NEW FATHER RESOURCES


So you are A New Father and want to learn how to do it Great? Well, being a dad is hard. You need to learn from the experts from people that were A New Father. We have wide ranges of resources on this site to help you with this great and important quest. To learn more about being A New Father check out the resources below….


Diapering Tips for ANewFather

Fatherhood is without any doubt one of the most exciting situation to be in for any man. The reason behind all the excitement of becoming a father lies in the fact that you now have someone to look up to you for support. Of course, who can neglect the thrills of doing exciting things with your little one? In fact, the ‘exciting’ list is endless. And then, there is “diapering.” For first time fathers, diapering your baby for the first few days or weeks may seem to be an intimidating task. If you have watched movies like “Baby’s Day Out” and “Three Men And A Baby,” then you know what I am talking about. The truth, however, is that diapering a baby is not as dramatic as these movies make it out to be. And with a few simple tips, you can be an expert at it in a jiffy.

What To Expect In Your Newborn Baby’s Diaper:

A newborn baby’s stools are not the same as that of adults. Over the first few weeks, you should not be surprised to see your baby’s stool change color from one day to the next. Also, as far as timing is concerned, passing of the stools will have no consistency. The first stool is usually greenish in color and is known as meconium. Over the next couple of days expect this soft greenish colored stool to change color to yellow or brown. The stool may be formed or unformed depending on what the baby is fed.

How Often Is It Necessary To Change Your Baby’s Diapers:

If you are using cloth diapers for your baby, it is necessary to change it often. Every Time your baby wets or poops, it is necessary to replace the soiled cloth diaper with a new one, in order to avoid nappy rashes. Other diapers can be kept on for longer time intervals, provided the baby has not pooped. Wetness is absorbed deep into the layers of the diaper, keeping your baby’s bottom dry. Over the first few weeks, babies poop almost as much as they take in and it is crucial to make sure that they are kept clean and dry.

Things To Keep Handy When Changing Baby:

Keep the following items close at hand, but away from your baby’s reach when changing your baby.

* A fresh diaper
* Fasteners (if using cloth diapers)
* A washcloth or baby wipes to clean your baby
* Dry wipes to wipe your baby dry
* cotton balls
* warm water
* Rash cream (if your baby suffers from a nappy rash)

Changing The Diaper:

* Wash your hands and wipe them dry.
* Place the baby on his back on the changing surface. If you are using a changing table, make sure that he is fastened securely. Do not leave the baby unattended for any reason.
* Unfasten the diaper tabs and raise his bottom slightly by holding him up by his ankles with one hand. Pull down the top half. If the baby has soiled, use the top half to wipe up as much as possible, sweeping the top of the napkin from the front to the back (to avoid any infection).
* Now, Remove the nappy.
* Clean the baby’s bottom with a wet wipe and then with a dry one.
* Warm water and cotton balls may be used to clean infants.
* Apply a thin layer of ointment on any rash the baby may be suffering from.
* Place a fresh nappy under the baby’s bottom and fasten up.

In short, if you leave aside a little bit of time from your busy schedule to learn how to do it, diapering your bundle of joy is not a difficult thing to do.

ANewFather and Baby Bonding While Bathing and Having Splashes of Fun

Fathers can feel left out when an unborn baby is still cocooned in the mother’s womb. He can only try and keep his partner comfortable. When the baby comes though, the father can forge a real bond with him or her by undertaking various tasks.

One of them is bathing baby.This is the basic way of taking care of their skin. A bath is both relaxing and enjoyable for your baby. However, sponge baths are advisable for newborns and very young infants and even then, twice a day is adequate.

Assemble the towel, fresh diaper, cream or lotion, towelsand all you will need so that you don’t leave he or she is never left alone. Neither should you give charge to an older child, who may not know what to do if there is a problem.Having gathered everything together, close the door and windows.Even a mild draft could make the baby chilly. Also, the room should be warm.

