Child Care: Caring for Your Baby

If it’s your first, your baby is going to make a big difference in your life. Inevitably, your household routine will revolve around his timetable and your thoughts will be dominated by the responsibility of caring for him.

Bringing up a baby is not nearly as complicated at it seems, but it is all too easy for a new mother to be so taken up with doing the right thing that she misses the enjoyment of his babyhood. Make up your mind from the start to enjoy your baby. Have confidence that what you and your husband instinctively feel like doing for him is probably right. Mothering time is a special time set aside each day for getting to know each other. A baby cannot understand the words you say but if you talk to him quietly, he can tell by your tone of voice that you think he is the most wonderful baby in the world! Gradually, he will respond to you, with smiles and cooing sounds. You will come to look forward eagerly to this precious half hour or so each day. Your husband may also like to take a turn with the baby now and again. If you let him manage on his own, he will become quite adept at pinning on nappies and it is good for the baby to get used to being handled by someone other than his mother.

Feeding is a baby’s greatest pleasure in life and sucking is the only skill he is born with. But it is not the only physical act of sucking - it is the close, intimate contact with his mother that he finds so satisfying. Cuddle him close at feeding times, whether he is breast- or bottle-fed.

Breast milk has all the advantages. It is safe, germ-free, easily digestible and always at the right temperature. It saves hours of time and work, costs nothing and increases in quantity to meet the baby’s demands. The key to successful breastfeeding is a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Wash your hands before you feed and see that you are comfortable and relaxed. Put the baby to both breasts at each feed, starting with the right and then left alternatively. This ensures that at least one breast is emptied at each feed, thus stimulating further milk production. As a guide, ten minutes at each breast is an average time, but small babies usually fall asleep before the twenty minutes is up and larger ones may take all the milk there is in half the time. After the feed, keep the nipples clean with a pad of cotton wool or gamgee.

Your baby will thrive even if you don’t breastfeed him. It is a disappointment, but not a disaster. So which milk to choose? Dried milks are widely used, convenient and safe. Fresh milk will do, when boiled and diluted. Evaporated milk is increasingly popular. Choose whichever you like and stick to it. If anything goes wrong, it is probably the strength or the quantity that needs changing and not the brand. When using dried milk, it is best to mix the feed immediately before use, as the fat separates out when left to stand. But if you do make up the days feeds and keep them in the refrigerator, be sure to shake well before use, so that the fat is evenly distributed.

Feed the baby yourself whenever you can and never leave him with the bottle propped up beside him. It is not only dangerous, but it robs him of the comfort he needs.

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