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  • I wasn't exactly sure what to expect in those first few weeks at home with

  • my newborn.

  • Overwhelming unconditional love.

  • The intensity of emotion was more than I expected.

  • But as intimidating as a whole journey seemed, instinct kicked in and being a

  • parent quickly became the most natural thing in the world.

  • Of course, I was tired from labor and delivery, but

  • somehow that didn't matter.

  • As new parents, we were 100% focused on taking care of our new baby.

  • Obviously, I tried to rest when my daughter rested, to eat well, and be

  • smart about visitors.

  • I got some great advice from more experienced mums and I learned a lot

  • every day as our baby started growing, changing, and

  • discovering her new world.

  • I thought I'd pass along some of the tips that were most helpful to me by

  • sharing some simple, straightforward, practical advice.

  • I had not held a newborn in a while and I was surprised at how unsteady

  • she was at first.

  • I had to fully support her head and neck until she developed the strength

  • to hold it up by herself.

  • I found just cradling her head in the bend of my arm or with my hand worked

  • as a comfortable position.

  • Whether you choose to breastfeed or bottle-feed, just remember that this

  • will be a big part of the time you spend together in

  • the first few months.

  • I found I was feeding every couple of hours around the clock.

  • Using a support pillow and trying to take time to mentally relax when

  • feeding really helped.

  • I mainly breastfed and although it was harder than I thought, we got the hang

  • of it pretty quickly.

  • Getting the position right and finding a comfortable latch was tough.

  • But after just a few feeds, we seemed to figure things out.

  • But we also botttle-fed.

  • Bottle-feeding gave me a chance to share this special time with dad.

  • And her grandparents, as they were able to take over feeding

  • from time to time.

  • The first poo was also a surprise.

  • It was thick, dark greenish, almost black, and tar-like.

  • It's called meconium.

  • It fills the intestines before birth and usually expels in the first 24 to

  • 48 hours after the baby arrives.

  • It was sticky and tough to clean.

  • Gentle baby wipes definitely helped.

  • Once it cleared her system, things were more normal.

  • Her poo slowly became softer, lighter in color, and more watery.

  • So don't be alarmed.

  • This is all quite normal.

  • As a rule of thumb, plan on changing nappies after every sleep and after

  • every feed.

  • In addition to when they are wet or have pooed.

  • I found that if I kept a wet nappy on her for too long, her skin was more

  • likely to get irritated.

  • Changing her regularly and high quality nappies like these kept her

  • dry and protected her delicate skin.

  • Pampers new baby nappies have a handy blue line that appear when she is wet.

  • Letting us both know that she might need to be changed.

  • The umbilical cord just fell off by itself after a couple of weeks.

  • But before it did, we kept it dry mainly by keeping the nappy from

  • covering it.

  • Our doctor recommended we swab it with alcohol every few days to clean it.

  • Be sure to check with your doctor to get their recommendation.

  • If the cord becomes smelly, oozing, or mushy, you should see your doctor

  • right away.

  • There was one other big surprise those first few weeks, how much she slept.

  • She slept a lot.

  • But it was more like two to four hour naps and then wake up to eat.

  • Which I learned is perfectly normal.

  • My other children did the same thing.

  • As babies sleep, their minds work on things they've done that day.

  • There is so much brain and physical development

  • happening while they sleep.

  • Now, I look forward to our happy mornings together.

  • And realize just how important a well-rested, uninterrupted night's

  • sleep can be.

  • This is just a bit of what I've learned about those incredible first

  • few weeks with a newborn.

  • It can seem like a lot, but don't worry.

  • The love and care you give them is just what they need.

  • You'll find your own rhythm and routine in no time.

  • Visit Pamper's YouTube channel for more parenting tips.

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