Fill up the wash basin with cold water first and then slowly add hot water testing the temperature as you add. Test the water temperature using the elbow rather than your hand which is used to temperature extremes. Do not pour water in the tub while the baby is in it

Undress your baby, leaving only the nappy on in case of accidents. If the head is being shampoed, hold her over the wash basin and wet the head before applying a little shampoo. Clean the head with gentle, circular movements before rinsing out the shampoo, ensuring you leave no traces of it. Using a hand towel, dry her hair completely so she does not feel cold as you finish giving her a bath.

Remove the nappy and clean the nappy area if the baby has soiled it. Supporting her head and her back with one of your hands and length of your arm, lower her gently into the water with the other. With your free hand, wash your baby, turning her gently sideways to get to the back. If she seems to be enjoying herself, let her splash around for a while but not for so long that the water cools. If she is not, get her out as soon as you are done.

Lay her on her towel and wrap her in it. Pat her skin gently to dry it, taking care of the folds around her neck and genital area. Water caught in these folds can cause her discomfort.

Apply petroleum jelly or baby cream or lotion on her skin and on her head. Put on her nappy first and then the rest of her of her clothes. To get clothes over her head, open the opening wide and then put her arm or leg through it.

It is advisable to only do sponge bathing if the umbilical cord is yet to be shed. The baby can bath in a tub when it has come off and the navel is completely healed. If water gets on it, dab at it gently with cotton woo

As you are sponge bathing her, dab the area with spirit at every nappy change to keep it sterilized and to dry it so it can fall off. If your baby is male and he has been circumcized, he should only be bathed in a tub when he has healed completely.

Bathing can be fun with water to splash around and toys to play with. It makes the baby look forward to some wet fun with Daddy.

ANewFather learning Why burping your baby is important

If you are a first time parent,there’s seems to be no end to the thrill of each encounter with your baby. Feeding is one great and thrilling moment and burping comes next.

Burping is a way to help your baby released that swallowed air during feeding. While baby sucks,there’s some air that goes with each sucking motion and some of that air is swallowed by your baby.When those air is not released, your baby may spit up, feel crankie because of the discomfort feel inside him.

Your baby needs to burp every end of each feeding. He needs to be burped every 2 ounce of milk when he is formula fed and every chance or shift of the breast when he is breastfed. He is also to be burped whenever he feels uneasy or crankie. Your baby would need frequent burping if he has GERD or gastro esophageal reflux.

First time Dads often times stay away from this kind of caring for their baby. Most of them would delegate the task to their wife because of the fear that may not be doing it right.They also look at the spitting as a sign that they have misfed their baby.They look at burping as one of the difficult aspects of taking care of their baby.

On the contrary, burping is not a complicated nor a difficult task. It is simple and does not required much skills. All you have to have is a simple common sense and a lot of care and love for your baby.

There is no fuss in preparation as all you need is a burp cloth.There are three basic positions on which you can burp your baby. However there is no particular position to use for a particular baby;as long as you and the baby is comfortable on that position, it will work for both of you.

You can have your baby over your shoulder when you need to burp him. Hold him on your chest while his chin is on your shoulder.Support his back with one hand and gently pat his back. For best result, you can do it while sitting or rocking him on a rocking chair.You can burp your baby while he is resting on your lap; with his head over one leg and the stomach on the other leg. Again gently pat or rub his back until he burp.You can also have him burp while sitting on your lap. In this position, you must support his chest with one hand while the other hand on his chin. Be gentle not to hurt his throat while giving him gentle pat or rub on his back.

Burping your baby is not only to have those swallowed air released but most importantly to give your baby the comfortable feel. When he is burped properly and correctly, he would be satisfied and the next feeding time would not pose any problem.

Burping a baby is one of the most satisfying moment for a first time parent because he/she knows that his/her baby will have a good feel after and that’s one of the most rewarding moments for a parent.

Why Does My Baby Throw Up?

Why does a baby throw up? In the beginning babies really have to get used to being fed. Over 50 percent of infants throw up on a regular basis. This will usually peak in 4 months. Be prepared to do plenty of laundry. Keep a soft towel or cloth on your shoulder during feedings.

