The flat head syndrome is called plagiocephaly in medical terms. It is a condition that may develop in infants a few months in age. In this condition, a flat spot develops on the back or side of a baby’s head. The head of the infant appears uneven due to this condition.
The skull bones of babies are soft and they take up to a few months after birth to harden and fuse. These soft bones allow easy passage through the birth canal during vaginal delivery. However, this also means that baby’s head can change its shape and this is most commonly caused by sleeping or laying in one position regularly.
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How to identify Flat Head Syndrome in babies
Normally, there are 2 types of flat head syndrome in babies, but positional is the most common. It is more of a cosmetic deformation.
Positional
It is also termed deformational plagiocephaly, and it is the more common of the two. As the name suggests, it occurs due to positional consistency. American Academy of Family Physicians suggests that 50% of babies are affected by this condition. Most commonly, it is caused by lying in one position for a long time.
Congenital
It is a rare congenital disability, and a few babies are born with this condition. In this condition, the fibrous space between the skull bones closes prematurely, resulting in an abnormally shaped head. This condition occurs in 1 out of 2000/2500 births.
Symptoms of flat head in babies
The symptoms of the flat head syndrome do not appear overnight. They develop with time and can be observed by parents, or people who are close to infants. The most common identification of flat head syndrome is the asymmetrical shape of the baby’s head. The head may have a flat spot on one side or the back, or it may also be pointy. In some cases, the head may appear like a parallelogram. You can always check the symptoms during bathtime because that’s when the head’s shape is visible. Some other identification points or symptoms include
A flattened area on one side or back of the head. When the head, seems slanted in any area.
Uneven ears are one of the symptoms you may notice in the first few months after birth. Flathead syndrome can cause the ears to appear improperly aligned.
A bald spot is caused by continuous lying in one position, so not just the head gets flattened, but hair stops growing in that area too.
A soft spot on the head, also known as fontanel, is missing in babies that develop plagiocephaly.
Bony ridges may appear on the skull.
In severe cases, a forehead bulge might appear on the opposite side of the flat spot.
In cases of torticollis, the shape of the jaw, neck, and face might also appear uneven.
This syndrome can be a cause of concern due to the maligned appearance of the body. However, babies exhibiting these symptoms do not have learning disabilities or other health effects.
What causes flat spots on your baby’s head
Babies’ heads are very soft, so any activity or thing that puts pressure on their heads can cause the flat head syndrome. The most common causes of flat head syndrome are as follows
1. Sleeping position
Putting a baby to sleep in one position is the most common cause of this syndrome. If you constantly lay your baby on its back on one side, it can cause consistent pressure on that side, resulting in a flat spot. The first four months after birth is when babies have the most chances to develop the flat head syndrome.
2. Premature Birth
Premature babies are at high risk of the syndrome because they have softer skulls than full-term babies. They also spend the most time on their back in NICU due to fragility; hence premature birth is one of the leading causes.
3. Multiple Birth
Twins or multiple borns can have positional plagiocephaly because they share the womb of their mother for the gestational period, and generally, babies exert pressure on each other due to reduced space.
4. Forcep or Vacuum Delivery
These tools used during complicated deliveries can affect the shape of the baby’s head. These tools are too hard for the soft skull bones and usually results in flat head syndrome.
5. Torticollis
In this condition, the neck muscles of a baby become stiff within the mother’s womb. It s most commonly caused by breach position or reduced space. This makes it hard for the baby to move or twist its neck inside the uterus. So one side is pressurized, resulting in flat head syndrome or some other skull deformity.
How to prevent flat head syndrome in babies
It is not possible to prevent all incidents that lead to a flat head syndrome, however, most of the causes can be prevented so your kid does not develop the flat head syndrome. Some of the practices you can uptake to prevent the flatness of the head include
Constantly changing your baby’s sleep position. Lay them on their left side, then on their right side the next day, and on their back the other day. Keep changing their laying position according to the pediatrician’s recommendation.
Give your baby supervised tummy time, so the back of its head is free at times. You can start with a few minutes of putting them on their tummy and work up to 40-60 minutes per day.
