Parenting 101 – What It’s Like Raising a Newborn Baby
I knew from the very beginning that taking care of a newborn baby would not be easy. However, I was up for the challenge and was confident that I would turn out to be a great dad.
As my wife recovered from surgery, I was left with the responsibility of the baby and all the household tasks. For the first few days, the repetitive tasks of feeding and changing the baby every 2 hours and not to forget all the household chores felt like a never ending cycle.
As I got used to the cycle, I started having so many questions about the heath and changes in my baby. This was a completely new experience for me and every small differences in the baby used to worry me. Fortunately I didn’t rush to emergencies that often, but I did call the birth center quite a lot. They were very helpful and most of the times advised me that it was all normal with newborn babies.
My little one slept comfortably for hours like any other newborn baby. However, I would still go near him every now and then just to make sure he is doing fine. I guess for new parents, its scary even when their babies are sound asleep and its just the opposite as they grow older. When you are trying to put an infant or toddler to sleep when he/she doesn’t want to – then you realize the real meaning of impossible.
I dealt with lot of pressure and stress as I waited for my son to look at me and smile or even hold my finger. It was sad to know that for first few weeks he wouldn’t even be able to see me. Babies vision are pretty blur in the first few weeks. It felt like he was looking at me, finding out I was his dad but well I was wrong.
Finally, the moment he first smiled or I think it was simply a muscle reflex, he turned out to be the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. I simply forgot about all my worries and problems. I realized that for moment like this I could readily deal with any level of stress.
My son is now 18 months old and I don’t have to get up at night that often. I hardly drag myself out of the bed at 7 30 just to get to work on time. Well back then, as soon as I heard him making some sound or movement, I would just jump right out of the bed even in the middle of night or early morning. I would try different things, not that I knew of many, just to get him to fall asleep. I still remember, he loved staying outside in the balcony and there I was at 2 am out in the balcony trying to get my little one to fall asleep. Now, I don’t think about those sleepless nights but smile remembering those amazing moments that I got to spend with him.
Normal Things with Newborns That Worries Parents
Peeling of Skin
The first thing that that caught my attention was his skin had started to peel off. It scared the hell out of me. It was only later I found out that it was a normal process especially in case of premature babies. The more vernix (a thick coating that protects a baby’s skin from amniotic fluid) a baby has, the less likely their skin will peel.
Continuous Hiccups
My baby had hiccups for hours and it was very scary at first. I googled and read as many articles and even called the birth center several times. They all said that it was normal for babies to have long hiccups but it was difficult to understand this being a new parent. The worst part was we couldn’t even give him water to stop his hiccup.
There are few things you can try to help your newborn with the hiccups – burp him, give pacifier or just wait for the hiccup stop by itself. It’s hard to see them like that but sadly there is nothing more we can do as a parent.