If the baby is nursing from the mother sometimes air will get trapped in the breast milk. When the air comes up, so does the breast milk through the mouth and nose. Babies that take in too much fluid will regurgitate it back up. Remember the digestive system is still in development. Only the esophagus muscles are controlling the fluid intake.

There are techniques you can do to help keep the food and fluid down. Feed the baby in an upright position. This will get the fluid a direct path to the stomach. Feed the baby in a quiet environment with minimal distractions. Babies will throw up if they are startled.

If you are bottle feeding, make sure the nipple is not too small and the formula is flowing out properly. If the hole in the nipple is too large, it will cause gagging and the fluid will come back up.

You burp a baby after a feeding. You should take a brief pause during the feeding, burp the baby and then resume giving them food. This will bring the air up before giving them more food. If the baby does not burp, they simply don’t need to at this time.

Make sure the clothing is loose and diaper is not fastened too tightly before a feeding. Never go on a car trip immediately after a feeding. The vibration of the vehicle with cause the baby to throw up. Keep the baby upright for at least an hour after a feeding. This will help reduce the chance of the fluid and food to come back up. Sit the baby up or place them in a strap on carrier. You can even hold them upright for an hour.

You need to look for patterns while feeding the baby. If you notice throwing up during every feeding, you may be giving the baby too much food or fluid. Try giving them a few less ounces of food. If the baby is throwing up after a breast feeding, the mother must drink less cow’s milk. It is usually the culprit.

Some babies will throw up while they are sleeping. Just slightly elevate the baby’s head. Turn the baby on their side; you can use a pillow if necessary. As the muscles in the esophagus and stomach grow stronger, your baby will be better at retaining food. Most babies will stop throwing up between 6 to 7 months. Unfortunately, some will continue until their 1st birthday.

If the baby is throwing up and losing weight, see a doctor immediately. This could be a sign of a more serious medical condition. Some babies have a condition called pyloric stenosis. The food is not properly flowing to the stomach and intestines. If the vomit is green in color with a foul smell, it could be a blockage in the small intestines. Go to the emergency room immediately.

Learning to Carry a baby as ANewFather

A man will learn how to be a father from his own father but the ultimate experience of being in a carrying position is when he gets to be a father and is on the journey of building a bond with his son or daughter. This experience may be a mixture of emotions like love, fear, frustration and even hope the experience you will have your new baby the first month will be special or an experience you have never had before.

Some of the things you need to know to help you be the best new father include the following: You must learn to give your time and tolerate your new baby because the more time you spend with your newborn the stronger bond you create between the two of you and this will also help strengthen your marriage. Remember this is a new creation getting to know you. Give yourself the chance for mutual tolerance and learning so that you both grow fond of each other and get used to being a father.

Infants are drawn to the human face as research has proven and specifically in the eyes, to put yourself in that carrying position to your child always maintain eye contact with your infant. Because they cannot see far away, you need to stay close to them and smile as you maintain eye contact because this is how they will get used to you as a friend and then a father.

Leant to talk to your child, use bilabials like papa, mama, BA-BA, these are easy words that infants can easily say as they only require them to press their lips and push air out to tell them. You can learn to make your own Bilabials with your child. This helps them know that you are around creating a comfortable and controlled environment for them and strengthening that bond between the two of you.

Children love motions so you can put yourself in a carrying position by bouncing, jostling and even jiggling your child. This motion helps children develop their sense of balance and boost their general brain development. Hold your baby in a way that creates comfort for them and makes them feel secure with you. When you carry them don’t hold them loosely or very tight that they hurt. The more time you spend with your child the easier it will be for you to know the kind of motions they like and take this to your advantage and constantly use it to make your baby happy when they are sad or uncomfortable.

Carrying positions may be daunting like changing your infant’s diaper but studies show that this act will not only strengthen the bond between you and your child but will also lead better and stronger marriage.

You need to help your wife with the baby for instance, when she goes to buy groceries take care of the baby and don’t complain about it, this is also your child. Remember, infants are not difficult to create a lasting relationship with. All you need is to understand what they like and work on giving them more of it and let them know who you are through eye contact