Check out this popular and entertaining Playmat for babies. PlayGyms are ideal for tummy time and they significantly help babies not developing the flat head syndrome.
Change feeding positions as well like feed them in an upright position rather than laying down.
If you notice that your baby keeps his head in one position while sleeping, it is very likely for the baby to develop flat spots on one side of the head. To prevent a flat spot on one side of the head, I recommend using a lounger like this, so the baby does not always keep his head in one position.
Here are a few recommended ways that you can add in an infant’s routine to prevent the formation of flat spots.
How to Treat Flat Head Syndrome
Once a baby has developed flat head syndrome, there is no need to panic. You can still cure it through certain practices, and there is no need to rush to a doctor right away. However, It is good to consult a doctor so they can rule out any other complications. Below are some therapies you can perform at home before seeking professional advice.
Counter Position Therapy
Try to position the baby to the opposite of the flattened side to relieve the pressure on one side.
Exercises
Many exercises help your baby to stretch their neck and rotate their head. These are most effective in cases of torticollis so the baby regains movement in neck muscles.
Helmets, headbands, and Mattresses
Specially designed helmets or headbands have proven effective in shaping the babies’ heads as they grow. They can pressure the bulging part and relieve the pressure from the flattened areas turning the head more symmetrical. Some curved mattresses are also available to apply pressure evenly to the whole head. However, make sure to consult a doctor before using any of these helmets and headbands.
It is not necessary in routine cases and may be useful in severe cases of congenital plagiocephaly.
Conclusion
The flat head syndrome is quite common in babies and is not considered a severe health hazard. It can disrupt the shape of the head and alignment of ears for some time, but it can easily be prevented and treated. The syndrome may last for a limited time with minimal effects that too can resolve as the baby ages. It does not affect brain development, and in many cases, it does not require any medical intervention and gets better on its own.
Potty training girls is slightly different than training boys. Girls can be stubborn and headstrong when it comes to potty training. Staying consistent on your toilet training schedule is the key while you train and see progress.
If you are suspecting resistance and stubbornness from your toddler girl, these potty training tips can help you.
In the process of toilet training my daughter, I see her making progress every single day. She goes to the bathroom and manages everything so well, all by herself, and it’s not been a week.
Wait! did I tell you she is not even 3 yet?
Depending on your girl’s age, behavior, and how fast she could learn new things – it will make potty training easy and quick.
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What are the signs if your toddler is ready to potty train
Before you start potty training your little girl, make sure she is showing at least some of the significant signs of readiness, if not all.
Your child is noticing about pee and poop, and asks you to change diaper once she is done with a business.
Time interval between two successive pee episodes increases.
Your child immediately changes location the moment she is about to pee (even in diaper).
At night, you may notice no frequent peeing in diaper, just a massive one in the morning.
Child is not scared of sitting on toilet seat anymore.
She cries or get scared after peeing her pants.
She imitates using the potty like a sibling or an adult.
Wakes up to a dry diaper/nappy after a nap.
How to prepare yourself and your child to start potty training
Once you start noticing signs of readiness to potty train your girl, I would encourage you to go diaper-free and observe your child, once or twice, before you actually start over with an intention.
This process will help you understand the level of patience required with one particular child – Every child is different, some may learn faster than others.
Secondly, it will give your child a little bit of an idea of what to expect when she is in the process of toilet training. And I guarantee you, she will do much better – and you too will.
Third – These diaper-free random days will help you immensely on how to have good control over accidents and how well you can adjust with your potty training schedule.
I would suggest trying once or twice to see where your child stands in the potty training journey. If you think it is something beyond your patience at this point, give your child some more time.
When you start, pee or poop accidents are super effective to help your child understand what she is supposed to do in the toilet. With diapers, it’s all wet and dry. Thus, in order to have a successful training, a couple of accidents are helpful.
At the moment, do not stress and postpone for a while. Start over again after a few more weeks or a couple more months.
What is the right age to potty train your toddler girl
Starting early means more stress, and more accidents, but fewer diapers. Waiting for another couple of weeks makes a ton of difference in how easily your toddler gets potty trained.
