Becoming a Parent: A Dad’s Perspective

It’s probably fair to say that up until the birth, the mother of the baby plays a leading role, but a Dad’s perspective is equally as important. Becoming a parent is massive change of life for both Mum and Dad. It’s no secret that Mum and Baby are the priority, so it’s not unusual for the father to feel a little side-lined. After the birth, the baby takes the lead, with Mumma following in a close second.

We spoke to father of five, Leon McGaw, about ways to avoid being that third wheel, how you can help with all aspects of parenthood. He gives some great tips on how to help your partner, and equally important, how to bond with your baby.

On Being the Third Wheel

This feeling of being on the outer is real, as Leon explains. “The third wheel thing is real for us Dads, it occurs right through pregnancy when the Mum has this unbelievable miracle of a human life growing inside them. We, the Dads/partners, have to wait about six months to feel the tiniest of kicks. Sure we know what’s happening but it’s really difficult for us to get too excited until the birth.”

Once the baby is born, Leon explains that you need to try and make up for time your partner has had to bond as the baby grows inside her.  “Finally you get some time alone with this new perfect little person you helped create and for that hour or so, after the birth, it’s like the nine months of bonding all at once. But she [the baby] is not just yours and now Mum is back and it’s your time to take a back seat again, especially if she is breastfeeding.”

On Breastfeeding

There are lots of ways that Dads can help with feeding; while Mum’s the only one that can can feed, she’ll need plenty of support and Leon shares some of the ways you can help. “Get up with her for the middle of the night for feeds, even if it’s just to make her a cup of tea, tell her that the breastfeeding is going well and the baby is putting on weight and let her sleep her one hour between feeds, and basically step up.”

On Stepping Up

To be truly able to understand the ins and outs of caring for a baby you have to roll up your sleeves and get involved. Here are a few more no-nonsense hints from Leon.

“Clean the house, cook dinner and do the washing. Step up and do everything that she normally does, plus extra because you now have another person in the house that takes up so much time for someone so small. And you do this for as long as you can,  when you go back to work keep doing it before and after work. And do it because you get that break to be with grown-ups again. And then it gets easier. At around the four or five-month mark your little creation starts to wake up, she starts sleeping a little more, she starts trying food, she has a personality and most of all she starts playing and that’s when us Dads start to bond again.”

On Bonding With Your Baby

If you can establish a strong bond early on you’ll feel like you’re an equal part of it all, rather than a bit part. You may not be able to feed, but you can burp the baby, change their nappy and resettle them to sleep. These are all as equally as important.

Leon is a passionate father and has a final word of advice for new Dads. “Steal all the minutes you can to bond with your kids (and never stop doing it) be as supportive a partner as you can and love every minute of it in the knowledge that it is the hardest yet most rewarding job in the world, to be a father.”

Source: https://newbornbaby.com.au

My Baby is Frequently Breastfeeding – Is this normal????

In the first few days after birth it is very common for a baby to be frequently breastfeeding, probably around 12 or more times per 24 hours! Yes you heard that right! Your baby is not feeding ferociously often because there is not enough milk, your baby is doing this because this is what nature intends for all human babies to do!

Babies are designed to drink very small amounts very frequently in the first 1-2 days. Most babies only drink about a teaspoon (5-7ml) of colostrum at each feed:

Day one; which is just perfect as their tummy is about the size of a cherry and holds about 7mls at each feed on day one! Perfectly designed!

Day two; you start to make a little bit more colostrum at each feed and this gradual increase in milk each day stretches bub’s tummy allowing them to drink more. Colostrum is a sugary delicious drink but it is not jam packed with fat at this stage, which means baby needs to keep feeding very often to stay full up.

Day 3 on-wards as your milk increases in volume, you will notice your baby starts to have longer sleep periods of around 1.5-3 hours mostly.

The other important reason why babies feed so frequently is for your breasts. The breasts need to have frequent and regular stimulation where the baby removes milk from the breast.

Each time baby feeds it sends signals for the breast to make more milk for the next feed. The milk making cells increase how much milk they can make over the first 2-4 weeks. In that first month your breasts will make a total 24 hour volume of milk which your baby will drink each day for the next 6 months. That’s right, from month 1 to month 6 of age a baby drinks about the same volume every day, yet still gains weight. Babies actually double their weight in the first 6 months all while drinking about 800ml of breast milk every day!

1st Month

During the first month babies need to breastfeed on average 8-12 times every 24 hours to ensure they are getting enough milk and that you stimulate the breast enough to keep building your milk supply.

This is why it is important that if a baby is not yet able to breastfeed well in the first few weeks that a mum expresses her milk as well to keep the signals going to her breasts to increase the milk volume. For example, if her baby is only able to have 3 breastfeeds per day she would express about 5-6 times to keep her milk supply increasing.  Once baby is breastfeeding fully, she no longer needs to keep expressing.

Please Note: It is always important to discuss this with your midwife, maternal child health nurse or lactation consultant if your baby is not able to breastfeed well.  Also if you find that your milk supply is not increasing by day 3-4 after birth then you may be advised to express on top of doing breastfeeds, but again this will be a plan discussed with you and your breastfeeding support person.

Once you have established a good milk supply, in the first month you may find that your baby changes their feeding pattern again. Many mums report this happens around 6-8 weeks after birth.

