My name is Marilyn Baker, and I have horrible allergies. I’m 42 years old and have been suffering from allergies since I was a child. I have seasonal and environmental allergies. Allergies plague me year round. When I was young, my parents even moved to a dryer area in the hope of helping me. Over the past eight years, I have done extensive research both through doctors and online. I have managed to come up with some combinations that have helped me a great deal. My allergies aren’t gone, but they have become manageable. I do have to have allergy shots, but I also use some natural remedies. I am happy to be able to share my findings with you here on my blog. I hope you can find some of this of value.
Congratulations! You're a new parent. And that means newborn care is on your mind—all the time. This little person who is suddenly in your life is unlike anyone you've ever met before. Now what? Check out what you need to know about newborns, what they do, how they grow and how you can care for them.
Head Shape
You've seen newborns, right? In the movies and on TV they look perfect. They're round, smiling and absolutely adorable. In real life, babies often have odd-shaped heads. This is a normal result of the childbirth process. Don't stress if your baby kind of looks like a football. Their head will change shape and get rounder as the days go by.
Neck Muscles
Newborns have immature neck muscles. Don't expect your baby to hold their head up right away—this takes time. By the time your baby is roughly a month old, they should have the muscle control to lift their head. But they won't have the ability completely hold them up, when they're sitting or propped, until they are 4 months old. By the time they are 6 months old, the neck muscles should be strong enough for them to keep their head up when they sit.
You'll need to take extra care and caution near the head and neck areas when holding your newborn. Always cradle their head to help to keep it from flopping back.
Bathing the Baby
Even though you may have gotten a few of those cute little baby bathtubs for your shower, it's not time to fully immerse your newborn in the water. It's all sponge baths for the time being. Why? Your baby's umbilical stump hasn't fallen off yet. You need to keep that area dry until it does. A sponge bath gives you the control that you need to keep the area safe.
Along with the umbilical cord care issues, most newborns don't get dirty enough to need a full soak-down. Your baby isn't doing much other than sleeping right now. A gentle, warm sponge bath will do enough to keep the dirt away.
Skin Care
Newborn care also equals skin care. Your baby's sensitive skin may get dry, red or irritated. If your baby's skin is noticeably dry, a gentle, hypo-allergenic (fragrance and color-free) lotion can help.
From their muscles to their skin, and everything in between, your newborn needs constant care. And that's what you're there for. The more you care for your baby, the better you'll get at it. Before you know it, you'll feel like you've been taking care of your newborn forever.
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