Your brand new baby will grow rapidly in the next year, especially during those first few months. As you start to get to know your newborn, you’ll need to create a schedule for your days this fall. You can talk to your pediatrician to get some advice about caring for a newborn. Your baby’s personality will also help determine what schedule works best for you.
What Should I Do Every Day for My Baby?
When your baby first arrives, the transition into the world can be tough. Many parents have found success with a daily schedule that will help everyone get through the newborn stage. The first few weeks of a newborn’s life may be marked by a disjointed sleep schedule. Some babies want to sleep all day and others all night. In the fall, the afternoons get dark relatively quickly, so it may seem like each day is short with your baby and the nights are much longer. To help you and your baby, aim to use a specific routine that includes sleep, play, feeding and changing diapers every day.
How Do I Manage My Baby’s Health Throughout the Day?
Another part of your baby’s routine is staying healthy. For newborns, you can include a variety of strategies to help you manage your child’s health throughout the day. Tools like wellness baby bundles and a health tracking app for your smartphone can help you manage your child’s needs.
Establish a Good Sleep Routine
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of your newborn’s life. Parents can help their baby adapt to a schedule by creating a cozy, safe spot for sleep. Babies should sleep in a crib with no blankets or pillows. Your newborn may sleep approximately 18 hours a day. This is typically broken up by naps throughout the day and longer periods of sleep at night.
Include Interactive Play
When your baby is awake and not eating, you need to establish that parent and child bond with frequent bursts of interactive play. Newborn babies don’t need a lot of toys or specific activities to start with. You can entertain your baby by singing or talking and spending time together.
Making Mealtime Healthy
Meals at this stage are either formula or breastmilk. Some newborns may only tolerate certain types of formula. Babies may also benefit from a dairy free infant probiotic to help them maintain optimal gut health.
Use Vitamins for Optimal Health
Your pediatrician may also recommend a daily supplement, such as Vitamin D for newborns. Breastmilk doesn’t provide Vitamin D, and children need a daily recommended dose of this nutrient to maintain a healthy immune system and body. Some children may be able to get Vitamin D from the sun, but fall weather can be unpredictable.
Newborns can ease into a simple daily routine during the fall season. Most of your newborn’s day will be spent sleeping. After your baby wakes, you can start engaging in play and fun activities and also provide healthy formula or breastmilk so your baby can thrive.
