What To Do When A Newborn Is Fussy
There are a million questions before the birth of a baby, and the least of them should be a newborn is fussy
Your heart beats out of your chest, there’s a cigarette in your fingers: you’re at the hospital, ready to be a new father . There’s a million thoughts running through your head, fears you didn’t even know existed, questions no one thought to ask or tell you about.
Hours pass, and your life is changed forever. You, like millions of Americans every year, are a brand new parent. I’m here to provide you the information you want, and help you work through any questions you might have.
Safety of your new baby is the most important thing on your mind, it is for every new parent: you want your new child to be as safe as possible, need for them to be insulated from every form of harm. To do this, technology is at your fingertips, beginning firstly with the classic baby monitor ideal when a newborn is fussy.
Such a simple device, it’s something that will keep you connected with your newborn baby at all times, and allow you to be there at a moment’s notice if needed.
The cheapest of baby monitors are little more than a radio receiver/transmitter: essentially, a walkie-talkie that’s always on. This will be fine for some new parents, but for others, who are looking for more connection to their newborn, companies like Graco provide other solutions that mix in video as well as audio.
The expensive video monitors, and the cheap audio monitors, work to the same end: there’s a fear, primordial and instinctual, that you won’t be there when your new baby needs you.
With a baby monitor, you’re never more than a few long steps away from being at your baby’s side.
When you’re at your new baby’s side, what do you look for? There are quite a few common occurrences with a new baby, from diarrhea, to fever, to general irritability; with all of these, you want to be on the lookout for what could be a warning sign of trouble down the road. However, sometimes a coughing baby, is just a coughing baby or the newborn is fussy.
The first and more basic warning sign is diarrhea. Your new baby should be having frequent and regular bow
el movements.
If you notice that you’re seeing often and very loose diarrhea, you need to take note and watch carefully: continued diarrhea can lead to dehydration, or worse, and is something that any new parent will immediately be aware of: it is the most ‘can’t miss’ of the symptoms we’ll cover today.
Secondly, you have fever, or lack thereof. Your new baby’s temperature needs to stay within a very narrow range to be considered healthy: too far one or the other way, and you’re making a trip to the emergency room.
On the low end, you never want to see your baby’s temperature get below 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit, on the high end it’s 100.4 degrees.
In the first two days, you want to check temperatures every two to four hours, and note any variance you see. Too large, and you want to immediately take action.
To go with a fever, your baby may have a persistent cough. Dry coughing on occasion is to be expected, and isn’t really very much to worry about; a heavier, wet cough, however, could be a sign of something as severe and troubling as pneumonia.
With all of the symptoms I’ve outlined so far, there’s a common factor: the new parents have to keep focused on their child, and what’s going on with his or her body.
Coughing is no different: if you notice a persistent, heavy cough, you need to notify your pediatrician as soon as possible.
So far, I’ve mentioned quite a few negative and possibly dangerous responsibilities a new parent may have.
It’s important, though, to relax and enjoy the beginning of a new stage in your life: play with your child, enjoy your time together as much as you can. Just be vigilant of anything that could be going on, make a mental note when you see something that isn’t ordinary, and always discuss any changes to your baby’s life with your pediatrician.
Following these steps, and using your own judgment when needed, will go a long way towards protecting the health of your new baby.
Some instances where you might find that the newborn is fussy are
newborn is fussy at the breast
newborn is fussy after eating
newborn is fussy all the time
newborn is fussy just at night
Now, you’ve got your baby home. You’ve made sure that they are healthy and happy. But, what of Mom and Dad? How much will this cost them, both in the short and long term?
A new baby is a heavy financial burden on even the most prepared of couples, and it’s best not to go into the situation lightly or ill prepared: In the first year alone, a new child will put a financial burden on a family to the tune of about $8,000.
From there, it only increases, each year more expensive than the last. A properly managed family finance goes a long way towards managing the cost.
The best of advice I can provide prospective parents is to have a savings, a significant savings, built up in case of emergency: you’re adding a new expense of almost $800 a month to your budget, your income needs to be able to cope with the new pressure.
Beyond that, sound investment can help things along, but it’s far more important to be realistic with what you can and can’t provide to your new baby. Make choices that will keep them healthy, happy, and loved.
More than that, you want to foster an education in them, a lifelong love of learning. The necessities and care from Mom and Dad can do that far better than expensive baby toys, baby books, or educational videos.
Purposefully, this article isn’t meant to dissuade someone from becoming a new parent. Instead, we’re here to provide you with the information that you, as a new parent, will need in the care of your child.
We want to foster healthy, happy families, and the path to that goal is paved with the stones of know
ledge, vigilance, and care.
If you keep yourself informed, watch and pay attention to your child, and keep your pediatrician involved, being a new parent can be the greatest joy in life.