General10 Common Mistakes to Avoid as a Parent to a Newborn

Being a new parent can be one of the exciting experiences you can have. However, this does not mean that it is going to be an easy ride. For the first few months, you will have your plate full. It is OK to make mistakes, especially if it is the first time. Well, the goal though is to avoid common mistakes and scale that learning curve. Now, here are some of the common mistakes that you can try to avoid as a parent to a newborn.

Ignoring the Oral Hygiene of the Newborn

Yes, you read right, oral hygiene! You might wonder what oral hygiene has to do with a newborn, yet it has no teeth yet. Your baby might not be eating yet, but even breast milk can leave residues, leading to microorganisms in the gums. This may lead to gum problems and cavities as teeth grow. Now, you can use a moist piece of muslin to wipe and massage the gums regularly to avoid the development of infections and cavities as they grow.

Not Burping your Newborn

Burping is an essential process to a newborn, just as feeding is to them. Babies suck in a lot of air that needs to be let out. Burping does exactly that. You should make it a routine to burp your baby before and after meals to avoid reflex issues and the baby being in an uncomfortable state. Elevate your baby on your shoulder for about ten minutes for burping to take place.

Staying for too Long without Changing Diapers

Understandably, changing diapers may not be one of the fun parts of parenting, but it is a must! Diapers may be so costly hence feeling the need to conserve them. However, you should remember that you put your baby’s health at risk of not changing them regularly. Ideally, you should change your baby’s diaper after 2-3 hours. The baby may suffer painful diaper rashes or even urinary tract infections when they stay with the same diaper for a long time.

Wiping from Back to Front

If your newborn is a girl, then you must pay close attention to this. Girls are more prone to contracting urinary tract infections than boys because they have a shorter urinary tract.  So many microorganisms reside in the area around the anus. Thus doing a back-to-front stroke involves transferring the microorganisms from the anus to the urinary meatus. This can lead to urinary tract infections. When cleaning your baby during a diaper change, always remember to wipe from front to back.

Putting your Baby’s Eating Routine on a Schedule

As a new parent, you might yourself innocently put your baby’s feeding on a schedule to match your free time. This may work for you, but it will not be healthy for the baby. It is important to feed your baby upon demand. Babies tend to eat after every 2-3 hours, but if your baby wants to eat earlier, you should let them. Regular feeding boasts the growth rate of the baby.

Ignoring Health Issues when they Crop Up

As a new parent, it is important to have that keen eye to ensure that your newborn is healthy. Most new parents tend to be in denial when they conceive babies that suffer from congenital diseases. These anomalies can either affect the baby during the gestation period in the uterine, identified during birth, or later in infancy. Some common examples are heart defects, Coxa Vara, neural tube defects, and Down syndrome, to mention a few. Most of these anomalies can be treated if they are spotted early. That is why You need to keep tabs on your baby’s health. Make sure you go for regular checkups as well. In case of any abnormality, you should reach out to your pediatrician.

Using Loose Beddings and Soft Pillows

As adults, we tend to enjoy the comfort that is experienced by puffy pillows and beddings. Instincts may show you that you may want the same for your baby. That might not be a good idea. This is because all these comfy-looking beddings and pillows may subject your baby to the risk of suffocation. Babies tend to roll when they sleep. If your baby lies on the stomach, where they have no control of their heads, the beddings may block his airways.  The lungs of the baby are still developing and, when stuffed, can easily suffocate.

Letting everyone Hold and Kiss your Baby

It is undeniable that every newborn baby is so cute. Because of this, you may feel the need to invite your friends and family over to celebrate your baby. This may sound like a good idea to you, but you are putting the baby’s health at risk by doing so. The immune system of the newborn baby is still underdeveloped. The baby stands a high risk of contracting a disease or infection when exposed to it.

The baby is still in the process of adapting to its new life. So, exposing it to a group of people might be so overwhelming.  In addition, people may transmit diseases and infections to your baby through kissing. Several conditions can be transmitted through airborne droplets even though the infected person does not exhibit symptoms.

Punishing them

We can agree that your baby does not understand the difference between right and wrong at this stage. Some parents tend to spank their babies so hard that they are left confused about why they deserved to be hurt. Hitting babies can mess with their psychology and make them feel like they aren’t loved. You must take positive measures when it comes to correcting your baby. You can postpone the conventional methods of punishment until they understand the meaning of ‘NO.’

Smoking around Them

Secondhand smoke has more than 7,000 chemicals that the baby can inhale when you are smoking around them. We are not saying that quitting smoking is easy, but at least you ought to try for the sake of your newborn. As mentioned earlier, the immune system of newborns is underdeveloped. Any exposure to these chemicals may have an immense effect on them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked smoking to conditions like severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are among common risks affecting newborns.

Final Remarks

Nurturing a baby is not an easy job, but you can thrive at it with lots of love and care. Not all babies are the same as each comes with their wants and needs. However, understanding your baby will give you an upper hand in good parenting. It is bound to be a wonderful adventure raising your newborn!

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