A guide to happy newborns
Resting and nesting together with your newborn is a very important aspect of baby care. Sleeping together, snuggling, skin on skin contact and breastfeeding undistractedly, all help create a strong bond between you and your baby.
The Nest Your body is where your newborn has called home up until now. Creating a sacred, womb-like container dedicated to nurturing and bonding, is a wonderful way to ease your newborn’s transition from the womb into life in the outside world. Whether your nest is your bedroom or your entire house, create a sacred space with these elements for your 6-week postpartum window Extra warmth – Use a space heater to warm up the nest somewhere between 19-22 degrees Celsius .Diffused light– Sheer curtains for daytime resting, dark room for evening. Extra blankets and pillows– Extra comfort for mama and baby during snuggle time Calming music – Meditative music such as nature sounds or white noise with music incorporated helps create a restful, healing mood. Wheat bag – Heat up until warm (not hot) place on bed until warm then remove. Bed is warm for you and baby to lie on. Essential oil diffuser – Add healing aromas to the air. Lavender for deep relaxation and thieves blend to protect against germs. Hold off on incense until the baby is a little older. Avoid synthetic air fresheners.
Tips for Baby’s Best Rest & Rhythm 1. Don’t tiptoe around your baby during the day. There is no need to whisper. Talk normally and allow your older children to play. As your baby awakens more into this world, they will become more alert during the day and sleep deeper at night. This encourages a healthy sleep pattern essential for your mental well-being! 2. Swaddle your baby. Since baby has been curled up in your womb for 9 months, they are used to being in a warm, secure, confined space. Swaddling will help them rest deeper Developing a daily rhythm for eating, sleeping, massage, baths and quiet time will benefit both you and your baby immensely. *Adding structure to daily life, allows for greater stability and deeper rest. *Limit visiting time to avoid disruption of daily rhythms and rest. This is especially true in the first 3 weeks. Too many visitors could disrupt the deep rejuvenation and bonding necessary during this sacred time, as well as accidentally introduce germs and sickness into your nest. *Stay indoors for the first few weeks. Both you and your baby’s immune system and energies are highly sensitive at this time. If you really need to go outside to get some fresh air, leave the baby inside if at all possible.
Baby’s Bellies There are many elements at play that can effect a baby’s digestion. Some babies are blessed with happy and resilient baby bellies, while others are stricken with terrible colic. No mother or father wants to bear witness to the unrelenting screams of their colicky baby. What have we been taught to prevent it? Eliminating things like broccoli, cabbage and chilies from your postpartum diet is unlikely to be enough. Lucky for us, we can draw on practical Ayurvedic baby care wisdom to guide our way to happy baby bellies.
Breast Milk High quality breast milk is nectar for your baby. It ensures a healthy immune system, digestive system, as well as delivers perfect custom nourishment to their entire body High quality breast-milk is easily digestible, promotes growth and development and of course happy baby bellies. Not all breast milk is created equal. If you are eating difficult to digest foods such as red meat, aged cheeses, frozen casseroles or leftovers, I would bet your breast-milk is also difficult to digest. Such milk puts added strain on baby’s still developing digestive system, which can develop into upset baby bellies and colic .Good baby care involves mama eating a postpartum diet focused on easy to digest, well-spiced, nourishing foods is a key factor in your baby’s digestive health.
Formula It is best, if at all possible to breastfeed your baby. If this is not an option, an organic, non-homogenized (cream top) cow or goat milk formula should be used. Avoid the use of soy formulas. High levels of estrogen are found in soy, which can be problematic for the health of your developing child. To aid digestibility, first bring water to a boil and cool to body temperature. This simplifies the milk protein molecule for your baby’s sensitive system. Always serve formula warm or even room temperature, never cold . Baby will enjoy it more and be less likely to have digestive and other health imbalances
Feeding Tips Nurse on demand for the first 2 weeks. After that, allow at least 2 hours between feedings to allow ample time for digestion. Hold your baby at an angle when nursing. Having their head above their feet will help gravity move the milk down through their digestive tract. Burp your baby after feeding. This may seem obvious, but I have come across new mothers who didn’t know to do it with their baby. This helps ingested air bubbles work their way back out quickly. Otherwise, poor baby has to work them through their sensitive digestive system. Not fun!
Healthy Elimination Healthy elimination begins with at least 3 wet diapers a day (before your milk comes in) and 6 wet diapers a day thereafter. After a couple of days, the baby should be done passing meconium, and at least 3 poopy diapers a day is expected. Your baby’s first few poops will be a dark tarry substance called meconium. It is best to use disposable diapers the first few days, because meconium is very sticky and hard to wash out. Next, it will transform into a lighter yellow green colour that is less sticky. This in turn will transition into a yellow, creamy poop that can be runny. It will stay this consistency until you introduce solids. If after 5 days, your baby’s poop is red, white, grey, like tar, very watery or hard, contact your birth professional. Although western baby care experts believe constipation in breastfed babies isn’t a serious concern, your baby is likely to be uncomfortable if they don’t eliminate every day. If this seems to be a regular occurrence, it is likely that you will need to assess and adjust your diet as well.
Managing Upset Bellies & Colic If your baby cries and pulls their legs tight to their belly, twists or arches their back, they may be experiencing discomfort in their belly, usually from gas. There can be many contributing factors to this including your diet, formula, complications from the birth, presence while nursing, and even emotional upset.
Postpartum Diet The most important aspect of a good postpartum diet is rekindling a strong digestive fire. Without digestive strength, virtually anything you eat will move through your system partially unprocessed. This will lead to heavy, hard to digest breast-milk and eventually to upset baby bellies and colic. It is important to eat warm, soupy, easy to digest foods. Adding plenty of digestive spices to your meals and teas also is important to aid your digestive strength.
Baby Massage Daily warm oil massage enhances your baby’s immune strength and T-cell production, helps prevent/reverse colic, promotes healthy elimination, as well as promoting deep sleep and weight gain. Giving your baby oil massage every day helps promote bonding, and is an excellent opportunity for the father and siblings to connect more deeply with the baby and provide some essential baby care Daily baby massage with warm sesame oil is one of the best ways to remedy upset bellies and colic. Warm sesame oil is very grounding and soothing to your baby’s sensitive system. It can help prevent digestive and emotional problems, as well as reverse colic and constipation. For a quick fix: massage baby’s belly with gentle clockwise circles, circling from the bellybutton outward to the descending colon. Do this 9X and apply a warm washcloth to the belly for a few minutes. Make sure the room is extra warm!
Baby Exercises Baby exercises help expel gas from your baby’s belly, offering them much welcomed relief. For a quick fix: Loosen baby’s diaper and bring their knees together. With gentle firmness push their knees up to their belly and hold there (don’t let their knees separate from each other). At this point you might notice them trying to release gas or stool. Give them encouragement to do so. After 10-15 seconds release and repeat until baby feels more comfortable.
Bath A nice warm bath is the perfect ending to this essential baby care routine. Avoid using harsh chemicals and soaps on baby’s skin. Use a mild unscented glycerine soap or better yet, an Ayurvedic pudding soap made with milk and garbanzo bean flour.
After baby has arrived, you will have your hands full, no doubt! Being prepared with the essential elements needed to ensure both you and your baby’s wellbeing will empower you to have the postpartum experience of your dreams. Rest in bliss with your angel. It is in fact, your birthright