Things to know before the baby arrives

Checking your due date calendar and watching a little seed grow in your tummy is purely magical. With every heartbeat, you develop a bond, unfathomable to others. However, nine months later, when your bundle of joy is in your arms, it suddenly strikes you that you don’t know anything about this tiny human being.

That is an inconvenient position to be in. Fret not, we are here to ease you into the brand new world of motherhood. Your baby won’t look as you imagined: Yes, babies are always cute. But don’t expect your child to look exactly like the framed photos. During the initial days after birth, a baby undergoes a lot of change in their appearance.

The whole debate of baby bath: To bathe or not to bathe – deciding on a baby bath will be an everyday chore. So, we are here to make the decision easier for you. Babies don’t get very dirty in the initial days so you can clean the baby with a sponge until the umbilical cord falls off. After that, 2-3 baths per week are enough to keep your baby clean. Babies cry a lot: A quiet newborn is a myth. Your baby will cry a lot. It will cry when hungry when it wants to be held or needs to be changed. So prepare yourself, well ahead of time because your baby will start crying when you least expect it.

Expect a greenish-black surprise: Your baby will surprise you every day, especially with its first stool. In the initial days, babies pass a sticky greenish-black substance called meconium which contains materials like skin cells, mucus, amniotic fluid, bile, water, and lanugo. But don’t freak out and call your doctor, it’s normal.

A hungry baby is a healthy baby: Your baby has lived inside you for nine months and is used to having food quite frequently, so getting it used to a new food routine might take a while. A baby’s tiny stomach cannot hold as much food as its body needs, so feeding smaller portions at frequent intervals is the only way to go.

Tummy time is important: Most kids despise tummy time, but this exercise is essential for them and should not be skipped. Babies lie on their backs the entire day. So you need to make sure that they lie on their tummy for a few minutes to build their upper body strength.

That was our list of things you need to know about your newborn, and we hope it will save you the struggle later. We wish you fantastic motherhood!