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Newborns don’t need the kind of thorough cleaning that older children and adults do. Tub baths are not recommended until the umbilical cord has fallen off and healed.

Sponge baths two or three times a week are enough for one-month-olds. But clean face, hands and neck daily or a few times a day, such as after feedings, with a washcloth. Rinse the diaper region after every diaper change.

Bathing a baby right after she eats has the chance of spitting up or defecating (or both) during the bath. A calm time, when the baby’s not hungry or fussy, might be nicest. Sponge baths can be given anyplace it’s convenient – on a waterproof pad or towel in the crib, changing table, counter top. Generally it’s most convenient to be near a water point. It’s important to be in a warm room without drafts. If it’s winter and the heat has been turned down, consider warming the room where the bath will be given up to above 70 degrees.

Bathe only half the baby at a time, keeping the shirt or pants on while the other half is being washed and dried. For a sponge bath, get all of this together first:

1. Two containers of lukewarm water, one for washing, one for rinsing (test on your wrist or elbow).

2. Two washcloths, preferably baby-sized, one for washing, one for rinsing.

3. Clean clothes.

4. Clean diaper.

5. Towel or waterproof pad under baby.

6. Towel or two to dry off.

7. Hooded receiving blanket.

8. Sterile cotton balls and swabs.

9. Rubbing alcohol for cleaning the umbilical cord.

10. Petroleum jelly (or prescribed ointment and gauze/bandage) for circumcision care.

11. Non-irritating, non-drying soap or shampoo (optional).

12. Have all the items within reach. If you don’t, bring the baby with you when going to get them.

Unless your baby is hungry, cold, or uncomfortable, it is likely that your newborn baby will spend at least 60% of her time asleep.

Your baby may fall asleep immediately after and sometimes during a feeding. She will possibly be indifferent to noises such as doors closing or the radio. In fact, she may find certain noises calming. Babies’ sleeping patterns do fluctuate, though, so if your baby is restless after a feeding, don’t persist that she stay in her crib.

It is important that your baby learn to distinguish between day and night. When it becomes dark outside, close the curtains and dim the lights very low. Ensure she is cozy enough, and when she wakes during the night, feed her promptly and silently without turning the lights up; don’t play with her. In time, she’ll learn the difference between a day and a night feeding.

You will perhaps find it easiest to let your baby sleep in something that makes her portable. During the day, a car seat is necessary if you drive. If you don’t have a car, a portable bassinet is proper both day and night because it is easily movable; some types can be attached to a wheeled framework to become a carriage. When she outgrows a bassinet she will require a proper crib.

Sleeping With You

Some parents opt to have their baby sleep with them because night feedings are easier to manage. It shouldn’t be a tough habit to break after a couple of weeks. If you do sleep with your baby, let her lie between you and your partner so she won’t drop out of bed. There is little prospect of rolling on top of her, but if you’re worried you may choose not to have her in your bed.

Maintain Temperature

Pay cautious attention to the temperature of your baby’s room. Babies cannot regulate their body temperatures as well as adults; to preserve the right degree of warmth they need a constant temperature and enough blankets or sleeping clothes to keep them warm – but not too warm. A night light or dimmer switch will mean that you can check your baby during the night without waking her.

Sleeping Outdoors

Except when it’s cold your baby will sleep fairly happily outdoors, but make sure she’s wrapped up and visible at all times and never place her in direct sunlight; pick a shady area or guard her with a canopy. If it is breezy, put the hood up on the carriage or bassinet to act as a windbreak. A mesh net will shield her from insects.

Keep The Baby Comfortable

Your newborn will want to be changed regularly, and while she is sleeping she should wear something that gives you easy access to her diaper. An all-in-one stretch suit or nightdress – one with a drawstring at the end so it doesn’t ride up her back – is best. It is important that your baby does not get too hot or too cold. In warm weather a diaper and an undershirt will be sufficient.

In the winter, you can ensure that your baby is warm enough by feeling the back of her neck with your hand. Her skin should feel about the same temperature as yours. If she feels too hot and sweaty, dress her in a lighter sleeper or remove a blanket.

Stimulate Sleep

Encourage your baby to sleep at night by wearing her out in the day with lots of stimulation: talk to her, pick her up, and give her plenty of different stuff to look at. If she wakes up a lot in the night because she is wet, use twofold diapers or diaper liners, and if she cries when you leave her, don’t immediately return and pick her up. Rocking her cot, removing a blanket, or varying her position may be sufficient.

Early on swaddling or wrapping your baby in a shawl or blanket may help her sleep; the sensation of being tightly enclosed gives babies a great sense of security. It is also a helpful way of calming a distressed baby.

To envelop your baby, you need a shawl or small blanket. Fold the shawl in half to form a triangle and lay your baby on it, aligning her head with the longest edge. Then fold one point of the shawl across your baby and insert it firmly behind her back. Do the same with the other side. Tuck the bottom of the shawl back underneath your baby’s feet to keep them covered.

The close wrapping holds your baby’s arms in a comfortable position that feels secure and may also help her sleep longer. If her limbs move while she is sleeping, she is less likely to wake if swaddled. Not all babies like swaddling and if yours doesn’t, don’t worry. It is safe to swaddle your baby in cold weather, but keep a check on her temperature by touching her skin. Unwrap her right away if she feels or looks too hot.

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Bottle feeding is straightforward, but you will want to ensure that your baby can swallow well, and that he is not taking in air with the milk.

1. Never allow to leave your baby with the bottle propped up on a support or cushion; it can be unsafe. He could become very uncomfortable if he swallows a lot of air with the formula, and he could choke. Moreover, he will lose the cuddling and affection that he should have while he eats.

2. Incline your baby on your arm. It is very hard for a baby to swallow when he is lying level, so don’t feed him in this posture; he may gag or even vomit.

3. If your baby has a stuffed nose he can’t swallow and breathe at the same time. Your doctor can give you nose drops to be used before each feeding.

4. Don’t change your formula without first consulting your pediatrician, even if you think your baby does not like the one you’re using. It is very uncommon for a brand of formula to be responsible for a baby’s not feeding well; very seldom cows’ milk formula causes allergies in babies, but if it is, your doctor may advise you to use a soy-based formula

5. Your baby knows when he’s had enough, so don’t try to coerce him to complete the bottle after he has stopped sucking.

To guard your baby from bacteria, ensure all feeding equipment is scrupulously hygienic, and be alert with the storage and preparation of formula.

1. Follow all cleaning instructions sensibly.

2. Wash your hands before preparing or giving feedings.

3. Never add any extra powder; follow the instructions accurately.

4. Give the formula to your baby as soon as it has been warmed up.

5. When making batches, cool the formula as quickly as it is made up. Don’t stock warm milk in a thermos container; germs will easily breed there.

6. Keep all ready bottles refrigerated until they are required.

7. Keep any opened ready-to-use formula in a jar (not the can) in the refrigerator.

8. After a feeding, discard any leftover formula.

Burping

Burping releases any air that has been swallowed during feeding. It’s doubtful that gas causes your baby discomfort, and many babies are not noticeably happier or more satisfied for having been burped. Swallowing air is more frequent in bottle-fed babies, but you can avoid it to some extent by slanting the bottle more as your baby empties it so that the nipple is filled with milk and not air. Disposable bottles cut down on the air the baby swallows, because air cannot enter the bottle as the baby sucks the milk.

The good thing about burping, whether you breast or bottle-feed, is that it makes you pause, relax, slow down hold your baby gently, and stroke or pat him, and this is good for both of you.

As they say, knowledge equals power, so continue to read information on this topic until you feel you are adequately educated on the subject.