Four Tips for Kate, William and All New Parents
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Choosing a name for their little prince is not the only worry for first-time parents, Kate Middleton and Prince William. Like every new mom and dad, their heads are probably spinning from all the things they must learn to take care of their new bundle of joy.
On Tuesday, Dr. Richard Besser, chief health and medical correspondent for ABC News, held a tweet chat to help brand new parents like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge successfully navigate the first three months of their baby’s life.
Click HERE for the full transcript of the chat, and read on for the highlights:
Relax — They’re Really Hard to Break
A lot of tweeters reminded new parents to slow down, take a deep breath and stay calm. Every person who arrives at parenthood for the first time feels a little nervous and unsure. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family and friends. And as hard as it is to imagine, you’ll be an old hand at changing diapers, bathing, breastfeeding and burping in a matter of days.
Also, don’t be concerned if you have mixed feelings about the new addition to your family, especially if this is your first child. Up to 70 percent of women report feeling the “baby blues” for a few days after giving birth. About 13 percent go on to develop full-blown post partum depression, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. If your down and anxious feelings linger more than a week or two, talk to your doctor. Medication and talk therapy can make a difference.
Bringing Baby Home
A baby’s first check up should happen before you leave the hospital, including all recommended vaccinations.
Don’t feel rushed out the door either. If you’ve got questions about anything, no matter how silly it seems, now is the time to ask them of your doctor, the nurses, lactation specialists or other healthcare providers.
The Breast Is Best
Beyond the joyful bond breastfeeding creates between mother and child, it gives your baby a healthy head start in life. Breast milk is easier for your baby to digest than formula and helps protect against diseases such as asthma, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Breastfeeding moms also enjoy lower levels of reproductive cancers, type 2 diabetes and postpartum depression.
Fun fact: Doctors refer to the first breast milk, colostrum, as liquid gold. It is thick and yellow in appearance and rich in nutrients and antibodies. The baby only gets a tiny amount of colostrums with each feeding but it matches the amount the tummy can hold.
Manage Sleep
The advice on sleep is all over the place but most experts agree that newborns need a lot of sleep — some snooze up to 20 hours a day. Unfortunately their freshly minted sleep habits don’t typically mirror an adult’s, which probably explains why newborns frequently like to keep their parents up all night and why developing a sleep routine as soon as possible will make for a happier household.
Our experts say swaddling in the first three months of life can help a baby sleep when he is supposed to. Making sure he gets a full feeding is a good sleep strategy too. Although it’s fine for the baby to sleep in the parent’s room for the first six months, encourage self soothing and consider allowing your child to sleep on his own from an early age.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio