SEATTLE — Having a child can be an overwhelming time in anyone’s life. Dr. Eva Taylor from Allegro Pediatrics has some tips on how to prepare and important things to remember right after welcoming a new baby.
Find a Good Pediatrician
"You can have a prenatal visit to get to know them, make sure your personalities click."
Have a Solid Support System
"It's often family, friends, and certainly your doctor and your baby's doctor, your kind of 'medical home,' that's all a huge part of your support system."
Practice Self-Care
Practicing self-care is a critical step to properly preparing for a new baby.
"You'll have so much advice on how to care for your baby, but don't forget about yourselves. It's a bit like putting on your own oxygen mask first."
Understand "Purple Crying"
"The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome has kind of coined this term 'period of purple crying.' There's a peak around four to eight weeks of age where babies cry a lot. We talk about things like colic, gas, and reflux, but even your plain old healthy baby will go through a really tough time, and that's where that self-care comes in."
Create a Safe Home
"A couple things that you probably forget about in the moment of having a new baby. Things like checking your smoke detectors, your carbon monoxide detectors, your water heater--you want that temperature under 120 so you're not running the risk of burns for the baby."
Have a Safe Sleep Environment
"The newest recommendations are they should be firm, flat surfaces," she said. "No loose pillows or blankets around them, and in their own space, so a crib or bassinet, but in the parents' room."
As for the sleeping position of the baby, Dr. Taylor said face-up is safer.
"It decreases the risk of SIDS...you can wrap them in a swaddle if you want, or put them in kind of a onesie, but nothing else around them. Just kind of a firm, boring surface for them."
Have a Safe Car Environment
"A huge number of car seats are installed incorrectly, so if you have any questions, there's professional evaluations to kind of do a car seat check," said Dr. Taylor.
Compile Emergency Contacts and Important Information
"Things like your child's medications," Dr. Taylor said, "Allergies, poison control, their pediatrician. Little things that in the moment, whoever is taking care of your baby, or even yourself, might forget."
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