In my opinion, the best age to potty train your child is 2.5 to 3 years. Using potty independently is a skill that toddlers learn when they are ready. Training your toddler early means, it may take her longer to learn.
Tried and tested tips for potty training
If you want to train your toddler in 2 to 3 days, these tips could help you achieve your goal. Potty training requires a lot of effort as a family. You have to be one-on-one with one child and rest of the things are on the back burner.
Well, you cannot spend days after days on futile potty training with no strategy and timeline.
This step by step guide will help you understand how you can get the results in less than three days of potty training your toddler.
I would encourage you to ditch diapers depending on your child’s age. At 33 months of age, I totally abandoned diapers for my daughter because I knew she is smart, and she would have an idea that a diaper is still an option.
When you start training your girl for sure, tell her firmly that no more diapers from now onwards.
Since you know your family better, you can decide according to your circumstances. You can use training underwear to contain the mess, and pull-ups depending on the pace.
Using diapers or pull-up, if you fear a pee or poop accident, may delay the process of potty training.
Once your child is out of diapers, and you see the progress, do not switch back to diapers after trying for 2 to 3 days.
Time wee-wee and follow intervals for the first few days
You can potty train your toddler in about 2 to 3 days with this simple tip, but you have to be consistent and attentive all the time.
This is probably the most important tip that can give you results within a couple of days.
Time your bathroom trips; you have to take your toddler girl to the toilet every 15 to 20 minutes. Have her sit on a toilet seat and let her figure out how-to pee etc.
In the beginning, most likely she would be clueless about how to pee or poop. Like I said earlier, having a couple of accidents would help a lot in getting the results faster.
At this point, do not expect her to tell you that she needs to go to the toilet. YOU have to take her every time, with equal intervals, and gradually stretch the time between intervals.
More liquid intake means more bathroom trips.
Control liquid intake
Increase or limit fluids as per your circumstances. I would limit water or other liquids intake during the late hours around bedtime or after dinner.
Go out for short trips – walk or by car
Depending on how your child is making progress, I would encourage you to go out to the park, or a shopping mall. Keep your trip short and quick.
Leave only if your child just pees in the toilet and is good for an hour at least.
Going out gradually helps your child learn how to hold the pee while outside.
Do not slack
While you are in the process of toilet training your girl, try not to slack or get lazy. Expect an infinite amount of bathroom trips in the beginning – that might be unnecessary. Eventually, your child gets a hang of the skill, bladder control, and would only ask you when needed.
Night-time potty training
Limiting liquid intake at night time for at least a few days is very important. You can resume once your child gets adjusted to the wee schedule for nights.
After three to four hours into the sleep cycle, take her to the bathroom for a pee in the middle of the night and you might have to do that for several weeks.
Once your child develops bladder control as she grows, she may not need to wake up in the night.
In order to protect your mattress or kids’ mattress – I advise you to use mattress pads and waterproof kids mats to protect sheets too.
While observing your toddler girl’s moves and expressions, YOUR reaction to your child’s pee or poop accident makes a lot of difference.
Dealing with messy accidents in a polite way is very important. Also, have her understand that peeing her pants is not something that she should be doing. Never get mad, as it may backfire all your efforts.
At some point, you may feel frustrated, but trust me, kids are smart. They understand everything fast – and who likes to stay in diapers!
If your child is still not having reasonable bladder control and you are dealing with multiple accidents three to four weeks into training, try adding sesame seeds in your toddler’s diet for bladder control.
Not to mention, successful potty training depends on the child’s age, development, and interest. Do not stress and do not rush. The timeline may vary for every child but once she is fully potty trained, it’s all worth it in the end.
Preparing for a baby holds so much significance in your journey to parenthood. You may have seen what having a baby looks like, but having your own is a different story altogether. Your strive begins now, how to be a well-informed parent.
To be honest, after a baby, your life is going to take a whole new turn. Things aren’t going to be the same as they used to be. To tell you the truth. your bond gets more robust and better every single day,
Parenting is hard and being a good parent is even harder, so ideally, you should be working on to understand what baby care looks like and how you can make it more natural right from the start.
