CARE OF NEW BORN BABY

 The care of your newborn baby will be messy. Here are a few tips from experienced parents to help make life easier.

Breastfeeding and Nursing

It has been first week of new born baby. Newbie finally growing better and need breast feedings. Even though nature has done a pretty good job of provided that you and your baby with the right tools, in the beginning it's almost guaranteed to be harder than you expected. From sore nipples to tough latch-ones, feeding and nursing can seem irresistible. "Think of ways to ensure success before you even give birth," suggests Stacey Brosnan, a lactation consultant in New York City. Talk with friends who had a good nursing experience, ask baby's pediatrician for a lactation consultant's number, or attend a La Leche League (nursing support group) meeting. At home, you'll want to drop everything to feed the baby the moment she cries for you. But Heather O'Donnell, a mom in New York City, suggests taking care of you first. "Get a glass of water and a book or publication to read." And, because breastfeeding can take a while, she says, go for toilet first!". If your breasts are distended or you have blocked ducts a heating pad or a warm, wet washcloth works, but a flax pillow (often sold with natural beauty products) is even better. "Heat it in the microwave, and conform it to your breast," says Laura Kriska, a mom in Brooklyn, New York. If your breasts are sore after nursing, try a cold pack. Amy Hooker, a San Diego mom, says, "A bag of icy peas worked really well for me." If you want baby to eventually take a bottle, introduce it after breastfeeding is established but before the 3-month mark. Many experts say 6 to 8 weeks is good, but "we started each of our kids on one bottle a day at 3 weeks," says Jill Sizemore, a mom in Pendleton, Indiana.

Sleeping and Soothing

If your baby isn't eating, he's most likely sleeping. Newborns log as many as 16 hours of sleep a day but only in short bursts. The result: You'll feel on constant alert and more exhausted than you ever thought possible. Even the best of us can come to resent the severe sleep scarcity. There's only one goal right now: Care for your baby. "You are not going to get a full night's sleep, so you can either be tired and angry or just tired," says Vicki Lansky, author of Getting Your Child to Sleep...and Back to Sleep (Book Peddlers). "Just tired is easier." One night it's Mom's turn to rock the crabby baby, the next it's Dad's turn. Amy Reichard and her husband, Richard, parents in Denver, worked out a system for the weekends, when Richard was off from work. "I'd be up with the baby at night but got to sleep in. Richard did all the morning care and then got to nap later." The old saying "Sleep when your baby sleeps" really is the best advice. "Take naps together and go to bed early," says Sarah Clark, a mom in Washington, D.C. Do whatever it takes: Nurse or swing baby to sleep; let your newborn fall asleep on your chest or in the car seat. "Don't worry about bad habits yet. It's about survival!" says Jean Farnham, a Los Angeles mom. It's often hard to decipher exactly what baby wants in the first murky weeks. You'll learn, of course, by trial and error. "The key to soothing fussy infants is to mimic the womb. Swaddling, shushing, and swinging, as well as allowing babies to suck and holding them on their sides, may trigger a calming reflex," says Harvey Karp, MD, creator of The Happiest Baby on the Block books, videos, and DVDs. Forget the dubious theory that music makes a baby smarter, and concentrate on the fact that it's likely to calm him. "The Baby Einstein tapes saved us," says Kim Rich, a mom in Anchorage, Alaska. Alexandra Komisaruk, a mom in Los Angeles, found that diaper changes triggered a meltdown. "I made warm wipes using paper towels and a pump able thermos of warm water," she says. You can also buy an electric wipe warmer for a sensitive baby. "Doing deep knee bends and lunges while holding my daughter calmed her down," says Emily Earle, a mom in Brooklyn, New York. "And the upside was, I got my legs back in shape!" If all else fails, and baby's umbilical cord stub has fallen off try a warm bath together. "You'll relax, too, and a relaxed mommy can calm a baby," says Emily Franklin, a Boston mom.