Being a mother will provide you with a great deal of pleasure, but it will also demand lot of work. There are a few circumstances that will occur in the first few weeks and months that you should know about beforehand.

Baby’s weight

The first week after you bring your baby home, you may notice that your baby looks thinner than at birth. You may even wonder, “Has my baby been fed enough?”

Do not worry! It is not unusual for babies to lose weight during their first week of life. Your baby will be back to its birth weight in another week, and after that, the baby will continue to grow rapidly.

Baby’s sleeping position

All healthy infants be placed on their backs to sleep (not on their stomachs), unless there are special medical conditions which may require your baby to sleep on his/her stomach. Studies have found that infants who sleep on their stomachs have a higher incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Allow baby play time on his/her stomach while awake.

The soft spot

If you closely observe your baby, you will notice what looks like a soft spot at the top of baby’s head. This soft spot is known as a fontanelle. This skeletal separation of the baby’s skull allows the head to conform to the shape of the vaginal canal during delivery.

The head after birth may even look quite elongated rather than round. In a few months, this will change – the head will round out and the fontanelle will begin to close. By two years of age, this soft spot will be completely closed. You must take added precautions that your baby does not fall or receive blows to the head that would cause serious or permanent injury. It is perfectly safe to wash baby’s head when he is being bathed. Do not be alarmed if you see some blue and black marks on your baby’s head. The forces of labor put a great deal of pressure on the baby’s head. Forceps or vacuum delivery can also leave bruises, but these black and blue marks usually disappear in a couple of days.

How to care for the umbilical cord and circumcision

When your baby was born, the clinician severed the umbilical cord and now a small stump remains attached to the baby’s navel. The first day or two after birth, this stump will begin to shrivel and start to dry up. Sometimes between the 7th and 18th day, it will drop off. Until it does drop off, it will be attached to the baby, and you should simply allow nature to take its course. When bathing the baby, you can use oil to soften the crusty area.

Circumcision heels naturally and complications following a circumcision are rare. After the procedure is completed, the penis is wrapped with gauze square saturated with Vaseline or other suitable cream. The gauze usually falls of the penis by itself. If it does not fall off, do not pull it; just squeeze some warm water on the gauze to loosen it. Check with your clinician as to the care of the circumcised or uncircumcised penis.

Enjoying your baby

Learn to enjoy your role as a new parent now that your baby is off to a good start in life. You can reduce many of the fears or anxieties you may have about raising your baby by reading books and other articles on IndianMomsAndBabies on child care. They will help you know what to expect at different steps in your baby’s development. Ask your baby’s clinician how frequently your baby needs to be checked, when immunization programs must be started, and any questions you may have about your baby.