She's Home :-)

Koochi koochi kooo kooo :-) Akshita keeps starring at me and my wife :-D with those big eyes :O


Hey guys and gals, after a tense and nerve crackling time both my wife and Akshita are back home :-) Hang on to your seat belts ppl, its going to be one of those rides you have been longing to be in. I am not going to share something new, following are fully my wife's experience and information from elders.


Pets @ home? If you are having a naughty lovable dog at home, then you are going to have a tough time for few days. You pity the dog also as he/she is so curious to know what we are having in our hands and where the tiny weeny voice comes from. It will take some time for your pet to get used to the baby at home. We used to get pissed on the pet (atleast me initially), then slowly he got used to the crying/screaming of Akshita.
Trick : There is a high possibility that your pet is getting jealous that little baby's taking the entire attention @ home. So don't stop pampering your pet , as he might get irritated and start behaving mad. My wife continued to pamper him and after few days he didn't meddle little Akshita all the time. 




Pre-requisite:
Hope you guys have a decent digi cam which can shoot good pics more importantly great quality videos. If not order it as soon as you can :-)
                                             
Patience : This is mainly for guys (you will know why as you read along:D). Gals tend to get this automatically during this phase, not sure from where all of a sudden :D Good for us though ;-)

First few days/months: Your baby is going to mostly cry, fed by mom and sleep. This is all they are going to do for the first month or so. There is a belief that if babies are born in the morning, you are going to have a tough time making them sleep in the night and vice versa. Well it turned out true for us as my wife hardly sleeps during the night. Mostly Akshita used to sleep 2 or 3 am in the morning, sometimes even at 6 :( and then sleep throughout the daytime. So my wife (pity her) also has to sleep whenever Akshita does. Well if you think you have sorted out the routine of your baby, you are in for a toss. There are few instances where Akshita doesnt sleep during the day as well :D Now you guys will understand why i stressed on Pre-requisite (Bullet number 2 ) :P.

Handling a Newborn
If you haven't spent a lot of time around newborns, their fragility may be intimidating. Here are a few basics to remember:

• Wash your hands and legs (or use a hand sanitizer) before handling your newborn. Young babies have not built up a strong immune system yet, so they are susceptible to infection. Make sure that everyone who handles your baby also has clean hands.
• Be careful to support your baby's head and neck. Cradle the head when carrying your baby and support the head when carrying the baby upright or when you lay him or her down.
• Be careful not to shake your newborn, whether in play or in frustration. Shaking that is vigorous can cause bleeding in the brain and even death. If you need to wake your infant, don't do it by shaking — instead, tickle your baby's feet or blow gently on a cheek.
• Remember that your newborn is not ready for rough play, such as being jiggled on the knee or thrown in the air.

Umbilical Cord 

Umbilical cord care in newborns is also important. Some doctors suggest swabbing the area with rubbing alcohol until the cord stump dries up and falls off, usually in 10 days to 3 weeks, but others recommend leaving the area alone. Talk to your child's doctor to see what he or she prefers.

The infant's navel area shouldn't be submerged in water until the cord stump falls off and the area is healed. Until it falls off, the cord stump will change color from yellow to brown or black — this is normal. Consult your doctor if the navel area becomes reddened or if a foul odor or discharge develops.

Bonding and Soothing Techniques

Bonding, probably one of the most pleasurable aspects of infant care, occurs during the sensitive time in the first hours and days after birth when parents make a deep connection with their infant. Physical closeness can promote an emotional connection.

For infants, the attachment contributes to their emotional growth, which also affects their development in other areas, such as physical growth. Another way to think of bonding is "falling in love" with your baby. Children thrive from having a parent or other adult in their life who loves them unconditionally.

Babies usually love vocal sounds, such as talking, babbling, singing, and cooing. Your baby will probably also love listening to music. Baby rattles and musical mobiles are other good ways to stimulate your infant's hearing. If your little one is being fussy, try singing, reciting poetry and nursery rhymes, or reading aloud as you sway or rock your baby gently in a chair.

Swaddling, which works well for some babies during their first few weeks, is another soothing technique first-time parents should learn. Swaddling keeps a baby's arms close to the body and legs snuggled together. Not only does this keep a baby warm, but the surrounding pressure seems to give most newborns a sense of security and comfort. Swaddling may also help limit the startle reflex, which can wake a baby.

Baby Gas/Colic: Colic (also known as infant colic, three month colic, and Infantile colic) is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or screams frequently and for extended periods, without any discernible reason.

Colic doesn’t usually last for more than a month or two, but those two months can seem like a lifetime! Here are a few tips that may help you soothe your infant.

• Lay your baby on her back on the bed and pedal her legs as if she were riding a bike. This can also be an effective way to get out the excess gas that may be causing discomfort.
• Hold the baby upright, over your shoulder and rub her back. This position seems to calm many colicky babies.
• Lay the infant face down on your knees and pat her back.
• Even if your baby isn’t hungry, she may want to suck on a pacifier, especially if the colic seemed to appear with the onset of teething.
• Try swaddling your baby, wrapping her tightly in a blanket, with her hands at her sides. Some infants are over stimulated by their own uncontrolled arm movements and limiting them may help her sleep. Each baby is different, however.
• Movement is always a soother, but you may find yourself tiring out before your baby. 

