Tuesday 14 December 2021
Monday 6 December 2021
Wednesday 24 November 2021
Tuesday 23 November 2021
How do I do skin-to-skin contact with my baby?
Ask for your baby to be placed directly on your chest right after birth, with a cap on her head and a warm blanket across her back. It's best if this can happen as soon as your baby is wiped off, even before the umbilical cord is clamped and cut, and before your baby is cleaned, checked, and weighed.
But even if it takes a few minutes for this to happen, it's now well understood that skin-to-skin contact can make your baby's early moments in the world smoother and less traumatic. Skin-to-skin contact is also called "kangaroo care," because it mimics what kangaroo mothers do: hold their newborns in a pouch attached to their bodies for safety, warmth, and ease of feeding.
What are the benefits of skin-to-skin contact with my baby?
Skin-to-skin contact offers several benefits for newborns and their moms:
- Warmth. Newborns can't regulate their body temperature well (such as by shivering to keep warm). Your body heat keeps your baby warm and cozy.
- Comfort. Researchers have found that newborns who had more skin-to-skin contact cried less.
- Easier breastfeeding. Newborns who are placed on their mother's chest immediately after birth often begin "crawling" or nudging themselves toward the breast to begin nursing. Some studies have shown that babies who get plenty of skin-to-skin contact latch on easier and nurse for longer.
- Stable heart rate and other health markers. Researchers have found that newborn babies who had more skin-to-skin contact had more stable heart rates, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels than babies who had less.
- Protection against infection. If skin-to-skin contact with your newborn happens before the baby's even cleaned off, there's evidence that he'll be less prone to infection because he has more time in contact with the beneficial bacteria you transmit to him during a vaginal birth.
Skin-to-skin contact offers extra health benefits for premature babies, including:
- Improved neurological development
- Better and faster growth
- A shorter stay in the NICU
- When it happens right after delivery, skin-to-skin contact causes your brain to release a hormone called beta-endorphin that works like a mild analgesic, helping you feel calmer and more relaxed.
- It also causes your brain to release more oxytocin, a hormone that promotes both bonding and breastfeeding.
What if I can't have skin-to-skin contact with my baby right after birth?
Sometimes skin-to-skin contact isn't possible immediately after birth. If your baby has a health issue, seeing to his immediate medical needs is more important than skin-to-skin contact. If that's the case, don't worry – that closeness and contact can and will happen later.
If you have a c-section, you may not be able to have your newborn placed on your chest while you're on an operating table. However, many hospitals now routinely give moms the option of immediate skin-to-skin contact after c-sections.
But if you're not feeling up to it right away, that's fine. Your partner can initiate bonding with skin-to-skin contact instead. Skin-to-skin with dad or another partner can help your baby with heartbeat and temperature regulation as well.
How do I do skin-to-skin contact with my baby?
Ask for your baby to be placed directly on your chest right after birth, with a cap on her head and a warm blanket across her back. It's best if this can happen as soon as your baby is wiped off, even before the umbilical cord is clamped and cut, and before your baby is cleaned, checked, and weighed.
But even if it takes a few minutes for this to happen, it's now well understood that skin-to-skin contact can make your baby's early moments in the world smoother and less traumatic. Skin-to-skin contact is also called "kangaroo care," because it mimics what kangaroo mothers do: hold their newborns in a pouch attached to their bodies for safety, warmth, and ease of feeding.
What are the benefits of skin-to-skin contact with my baby?
Skin-to-skin contact offers several benefits for newborns and their moms:
- Warmth. Newborns can't regulate their body temperature well (such as by shivering to keep warm). Your body heat keeps your baby warm and cozy.
- Comfort. Researchers have found that newborns who had more skin-to-skin contact cried less.
- Easier breastfeeding. Newborns who are placed on their mother's chest immediately after birth often begin "crawling" or nudging themselves toward the breast to begin nursing. Some studies have shown that babies who get plenty of skin-to-skin contact latch on easier and nurse for longer.
