When I found out that I was going to be a mom for the first time, I was super nervous and excited all at the same time. I wanted to know everything there was about newborn babies.I wanted to soak in all of the information that was given to me by my mother, family and friends. The information was overwhelming but nonetheless exciting. There were a lot of information and things I didn’t know about newborns.
You can watch movies, read blogs about pregnancy and parenting (like this one!), read books or watch shows to inform yourself a little better of what “happens” once your newborn baby is home. I’m going to share with you the things to know about newborns for first time moms.
These are the things you probably didn’t know about newborn babies that you should know about.
9 things first-time moms should know about newborns
1.They sleep a lot during the day
One of the first things to know about newborns is that they sleep a lot during the day. This definitely surprised me, my kids would sleep three to four hours straight during the day and more than one time a day.
My kids would sleep either on their baby swing or pack and play during the day. If I was cooking or cleaning the house and needed to keep an eye on them 🙂
2.Do not sleep during the night
Since they sleep during the day so much, they think it’s a party at night. Newborn babies tend to wake up every 3 hours during the night. They wake up to be fed and have a diaper change. This phase will soon pass, so don’t worry about your sleep deprived nights.
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Quick tip:
If you are bottle feeding or have stored breastmilk, you may want to have your baby’s bottle ready and next to you so that when your baby wakes up, you don’t have to go rushing to the kitchen to prepare it.
3.Umbilical cord will fall off by itself
You know what was something that I was fascinated by? The fact that the umbilical cord of a newborn falls off by itself. You won’t know when or where, but you will definitely notice it’s not on your newborns tummy. It takes around one to two weeks for it to fall off.
Here’s a helpful article all about how to care for your baby’s umbilical cord!
4.Neck needs to be supported
Newborns are very delicate and they need to be supported at all times, specially on their neck. At this moment they cannot keep their head up and nor they have the strength to do so. You have to always, support their neck every time you feed them, pick them up from their crib, carry them and take them a bath. It’s so important and this was the number one rule the women from my family had advised me to do. Of course your doctor will tell you the same thing. If you have small children, make sure that they support their new siblings neck every time they carry them.
Quick note:
If your newborn’s neck is not supported it will bob around and depending on the force of the bob it can cause serious brain damage. It may also cause tear muscles, among other things. That’s why it’s so vital to support your newborn’s neck.
5.Fingernail grows fast
I’ve never seen finger nails grow so fast than that of a newborn’s. It’s crazy, one day you cut their nails and the next day it will seem like you didn’t do it. Just make sure you have a baby nail clipper at hand because, you my friend are going to use it more than you think. Your newborn may also scratch themselves a lot, so you may want to buy baby mittens before your baby arrives. This will help them not scratch themselves or others.
Check out this article:
Easy steps to cut your baby’s fingernails
6.Need to pass gas right after eating
Passing gas is important for your baby to do every time he is done eating, whether is burping or farting. In this case passing gas is a great thing. With your newborn, you may take breaks feeding them because they won’t feed as fast as a 3 or 6 month old baby will. So, if you take a break, burp them immediately  because you do not want gas building up inside of them. They will become cranky, colicky and will not be a good situation for you.
Watch video on how to burp your newborn:
7.They recognize your voice and smell
Another surprising thing to know about newborns is that they will recognize your smell and voice! This is so amazing because you can talk to them, sing to them and they will know it’s you! They feel connected and secure when they hear their momma’s voice. Also, just by you hugging them or feeding them without saying a word, they will know it’s you and will feel protected.
8.Do not carry them all of the time
Yes, I know you will want to carry your adorable newborn baby at all times. But, as long as your newborn is content, well fed, already has passed gas, diaper is dry and clothes are comfortable, it’s okay to leave your newborn alone. Meaning, not on top of you, you can have your newborn in a baby bouncer (like I did with my babies) or in a baby Yes, I used to carry my babies and yes I would let others do the same. But if I would see that my babies were content then I would lay them down comfortably either in their crib or bouncer. If they get used to the arms, they are going to cry because they only want to be held. Which isn’t a good thing in the long run.
Newborn article to read:
17 really helpful tips for first time moms with a newborn
9.Enjoy the moment
Babies grow super fast and so I ask you to please enjoy the newborn stage. Enjoy their smell, their movements, how they feed and unknowingly give you a smirk. I know I’m getting weird here, but I miss it! Enjoy being a mom and taking care of your baby. Treasure every single moment because it will pass by before your eyes. Newborns are so precious, loving, delicate, adorable and I can go on and on. They depend on us for everything and it’s amazing how much love we have for them.
Bonus newborn tips:
Swaddle
Your newborn will love to be swaddled because it reminds them of your womb. Swaddling your newborn is a great way to keep them calm and comfortable. You can swaddle them before they go to sleep or even when they are happy and active. In the hospital you will see that after you give birth, the nurses will clean your baby, measure and weight him. Then they will swaddle them with a blanket. Buy your baby’s first swaddle blanket here.
Watch how to swaddle baby video:
Baby’s cry often
Babies in general cry a lot and mainly because they cannot communicate with us what they want. It can definitely be overwhelming and nerve-racking not knowing why your baby is crying. I wrote a post on the common reasons why babies cry, you can read it here.
Quick note:
If you see that your newborn is crying non-stop or seems distressed, I strongly recommend calling your baby’s pediatrician. Or going to your nearest emergency room, as this could be a more serious situation.
There you go first time mama to be, some of the things that you should know about newborns. I really hope you enjoyed reading this and that you have found it helpful in any way.
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