Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

If you have more experience repairing cars than you do changing diapers, you may feel some anxiety about becoming a father! You may feel excited and thrilled, but also have some worries about how you will take care of a newborn: such worries aren’t just for new moms, after all.

Going through the pregnancy of your partner will have prepared you in part for your role as a new father. If you spent the last nine months caring for your partner and supporting her, you will have many of the skills you need to step into your new role as a father.

Parenting is about love, in the end, and you will be a huge influence on your child’s life, every single day. This sort of responsibility may seem scary at times, but it will mature you, open your heart, and bring out the best in you. Even if you are already a doting new dad, here are some tips for taking care of a new baby – just for guys.

They Aren’t As Fragile As The Look! Many guys are nervous around newborns, even their own, because they look so incredibly fragile! Men can feel apprehensive about holding them, and carrying them around, in case they might injure the baby. Remember that most babies are actually quite tough, and they adore being held by their daddies! As long as you learn proper techniques for cradling the baby’s head and neck, and protecting the soft spot, or fontanel, you will be able to take your little guy or girl everywhere you go (within reason).

They Are Pretty Messy: Changing diapers isn’t a Nascar pit stop: don’t rush and you’ll get better results. You should always have baby wipes, new diapers, and ointment for diaper rash very close by. When you have your equipment set up, simply remove the old diaper, wipe the baby very gently with two or three baby wipes, until he or she is totally clean, and apply ointment to any redness on the bottom or thighs. Putting on a new diaper is easy and actually quite fulfilling: you can see the baby looks more comfortable, drier, and more content, right away: that means you’ve done your job right!

They Get Sick: If you know what to look for, it will be easier to know if you need to take your baby to the pediatrician, or even the emergency at your local hospital. If your baby is coughing, he or she needs to go to the doctor within the next day, the sooner, the better.

Look at your child’s sleep patterns for more clues about their health. Is your baby sleeping too much? Babies generally stay awake for close to 60 minutes, long enough to be fed and changed, then they drop off again. If your baby isn’t adhering to this pattern, keep tabs on your baby’s sleep schedule.

There are some other common signs of illness in newborns that you should be aware of: fever (invest in a good thermometer, preferably a digital one), a change in urine color (darker urine may mean dehydration, which can be very serious), and marked changes in the baby’s behaviour (such as a real increase in crying that doesn’t stop, or lethargy). You must be on the alert for all these changes, and always err on the safe side by calling your pediatrician to get advice.

They Need A Sponge Bath: You baby is still in the process of healing when you bring it home from the hospital. The little nub left over from the removal of the umbilical cord should not be touched until it falls off on it own. You baby requires a gentle bath with a damp, warm washcloth, and not much else, until it is one or two weeks old.

Remember to be careful of the temperature of anything that touches your baby’s skin: they are extraordinarily sensitive. Bathing your baby a few times a week is enough at first: when you use a baby bath, just put in a couple of inches of water, and use a cloth with a little baby soap on it. Be sure to rinse the baby thoroughly, or the soap may irritate their skin. And never, ever, leave the baby’s side when in the bathtub…ever.