When you are preparing for the baby, you must make sure you are less overwhelmed and aim to be well-aware parent. Taking birth classes, having your support from those around you, and reading about baby care and mom care is equally important.
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How to prepare for the baby
The moment you find out you are pregnant, amp up your healthy eating habits, and avoid any sort of pregnancy health mistake.
Despite taking proper care while you are expecting, pregnancy symptoms like nausea, twitching eyes, restless legs, and more, may trigger your aches and pains. Learn how you can fight pregnancy discomforts.
1. Set up a Baby Nursery
Once you find out that the baby is coming soon, you start looking for baby nursery ideas. Setting up a picture-perfect nursery depends on having enough space.
Essentially, you need to maximize space by getting rid of all the unnecessary items that are taking up most of your area around the house.
Declutter as much as you can, as a baby brings in a lot of stuff. Trash, donate, sell, or purge the way you want. And remember, less is more, especially when you are a mom.
Now you are overwhelmed with so many saved ideas for setting up a baby nursery. Each one of them looks beautiful and leaves you indecisive to choose any.
2. Understand what you need – set up baby registry
Telling you from experience; please do not get into a new mommy’s trap, and buy everything you see out there. I completely understand the temptation, and I know how it feels to be a first-time parent.
I would say, do not fall trap of your emotions – and research into what could work for your lifestyle. Most importantly, understand your circumstances and the configuration of your house – What you can actually accommodate and how long you are going to use it.
When you are anxiously waiting to find out your baby’s gender, that’s the most exciting part of being a parent. Choosing a unique baby name is an exciting part of the parenthood journey.
As a first-time mom, at some point, you may find breastfeeding picture-perfect mom and baby bonding experience. Well, that’s not true. Breastfeeding is not as easy as it may seem.
Understanding the challenges of breastfeeding is very important. From the right latch to tongue-tie, from sore nipples to mastitis, colostrum to proper milk supply, there is so much to know. For that, you need proper guidance.
Stacey at Milkology is a certified lactation educator. She has an online breastfeeding class that you can get any time – It is better if you take it before you deliver. However, it is never too late to take the course. Stacey’s comprehensive course on breastfeeding is going to tell you ways to improve milk supply, and the timeline involved. Thousands of moms have taken the course and benefitted from it.
Choosing a competent and experienced pediatrician is very important. Research some good pediatrics that are closer to your area. Usually hospitals have their own pediatricians, but once you go home you need to schedule appointment immediately with your pediatrician.
7. Prepare your Hospital bag
Have your hospital bag ready by the 34th week of your pregnancy. The essentials that you need in your hospital bag depends on your delivery.
Other than everyday essentials, do not forget to take a long charging cable, a hairdryer, and your comfy pillow.
While new parents are busy preparing for the baby, they tend to forget about their own needs.
Most essentially, moms need a lot of support and recovery tools, so after experiencing a life-changing event, their bodies need to heal. Regardless of what type of delivery you have, preparing a postpartum essentials kit is a must.
When you move closer to your due date, have your freezer meals ready, so you don’t have to worry about cooking and feeding your family.
You must include protein in your postpartum diet. Marinade chicken with your choice of spices and freeze. Thaw before cooking. Either cook it in an instant pot or bake it in the oven.
Stress-free meal preparation is a great way to minimize postpartum overwhelm.
You can make bone broth ahead of time and freeze it in serving size. Eating bone broth speed up healing process and keeps moms hydrated.
Either you can order these from Amazon or you can get these herbs from any international grocery store near by.
Cumin seeds help significantly improve milk supply for breastfeeding moms. You can also add cumin seeds while you cook the bone broth.
During pregnancy and postpartum, you can prepare cumin seeds water and drink throughout the day. Cumin seed water helps with digestion and promotes lactation for nursing moms.
Fennel seeds are the only best home remedy to fight gas issues for mom and the baby. Eating a tsp of fennel seeds for the first several weeks helps moms with bloating. Add it in your postpartum snack basket, and your baby is not going to wake-up crying due to sudden gas pain.
