All children deserve the best possible start in life. A child’s early years from before birth to age six are very important to his healthy development. This is a time when children’s brains and bodies are developing at a rapid pace. Healthy babies are more likely to continue to be healthy through their childhood, teen and adult years.
The early years of your child’s life are a very exciting time. Your baby is learning about you and the world around her.
You are your baby’s best teacher. How you care, talk and play with your infant will influence how your child learns and grows.
Early experiences with you will benefit your child the most. Here are some suggestions to help you enjoy your time with your new baby in the first year:
Babies love to be held. Take time to cuddle and hold your child.
Comfort your baby when he cries.
Learn your baby's cues — when she is hungry, sleepy or wants to play with you.
Breast milk provides all the nutrition your baby needs for the first six months. Feeding can be a special way to feel close to your baby.
Speak in a soft, gentle voice to your baby.
Talk to your baby and tell him about the things that are around him. The way you talk to, play with, teach and love your child will help him grow and learn.
Help your child explore safely. Share different textures, colours, sounds and smells.
Share picture books and read simple stories, including in your first language. This is also an opportunity to cuddle with your child.
Babies learn naturally through play. Have fun, play, sing to your child, play music and dance with her.
Taking care of yourself is important too! Ask a trusted friend or family member to watch your baby so you can take a break.
A Special Message to New Fathers
While this time can be challenging for new fathers, it can also be uniquely rewarding.
Adjusting Priorities
Just as mothers occasionally need to readjust their priorities, fathers now have a golden opportunity to show more of their nurturing side by caring for Mom, the baby, and possibly other siblings. Although not all fathers have the option of paternity leave from work, those who do and take advantage of it may find it priceless. If Mom was the center of a sibling’s universe and Dad was only an afterthought, Dad may suddenly be more “cool” once a newborn comes home. By adjusting his priorities (at home and at work) and “rising to the occasion,” Dad can strengthen an already strong bond with Mom as well as with the new child. By working as a team, parenting couples may be amazed at how well they can adapt to their new, stressful circumstances.
Teamwork
Of course, balancing the seemingly constant demands of the baby, the needs of other children, and the household chores is not always easy. Nights spent feeding, diapering, and walking the floor with a crying baby can quickly take their toll in fatigue for both parents. But by working as a team to relieve each other for naps, for exercise, and for “downtime,” parenting couples might find that even though they share less “quality time” together, they may actually feel closer than ever. Sometimes there may be conflict and jealous feelings. These are normal, and thankfully, temporary. Life soon settles into a fairly regular routine that will once again give you some time to yourselves and restore your sex life and social activities to normal. Meanwhile, make an effort for just the two of you to spend some time together each day enjoying each other’s company while the baby is sleeping or somebody else is caring for her. Remember, you’re entitled to hold, hug, cuddle, and kiss each other as well as the baby.
Playing with Baby
A positive way for men to deal with these issues is to become as involved as possible in caring for and playing with the new baby. When you spend this extra time with your child, you’ll get just as emotionally attached to her as her mother will.
This is not to say that moms and dads play with babies the same way. In general, fathers play to arouse and excite their babies, while mothers generally concentrate on more low- key stimulation such as gentle rocking, quiet interactive games, singing, and soothing activities. From the baby’s viewpoint, both play styles are equally valuable and complement each other beautifully, which is another reason why it’s so important to have both of you involved in the care of the baby.
Baby Massage : Baby massage is a good old tradition of nurturing the infants, followed by people since centuries. Take few drops of olive oil in your palm and apply it in the circular motion. But be careful your child body is delicate so do not give pressure to your hands while massaging.
* Growing Teeth : Make small pieces of potato and cool them in your fridge. Give you child pieces of cold potato and tell him to place them inside his mouth on the tooth that is paining. The cold will sooth the pain. This works well with cucumber too. Find Doctor.
* Skin Care : Your baby could suffer from various skin problems if you do not provide proper protection to the baby skin. Use products that are especially for soft and sensitive baby skin. Apply soft and gentle soap and shampoos which does not contains hard chemicals & use only branded products. Baby’s skin absorbs lotion easily so avoid strong moisturizers. According to season you should use body lotion (mild) cream for baby skin.
* Bath Time : Before you take your baby for bath, get everything that you need at one place. Never leave your baby alone in water. Use only gentle baby soap. A soft towel or cloth should be used to dry your baby. Sponge bath is more suitable for newborn babies as their skin is very delicate.
* Leg Bicycling : Just keep your baby on his back and firmly hold his legs in a half bent position. Next, start moving his legs in a manner, as if he is paddling a bicycle. See that you do it gently. Maintain a steady pace, neither do it too fast, nor make it too slow. This will help in controlling your baby constipation.
* Cold Treatment : Use a cool mist humidifier in your infants bedroom. A humidifier adds moisture to the air, which helps ease your baby’s congestion and cough. Use water only. Do not add any oils or medicines to the humidifier unless directed by your pediatrician.
* Fever Cure : Take a dry cloth, dip it into the vessel making it completely wet and drain out the excess water. Place it on the baby’s forehead for two minutes and repeat the process. You should be doing this three to four times in a day for at least 20 to 25 minutes. This will help lower the temperature to a great extent.
* Earache : Oils can be very soothing to an inflamed eardrum. Place a few drops of olive oil, castor oil or mineral oil into your child’s ear. You can also gently warm the oil first, but be very careful not to make it too hot because that could damage the eardrum.
Baby Massage : Baby massage is a good old tradition of nurturing the infants, followed by people since centuries. Take few drops of olive oil in your palm and apply it in the circular motion. But be careful your child body is delicate so do not give pressure to your hands while massaging.
* Growing Teeth : Make small pieces of potato and cool them in your fridge. Give you child pieces of cold potato and tell him to place them inside his mouth on the tooth that is paining. The cold will sooth the pain. This works well with cucumber too. Find Doctor.
* Skin Care : Your baby could suffer from various skin problems if you do not provide proper protection to the baby skin. Use products that are especially for soft and sensitive baby skin. Apply soft and gentle soap and shampoos which does not contains hard chemicals & use only branded products. Baby’s skin absorbs lotion easily so avoid strong moisturizers. According to season you should use body lotion (mild) cream for baby skin.
* Bath Time : Before you take your baby for bath, get everything that you need at one place. Never leave your baby alone in water. Use only gentle baby soap. A soft towel or cloth should be used to dry your baby. Sponge bath is more suitable for newborn babies as their skin is very delicate.
* Leg Bicycling : Just keep your baby on his back and firmly hold his legs in a half bent position. Next, start moving his legs in a manner, as if he is paddling a bicycle. See that you do it gently. Maintain a steady pace, neither do it too fast, nor make it too slow. This will help in controlling your baby constipation.
* Cold Treatment : Use a cool mist humidifier in your infants bedroom. A humidifier adds moisture to the air, which helps ease your baby’s congestion and cough. Use water only. Do not add any oils or medicines to the humidifier unless directed by your pediatrician.
* Fever Cure : Take a dry cloth, dip it into the vessel making it completely wet and drain out the excess water. Place it on the baby’s forehead for two minutes and repeat the process. You should be doing this three to four times in a day for at least 20 to 25 minutes. This will help lower the temperature to a great extent.
* Earache : Oils can be very soothing to an inflamed eardrum. Place a few drops of olive oil, castor oil or mineral oil into your child’s ear. You can also gently warm the oil first, but be very careful not to make it too hot because that could damage the eardrum.
