Things You'll Need:
- Wash cloths
- Diaper cream
- Pacifier
- Bottles
- Blankets
- Patience
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Step 1
Begin by going out an buying a pacifier for your newborn. Throw away all those reasons that you do not want to use one and just buy one. These amazing inventions can and will be a life saver many times during your new babies first year of life. I can guarantee that your life as a parent will be 100% easier if your newborn has a pacifier. Why? Babies love to suck, the pacifier allows them to suck even after feeding, giving the baby a sense of security.
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Step 2
Bathing can be another scary experience that new parents get nervous about. Dont ! First of all, newborns do not get dirty so there is no need for them to be bathed on a daily basis. Actually there is no need to bath them the first four weeks. All you need is a wash cloth, some warm water and baby shampoo. Place the baby on a towel on your bed and proceed with wiping the newborn down. Be sure to get under their necks, under their arms and all the little areas that seem to be covered by all that new baby fat coming on.
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Step 3
Breastfeed or not, be sure to always get your baby use to a bottle. If your breastfeeding, pump some milk and feed the newborn from the bottle at least once a day. This allows them to get use to the bottle as well as the breast, giving you a break when you need to take shower, or even just a 30 minute nap. It in no way takes away any of the nutrition that breastfeeding offers, it just gives you more choice.
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Step 4
Changing the newborns is next, make sure that when you do change their diaper that there is no rash. Use scent free wipes at all times. There is no need to use any kind of perfume in that area, it just causes more problems than good. If you do notice a rash, use good old fashion Balmex until the rash has completely disappeared. If you notice the rash looks more like a burn, bring the newborn to the pediatrician immediately for treatment.
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Step 5
Stock up on blankets for the first couple of months of your new baby's life. No matter what the weather is like outside, the newborn still needs to be covered completely.
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Step 6
Do not go out and spend $15-$20 on name brand diapers that you can get for $6-$8. I have changed many diapers in 22 years of my children's lives and I have found that with name brand diapers you are just paying for the name as anything else name brand. Go with the cheaper diapers, they are just as good and save you a ton of money in the long run.