If you ask any mom about the toughest part of motherhood, the answer would be sleep deprivation. Managing sleep with a newborn is not an easy feat. Newborns may seem like sleeping all day but as the days go by, they become more active.
As a mom, you must understand how newborns sleep pattern works. Once the baby is here, you are busy adjusting. Utilize your time learning about baby sleep while you are still pregnant. That way, you can rule out baby sleep issues later – if she develops any.
Getting in the know of the best newborn toys is equally essential at this point. Do not buy just random toys for your baby’s nursery. Here are some thoughtful and fun contemporary newborn toys that you can add to your baby registry.
13. Welcome baby decorations
Check out these cute customizable Welcome baby banners you can set up in your home before the baby arrives.
Most hospitals in the US offer newborn photography services. stay prepared with your favorite costume for a family photoshoot or grab this cute vintage newborn girl costume for memorable pictures.
Choosing a name for a baby gets overwhelming and challenging when you are getting close to your delivery time. Ideally, every parent would search a unique name for their precious baby boy from thousands of names.
Shortlisting your favorite names based on various preferences like culture, alphabets, click factor, etc. is the best approach while you name-search for your baby.
As a parent, it is important to realize, choosing a name for your child holds so much value – as it is going to stay with him for a lifetime.
With this in mind, I have created a comprehensive list of baby boy names that are – unique, short, and, most importantly, have beautiful meanings.
Read on and find out the name that is well-suited for your child.
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Toddlers are adorable and eager to learn new things every day. But dealing with toddlers at some point gets challenging for parents. As kids grow, they become headstrong, stubborn, picky, talkback, and ask infinite questions in a day.
From terrible twos to threenagers, parents need a lot of patience and perseverance, to help their kids learn new things as they grow up.
Every stage in a child’s development and growth brings its own set of joys and stresses, but in the end, it’s all worth being a parent to healthy and happy kids.
These toddler hacks will help new parents raise stronger and independent kids.
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Parenting Hacks for making life easier with Toddlers
Simple tips that you can follow to make things easy with a toddler; while at home or outside the house.
1. Have a designated accessible drawer
Have a designated drawer for kids’ bottles, bowls, spoons that are safely reachable. Your toddler can grab it from the kitchen without having you do it. Don’t worry about the extra plates and bottles on the floor, and your child would eventually learn.
While you are baby-proofing every corner of your house, you have to make sure you are setting up everything to train your kids to be more independent as they grow up.
Kids do learn how to clean up and you need to teach them. Try to keep wipes or napkins in your toddler’s reach, –not too many though. You will be surprised how well your toddler can clean up.
Now when we are washing hands more than normal, make it easy for your toddler to have a step stool in your bathroom and one for kitchen as well.
Having a step stool in the kitchen makes dishwashing fun and more convenient for your toddler. The best part is, your tot is going to be a great help in the future.
You can use diaper booster pads for heavy wetter toddlers at night or during the day. Also, if your toddler leaks from the sides of his back, this pee cover works amazingly.
Play-doh is your go-to thingy when you have kids. The best engaging activity for them is to have a play-doh or slime. You must have it at home most of the time.
It may get messy, but you can have them clean up soon after they finish playing. Also, the best way is to use a bin to keep the mess contained or have a designated spot for messy activities.
When Your child is having a meltdown over something, do not make it a parent-child power struggle and let it go. It’s not worth making a power struggle unless your child is putting his life in danger.
Either you want to ignore the unnecessary crying or try to listen if there is anything worth bawling. Kids only cry if there is an audience around, you wont see a toddler throwing a tantrum in an empty room.
In my experience, sometimes inconsolable crying results into a huge throw-up, especially for those who had reflux issues during infancy.
8. Distract
The best hack to deal with a crying toddler or tamper tantrums – distract. Immediately try to divert his attention over something else as soon as you foresee a melt-down.
Distract with a new toy.
Remind him of his favorite thing.
Offer candy or a lollipop.
9. For light sleepers, no toys in bed
Either you are training a toddler to sleep in his own bed, or sleep training at some point, in both cases I would suggest, do not allow toys in the bed. This may be distracting or it could keep your child from going back to sleep if he wakes up in the middle of the night.
