Tips on taking care of newborn infants
By TheAdvocate
@TheAdvocate (2392)
Philippines
November 26, 2010 8:33pm CST
I have a three-week old niece that my brother occasionally asks me to babysit. I love children, and I love playing with them. But I have never taken cared of a newborn on my own. The first she pooped, I almost panicked. How do I clean her bottom? Should I use tap water or lukewarm water? What soap should I use? I had so many questions running in my head. In the meantime my niece was turning red from crying because her aunt is to scared to lift her little legs! For the life of me, I could not figure out how to make her burp. They're just so tiny and delicate, I am afraid to hold her. So can someone out there give me tips to take care of a newborn. Thanks, I appreciate it! I was so exhausted the first time I did it that I fell asleep right after my brother picked her up.
2 people like this
7 responses
@momof3kids (1894)
• Singapore
27 Nov 10
To clean her bottom, use wet disposable towels. Its more convenient.
If you have to use water, cradle her in arms with your palms supporting her buttocks. Put her over your clean sink, wash the poop off everywhere. Better with lukewarm water. Dun have to use soup.
To make her burp, support her head and put her face over your shoulders. Pat her back gently with your free hand.
Why has your brother got to leave you so suddenly? Why dun he let you see how he takes care of the newborn first?
The trick is to be confident and not panic. This way you can think things through and let your instincts take over.
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
27 Nov 10
My brother just asks me to babysit when they have to do something, like the arrangements for my niece's christening, or once when my sister-in-law needed to go to the dentist. It's not often, maybe once a week, and only for a few hours. But you know babies, can't ask them to delay their poop their parents arrive to clean them up.
They couldn't get a nanny still and so being the dutiful elder sister that I am, and also the baby's godmother, I step up even though I have absolutely no experience at all. I just realized that all I really know is how to hold a baby.
I do have questions, if you don't mind. Are the wipes sufficient to clean her? I remember my nephew was rushed to the hospital because the doctor said he was not cleaned well and some poop remained in his little you-know-what. I don't want my niece to experience that. So do I have to soap her everytime she poops? Also, how do I prevent the milk from spilling down the side of her mouth?
Thanks for the tips, I hope to be more confident the next I babysit.
They couldn't get a nanny still and so being the dutiful elder sister that I am, and also the baby's godmother, I step up even though I have absolutely no experience at all. I just realized that all I really know is how to hold a baby.
I do have questions, if you don't mind. Are the wipes sufficient to clean her? I remember my nephew was rushed to the hospital because the doctor said he was not cleaned well and some poop remained in his little you-know-what. I don't want my niece to experience that. So do I have to soap her everytime she poops? Also, how do I prevent the milk from spilling down the side of her mouth?
Thanks for the tips, I hope to be more confident the next I babysit.@momof3kids (1894)
• Singapore
28 Nov 10
Hmm about your nephew, I think it was one of those very rare cases. By all means you can use tap water. The thing is if you have to clean the baby in a place where you cant be near a toilet, wipes are the only choice.
I read the post (box 1) above mine about how to clean using wipes. Paste her post in a word processer and break it up. Thats what I always do when the words seem to bunch up together.
About using soap, I do not use it at all. You can get those for babies. But when they are as young as your niece, soup is not necessary until they're bigger like in a few months more.
You cannot prevent milk from spilling down the side of her mouth. Maybe the hole on the teat is too big for her and milk is flowing too fast for her to swallow. Get a new teat that has the smallest hole. Still milk will flow out, just get a towel for this everytime you have to feed her.
Good luck!! Do keep it coming if you have questions, I am happy to help.
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
28 Nov 10
Yes, maybe my nephew's case was a fluke. As you can probably guess by now, I am a lit OCD about a lot of things.
As for the soap, I was debating whether I should use one since their poop is probably, for lack of a better word, milk-based. But then I saw some baby soap that my sister-in-law probably use on her, so I did. My problem was that after she pooped, she peed on the clean diaper. (sigh)
I tried getting new teats for my niece, but milk still flowed. So I just put a towel as you suggested. Did not want the milk to go to her ears.
Thanks for the replies. I will take you up on your offer for advice the next time I get stumped.
As for the soap, I was debating whether I should use one since their poop is probably, for lack of a better word, milk-based. But then I saw some baby soap that my sister-in-law probably use on her, so I did. My problem was that after she pooped, she peed on the clean diaper. (sigh)
I tried getting new teats for my niece, but milk still flowed. So I just put a towel as you suggested. Did not want the milk to go to her ears.
Thanks for the replies. I will take you up on your offer for advice the next time I get stumped.
@inday_lorna1970 (1268)
• United States
30 Nov 10
New born are really very delicate..they don't have strength to carry their own leg. When my baby was three weeks old and when he poo. I always have sensitive baby wipes, after that I have lukewarm water and johnson baby wash soap on a big bowl with baby wash cloth and wipe his butt so it won't stink.
