6 Common Mistakes New Parents Make

Most new parents (those who’ve had their first child) have a tough time bringing up the baby, especially till the baby turns two years old. For instance, every time Manisha Jhaveri’s month-old daughter would cry, the mother would stress over breastfeeding her. “I always thought that when babies cry, something was wrong or that they are hungry. But that wasn’t the case. My doctor said that crying is part of being a baby and sometimes, it is okay to let them cry,” says Jhaveri.

Here are some common mistakes new parents make and how to avoid them:

Pressing the panic button… every minute
Did your baby throw up after a dinner or didn’t eat enough during the day? Do you wonder if he/she is crying too much or too little? Through the first year, most parents often go on an anxiety overdrive sweating over the small stuff. While it is quite natural to fuss over your baby’s well-being, pressing the panic button often will only make your life worse because the baby is more resilient than he/she is given credit for. Once your baby is born, take regular appointments with your pediatrician and allay your woes by getting an expert opinion.

Waking up your baby to breastfeed
According to experts, a baby requires to be fed every two to three hours. However, it is a misconception that you need to wake your baby up every couple of hours in the night to feed him/her, especially after the first month. By six weeks, most mothers and kids have a set eating and sleeping rhythm. Consult your pediatrician to track your baby’s weight gain and bowel movement. If your baby is healthy, he/she is sure to be well-fed through the day and you can let him/her sleep through the night.

Ignoring oral care
Often parents neglect oral care of their infants, considering they have not begun teething yet. However, experts suggest that oral hygiene is important, even during the child’s first year, when the teeth have not erupted. After feeding your baby, take wet gauze and gently wipe your baby’s gums. Flouride is important for a child and is found naturally in water. Let your kid take a few sips of water post the feeding session.

Forming a strict nap schedule
Some parents believe that if they keep their baby up all day, the infant will sleep through the night. While it may be true for the adults, it is not necessarily true for the baby. According to experts, when infants are tired, they are unable to sleep at night. Until a baby is a year-old, avoid following a strict routine. Ensure that your kid gets proper sleep, whenever he/she wants it.

Encouraging baby talk
Nothing is more adorable than cooing or babbling to your child in a sing-song manner. However, according to a recent study, babies start deciphering and learning language long before they speak words. As a result, parents need to engage in ‘infant-directed speech’ instead of baby talk. This means using short phrases and sentences with a range of tonal and facial expressions that will not only grab the kid’s attention but also help him/her process language. Research also shows the amount of talking you do with your kid is directly proportionate to your kid’s vocabulary. So, keep talking to your kid, even if you believe that he/she can’t understand you. And engage in direct eye contact when you do so.

Ignoring your relationship
During the first year after the baby is born, most couples, especially women, end up overlooking their marital relationship as parenting duties take up priority. However, it is important to stay connected within the marriage. Once in a while, leave your child with your in-laws and spend quality time with your partner to keep the spark in your relationship alive.

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