7 new mom mistakes
If you’ve just given birth to your first baby you’re flying by the seat of your pants. You might not have much experience of baby care and even if you regularly baby sit for friends or family, taking care of someone else’s baby isn’t the same as taking care of your own. It’s easy to panic in the early days – and easy to get yourself into parenting habits that will cause you problems later on, when your baby is bigger. So what are parenting pitfalls you need to avoid?
1. Rocking your baby to sleep
It’s so lovely to rock your tiny newborn to sleep as she nestles n your arms but as hard as it might be to place her in her crib that’s the best tactic for you and for her. It’s vital that your baby learns to
self-settle – being able to do so is the key to her sleeping through and not waking you every time she wakes during the night. Getting her into the habit of being rocked (or nursed) to sleep means that once she is older, when she is weaned and developmentally able to sleep through, you’ll still likely have to be getting up to rock her back to sleep if something disturbs her. And keep in mind that while you may not see this as a problem now you are cradling your seven pound baby, if you are still doing it when she’s a toddler you’ll be looking at way more than seven pounds. It won’t help your back if you’re having to rock your strapping toddler to sleep at bedtime and you’ll be exhausted if you’re having to do it during the small hours too. Get your baby used to settling herself by laying her in her crib while she is awake.
2. Putting yourself last
You need to be
happy and healthy in order to take care of your baby and that means making yourself a priority sometimes. Babycare is hard work and you deserve a regular break from it. Leave her with your partner, family member or trusted friend on a weekend morning and go out by yourself – to the library, for a walk, to the beauty salon to get a facial or manicure. Your baby matters – but you matter too, and you need to remember that you are a person as well as a mother.
3. Shutting out your partner
Your bond with your baby is so strong that you may find yourself leaping up to do everything for her at the expense of your partner becoming involved in her care. Sometimes it may just seem like the easiest option, especially if you are a stay-at-home mom and your partner doesn’t know his way around your baby as well as you do! But he’ll only learn how to care for her with hands-on experience so try to take a step back and let him assume some of the responsibility, without jumping in to take over if he isn’t doing it your way.
4. Not having couple time
It’s also important that you
make time for your partner outside of your close relationship with your baby. Making the transition from two to three is very difficult and it’s unlikely that you will be prepared for just how much of your time your baby takes up. But it is important to stay a couple as well as become parents. Try to get some time away from your baby – schedule a regular ‘date night’ when you get a family member or friend to watch your baby, or hire a sitter, so you can go out together and recapture some of your life before you had a baby.
5. Panicking at every little thing
You’re likely to feel anxious about babycare, your baby’s health, how much she’s crying, how little she’s sleeping, and how fast she’s developing. Don’t panic! While some babies are unfortunate to be hit by bout of
ill-health, most are healthy as long as you care for them and meet their needs. They also are very resilient, can be left to cry for a few minutes without having you rush to them, and most develop at a perfectly normal pace although some may talk earlier or walk sooner. However it is important that you trust your instincts when it comes to your baby’s health and wellbeing. If you feel in your heart that she’s not right, or she’s
crying inconsolably for longer than one hour, contact your pediatrician – and always take a fever seriously.
6. Not taking tooth care seriously
Your baby’s teeth might not have started to cut in but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be thinking about her oral health. Tooth decay is rampant in the U.S. and oftentimes it occurs because parents haven’t gotten their babies into the habit of regular
toothbrushing and can’t then deal with her tantrums once her teeth grow and it’s obvious they need to take care of them. Getting your baby accustomed to an oral hygiene regime makes things so much easier later on. Even if she has no teeth, you can use a fingertip wrapped in gauze or a special baby tooth and gum brush to clean her gums twice a day, graduating to a proper soft baby toothbrush once her milk teeth start to cut through, adding flossers into the routine once she has all of her baby teeth. Just because her baby teeth will fall out a few years down the line doesn’t mean they aren’t important – losing them early due to decay can cause her permanent teeth to grow in crooked. Check with your county whether the local water supply has fluoride added to it – it’s vital for healthy teeth. If it doesn’t, or you drink well water, ask your dentist about giving your child a fluoride supplement.
7. Not getting your baby immunized
Many parents avoid getting their babies immunized because they have heard that vaccines may cause autism. The possibility of a link between the
MMR and autism was raised in one study that has since been shown to have been flawed, as well as being proven wrong by many others.
Immunization protects your baby from a whole range of unpleasant illnesses that can rarely lead to serious complications and by not doing it you are putting your baby and others at risk.
The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.
Related Articles
Last Modified: 07/08/2009
Related Chat
You'll need to be logged in to post new Comments and Answers or to Chat.
Login or
Register