How You Are Feeling
- Call us for help if you feel sad, blue, or overwhelmed for more than a few days.
- Try to sleep or rest when your baby sleeps.
- Take help from family and friends.
- Give your other children small, safe ways to help you with the baby.
- Spend special time alone with each child.
- Keep up family routines.
- If you are offered advice that you do not want or do not agree with, smile, say thanks, and change the subject.
Feeding Your Baby
- Feed only breast milk or iron-fortified formula, no water, in the first 6 months.
- Feed when your baby is hungry.
- Puts hand to mouth
- Sucks or roots
- Fussing
- End feeding when you see your baby is full.
- Turns away
- Closes mouth
- Relaxes hands
If Breastfeeding
- Breastfeed 8–12 times per day.
- Make sure your baby has 6–8 wet diapers a day.
- Avoid foods you are allergic to.
- Wait until your baby is 4–6 weeks old before using a pacifier.
- A breastfeeding specialist can give you information and support on how to position your baby to make you more comfortable.
- WIC has nursing supplies for mothers who breastfeed.
If Formula Feeding
- Offer your baby 2 oz every 2–3 hours, more if still hungry.
- Hold your baby so you can look at each other while feeding
- Do not prop the bottle.
- Give your baby a pacifier when sleeping.
Baby Care
- Use a rectal thermometer, not an ear thermometer.
- Check for fever, which is a rectal temperature of 100.4°F/38.0°C or higher.
- In babies 3 months and younger, fevers are serious. Call us if your baby has a temperature of 100.4°F/38.0°C or higher.
- Take a first aid and infant CPR class.
- Have a list of phone numbers for emergencies.
- Have everyone who touches the baby wash their hands first.
- Wash your hands often.
- Avoid crowds.
- Keep your baby out of the sun; use sunscreen only if there is no shade.
- Know that babies get many rashes from 4–8 weeks of age. Call us if you are worried.
Getting Used to Your Baby
- Comfort your baby.
- Gently touch baby’s head.
- Rocking baby.
- Start routines for bathing, feeding, sleeping, and playing daily.
- Help wake your baby for feedings by
- Patting
- Changing diaper
- Undressing
- Put your baby to sleep on his or her back.
- In a crib, in your room, not in your bed.
- In a crib that meets current safety standards, with no drop-side rail and slats no more than 23/8 inches apart. Find more information on the Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
- If your crib has a drop-side rail, keep it up and locked at all times. Contact the crib company to see if there is a device to keep the drop-side rail from falling down.
- Keep soft objects and loose bedding such as comforters, pillows, bumper pads, and toys out of the crib.
Safety
- The car safety seat should be rear-facing in the back seat in all vehicles.
- Your baby should never be in a seat with a passenger air bag.
- Keep your car and home smoke free.
- Keep your baby safe from hot water and hot drinks.
- Do not drink hot liquids while holding your baby.
- Make sure your water heater is set at lower than 120°F.
- Test your baby’s bathwater with your wrist.
- Always wear a seat belt and never drink and drive.
What to Expect at Your Baby’s 1 Month Visit
We will talk about
- Any concerns you have about your baby
- Feeding your baby and watching him or her grow
- How your baby is doing with your whole family
- Your health and recovery
- Your plans to go back to school or work
- Caring for and protecting your baby
- Safety at home and in the car
