Holding a newborn baby can be a wonderful feeling, especially if it is your own child, who you have been nurturing inside you for around nine months. If this is your first baby, you may not know what to expect and you may have had no practice in newborn baby care. Although every baby is different, most of them will not do much more than eat, sleep and cry for the first few months, giving you plenty of time to learn the ropes.

When you have a baby, you will have to make a choice between breastfeeding, bottle feeding or a combination of the two. Although their a plenty of health and bonding related reasons for choosing to breastfeed, there are reasons why some mothers will choose not to breastfeed. It is up to the personal choice of every mother who deals with newborn baby care to decide for themselves. If you choose to bottle feed using formula, there are certain health, safety and hygiene guidelines which should be followed, such as sterilizing your baby’s bottles. Mums-to-be will often be given breast feeding support and advice at prenatal classes.

When your child is born, it should be given a series of tests to check for any health problems. With most healthcare providers, these tests will continue for the first few months of your baby’s life. Although you may just want to take your baby home with you, bringing your baby back into hospital for scheduled tests or arranging visits from your midwife are essential parts of newborn baby care. One of the tests which you should expect is a hearing test to check whether your baby can hear properly. Your baby may also be required to have certain injections or blood tests to check for detectable illnesses. As a parent, it can be difficult to watch your baby have an injection, because they may get upset, but it is important that these tests are done early to improve care.

Newborn babies are yet to develop a proper sleep pattern, such as those which are associated with most adults, so do not worry if your baby sleeps and wakes regularly during the first few months. Let your baby sleep whenever he or she wants to at first and use the times when they are asleep to grab 40 winks for yourself or catch up on some housework. Laying your baby down in a portable crib or a Moses basket can allow your baby to sleep and allow you to be close by.

One very unusual part of newborn baby care is caring for the baby’s cord stump. This is the stump left from where the umbilical cord was cut. Although it will shrivel up and drop off after a few weeks, it is important to take care of the area until then. This area is prone to infection, so it is important to keep it clean and dry. If you notice any signs of infection, mention it to your health professional as soon as possible, so that they can take steps to treat it.

Having the best quality baby mattress is an important consideration when setting up your baby’s room