So you won't panicked next time, think of him or her like it's your baby and you will surely love to cuddle them every time like I do.! At first I don't know how to burp them but luckily my baby just burp himself right after I feed him without tapping his back..
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
30 Nov 10
Thank you for the suggestion. I think a bowl will be very helpful the next time. I don't want her to stink if I accidentally fail to clean her thoroughly.
I.m comfortable cuddling her. It's when I have to hold her while cleaning which scares me. I always feel as if I might hurt her. But if I touch her lightly, she kicks and I let go of her legs. Well, a few more practice and I'll get the hang of it. Thanks for the suggestions!
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
28 Nov 10
i can't give you many tips as i don't have a child on my own yet... but i had taken care of my nephew a bit even though not since newborn... i hope other mylotters here can give you a better advice for you on how to take care of your niece... keep calm, be confident and don't be nervous... good luck... take care and have a nice day...
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
28 Nov 10
Indeed confidence is the best tool in babysitting. Babies can smell fear! and incompetence... In my subsequent attempts to babysit, I was a little more confident and my niece did not cry as much. I was also able to put her down when she slept.
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
27 Nov 10
Hi,
Congratulation being an auntie now and it is great that
you have a chance to takecare of your niece.
But I should say it will be a great experience for you,although
at first you may find it hards,but as time pastby,you
sure will get use to it.
Being a mother of one son, of course, I would like to share on
my first experience taking care of my son.
At first, I was panicked on how to hug my son when we were
back home from hospital. I did not even know how to feed him milk .
Lucky, my mother in law was there and she guided me all the way
on how to takecare of my son.
When comes to poo, you have to use wet tissue to clean the baby's
buttock and make sure you wipe it dry,then apply nappy cream to
prevent rashes and then wrap the baby with napkin.
It sames goes to pee, you have to quickly change the napkin and clean up the
private part,make sure it is dry before putting back a new napkin.
As for milk time, don't make too hot milk,try it at your hand before
offering the milk formula to baby.
After drinking milk, burp his back for about 2-3 minutes before
lying him down on baby cot or bed.
As for bathing time, prepare all the things needed like baby clothes, towel,nappy
cream,napkin. Get ready warm water and baby shower gel. Because his head is still soft and fragile,must hold it properly and have a quick shower, after it is
done,faster wrap the baby with towel and pad his body dry before putting
some lotion and nappy cream. and put on his clothes.
Hope my information can help you up. Takecare...
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
28 Nov 10
Thanks for the detailed tips! I really appreciate it! I have been scouring the internet for tips, but most are general discussions. You know what they say, the devil is in the details.
Like you, I was not too confident when I first held the baby. I was afraid of squashing him. Luckily my mother was there to guide me.
@pvuppal (137)
• United States
29 Nov 10
Wow, you are a great sister to help your brother out. I just recently had a baby and I know how overwhelming it can get when you don't know what you are doing. Yes, make sure you clean her after eating because if not, she or he can get a rash. If they do get a rash, use some butt cream or something. Also, use wetwipes instead of water. For soap, do you mean when u give her a bath? If so, use johnson baby shampoo. Although it says shampoo, I use it on my baby as soap. I know how exhausted u must have been...try doing this EVERYDAY with a 2 and a half year old too but I love them so much that it is all worth it!
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
30 Nov 10
My brother is the youngest and has always looked to us when he needs help. As I do not have a kid of my own, I look forward to taking care of my nephew and niece.
Thanks for the tips. I do have a problem getting to lukewarm water because we have no hot water in our tap. I have to heat up some water first and then mix with some tap water. In the meantime, she cries her eyes out waiting for me to clean her.
I understand now how exhausting it can be. When my niece left, I promptly fell asleep from exhaustion.
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
28 Nov 10
Well congratulations! And you still have time to mylot! My niece is also a newborn, probably as old as your baby. When I acceded to my brother's request to babysit, I thought that I could still work online while my niece slept. But then I discovered that I am a fussy babysitter, constantly checking if she is still breathing - basically watching her sleep and looking for signs of discomfort. In the end, I was not able to do any other work, online or offline. It's a full-time job!
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
27 Nov 10
The last time I took care of infant is more than twenty years ago so maybe if I would be asked to take care of infant again I would have a hard time just as you are having right now. Nevertheless I believe in washing her bottom it is okay to use tap water. After feeder her you have to lift her with her head on you shoulder and butt slightly up so she could burp. In bathing her use lukewarm water. Other than these I could not remember any thing else.
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
28 Nov 10
My mother was with me during the times that I had to babysit. The last she took care of a baby was when my brother, my niece's dad, was born more than 30 years ago. She was keeping up a steady stream of advice, and I was thinking, is she remembering it right? Why is my niece still crying? In the end we used tap water. I don't know if she felt it was too cold, but we were all panicking and we did not want to wait to heat up some water. And when I lifted her to burp, I was not certain what a burp sounded like. I hope to be better next time.
