8 Mistakes New Parents Make When Taking Care Of Their Newborn

It's difficult to say whether or not parenting is actually difficult, since it's such a subjective experience.

A new parent's life will be completely different from another's, because every child is different.

There are definitely mistakes that new parents make, regardless of what is going on in their lives.

If you want to have the best possible parenting experience, it's important to avoid making these blunders.

Not Feeding on Demand

If you are breastfeeding, the first mistake you might make is not feeding on demand. Newborns can seem like they are not hungry.

In fact, a hungry baby should not be left alone longer than fifteen minutes without a feeding.

If you do not feed your baby on demand, you can upset your baby's digestive system and cause colic.

Not burping Your Baby properly

A burp is a good thing—it not only gets rid of gases and acids in the baby's stomach, but it also helps the baby relax so it can sleep better and for longer.

Burping your baby is a crucial part of newborn care and should be done everytime after her feed.

Burping your baby is not only important for its health, but for yours too.

If the baby spits up, you don't want to have to deal with the really gross parts of cleaning up after it. 

Failing to pre-burp your baby

One of the biggest mistakes new parents make is failing to pre-burp their babies.

And, when your newborn has gas in the stomach, the last thing you probably feel like doing is feed them.

But, unless you burp the baby, the air that was just swallowed will come back up again.

This is where the "pre" part of the pre-burp comes in: with the baby on your lap, rub your hands together so that the baby gets used to the sensation of the air.

Then, gently pat the baby's back in an upward motion. It may take a a few dozen times, but eventually the baby will burp.

Not enough tummy time

One of the biggest mistakes new parents make is the mistake of not doing enough tummy time.

This is when you lie your baby down on their tummy with their head turned towards you, and let them practice holding their head up all by themselves.

It is great for a baby's development, and it's good to get those little arms going, but the important thing to remember is there are other ways to exercise that kiddo's arms.

For example, tummy time is a great way to encourage your baby to build upper body strength, stronger neck.

Under- or overreacting to a fever

One of the most common mistakes new parents make is under- or overreacting to a fever in their newborn.

A temperature greater than 37.5°c in a child under age 3 months, is considered a fever.

The problem is that most parents don't know how to gauge the seriousness of their kids' fevers.

A child's body needs to fight an infection, and a fever helps it do so.

If your newborn is having fever, head for the A&E straight away. 

Taking newborns into crowded places

Taking your newborn baby to crowded places like shopping malls and restaurants can be a problem, because babies can be easily distracted by the loud noises and bright lights.

If your baby is in a pram or stroller, make sure you push it through the quieter parts of the mall or restaurant to prevent your baby from getting distracted.

Your baby might get overwhelmed by the sensation of being in a new environment, so be aware of how your baby is reacting.

If your baby is too fussy, remove them from the situation for a few minutes (never leave your baby alone) and try to distract them back in the stroller or pram.

What We Do:

We usually bring along a white noise machine, and put beside her. So that some loud sudden noise can be mask.

We realised she sleeps easier with the white noise machine beside her.

Not Changing Diapers Regularly

If you have a newborn baby, you already know that changing diapers is part of your new day-to-day life.

One of the biggest mistakes new parents make is not changing diapers regularly.

Newborns spend almost all of their day sleeping, so they tend to go longer between changes. Some parents may wait four or five hours before changing a diaper, while others may wait eight to ten hours.

Sometimes these changes are done in the middle of the night, since it’s easier to change a baby who’s sleeping, but this can lead to another mistake: letting your baby sleep in a soiled diaper for too long. 

If you’re not careful, changing your baby in a timely manner could lead to much more serious diaper rash.

What We Do:

We have a routine of changing diapers 20mins after her feed (Every 3 hrs). So we won't be put off not changing her diapers.

And not wanting to deal with diaper rash is our main reason why we change her diaper regularly.

Shaking your Baby

Shaking a baby is a form of abuse, and can cause serious injury, or even death.

Shaking a child too hard can result in serious brain injuries, like bleeding on the brain and bruising of the brain tissue.

This is one of the most common mistakes that new parents make.

They are not even aware that they are shaking their babies, and they may have no idea that they are causing their child permanent injury

There is a difference between shaking and rocking.

Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this list of mistakes new parents make and the advice you should have had. 

I hope you found it useful or at least interesting.

I would love to hear from you about any of the topics covered, so feel free to leave a comment below.