Five things they don't tell you about newborns
There’s only so much a first-time mum can prepare for a newborn.
By Livia Gamble
February 20 2017
There’s only so much a first-time mum can prepare for a newborn.
From setting up the baby’s room to taking weekend classes and reading recommended parenting books, but there are five things they don't tell you about newborns.
1 – Looking after a newborn gets harder before it gets easier. For some mums, the first week can feel like the honeymoon phase before the hard stuff sets in. If you find yourself struggling a few weeks in, remember that this is totally normal!
2 – Babies are learning to breastfeed too. While it’s thought that a newborn will just instinctively know where and how to feed, sometimes it’s not that easy. Just like you, babies have to learn how to latch and draw out your milk.
3 – A baby’s breathing pattern can vary. It’s possible for a newborn to stop breathing for a few seconds, which can frighten the life out of a parent. Newborns breathe in cycles with breath going from fast and deep to slow and shallow – some even pausing for a few seconds or longer. As babycenter.com.au points out: “This is normal, and will change into a more mature pattern of breathing, with occasional sighs, in his first few months of life.”
4 – Baby’s get acne too. It’s true, baby skin is soft, but not even a newborn is safe from acne. Also known “infantile acne”, it’s said to be caused from breastmilk, but fear not, it should pass fairly quickly, making way for soft, adorable, rosy cheeks.
5 – Refrain from online shopping. When you are sleep deprived, there isn’t anything you buy for some sweet relief – no matter how expensive. Sleep on any purchasing before proceeding to the checkout and avoid over spending on things you don’t really need.