After the first month, research has shown us that babies will breastfeed anywhere from 4-13 times every 24 hours.

Each mum and baby’s breastfeeding pattern is different and this is perfectly normal. It is just down to the levels of fat in your milk (fat levels change throughout the day) and the amount of milk your breast can hold at each feed. So do not compare yourself with another mum and baby’s feeding pattern, as it will most likely be completely different from yours.

Trying to force your baby into a strict routines often brings with it tears and stress for both mum and bub!

There are of course some mums and bubs who thrive on strict routines, but these are probably the babies who would’ve gotten themselves into a 4 hourly feeding pattern anyway.

Many mums say the first 6-8 weeks really are the hardest and that it all feels much easier after this point.

In the first few weeks not only is your baby learning how to feed and settle in this new outside world, your breasts are learning how to feed, make milk and send the right signals, and you are learning how to settle into your new role as a mum. All of this takes time. Do not try to do everything at once.

Just focus on what you can do right now:

1. feed baby
2. establish milk supply
3. cuddle and fall more in love with baby
4. rest.

Forget about what you can’t do right now. In a few months you will be able to do it all, but this new phase is a big learning curve for most of us. Give yourself a break and remember that feeding a baby for 40-60mins every 1-3 hours is more than a full time job…and that’s just the feeding. This will get easier in time, go with the flow and trust your instincts.

Source: newbornbaby.com.au

Newborn baby care rainy season as per Doctors Suggestion

The monsoon season provides some cool relief after a hot summer. But the rains also bring flooded roads, mosquitoes and often, water-borne diseases. 

To help you care for your baby in monsoon, we've put together some useful information to keep her cool and comfortable through the hot and humid months. 

How often should I bathe my baby during the monsoon?

Newborns don't move around much so a bath two to three times a week is considered good enough to keep them clean. But a bath is a good way of helping your baby cool down when it is very hot or humid. So whether you have a newborn or a crawling baby, if it suits your schedule, you can plan to give your little one a bath at the hottest time of the day. Don't use cold water, it might upset your baby. The temperature of the water should be comfortable to your skin when you dip the tip of your elbow into it.

If you notice that your baby's skin is dry or has a rash, don't give her a bath every day, unless she is dirty and needs it. When you do bathe her, keep baths as short as possible.

Should I use oil for my baby’s massage in the monsoon?

There's no harm using oil for your baby's massage when the weather is hot and humid, as long as you use an oil that is suitable for your baby's sensitive skin. 

Some experts however say that residual oil from a massage can trap sweat or block pores making a heat rash more likely. Although there is not much evidence to prove or disprove this, to be on the safe side, ensure you wash the massage oil off your baby well during her bath. 

What kind of clothes are best for my baby in monsoon?

During the monsoon, the weather can change a lot in a day. It could start out hot and humid and then get cool after some rain. To deal with these sudden and sometimes significant temperature changes, it is best to dress your baby in layers. Have a light cotton cardigan or a light cotton blanket handy that you can pop on your baby if suddenly the temperatures drop or remove if the sun shines bright and makes the day hot again. 

Choose light coloured clothes that cover your baby's arms and legs to protect her from mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours and can bite at night or during the day. 

As a general rule of thumb, your baby will need one more layer of clothing than you. Observe your baby if in doubt. If you see her sweating, remove a layer of clothing or switch on the fan, cooler or AC. If on the other hand she seems uncomfortable and her tummy is cold to your touch, add on a layer. 

When shopping for your baby's clothes, keep in mind that they take longer to dry in the humid months when you wash them. So you might need an extra set of change or two than what you usually use in summer or winter. 

How do I make food and water safe for my baby during the monsoon?

The incidence of water-borne diseases usually goes up in the monsoon because it is common for sewers to flood and sometimes get mixed with the supply of clean water. Most water filters make water safe enough to drink. If you have a power cut and cannot get water from your filter, boil ordinary tap water and keep it at a rolling boil for three minutes to make it safe to drink. Once it is cooled, you can serve it to your baby. 

If you are exclusively breastfeeding your baby, you don't need to give her additional water in hot and humid weather, even if you feel that she sweats a lot. Just feed her as often as she asks for it to keep her well hydrated. You might notice that your baby asks for milk more often and feeds for less time at a go in the heat. This is because she is taking in more of the water-rich foremilk and less of the thick hindmilk. 

If your baby is on formula milk, or has started solid foods, you will need to give her water in between feeds or meals to keep her hydrated. Keep a sippy cup or glass of water handy at all times so that you can reach for it often. Even if your baby just has a sip at a time, it's enough. Offer fluids often and let her be your guide of how much water she needs. 

In humid weather, it is common for mould to get into your bottle steriliser or the teats of your bottle or sippy cup. Ensure you get rid of the mould well before using them again for your baby. 

Food can get spoilt faster in humid weather, so ensure the food is still good to eat before serving it to your baby. Power cuts are also common. If your fridge has been without power for a few hours, you will need to check the food carefully before giving it to your baby. Look for signs that the food has gone bad. These can include:

• a foul smell
• a change in colour or texture
• signs of fungus growing on the food
• an acid or fermented taste

Source: www.babycenter.in