5 Important things about Newborn baby routine
An approximate daily routine for a newborn up to a month helps to organize and improve the life of the baby and parents. The routine does not allow you to forget about the daily important procedures for caring for the child, brings stability, peace and order to the life of the family.
In the maternity hospital Newborn baby routine
For several days after birth, the baby and mother are under the supervision of doctors and nurses in the maternity hospital. During this time, the mother has the opportunity to rest a little and recover from the birth. The nurses will show how to swaddle, put on a diaper, wash the baby, and how to put it to the breast. If they forgot to show something to the mother or the explanations are not very clear the first time, do not hesitate to ask again, ask to show again.
First days at home Newborn baby routine
In the maternity hospital, medical staff helps to care for the child, and at home, all responsibility falls on the parents. In order for the baby to grow up healthy and develop properly, the following care procedures are necessarily included in the newborn’s routine in the first days of life:
- The baby is washed every time after he has pooped;
- Swaddling – this calms the baby and gives a feeling of security;
- Treat the navel;
- Bathe;
- Changing diapers;
- Treat the ears, behind the ears, and nose;
- They treat all the folds, make sure that the baby does not have diaper rash and does not develop prickly heat;
When drawing up an approximate daily schedule for a newborn, parents focus on the most important moments – periods of feeding.
Feeding regimen for newborns
The first days after birth, the baby sleeps most of the time, waking up to eat. There are two known feeding methods:
- On schedule. This principle was practiced before. Doctors explained the correctness of this approach by the fact that the child develops a certain schedule, the appetite is stimulated at mealtimes. Now feeding by the clock is more relevant for children on artificial feeding.
- On demand. Recently, pediatricians have been recommending this type of feeding for infants. Newborns have different weights and health conditions. Feeding on demand helps not only the full development of a particular child. It establishes proper lactation in the mother, so that there is enough milk for her baby in the amount that he needs.
Most often, newborns suckle the breast once every 1-2 hours. At the same time, a newborn baby’s sleep up to a month is up to 20 hours a day. The baby wakes up only for feeding and a short period of wakefulness. If a newborn sleeps for a long time, more than 4-5 hours, it is imperative to wake him up and put him to the breast. In this case, “feeding on demand” is canceled, because the baby is exhausted, weakened, he may be unwell and only for this reason does not wake up to eat. Night feeding at the age of up to a month is necessary – it protects the delicate child’s body from dehydration.
Sample schedule for a newborn
A rough schedule helps a mother not to miss important care procedures, control whether the baby is fed enough, allocate time to get ready herself and get the baby ready for a walk. The regime gives a feeling of order, stability, control over the situation. The mother knows that she is doing everything right and is not missing anything.
Approximate schedule of a newborn in the first month by the hour.
This sequence and time are approximate. Some babies will wake up earlier, some will go to bed later. Many babies wake up again, and their feeding before bedtime shifts to 10:00 PM-11:00 PM. The regime is floating, the newborn’s wakefulness up to a month is short, from 15 to 30 minutes (most of this time is spent on feeding).
How a baby’s routine changes with age
Each mother makes her own schedule based on the reference table, which takes into account all the developmental features of her baby and her own needs. As the baby ages, the period of wakefulness increases, the number of feedings decreases, and the need for night feedings gradually disappears.
Approximate routine for a newborn by month (up to six months).
Daily routine for a newborn by month (from six months to one year).
There is no need to torture your child with feeding and sleeping by the clock. Focus on his needs, adjust the approximate schedule to the real conditions of your life. The main goal of the regime is to remember all the necessary procedures, and shifting the schedule time by half an hour or an hour should not frighten or stress you.
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