After Leaving the Maternity Hospital…

A situation familiar to many young mothers: you have brought your baby home from the maternity hospital, the baby wakes up, starts crying — what should you do now? Women who did not have enough time to gain valuable experience in newborn care under the attentive guidance of nurses and more experienced roommates in the ward often feel especially anxious.

Some parents are even afraid to pick up the baby, worrying that they might hurt or accidentally drop the child. To avoid such fears, it is important to know how to properly care for a newborn.

Feeding and Sleep

Feeding and sleep are the two most important things for an infant. Breastfeeding is considered the best option — it is convenient for the mother and beneficial for the baby. The baby should be fed “on demand,” meaning whenever he or she asks. Feeding “on a schedule” — every 3 hours — is considered outdated. Usually, after some time, babies establish a comfortable (though not strict) feeding routine for themselves. For example, they may begin feeding every 2 hours. Parents should follow this routine.

At night, the baby is also fed on demand, which is why many parents place the baby’s crib close to their own bed or let the baby sleep beside them.

Between feedings, newborns mostly sleep. In the first month, babies sleep 14–19 hours a day. Each month, periods of wakefulness gradually increase, and by six months of age, babies sleep about 13–14 hours a day. While in the first months a baby may wake every 1.5–4 hours regardless of the time of day, by around eight months many babies begin to distinguish day from night and sleep from about 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. During the day, they usually nap twice for about 2 hours each time. By 1–1.5 years old, a child begins to sleep “like an adult” — throughout the night and once during the day after lunch.

Whether to swaddle the baby during sleep is up to the parents. Many swaddle their baby to prevent sudden movements from waking the child. Some babies feel more comfortable this way. However, most modern doctors believe that a baby’s arms and legs should be free, as this is important for normal psychomotor development. Therefore, from the second month, it is preferable to dress the baby in comfortable sleepwear instead of swaddling.