Guide for new parents: how to welcome your first child

Learning to hold your first child

The first contacts with your first child can be scary. However, new parents will get used to it sooner or later. Before holding your baby, it is important to wash your hands. In this way the child is better protected from viruses and bacteria.

When they come to get him, They should fit snugly around your head and neck. Do not shake the child, even when playing with him, because a stronger movement could hurt him. Choose to gently caress him on the cheeks or feet.

When you put the baby in the stroller, check that the seat belts are fastened correctlyto prevent it from tipping over or falling to the ground. Likewise, when they laid him in the cradle, hold his head and always lay him on his back. Use your forearm to comfortably support your baby’s weight.

✅ Advise: Teach your baby to sleep on his back and play on his back. When the baby is awake, you can leave him on his stomach to play. According to the Portuguese Society of Paediatrics, «this strengthens the neck and back muscles and counteracts preferential head positions and the occurrence of deformations.»

Tips for organizing daily life with your first child

It will probably take you several weeks to find your daily routine. To facilitate this organization, we present some suggestions.

1. Change the diaper

Newborns soil their diapers up to 10 times a day. Therefore, it is important to practice good technique. Before changing your baby’s diaper, check that you have everything you need:

• a clean diaper;
• cleaning wipes;
• baby’s bottom ointment;
• a bowl with a little warm water it might also be useful.

Place the baby on the changing table, face up. Remove the dirty diaper and throw it away. Use warm water and wipes to clean your baby’s bottom. If it’s a female, clean her from front to back.to avoid urinary infections.

Some children develop atopic dermatitis a few weeks later. To avoid this, clean the diaper area frequently. A specific cream for dermatitis may also be useful. Some contain zinc oxide, which helps form a moisture barrier.

Source: OCU (Spanish Organization of Consumers and Users)

2. Bath time: an odyssey when it comes to your first child

During the first year of your baby’s life, two or three baths a week will be more than enough. Doing so more frequently can cause skin irritation. Here’s what you need to take a bath:

• special soap and shampoo for babies – Cbuy products that do not have perfume;
• a soft sponge – opt for those with a flat surface;
• a soft brush –it will also be useful for stimulating the scalp;
• soft, clean towels – to wrap the baby once the bath is finished.

✅ Advise: Never leave your baby alone in the bathtub. If for some reason the person who is bathing the child has to leave the bathroom, before doing so they must take the child out of the water and wrap him in the towel, or take him with him.

3. How to put the baby to sleep?

As a parent of your first child, it’s important to remember that a newborn sleeps up to 16 hours a day. But it didn’t follow. I am «seestas» that last from 2 to 4 hours. This happens because your digestive system is so small that you need to eat frequently.

Temperature is essential for your baby’s sleep. Avoid making the room too hot or cold. If he has trouble falling asleep, you can pick him up and put him in the stroller. As soon as he falls asleep, put him in his crib, face up. For the first six months the baby’s bed should be placed next to the mother’s bed.

✅ Advise: Don’t put the baby to sleep in your bed or put the baby to sleep on the couch with the baby. This increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome and the risk of suffocation..

👉 Are you interested in: Useful tips for baby’s sleep.

4. When to consult the pediatrician?

If you have any questions or doubts, the best solution is to always consult a specialist. Nonetheless, there are some situations in which a visit to the pediatrician is mandatory:

• if the child is feverish or with a fever;
• diarrhea is common in newborns, but exaggerated or prolonged diarrhea must be monitored;
• frequent cough it can also be a sign that something is wrong;
• os frequent vomiting they are also not normal;
• if your child has constipation problemsit is possible that you have an allergy or intolerance.

The priority is the well-being of your child. And the health insurance AND General Peace of mind can be of great help:

✅ have access to consultations in hospitals or offices of our network of 16,000 healthcare professionals. It is preferable to contact one of these suppliers if necessary because, in addition to not having to pay the entire cost of the medical procedure upfront, the administrative formalities will be quicker and reduced;

✅ make appointments online to clarify any doubts without having to leave home or receive a doctor at home;

✅ take advantage of the quantity discount through which, bringing together family members in the same health insurancethey will reach save on the amount you pay monthly.

Any clarification regarding the issues present in this article must be requested from the competent authorities or specialized professionals. In drafting this document, every effort has been made to provide correct and clear information. Generali Seguros, SA is not responsible for the outcome of any acts or actions decided or undertaken solely on the basis of the information contained in this document. Generali Seguros, SA does not intend, through this document, to provide medical advice, therefore the customer is invited to consult healthcare professionals to obtain appropriate advice.