Kapanlagi.com - The presence of a baby, especially for the first time, will certainly bring its own happiness to a family. In addition, the presence of the baby also becomes a concern for new parents. Because, there are still many parents who are confused about how to take care of a newborn baby. Although they have made various preparations after giving birth, often new parents still need to adjust.
If previously the mother focused more on the baby's health during pregnancy, now the focus should also shift to the care of the newborn baby. Although taking care of a baby is not easy, because it will certainly drain energy and emotions.
Well, being a mother and spending the day with a new baby, what should you do? Well, here are ways to take care of a newborn baby that you need to know and apply. Let's directly check out the following review.
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1. Maintaining Baby's Cleanliness and Safety
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The way to take care of a newborn baby that you need to know is to always maintain the baby's cleanliness and safety. When you want to carry a newborn baby, make sure to wash your hands first before touching or carrying them. This is to protect the vulnerable newborn baby from viruses and bacteria.
In addition to cleanliness, you must also ensure the baby's safety. Be careful when carrying a newborn baby. Make sure you hold their head and neck properly. Furthermore, avoid shaking the baby to calm them down as this can cause bleeding in the brain.
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2. Bathing the Baby
When born, babies do not need to be bathed. Babies still have a protective layer that looks like whitish fat to maintain their body temperature. After 6 hours, the baby can be wiped with warm water only.
Before the umbilical cord falls off, the baby can be bathed using a washcloth or sponge. However, after the umbilical cord falls off, the baby can be bathed by being immersed in water. Use warm water and special baby soap and shampoo. It is advisable not to bathe the baby too early or too late.
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3. Pay Attention to Baby's Nails
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Furthermore, taking care of a newborn baby involves paying attention to their nails. Usually, parents are hesitant to cut the nails of a newborn baby because they are still soft and thin. However, in order to maintain the baby's health, parents should also take care of their nails.
It is recommended to cut the baby's nails using special nail clippers. This is because sometimes babies tend to put their hands in their mouths. Long nails can also hurt their delicate skin.
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4. Breastfeeding Baby Regularly
Breastfeeding baby regularly is one of the most important things for a baby. In addition, breastfeeding a newborn baby is also one of the best ways to boost their immune system. Therefore, try to breastfeed the baby for the first six months. Although breastfeeding may seem difficult at first, over time, you and your little one will become more skilled in this process.
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5. Caring for the Baby's Umbilical Cord
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The next step in caring for a newborn baby is to take care of the umbilical cord. Usually, the umbilical cord will detach on its own within a period of 4 days. However, in some cases, the detachment of the umbilical cord can take longer, up to several weeks. Therefore, the umbilical cord must be kept clean to avoid infection.
The first step is to ensure that the umbilical cord and its surrounding area are always dry and clean. Furthermore, keep the baby's umbilical cord away from urine and baby's feces. Sterilize the baby's umbilical cord using a cloth soaked in 70% alcohol from the base to the tip. Wrap it tightly with alcohol-soaked cloth.
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6. Sleep Ritual
Newborn babies usually tend to wake up and become fussy at night. To deal with this, you need to perform a sleep ritual such as bathing the baby in warm water in the evening. In addition, when it's around 8 PM, you can massage the baby with baby oil and change all of their clothes.
It is also necessary to create a comfortable and calm bedroom atmosphere. This way, caring for a newborn baby this time will make the little one sleep soundly.
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7. Cleaning, Eyes, Nose, and Ears
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Taking care of a newborn baby is equally important. Yes, because you also have to maintain the cleanliness of their eyes, nose, and ears. First of all, to clean the ears, you can use a clean cotton ball soaked in warm water and wipe from the inside towards the outside.
Next, cleaning the earwax does not need to be done regularly by digging it. Finally, cleaning the nostrils can be done by wiping them during bathing.
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8. Baby Toys
Although often overlooked, giving toys to newborn babies is also recommended. This aims to introduce babies to various shapes and train their eye muscles to focus better. Therefore, it is advisable to choose brightly colored toys.
In addition, hanging moving and sound-making toys above the crib will stimulate the baby's visual and auditory senses. So, the function of toys for newborn babies is not only to entertain, but also has many other benefits.
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9. Know the Diseases of Newborns
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As parents, you should be sensitive to recognize the diseases that can occur in newborns. Diseases in newborns such as diaper rash, stuffy nose, thrush, colic, eye infection, and post-immunization fever. Of course, this will make the baby fussy with unusual crying.
Therefore, you should immediately find out and overcome it. For example, if the baby has diaper rash, do not use it for a while. If the baby has a stuffy nose, you can immediately ask for a prescription from a doctor.
10. Keeping the Baby's Body Warm
You need to know that when a baby is born, it certainly needs temperature adjustment. Therefore, you must always keep the baby warm. You can dress the baby in a swaddle, mittens and socks, and a hat if necessary. These are the things you can apply as the right way to take care of a newborn baby.
Those are a series of ways to take care of a newborn baby that you need to know. Good luck applying them and hopefully they are beneficial.
(kpl/dtm)
Disclaimer: This translation from Bahasa Indonesia to English has been generated by Artificial Intelligence.