Going from the womb to the real world is a huge shock for your baby! Although you probably spent plenty of time worrying about the health of your little one in utero, it pales in comparison to how much time you’re likely to spend worrying about your infant’s health after he is born.
It’s important to take a deep breath and relax. Getting into the right mindset can make a huge difference in your health and the health of your baby, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some things you can do to ensure your little one enjoys the healthiest first months of life possible.
Here are five tips that can help give your baby the healthiest start possible.
Vitamins
A balanced diet is a huge challenge as an adult. It can be a big challenge for little ones too! That’s especially the case if you’re bottlefeeding your baby, or if he’s old enough to start experimenting with solid foods. No matter what his appetite or tastes, you can make sure he gets all the nutrients he needs by adding vitamins to his diet.
The kind of vitamins you feed him are important. Purity is key, which means looking for vitamins that are made from organic fruit extracts. These are the kinds of vitamins that are recommended by pediatricians.
Drops are the easiest way to add vitamins to your baby’s diet. They can be added to bottles, yogurt, and more.
Breastfeed, But…
Breastfeeding is the best option for every baby. It comes with many benefits that include:
- It contains the ideal nutrition for babies
- It contains antibodies
- It can reduce the risk of disease
- It promotes a healthy weight
- It promotes mother-baby bonding
However, sometimes breastfeeding just isn’t an option, or a mother isn’t able to breastfeed for as long as she would like. If that’s the case, don’t feel like a failure. If mommy is stressed and depressed, baby’s health can decline. Feel confident knowing that today’s formulas are the healthiest they have ever been. Sometimes, fed is best.
Hand Washing
Keeping things clean when you share your home with a baby is important. That means wiping down surfaces and cleaning toys, but one of the best ways to cut back on germs is to wash your hands.
That means washing your hands frequently. Wash your hands every time you go to the bathroom or handle items that could make you or your baby sick, like raw chicken.
It also means keeping your baby’s hands clean too! Babies regularly suck on their fingers and rub their faces with their hands. If your child’s hands are germy, all those germs will end up on his face and get him sick. Wash your baby’s hands multiple times a day too.
Not only does your baby touch his face a lot, so do you! One of the best ways to keep yourself and your baby well is to reduce the number of times you touch your face and his face.
Keep the Kissing to a Minimum
When your baby is born, chances are, you will want to shower him with kisses. Everyone else will probably want to shower him with kisses too. Although it can be uncomfortable to ask visitors not to, it can keep your baby healthy and well.
Saliva is one of the quickest ways to transmit illnesses. Putting saliva on the face can get the job done even faster, especially for babies without fully developed immune systems. Asking visitors to keep kissing to a minimum is not an unreasonable request.
Vaccinate
There are a lot of reasons why some parents choose not to vaccinate their child. Unfortunately, many of those reasons aren’t very good ones.
A few myths that simply aren’t true about vaccinating young children include:
- Multiple vaccines can overwhelm a baby’s immune system
- They contain toxins that are unhealthy and downright deadly
- They aren’t very effective
The truth is, vaccines today have fewer antigens than those of previous generations, the amount of aluminum in vaccines isn’t any more than what children would receive in breastmilk, and most vaccines are between 85- and 95-percent effective. One of the best ways to protect your child from an early age is to ensure they are properly vaccinated.
Giving your baby a healthy start can help ensure he enjoys a healthy childhood and grows into a healthy adult. There are many ways to make sure your little one feels his best, which include the ideas on this list.
What are your favorite tips for giving your new baby the healthiest start possible?
Share your thoughts and comments with us.
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