There are many causes of baby gas, but some are more common than others. It may be something as simple as having an intolerance to food that the mother is eating and passing it on while feeding or may be something more serious, such as a lactose intolerance.Next, eliminate the potential problem foods and reintroduce them one at a time to see what you need to avoid. Most babies outgrow these sensitivities, so just because your little one gets an upset tummy at one month when you eat avocado, that doesn’t mean he’ll never enjoy guacamole.

If you aren’t sure what food is causing the problem, keep a food diary for a week and write down everything you eat, as well as when your baby is fussy and gassy. This will help you see a pattern.
Doctor recommends few medicines for babies like Colicure, Cyclopam. We used the latter for Akshita, which had pretty good effect :)

Pooping trouble?
Newborns can go through times where they will not poop for at least a week continuously. We were a little worried in the beginning. Doctors suggest that new born can go without pooping for 20 days max. So there is nothing to worry. If it really gets delayed don't hesitate to contact your doctor.

Diapering

You'll probably decide before you bring your baby home whether you'll use cloth or disposable diapers. Whichever you use, the baby will dirty diapers about 10 times a day, or about 70 times a week.


We initially used cloth ( aka langot :D).. Coz initially we thought how comfortable she will be with diapers. Also we were worried about her skin. So used mostly cloth :-) However she wets them and starts crying.. As she grew older, we slowly started using diapers. Actually diapers ( water locking type)  made her sleep better :-)



Before diapering a baby, make sure you have all supplies within reach so you won't have to leave your baby unattended on the changing table. You'll need:

• a clean diaper
• a fastener (if cloth is used), not required if you use a Langot :-)
• diaper ointment if the baby has a rash
• a container of warm water
• clean washcloth, diaper wipes, or cotton balls

Get best deals on diapers in babyoye :  http://www.babyoye.com/baby-diapering/diapers.html

Bathing

Nooooooo..Nahinnnnnn :D Thats what Akshita should be telling herself when we say "Bathing time" :P When can hear her scream even if you are outside the house.She got used to it slowly though. While in the hospital you can see how the nurse baths the baby. You will be surprised to see with what ease the nurse does it.
However try being as gentle as possible. We are not experts, hence you need at least two ppl when our angel needs to be bathed :-). One will hold her , other should do the needful :-D i have tried it once though :-)
You'll need the following items before bathing your baby:

• a soft, clean washcloth
• mild, unscented baby soap and shampoo
• a soft brush to stimulate the baby's scalp
• towels or blankets
• an infant tub with 2 to 3 inches of warm — not hot! — water (to test the water temperature, feel the water with the inside of your elbow or wrist). An infant tub is a plastic tub that can fit in the bathtub and is better fitted for the infant and makes bath time easier to manage.
• a clean diaper
• clean clothes

Baby Massage

Baby massage has been long tradition esp. in INDIA. Baby massage enhances circulation, helps in expulsion of toxin and aids the digestive system of the baby. Massage with the hands begin when the baby is a month old, when the baby's body is strong enough. Baby massage is continued for every day for 3 or 4 months, during which most of the time is spent massaging the spine,back,neck,waist,hands and feet, as these parts need to gain strength to support the body.
We didn't have any experts at home to perform massage for babies, you can say none of us were confident. So we arranged a lady who would come daily to massage Akshita in the morning around 730am. After massage and bath Akshita will sleep as though she is in tapas :D Such sound sleep not even a cracking rock can wake her up :O


Below is a brief diagrammatic explanation of the massaging technique :

Note: If you are not confident to do it, don't try it by yourself.


Injection shots

One place we know our angel is gonna cry for sure and still we take her there. Yes, time for timely injection shots. Poor Akshita her face becomes red while crying :(


Following is the immunization schedule we use. Get in touch with your pediatrician for more details:

1. BCG, Oral Polio, Hepatatis B - At birth
2. Hepatatis B - 1st month
3. Triple Vaccine, Oral polio, H. Influenzae B - 2nd month
4. Triple Vaccine, Oral polio, H. Influenzae B - 4th month
5. Triple Vaccine, Oral polio, H. Influenzae B - 6th month
6. Hepatatis B - 7th month
7. Measles - 9th Month
8. M.M.R - 15th Month
9. Triple Vaccine, Oral polio, H. Influenzae B - 16th month
10. Typhiod - 2 years
11. Triple Vaccine, Oral polio, M.M.R, Typhoid - 5 years
12. Td,Typhoid - 10 years
13. Td - 15 years

Other Vaccines

Pneumococcal - Above 6 weeks

IPV - Above 6 weeks

Rotavirus - Above 6 weeks

Smile

 Initial days Akshita smiled mostly during her sleep. Smiles   are spontaneous and often occur while she is drowsy or during REM stages of sleep. Akshu produced her first smile when fully awake when she was between six and eight weeks old. However, your baby may smile before or after this time. 
Your baby is interested in communicating with you and expressing her feelings from the moment she's born. 
If you want to encourage your baby to smile and communicate with you, look for times when she is calm, yet bright-eyed and alert. 
Hold your baby opposite you, with your faces about few cm apart, and talk to her. If your baby doesn't seem comfortable with that distance, try holding her a little further away.
Now'e days she just wants us to speak to her, she gives that big smile on her. With that cute dimple on her, u feel like speaking to her on and on and on... :-):-)


uaaah uaaah.. Looks like Akshu woke up.. here goes my wife and the cycle starts again :-):-)