the first vaccinations quite well and at home, mothers do not have to be nervous because of them.
Preparing for discharge
If the newborn is healthy and the mother feels satisfactory, then on the fifth day after the birth they are discharged home. And this becomes a new stage in the life of the family. However, the statement itself often turns into the first test for young parents and their immediate family.
The doctor always reports that the baby and his mother are going home, at least one day in advance. Therefore, dad has time to prepare a set for discharge from the hospital for a boy or girl. It is best if the future mother prepared him in advance and told her husband about where he is. Otherwise, a stunned man may collect things incorrectly and the solemn event will be ruined.
In order to make it easier for your father, you need to know the rules of your maternity hospital regarding discharge before delivery. Of course, in general they are identical, but there are certain differences. The set for an extract from the hospital for a boy differs from the girl’s only in color. Although today parents use not only traditional pink and blue shades. Brown, beige, dairy, green and yellow colors come into fashion. In stores you can find many options for kits made in the specified shades. But what is usually included in these kits?
A set of clothes usually consists of an envelope with a beautiful bow, a bonnet, a baby's undershirt and sliders. In addition to them, you will need to bring diapers, a warm and thin diaper, as well as a blanket and a tight hat if the baby was born in winter.
Dad brings things on the day of discharge. They are waiting for the baby in a special room where the staff will put them on. Then the baby is handed over to the hands of a happy father and curious relatives.
Features of physical development in the first days of life
Outwardly, for seven days the crumb does not change much. It retains a certain swelling, and the skin may well have a bluish tint. Also, many babies are characterized by asymmetry of the face, which usually disappears by the month.
The shape of the baby’s skull is also far from correct. If the baby was born naturally, then, most likely, in the first week it will be slightly elongated, with clear seams. In a situation where the baby was walking with legs, the head is flattened. And at cesarean section it is close to the correct one.
The skin in the first week of life can change its color several times. Normally, their reddish tint. It goes by itself around the tenth day. Often in the first week, even in the hospital, the skin becomes yellow. Breast jaundice is found in many newborns and is not a cause for concern. In a minor form, it passes by itself, and in other cases, doctors put the baby on a “tan” under an ultraviolet lamp. By the end of the first week of life, jaundice passes in almost all babies.
The eyes of the crumbs should remain clean, and the mucous membrane pink. Often a whitish coating appears on it, indicating the development of thrush. In this case, parents need to pay special attention to caring for the baby.
The umbilical wound is delayed by the end of the first week, and the sweat glands begin to work very actively. During this period, parents can familiarize the baby with water procedures. Usually, older relatives advise a young mother to bathe a newborn daisy. A decoction of this herb is considered an ideal option for the first baths, but modern pediatricians have their own view on this problem. They note that the skin of some babies is very delicate and thin, while others are prone to allergic reactions. Parents may not even be aware of this, therefore, a camomile for bathing newborns in the first month can not be used. The baby needs to be washed in plain or boiled water without soap and other cosmetics.
Weight changes
Normal birth weight parameters range from 2 kilograms of 600 grams to 4 kilograms of 500 grams. However, be prepared for the fact that in the first days the baby can lose up to 300 grams of its original weight. This is due to the fact that his body actively removes excess fluid, and the diet has not yet been formed. The baby only adapts to the absorption of milk, so it can be capricious and skip meals.
Health crumbs pediatricians are closely associated with weight gain. In newborns, it is about 200 grams per week. However, do not forget that in the first days of life, babies lose precious grams. And only after the fifth day can the newborn gain weight gain again. In a healthy baby, it will be 20 grams per day.
By the way, changes in growth per week in infants are not observed. They begin to grow actively a little later.
Baby food
On the first day of a newborn’s home, mothers first of all try to establish a diet, because the mood, sleep and the development of crumbs directly depend on this. Modern pediatrics is actively promoting the feeding system on demand. It consists in putting the baby to the chest on the first cry. A similar technique is suitable for mothers who practice breastfeeding. If your baby is on artificial nutrition, it will be better to feed him hourly. Usually in the first week of life, the baby asks for a bottle every three to four hours.
The regimen of the day of his and the whole family depends on the schedule of feeding the newborn in the first week, since parents have to fully adapt to the needs of the recently born man.
Even while the crumbs were in the hospital, he begins to eat 200-300 milliliters of the milk mixture per day, by the end of the week this amount increases to 400 milliliters.
Newborn's regimen: first week
Experienced mothers know how important it is to establish the regime of the day and accustom the baby to a certain rhythm of life. If you do not do this in the early days, then dad and mom will not have time to look after themselves, at home and banal communication with each other.
At the beginning of his life, the baby spends most of his time in a dream. How much does a newborn sleep in the first weeks? Usually a healthy baby sleeps on average from eighteen to twenty hours, wakeful periods are short-lived and are mostly filled with food. Breast-fed infants wake up and require food every two hours, and artificers - after three to four hours. After a feeling of satiety, they immediately fall asleep again.
By the end of the week, the crumb may show interest in the outside world. He looks at the room, bright objects hanging above the bed, close people caring for him. At these moments, you need to talk as much as possible with the baby, tell him about what is happening around, sing songs and read poems. All this helps the baby feel your love and grow faster.
If you look at one day in the accelerated mode from the life of the baby and his parents, it will become clear that it consists of feeding, changing diapers and sleeping. At night, the baby also wakes up for one or two feedings. Over time, the need for night awakenings will disappear by itself.
Skills and skills crumbs
For many, the behavior of the newborn in the first week may seem passive, but in fact he is actively developing and constantly learning new things. By the end of the first seven days, the baby can hold its head for several seconds and focus its eyes on bright objects. He reacts to light and darkness, also can involuntarily smile. However, this smile appears only during sleep.
Often, parents notice that the baby is revived at their sight. Almost all babies in the first week are able to involuntarily close the handles with each other.
Baby reflexes
In the early days, the baby provides its survival with various reflexes. They dictate certain behaviors and reactions to him. For example, if you put the baby on the tummy, then in order to avoid breathing problems, it will turn the head on its side.
With fright, Moro's reflex triggers, which consists in arching the back and legs and arms outstretched to the sides.
Important are sucking and grasping reflexes. The following reflexes should also be noted:
- Babinsky. With various pressure on the feet, the baby's fingers will bend and unbend.
- Supports. When trying to put the crumbs on a hard surface, he tries to take a step.
- Galant. Accurate movement of the fingers along the spine of the child leads to arching of the whole body.
- Search. Stroking near the corner of the mouth makes the baby turn to the side of the stimulus and deflect the tongue to the side. If you lightly press on the middle of the upper lip, the baby will open his mouth a little.
Newborn in the first week: care
Every mother tries to be the best, so she spends all her energy on caring for her baby. She needs to remember a few simple rules that will help her in the first week of her baby's life.
Gymnastics and massage can be performed only on the fourteenth day. Bathing should be entered into the regimen of the day after the healing of the umbilical wound. This is usually the seventh to tenth day. Initially, the water should be boiled. Walking is allowed from the third week of life. But at an air temperature above five degrees, the crumb will not damage the promenade on the balcony for no longer than fifteen minutes.
In no case should a newborn be overheated. Therefore, in the apartment it is important to establish a comfortable temperature of about twenty-two degrees.
And remember that most of all in the first weeks of his life, the baby most of all needs love and communication with parents. Often take it on the handles, cradle and sing songs. And then your baby will grow up a happy and healthy man.