Raising Your Child Right: Helpful Tips And Hacks For New Parents

Being a parent for the first is an exciting and joyful time, however, there are several challenges new parents should expect to face at some point when bringing up a baby these include:

Exhaustion and sleep deprivation
Breastfeeding issues
Hormones imbalances
Loneliness
Excessive crying
Gas and burping
Occasional sickness
Jaundice

Even though parenting can have its challenges, there are various tips and tricks like those in this article that new parents can follow to make their lives easier.

Table of Contents

Get the Right Equipment

Most parents start planning and listing all the things they need well before their baby is born. The babycare specialists at Babys-Mart suggest separating equipment into categories according to their function. Generally, baby care items fit into the following categories:

Clothing; a selection of short and long sleeve undershirts or onesies, cardigans, hats, laundry detergent for babies, nightgowns, mittens, socks and trousers
Feeding items; a breast pump, bibs, burp cloths, formula, milk bottles, moisturizer, nursing bras and breast pads
Nappy and hygiene needs; a changing pad, nappy bags, ointment to treat nappy rash, disposable or reusable nappies and wipes
Bathtime; a plastic bathtub for babies, baby soap and shampoo, soft-hooded towels and washcloths
Bedtime; a safety-approved crib and mattress, fitted sheets, light blankets and waterproof mattress covers
Other necessities; a safety-approved car seat, baby monitors, a foldable stroller, nail clippers and an eye dropper or medicine spoon
Optional items; a rocking chair, sling, playpen, rattles and toy

Make a Sleep Routine

Ensuring both you and your baby get enough sleep is essential to avoiding exhaustion and extra stress, therefore there are some recommended steps parents can take to help their babies get the best quality sleep required for their development:

Help your baby recognise the difference between day and night time by keeping the lights on during the day, opening windows and doing activities with more energy whilst at night things should slow down, lights dimmed and the house-made quieter
Learn to recognize when your baby is tired, typical cues include fussing, rubbing their eyes, turning their head away from you and yawning. It is best to let babies sleep as soon as they are tired even if they have only been awake for an hour or so
Create routines by setting regular feeding, nap and bed times
Avoid using feeding to trigger sleeping otherwise your baby may only start going to sleep after nursing
Keep them awake during nursing
Encourage them to sleep alone in their crib by waiting for them to be drowsy and giving them a pacifier

Try Different Ways to Hold Your Baby

Some new parents often worry about the best way to hold their baby and think about ways to make them more comfortable so they cry and fuss less. There are in fact several ways you can hold a baby and the position you choose will depend on you and your baby’s preferences. There are a few different positions for holding a baby:

The lap hold – your baby’s head should be face up at your knees when you are sitting down with your forearms providing support
The football hold – use your forearm and hand to support your baby’s body, head and neck holding them close to your chest
The shoulder hold – rest your baby’s head on your upper chest and shoulder facing you whilst supporting their head and neck with one hand and their bottom with your other hand
The belly-hold – lay your baby stomach down along your forearm with their feet on either side of your hand and their head near your elbow, this is a helpful position when your is gassy and burping is needed
Cradling – probably the most well-known way of holding a baby by supporting the length of their body, head and neck with your forearm with their head positioned towards your elbow

Swaddle Them for Better Sleep

Swaddling is an age-old technique for helping babies get used to life in the outside world as it recreates the safety, snugness and warmth of the womb. Swaddling also helps to stop babies from moving around too much or flailing their arms which can cause them to wake up suddenly.

When swaddling your baby you should avoid wrapping your baby too tightly, you should swaddle them snugly, however, their legs should be able to move somewhat and as a guide, you should be able to fit two fingers in between the top of the blanket and their chest.

Raising a newborn baby is usually an exhausting and stressful time for most new parents, however, following the advice, tips and tricks from people who have already been through the experience can make it a much more rewarding experience with lots of time to bond with your child.