Seeing your baby’s face for the first time is the most amazing and unforgettable experience in your life. And as the days, weeks, and months pass by, you begin to see a new side of love that is beyond words. Newborn babies are simply the best gift you could ever ask for.
As a parent, especially for first-timers, you want to make sure that you give only the best for your child. Every moment you spend together is something you will cherish forever. Raising them in good manners and hopefully, the best version of yourself.
But most of the time, the lack of experience and confusion leads to misconceptions. Raising a baby means a lot of hard work, sacrifices, and new learnings. No one is perfect and it’s okay to fail sometimes, what’s important is that you put your child’s sake first before anything else.
And to help you to avoid future regrets, here are some of the common mistakes parents make with newborns:
10 Common Mistakes Parents Make with Newborns
1. Believing in Hearsay
There’s no problem with seeking help, opinion, or advice to other parents as it can help for the first few steps. Even when you don’t ask for one, your family, relatives, and friends would probably offer suggestions anyway. However, it’s a bit overwhelming to hear a lot of information.
You can use the things they have taught you, but it should come down to your decision. Experts say that following everything you hear takes away your opportunity to explore your baby. In the end, what should matter most is your intuition.
2. Comparing Other Babies
Every person is different from each other, including babies. They have certain talents, abilities, and personalities that are unique from everybody else. And those indifferences should not hinder a child’s growth and future.
Parents should understand that comparing their child to others only makes it hard for them to accept things. Babies develop their mind and body at their own time so there’s nothing to worry about unless the doctors say otherwise. Stay calm and relax and just focus your on keeping the baby happy and safe.
3. Take Naps or Breaks
With so many chores to do, it’s hard for parents to take a nap or give themselves a break. Most parents disregard their own needs just to provide enough time for their babies. Sure, you can handle it for a couple of months but somehow, you’ll feel exhausted that can cause a much bigger problem.
It’s not a crime to get some rest once in a while. Do not put your health at risk because it will affect your child as well. Your chores can wait, you’re not going to sacrifice so much just by taking a little break.
4. Buying Unnecessary Things
Most parents will agree that spending too much on baby’s stuff isn’t necessary. It’s hard to resist not buying things you feel can give much comfort to your child. Still, you have to think twice and be wise enough to distinguish between needs and wants.
Take it easy on buying new clothes or toys for your baby because they will outgrow them in time. Rather, focus on their necessities such as food, vitamins, diapers, hygiene products, strollers, walkers, crib, etc. Also, you might want to save that extra money for your baby’s future like school, sports, and other activities.
5. Ignoring Baby’s Cry
For newborns, crying is their way of saying they need something. They might be hungry, sleepy, or needs to change their diapers. Whatever it may be, it is so important that you hear and acknowledge your baby’s cry.
Ignoring your baby when they need you can cause trauma or any health issues. Researchers found out that leaving your baby crying may cause brain damage or grow up with behavior problems. So whatever the instances, when you hear your baby’s cry, you must respond at all cost.
6. Baby’s Eating Arrangement
Scheduling their feeding time is not necessary because they give signs when they are ready to eat like sucking fingers or fists. The most obvious way to let the parents know that they are hungry is through their cry. However, crying means a lot, if they don’t show signs of hunger, then do not feed them.
Newborns eating habit is different from the adult’s three-times-a-day routine. Babies tend to eat every 2 to 3 hours or about 8 to 12 times a day. Creating an organized eating routine for babies is useless and does not work.
7. Not Burping the Baby
Inducing your baby to burp every after feeding is an important activity for newborns. It helps them to release the air they swallow during feeding. Failure to do this can cause a baby to spit up and have a cranky and gassy stomach.
Never mind if your baby is already asleep because they will eventually wake up with trapped gas. Try burping them over your shoulder or sitting in your lap for a few minutes until they burp. However, there are cases that some babies don’t burp even if you help them or in their ways.
8. Using Soft Pillows
Since newborns are very delicate, parents normally use soft pillows and mattresses. But little they know that it actually can cause suffocation and do not provide proper support to the head and body of babies. It’s better to use firm pillows and mattresses to give comfort to your baby while sleeping.
Besides, it’s important to check the baby’s sleeping position. Make sure that they don’t sleep on their belly to avoid the risk of SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome. Babies that are under 1 year do not have control over their head and body so it’s your job to adjust them every time.
9. Not Changing Diapers on Time
Once the baby’s diaper has a poop or full soaked in pee, that’s the time to change it. Don’t wait for too long before changing diapers because it may result in skin rashes or urinary tract infections. Whether you are too tired to do it or saving diapers, you need to change the baby’s diaper on time.
Also, another common error of parents is the way they clean the baby’s bum when changing diapers. The proper way is to have single strokes from front to back to avoid any microorganism getting inside the baby’s anus. Practice this regularly to keep your babies away from any health illnesses.
10. Around with Many People
It’s no secret that babies are super adorable and it’s hard to resist not to kiss, hug, and hold them. Baby’s immune system is still weak and they are prone to common diseases. Letting people have physical contact with your baby may have a bad effect on their health.
Keeping your newborns from a crowded area is best to avoid airborne diseases. Also, being outside put them on risk due to several pollutants such as smoke from cigarettes that are harmful to babies. It’s okay being overly protected to your newborns, as long as they will be safe.
Common Myths and Truths about Newborns
With so much information you’re getting from your doctor, family, relative, friends, and other people, it’s to tell what’s true and what’s not. You need to be careful what you believe because it may bring harm than good to your child. To avoid separating fact from fiction, here are some common myths and truths about newborns:
| Myth | Truth |
| Holding your baby every time will spoil them. | Babies who are held close tend to grow up with a good self-image and perform well at school. |
| Baby’s teething causes fever. | Fever is not a sign of teething, it’s best to consult a doctor right away to prevent any health problems. |
| When a newborn is sneezing, they are born with a cold. | The newborn’s body takes time to adjust to the outside environment and their sneezing can be an effect of lint, milk, or saliva that goes up their nose. |
| Newborn poop every day. | Irregular pooping can happen to newborns over eight weeks of age and can go for five days to 2 weeks without pooping because they have not started eating solid foods. |
| Babies need water, especially when it’s hot. | Breast milk is consists of 80% water and babies not over six months old do not need water to stay hydrated. |
Final Thought:
Taking care of newborns needs extra care and effort but also brings so much pride and joy to the family. It’s hard dealing with late-night sleep, constantly holding and feeding the baby and those never-stopping crying moments. But above that, raising your child to be healthy and kind-hearted reflects how good a parent you are.
Well, mistakes, failures, and disappointments can’t be helped because it’s part of the whole journey. Those will make you stronger, wiser, and better parent to guide your little one to become the best version of themselves. What you should focus on is to cherish every moment and make it memorable for years to come.
Hope this article helps you to avoid the most common mistakes parents make with newborns. Share your experience with your newborn here. Thanks!