- Stable heart rate and other health markers. Researchers have found that newborn babies who had more skin-to-skin contact had more stable heart rates, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels than babies who had less.
- Protection against infection. If skin-to-skin contact with your newborn happens before the baby's even cleaned off, there's evidence that he'll be less prone to infection because he has more time in contact with the beneficial bacteria you transmit to him during a vaginal birth.
Skin-to-skin contact offers extra health benefits for premature babies, including:
- Improved neurological development
- Better and faster growth
- A shorter stay in the NICU
- When it happens right after delivery, skin-to-skin contact causes your brain to release a hormone called beta-endorphin that works like a mild analgesic, helping you feel calmer and more relaxed.
- It also causes your brain to release more oxytocin, a hormone that promotes both bonding and breastfeeding.
What if I can't have skin-to-skin contact with my baby right after birth?
Sometimes skin-to-skin contact isn't possible immediately after birth. If your baby has a health issue, seeing to his immediate medical needs is more important than skin-to-skin contact. If that's the case, don't worry – that closeness and contact can and will happen later.
If you have a c-section, you may not be able to have your newborn placed on your chest while you're on an operating table. However, many hospitals now routinely give moms the option of immediate skin-to-skin contact after c-sections.
But if you're not feeling up to it right away, that's fine. Your partner can initiate bonding with skin-to-skin contact instead. Skin-to-skin with dad or another partner can help your baby with heartbeat and temperature regulation as well.
Your baby will be able to see pretty clearly by the time he's 12 months old, but his vision won't be fully developed until he's between 3 and 5 years old.
A baby's vision improves dramatically over the first year. At birth an infant can detect light and motion, then can make out faces and large shapes. By the end of the first month, a baby can make eye contact and focus on objects about 12 inches away.
By the time a baby is 3 to 4 months old, he can distinguish between colors and focus on smaller objects. As his depth perception improves, he can focus on objects up to 3 feet away and watch activity around him. If you move a rattle from side to side a few inches from his face he'll follow it with his eyes – a skill known as "tracking."
If your baby doesn't watch moving objects, or if he seems to have trouble moving one or both eyes in any direction by the time he's 4 months old, talk to his doctor. His routine well-child checkups include basic vision assessments, but he probably won't have a formal vision screening until he's 3 to 5 years old.
How to help improve your baby’s eyesight?
- Chat baby up. When you’re breast- or bottle-feeding, your face is close enough for even the youngest baby to see — and it’s also conveniently one of her favorite things to observe. So talk to her while you look her in the eyes — you’ll bond and help her begin to learn language, too.
- Hang a mobile. Babies love images with contrasting colors and patterns. So until your little one is able to sit up (at about month 3 or 4), securely hang a colorful, patterned mobile high above her crib or bouncy seat. (Just make sure to remove it as soon as she can sit to prevent her from becoming entangled).
- Mirror her. Another visual hit with babies: mirrors. While they can’t recognize themselves until about month 15, they do love seeing the changing image reflected back at them as they move.
- Bring baby along for the ride. Bring baby in a forward-facing carrier as you go about your day — whether you’re taking a walk around your neighborhood, shopping for groceries or just brushing your teeth. Describe what you see to boost her verbal development at the same time she’s observing the world around her.
Signs of baby vision problems
While many infant vision problems are only detectable by a pediatrician or an ophthalmologist, you can take a few steps to ensure early intervention on any potential issues:
- Snap photos. While “red eye” isn’t the look you’re going for, this nuisance actually shows that baby’s eyes are correctly refracting light. Pictures that show whiteness in baby’s pupils, on the other hand, indicate a condition known as leukocoria, which may signal serious problems (such as a cataract or a tumor) that require attention from a pediatrician right away.
