One of the greatest moments a human being can feel is the birth of a child. That first moment a parent looks at their newborn child and instantly falls in love can’t be replicated. It’s pure joy, but that joy is often quickly replaced with worry. When starting a family, one of the biggest concerns for new parents is how to maintain the health of their new baby. The first year of a baby’s life is critical and it is important that new parents are aware of the factors they can control to ensure the healthiest and happiest pregnancy and newborn baby.
Keys to a Healthy Pregnancy
The health of your newborn baby begins in the womb and maintaining a healthy lifestyle during your pregnancy can ensure better health for both you and your new child.
- See your doctor or registered health care provider when you find out you may be pregnant. Make sure to get yourself registered for antenatal care and ensure you visit your healthcare professional who is familiar with your pregnancy on a regular basis.
- Eat well- Eating a wide variety of nutrient dense foods that are essential for your health and proper development of your baby can ensure both of you feel your best.
- Take a supplement- Folic acid is recommended for the first three months of your pregnancy and Vitamin D is recommended for all three trimesters. Both supplements will ensure healthy, proper development of your child.
- Exercise regularly- Maintaining regular, light exercise can help make your pregnancy a lot easier, by reducing the risk of possible complications such as high blood pressure, reducing strains on joints and increasing your odds of a straightforward birth.
Ensuring Proper Baby Brain Development
Once the baby is born, many new parents are concerned on how to ensure their baby has proper brain development. The following are some great tips to promote healthy brain development:
- Provide nurturing, positive experiences- Ensure your child grows and plays in a healthy environment and expose them to new experiences that will help them develop cognitively. To ensure your child develops proper emotion regulation, respond positively and regularly to your child’s needs to ensure they develop trust and affection with you.
- Provide proper nutrition- Breast milk is the best way to ensure your child receives proper nutrition that enables brain development. As well, the connections you make with your child during mealtimes is a great way to create a strong emotional bond and sense of security.
Common Baby Health Problems
As a new parent, there are many health issues your baby may experience that can be alarming. However, many of these issues are very common and can be easily cured.
- Colic- Many parents may become very concerned when their child is inconsolable and will cry for hours on end, however many children tend to be extremely fussy between 4pm and 7pm for the first three months of life. Frequent naps throughout the day and soothing bedtime activities, such as outdoor walks or going for a drive in the car can help soothe the tears.
- Frequent spitting up- Many young babies will spit up frequently within the first three months of life. However, so long as your baby appears happy and s steadily gaining weight, there is nothing to be worried about.
- Constipation- Around 1 month of life, bowel movements tend to slow down in babies. So long as stools are soft and easy pass, parents should not be concerned if their child is not going to the bathroom everyday.