What to Expect the First Year (38 page)

If your son is circumcised, keep the incision clean and dab it with Vaseline or Aquaphor at each diaper change to keep it from rubbing against the diaper. After the incision heals, just continue to wash with baby wash and water at bath time. For more on care during the recovery period,
click here
.

No special care is needed for an uncircumcised penis. In other words, do not retract the foreskin to clean underneath. It will fully separate from the glans after a few years, at which point it can be pushed back for cleaning.

With floppy arms, stubbornly curled-up legs, a head that invariably seems larger than the openings provided by most baby clothes, and an active dislike for being naked, an infant can be a challenge to dress and undress. To dress and undress for success:

1.
Select clothes with easy-on, easy-off features in mind. Wide neck openings or necks with snap closings are best. Snaps or a zipper at the crotch make dressing and diaper changes easier. Sleeves should be fairly loose, and a minimum of fastening (particularly up the back) should be necessary. Clothes with lots of give (made of soft, stretchable fabrics) are usually easier to put on and take off.

2.
Use protection. To limit wardrobe changes, keep your baby in a bib during and after feeds. Too late for that? Try sponging spit-up spots lightly with a diaper wipe rather than changing baby's outfit.

3.
Dress baby on a flat surface, such as a changing table or bed.

4.
Talk it up. Consider dressing time a social time, too. Offer a running commentary on what you're doing, punctuating with loud kisses (a smooch for each adorable hand and foot as it appears from the sleeve or pants leg).

5.
Stretch neck openings with your hands before attempting to squeeze over baby's head. Ease rather than tug tops on and off, keeping the opening as wide as possible in the process and trying to avoid snagging the ears or nose (but don't stress if you do, because you will sometimes). Turn the split second during which baby's head is covered, which might otherwise be scary or uncomfortable, into a game of peekaboo (“Where is Mommy? Here she is!” and “Where is Mia? Here she is!”).

Stretch the neck opening of a shirt before putting it over baby's head.

6.
Instead of trying to shove floppy little arms into sleeves, try to reach in from the cuff of the sleeve (bunching up the fabric if the shirt is long-sleeved), grab hold of your little one's hand, and then gently pull, unfurling the fabric, if necessary, as you bring baby's arm through the sleeve. It'll be more fun if you have a trick up your sleeve, too (“Where is Braden's hand? Here it is!”).

Reach in from the cuff of the sleeve to help get baby's floppy little arms through.

7.
When pulling a zipper up or down, pull the clothing away from your baby's body to avoid pinching tender skin.

For the past 9 months, your little one has been carried around in a snug and secure uterine cocoon, moving gently within its cozy confines. Being plucked up, wafted through the open air, and plunked down can therefore be unsettling, especially if baby's head and neck aren't well supported. So aim at lifting and carrying your baby in a way that not only is safe, but feels safe. Can't seem to lose that “but won't baby break?” feeling when you pick up your newborn? Don't worry. Before you know it, carrying your little bundle will become a completely natural experience. In the meantime, these tips can help make both of you feel like baby is in good hands:

Picking up baby.
Before you even touch your baby, let him or her know you're coming by making eye contact and saying a few reassuring words (no sneaking up on your sweetie). Then slip one hand under your baby's head and neck, and the other under the bottom, and keep them there for a few moments before actually lifting so that baby can adjust first. Finally, slide the hand under baby's head down the back so that your arm acts as a back and neck support and your hand cradles the bottom. Use the other hand to support the legs, and lift baby gently toward your body, caressing as you go. By bending over to bring your body closer, you'll limit the distance your baby will have to travel in midair—and the uncertain feeling that comes with it.

Carrying baby comfortably.
A small baby can be cradled very snugly in just one arm (with your hand on baby's bottom, and your forearm supporting back, neck, and head) if you feel secure that way.

With a larger baby, you both may be more comfortable if you keep one hand under the legs and bottom and the other supporting back, neck, and head (your hand encircling baby's arm, your wrist under the head).

Carefully support baby's neck and back with your arm when lifting your baby.

Some babies prefer the shoulder carry, all the time or some of the time. It's easy to get baby up there smoothly with one hand on the bottom, the other under head and neck. Until baby's head becomes self-supporting, you will have to provide the support. But this can be done even with one hand if you tuck baby's bottom into the crook of your elbow and run your arm up the back with your hand supporting the head and neck.

When snuggling your baby on your shoulder, be sure to keep a supportive hand on that wobbly head.

Even fairly young babies enjoy the front-face carry, in which they can watch the world go by, and many older babies prefer it. Face your baby out, keeping one hand across his or her chest, pressed back against your own, and the other supporting baby's bottom.

The front hold is a baby fan favorite because it allows a view of the world.

The hip carry gives you freedom to use one hand for chores while carrying an older baby resting on your hip. Hold baby snugly against your body with one arm resting his or her bottom on your hip. Avoid this hold if you have lower-back problems.

An older baby who can support his or her own weight is a good candidate for the hip hold, which gives mom or dad a free hand.

Putting baby back down.
Hold baby close to your body as you bend over to place your little bundle down (again to limit the midair travel), one hand on baby's bottom, one supporting back, neck, and head. Keep your hands in place for a few moments until baby feels the comfort and security of the surface you're placing him or her on, then slip them out. Finish the transition with a light pat or two and a few reassuring words if baby's awake. (For tips on putting a sleeping baby down without waking him or her,
click here
.)

Remember when your baby first came back from the hospital nursery? He or she was probably wrapped in a neat little package, with only that tiny head poking out—kind of like a baby burrito. That's because nurses know one of the secrets to a happy, calm infant: swaddling. The age-old technique has many benefits. For one thing, it can help your baby feel safe and secure during the transition to life outside the womb and cozy sleeping on his or her back. Swaddling can also prevent your baby from being woken by his or her own startle reflex and keep him or her toasty until the internal thermostat kicks into gear.

So how do you swaddle like a pro? First, spread out a receiving blanket, with one corner pointing up so the blanket is in the shape of a diamond. Fold down the top corner about 6 inches. Your baby's head goes here, with his or her neck on the straight part of the folded-over corner and his or her body extending straight down toward the bottom corner. Take the corner near baby's right arm and pull it over the arm and across baby's body. Lift the left arm, and tuck the blanket corner under baby's back on the left side. Next, fold the bottom corner of the blanket up over baby's body and tuck it into the first fold—under his or her chin. Lift the last corner, bring it over baby's left arm, and tuck it in under the back on the right side. Ta-da:
baby burrito
! Not a master of the baby burrito or just don't have the patience to perfect? Opt for swaddles with velcro tabs or a zip-up cocoonlike swaddling.