- Watch for focus. In the first few months, it’s normal for a baby’s eyes to sometimes seem like they’re looking in different directions (a condition known as strabismus). However if this continues past 4 months, take your child to a pediatrician for an evaluation. Same goes if your baby doesn’t seem to focus on your face and instead appears to be looking through or around you, or if she consistently seems to be looking off to one side.
- Check if she’s interested in objects. If by around month 4 your baby can’t track objects or by month 7 doesn’t seem interested in any new visuals you show her (like that bright new toy you just bought), check in with your doctor.
- Monitor for other eye issues. Other symptoms that needs to take to the doctor include bulging eyes, eyes that seem to quickly flutter up and down or side to side, constant redness or wateriness, sensitivity to light, itchy eyes or eye pain.
If you notice any of the above or any other visual issues that don’t seem quite right, don’t hesitate to bring baby to the doctor for an exam.
Your baby will be able to see pretty clearly by the time he's 12 months old, but his vision won't be fully developed until he's between 3 and 5 years old.
A baby's vision improves dramatically over the first year. At birth an infant can detect light and motion, then can make out faces and large shapes. By the end of the first month, a baby can make eye contact and focus on objects about 12 inches away.
By the time a baby is 3 to 4 months old, he can distinguish between colors and focus on smaller objects. As his depth perception improves, he can focus on objects up to 3 feet away and watch activity around him. If you move a rattle from side to side a few inches from his face he'll follow it with his eyes – a skill known as "tracking."
If your baby doesn't watch moving objects, or if he seems to have trouble moving one or both eyes in any direction by the time he's 4 months old, talk to his doctor. His routine well-child checkups include basic vision assessments, but he probably won't have a formal vision screening until he's 3 to 5 years old.
How to help improve your baby’s eyesight?
- Chat baby up. When you’re breast- or bottle-feeding, your face is close enough for even the youngest baby to see — and it’s also conveniently one of her favorite things to observe. So talk to her while you look her in the eyes — you’ll bond and help her begin to learn language, too.
- Hang a mobile. Babies love images with contrasting colors and patterns. So until your little one is able to sit up (at about month 3 or 4), securely hang a colorful, patterned mobile high above her crib or bouncy seat. (Just make sure to remove it as soon as she can sit to prevent her from becoming entangled).
- Mirror her. Another visual hit with babies: mirrors. While they can’t recognize themselves until about month 15, they do love seeing the changing image reflected back at them as they move.
- Bring baby along for the ride. Bring baby in a forward-facing carrier as you go about your day — whether you’re taking a walk around your neighborhood, shopping for groceries or just brushing your teeth. Describe what you see to boost her verbal development at the same time she’s observing the world around her.
Signs of baby vision problems
While many infant vision problems are only detectable by a pediatrician or an ophthalmologist, you can take a few steps to ensure early intervention on any potential issues:
- Snap photos. While “red eye” isn’t the look you’re going for, this nuisance actually shows that baby’s eyes are correctly refracting light. Pictures that show whiteness in baby’s pupils, on the other hand, indicate a condition known as leukocoria, which may signal serious problems (such as a cataract or a tumor) that require attention from a pediatrician right away.
- Watch for focus. In the first few months, it’s normal for a baby’s eyes to sometimes seem like they’re looking in different directions (a condition known as strabismus). However if this continues past 4 months, take your child to a pediatrician for an evaluation. Same goes if your baby doesn’t seem to focus on your face and instead appears to be looking through or around you, or if she consistently seems to be looking off to one side.
- Check if she’s interested in objects. If by around month 4 your baby can’t track objects or by month 7 doesn’t seem interested in any new visuals you show her (like that bright new toy you just bought), check in with your doctor.
- Monitor for other eye issues. Other symptoms that needs to take to the doctor include bulging eyes, eyes that seem to quickly flutter up and down or side to side, constant redness or wateriness, sensitivity to light, itchy eyes or eye pain.
If you notice any of the above or any other visual issues that don’t seem quite right, don’t hesitate to bring baby to the doctor for an exam.