Have notebooks, papers, pencils or markers or pen around the house. Try to do a writing session with your toddler every other day. Let your child scribble – not on the walls, of course! – and for that, you have to keep easel, papers, notebooks in your child’s reach.
I learned this hack when my second born was about to turn two. And trust me, it makes a lot of difference. She is not even three, and she can write a few letters.
Lately, I have seen this idea on Pinterest to have your child scribble on the big empty package boxes. Indeed it is going to be a great learning experience for kids.
Teach your child how to self-feed and make your life easy. It is very essential for your child to learn how to hand pick food from his plate. Start soon and let your child explore different types of food.
Do not get scared if your child gags, however, you have to pay close attention while your child is eating or learning to eat.
Cut food in super small bites.
Skip the sippy cup at home altogether, and teach your tot how to drink water from a water cup. However, you can use sippy cup on-the-go.
When you are potty training or even after that, for long drives, you must have a potty seat in the car trunk.
Now during these times of pandemic, it would not be a good idea to stop frequently at public restrooms for pee break. Have a gallon of water for hand-washing, wet wipes, and soap in your car.
14. Pillow on the bed to keep your toddler from falling
Once kids start rolling over while sleeping, they tend to fall from the bed.
You can roll soft towel or blanket and put it under the crib sheet to prevent babies from falling.
I have been using a pillow on the bed to keep my kids from falling as they both have co-slept. You have to make sure, you are monitoring your baby while sleeping and the baby is safe.
If you notice that your child gets sick due to change in weather or pollen, the best way to prevent seasonal allergies is, include kids multivitamins in their diet after discussing with the pediatrician.
As a parent, you know better what affects your child’s health. Before seasonal allergies make your child sick, you may want to give your child non-drowsy anti-allergy medication like Claritin or Zyrtec, for prevention.
As a precautionary measure, my kids’ pediatrician advised to give them anti allergy once season starts changing.
During winter, using a car seat poncho is a better way to keep kids warm, instead of having them wear bulky winter wear under the seatbelt.
Toddlerhood can be challenging for new parents and we all learn the hard way. The only key to deal with a toddler is to keep him busy learning new stuff every day. Try to be more present to your kids, mentally and physically, both.
When you head out to the hospital for delivery, you should know you will be in the hands of responsible health care professionals for making sure both you and the baby are in good condition. The team at the hospital consists of the obstetricians, midwives, doctors, nurses, and lactation specialists.
The moment your baby is born, doctors or midwives encourage moms to have skin-to-skin bonding with a baby. In the case of vaginal delivery, moms can immediately enjoy bonding with the baby right after she is born. However, in C-section delivery, dad may get the opportunity to enjoy skin-to-skin contact with a baby.
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What happens to the baby immediately after birth
Every baby that arrives in this world need some procedures immediately after birth.
Curious to know what happens to the baby after birth? Things you should know about post-birth procedures for the baby.
1. Apgar Evaluation
This is a necessary evaluation procedure done after birth. The purpose is to see if there are any medical concerns or not. Doctors measure five signs of the baby’s condition
Heart rate
Breathing
Reflexes
Activity and muscles tone
Skin color
Apgar evaluation score varies from 0 to 10. Babies who score 7 or more are considered healthy. Low Apgar score does not mean any necessary medical concerns.
Researchers say that in more than 98% of babies, quite often the Apgar score reaches 7 within 5 minutes of baby’s life as it is checked twice in the first 5 minutes of baby’s life after birth.
2. Vitamin K injection
Babies are born with vitamin K deficiency as it does not reach the placenta during pregnancy. Thus, doctors make sure that babies get vitamin K injection right after birth to make sure no bleeding in the brain or intestines could occur. Right after the birth baby is given vitamin K injection to help with blood to clot.
3. Antibiotic eye ointment
Your baby will be applied Erythromycin an eye antibiotic ointment to her eyes so that it does not cause an infection that could occur during delivery. Infections could occur due to sexually transmitted diseases, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
If you are concerned, babies can see through the ointment and it is not irritating for babies.
