Washington Pediatric Associates

Newborn Handout

Washington Pediatric Home Page

Baby 101

Crying Babies

What To Do When Your Baby Cries

Baby FAQs

Feeding Your Baby

How do I know if my breast fed baby is getting enough?

Safety Tips

Microwave heating of formula

Smoking and your baby

Vaccine Questions

A Vaccine Editorial

WPA Illness Handout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

In the next day or two you will be bombarded with information about how to care for your infant.  You will probably not remember it all.  In years past, mothers had several days to a week to recover from delivery and adjust to their babies in the hospital.  Nowadays you're lucky if you can stay 48 hours.  This is unfortunate because the longer stays allowed more questions, a longer time for parents to become comfortable with their new addition, and time for observation during a period of babies' lives when things may change daily.  Not having this luxury anymore, the following is to help at least a little once you go home.

            The birth or adoption of a baby is a lot like a graduation.  With any graduation there is a long period of preparation that builds towards a peak of intense emotion and feeling of achievement--nine months of pregnancy or the struggle of infertility ending with a baby being handed to you certainly has provided that.  The parent, like the graduate, has only a brief pause to bask in the glory of achievement before being rudely awakened by the realization that it's not really over but really just beginning with the hardest work still ahead and an incredible transformation into parenthood.   There's not another wake-up call quite like a crying baby.

            For the next several decades you will be primarily responsible for taking a helpless infant and guiding it to responsible adulthood and beyond.  During your schooling you have had to take several courses and many tests to graduate. There is no such course for parenthood--babies don't even come with an instruction manual.  As a parent, you should seek to educate yourself so that you do the best you can. If you were taking a driving trip from St. Louis to New York City you probably wouldn't leave home without some preparation and a map. If your parents were there more  than 20 years ago, they might tell you of some special things they remember--places to see or a route through a particularly beautiful part of the country and this may be very helpful.  But you wouldn't rely solely on their memory of what highway to take and when to turn left or right--at the very least you would consult a map.  The same is true for new parents today.  Friends, grandparents and other relatives can be a great help and source of comfort, but don't rely on them entirely.  Just as our world has greatly changed during the past few years, our thinking about what is best for children has dramatically changed in the past 5 years and bears only a remote resemblance to our beliefs of 20 years ago. To be a good parent you need to educate and reeducate yourself on what is best for your baby to help guide her through the maize from infancy to adulthood.  You can start by asking your physician questions about babies, about where to obtain information about baby care, nutrition, discipline, safety, and immunizations.  Local school systems have the Parents As Teachers Program which can be of great assistance in learning to better care for your child.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parents AS  Teachers:  Beginning at the Beginning

 As a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. Your home is your child’s first school house. Your child will learn more during the early years than at any other time in life. How your child grows and learns during these years-beginning at birth-will affect his or her later development and success in school.

 Free Services and Materials

                    Parents as Teachers is a voluntary and flexible program that provides practical, effective help for all Missouri families with children birth to age 3. It offers:

Information and Guidance before your baby is born to help you prepare for the important job of being a parent.

Personal Visits by certified child development specialists.

Group Meetings with other parents to gain new insights, share experiences, and discuss topics of interest.

Information on what to look for and expect as your child grows and develops. Periodic checkups of your child's educational and sensory (vision and hearing) development.

 The Home-School-Community Partnership That Works

Parents as Teachers has been found to be highly effective. An independent evaluation showed that participating children:

Were significantly more advanced in language development than other  3 year olds.

Had made greater strides in problem solving and other intellectual skills.

Were further along in social development than peers

Contact Your Local School Today

 

 

 For Further Reading

What to Expect the First Twelve Months of Life.  (Eisenberg et al, Workman Publishing, 1989)  This is an excellent book for both "beginners" and those with several children.  It takes a month by month approach addressing feeding, what you may be concerned about, and what is important to know.

Care of Your Infant and Young Child.  Birth to Age Five.  (Shelov, Bantam Books, 1991)  This book is published by the American Academy of Pediatricians, the national association of all pediatricians.  Some would suggest it should be "required reading" for parenthood.

The Self Calmed Baby. (Sammons, Little, Brown, 1989) This is a book about young infant behavior, communication, consoling and crying which may help you enjoy your baby before she  develops a social smile and laugh.

Curing Infant Colic.  (Taubman, Bantam Books, 1990) A book that dispels myths about crying and provides a reasonable approach to a fussy infant be concerned about, and what is important to know.