Saturday 20 November 2021
Friday 19 November 2021
Tuesday 16 November 2021
Newborn sleep: how much and when
Babies need sleep to grow and develop well. For newborns this is usually 14-17 hours in every 24 hours. But sleep patterns can vary a lot.
Newborns usually sleep in short bursts of 2-3 hours each. Some newborns sleep for up to four hours at a time. Newborns wake frequently to feed because they have tiny tummies. Your newborn might go straight back to sleep after feeding or they might stay awake long enough for a short play.
Some newborns get tired after being awake for 1-1½ hours. Some stay awake and alert longer.
Newborns sleep during the day and night. They don’t know that people sleep at night. The parts of their brains that control day-night sleep cycles haven’t matured yet.
Newborn play might just be a quiet cuddle or some time stretching out and kicking on a blanket. You might find that 10-20 minutes of play is enough for your newborn. You can increase playtime as your baby gets older and stays awake for longer.
Newborn sleep cycles
Newborns have two different kinds of sleep – active sleep and quiet sleep.
During active sleep, newborns move around a lot and make noises. They can be woken easily during active sleep.
During quiet sleep, newborns are still. Their breathing is deep and regular. They’re less likely to wake during quiet sleep.
When newborns sleep, they go through sleep cycles. Each newborn sleep cycle has both active sleep and quiet sleep, and takes about 40 minutes.
At the end of each cycle, newborns wake up for a little while. When they wake, they might grizzle or cry. If your baby wakes at the end of a sleep cycle, you might need to help baby settle for the next sleep cycle.
At night: newborn sleep and waking
In the first few months, newborns usually wake several times a night for feeds.
Between one and three months, your baby might start waking less often and have a longer period of sleep at night.
By the time your baby is around three months old, they might regularly be having a longer sleep at night – for example, around 4-5 hours. But you can expect that your baby will still wake at least once each night.
If your baby is premature or low birth weight, your pediatrician might recommend that you let your baby sleep for only a certain amount of time at night before you wake them for a feed.
Newborn sleep: how much and when
Babies need sleep to grow and develop well. For newborns this is usually 14-17 hours in every 24 hours. But sleep patterns can vary a lot.
Newborns usually sleep in short bursts of 2-3 hours each. Some newborns sleep for up to four hours at a time. Newborns wake frequently to feed because they have tiny tummies. Your newborn might go straight back to sleep after feeding or they might stay awake long enough for a short play.
Some newborns get tired after being awake for 1-1½ hours. Some stay awake and alert longer.
Newborns sleep during the day and night. They don’t know that people sleep at night. The parts of their brains that control day-night sleep cycles haven’t matured yet.
Newborn play might just be a quiet cuddle or some time stretching out and kicking on a blanket. You might find that 10-20 minutes of play is enough for your newborn. You can increase playtime as your baby gets older and stays awake for longer.
Newborn sleep cycles
Newborns have two different kinds of sleep – active sleep and quiet sleep.
During active sleep, newborns move around a lot and make noises. They can be woken easily during active sleep.
During quiet sleep, newborns are still. Their breathing is deep and regular. They’re less likely to wake during quiet sleep.
When newborns sleep, they go through sleep cycles. Each newborn sleep cycle has both active sleep and quiet sleep, and takes about 40 minutes.
At the end of each cycle, newborns wake up for a little while. When they wake, they might grizzle or cry. If your baby wakes at the end of a sleep cycle, you might need to help baby settle for the next sleep cycle.
At night: newborn sleep and waking
In the first few months, newborns usually wake several times a night for feeds.
Between one and three months, your baby might start waking less often and have a longer period of sleep at night.
By the time your baby is around three months old, they might regularly be having a longer sleep at night – for example, around 4-5 hours. But you can expect that your baby will still wake at least once each night.
If your baby is premature or low birth weight, your pediatrician might recommend that you let your baby sleep for only a certain amount of time at night before you wake them for a feed.