4. Oxygen saturation testing
This procedure is done to check for lower levels of oxygen in the baby’s bloodstream that might identify any significant yet rare heart defects. This is a needleless procedure involves placing a band-aid-like sensor on the baby’s right hand and right foot.
4. Baby Foot is printed
Your baby’s tiny foot is printed for you to take home.
Your baby will also be wearing an identification band on with your name as a mother.
6. Skin-to-skin
Research has shown that an hour after birth, when your baby is very awake and alert and during that time and it is highly recommended when mother and baby have to be more on skin to skin.
7. Regulating the baby’s body temperature
Baby’s lose body heat fairly quickly, thus it is highly advisable to practice more and more skin to skin to regulate the baby’s body temperature after birth. For that reason, hats are essentials for newborns for the first several weeks as they tend to lose body heat through the head -as the head is the largest organ of the body for newborns.
As soon as your baby is done with all those requirements after birth, mothers are advised to start breastfeeding their babies right away, as this will help with the flow of milk supply for moms.
Breastfeeding has numerous benefits along with it helps the uterus to come back to its original size within 6 weeks. Breastfeeding is tough for the first several weeks after that it becomes the most convenient and healthy way to nourish your baby.
Also, You may want to take breastfeeding classes at the hospital.but at that time, you are so tired and exhausted, you may not even feel like struggling after those hard sleepless labor hours.
Right after birth, It is very normal to feel overjoyed to see your little bundle of happiness. Some mothers cannot feel that way which is normal too. Do not stress about bonding if you are not in that state of mind, because most of the time it is the effect of medicines as well.
However, dads would be happy to perform skin to skin if mom is having a surgical delivery.
I had two C-section deliveries. At the time my first one was born I was in labor pains for three days, tired and exhausted, yet I just was super excited about bonding with my little guy. On the other hand, while with my second delivery, it took a while for me to feel normal again I was having extreme shoulder pain and my blood pressure dropped significantly. I just could not talk. And I could not hold her for a long time.
That being said, convey your concerns immediately if you do not feel okay about anything. You can bond skin-to-skin the moment you start feeling better and want to connect.
10. Nursing, latching, and feeding after childbirth
If you are a first-time mom, and you THINK that you KNOW how to breastfeed, do not stay in this misconception.
There is a big difference between knowing something and actually doing it.
Some babies do not know how to latch. They will learn slowly and gradually. However, some babies are great at latching. They know suckle very well since birth.
I would highly recommend first-time moms consult a lactation specialist. Many hospitals in the US offer super helpful lactation classes. Like I said, at that time, you are so exhausted to even try. The lactation consultants will visit you every day during your hospital stay and are there to help. Seek help, consult if you are struggling with breastfeeding.
Doctors would not allow you to go home if your baby is not having enough wet and dirty diapers within 24 to 48 hours. This means your baby is not having enough to eat although babies do not need a lot. For the first couple of days, a few drops of colostrum should be fine as long as you are seeing wet diapers.
Breastmilk takes a few days to establish a sufficient milk supply for the baby. I highly recommend taking a breastfeeding class online while you are still at home and you could learn new things.
You might have heard from a lot of people that newborns love to sleep. Yes, but they do not know the difference between day and night just yet. It takes a while for newborns to follow a good sleep schedule even after sleeping 20 hours a day. New moms get sleep-deprived because getting straight 3 hour sleep is like a dream.
Get this sleep ebook for you, it is about understanding the baby’s sleep dos and dont’s so you can follow a better, doable schedule for your baby. Eventually, it could get you some 5 hours of sleep at night.
Hi – I’m Madiha. Thank you for stopping by. Stay awhile for helpful tips on pregnancy, postpartum, and anything about motherhood Join the tribe, and let’s grow together as moms. Enjoy having kids while they are little and more fun.
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Hi – I’m Madiha. Thank you for stopping by. Stay awhile for helpful tips on pregnancy, postpartum, and anything about motherhood Join the tribe, and let’s grow together as moms. Enjoy having kids while they are little and more fun.