Those first few hours, days, and weeks at home with your newborn are so exciting – and exhausting! As first-time parents, it's completely normal to have many questions about life with a baby, from whether it's okay to watch TV while your newborn is in the room (it is) to how to handle family members and friends who want to visit.
Becoming a parent can feel like uncharted territory, and your confusion and stress over something seemingly small might just mean you're already doing a great job. Always call your baby's doctor if you have any concerns about your newborn's health, but when it comes to things like watching TV and giving your baby a pacifier, it's helpful to know that there are no hard and fast rules. That said, the following advice for new parents might help.
Should the house be quiet while my baby is sleeping?
Don't worry about having a completely quiet house while your newborn is sleeping. Most babies can sleep through quite a bit, and in fact, some babies do better with white noise, particularly the hum of appliances like dishwashers. And in homes where there are older siblings, total silence may not really be possible, anyway.
To make life easier on yourself, help your baby distinguish between day and night right from the start. You can do this by saving bright lights, louder noises, and playtime for daylight hours and making night-time wakefulness more subdued.
Can I watch TV with my newborn in the room?
Yes. There's generally no problem with watching TV while holding a sleeping baby or breastfeeding – in fact it can be a prime opportunity for some downtime. When your baby's older, TV may start to distract them from nursing, but that's not a risk at this early stage.
Direct TV- time is a concern from the very beginning, though, so keep an eye on how much your baby is actually staring at any media – the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages any screen time at all for children younger than 18 months.
If it's the middle of the night, keep the volume on the TV low and the lights in the room dim or off to reinforce the difference between night and day for your newborn.
Is loud music bad for babies?
Some new parents wonder if their baby’s hearing can be damaged by music, and if it's being played too loudly, it can be. Experts recommend keeping noises near your baby to below 60 to 65 decibels, which is around the level of a normal conversation. Gradual hearing loss might happen over time with prolonged high exposure to anything, including extra-loud music.
If it's at a safe volume, feel free to turn on the tunes around your baby. Just know that your newborn might not even react to music at all yet, unless it’s way too loud. And while they may grow into a music lover, right now the music is more for you.
Should I give my baby a pacifier?
It's up to you. While some parents opt to skip giving their baby a pacifier because they're worried about them becoming too dependent on it, there's some evidence that pacifiers can help cut the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). To avoid difficulty establishing breastfeeding if you're only breastfeeding, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until your baby is a proficient nurser – around 1 month old is their guideline – before introducing the pacifier.
When you shop for a pacifier, look for one that has a soft nipple and is sized for a newborn. It's a good idea to offer the pacifier only between or after feedings, since you don't want it to replace or delay meals. It may take a few attempts to find a pacifier that's just right for your baby.
What's the best way to handle people who want to visit the baby?
Too many visitors can be overwhelming, both for you and your newborn. It may not be workable or safe to accommodate everyone who wants to meet your baby and sit and chat – or worse, you may end up feeling like you have to entertain and cater to guests.
Come up with an approach for visitors to share with everyone; if you have a partner, make sure it's a plan you both agree on. Always be sure to ask visitors not to come if they have any symptoms of illness, and you can request that they wear a mask, get up to date with their vaccinations (especially the flu, and COVID-19) and wash their hands as soon as they arrive. It’s your call on whether you're comfortable with them holding your baby, or just visiting from a distance or even outside.
Babies are their highest risk of infection in the first 4 to 6 weeks of life, so if it's possible, you may want to consider deferring non-VIP visitors until after this time.
A few myths about newborns, debunked
New parenting can get confusing when a well-meaning relative gives you outdated advice, especially old wives’ tales or myths. Here are a few newborn myths to watch out for.
You shouldn't let someone hold your newborn while they're on their period.
Across the world women have been limited by myths surrounding menstrual cycles and periods, in part due to the stigma that they are unclean or can even bring bad luck. Since mom herself will be back on her period soon, there's no valid, medically-proven reason that someone's menstrual cycle would cause any harm to a newborn.
Newborns can't see anything at birth.
Your baby can see, including faces, large shapes, motion, and light. Their vision won’t completely develop until between ages 3 and 5, but until then, you can expect them to have pretty solid vision up to 12 inches in front of them after the first month.
Too much holding will spoil your baby.
Unlike the loaf of bread you haven’t replaced since your baby’s birth, your baby is completely spoil-proof. Holding your baby as much as you want won't develop dependencies in any negative way – in fact, it’s totally necessary and important for creating a strong bond in the early weeks and months, as babies thrive on physical touch.
Giving your baby rice cereal will help them sleep through the night.
Not only is rice cereal not going to help your baby sleep through the night, despite your grandma’s insistence, but it’s no longer proven to be necessary for a baby to have at all. Instead of rice cereal, offer barley, multigrain, and oatmeal instead, and it doesn’t have to be the first food they have. Plus, giving solid foods too early (before 4 to 6 months old) isn't good for babies, as it can impede digestion and keep them up more at night.
Source: BabyCenter.com
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