The First Week with your Baby

The first week of your baby's life brings big adjustments for both of you. You are adjusting to being a mother and caring for your baby and your baby is adjusting to life outside womb. It is a time of great joy -- and possibly immense fear! Although you've been preparing for birth of your baby for months, now he is here and depending on you for everything which can seem overwhelming. Don't expect too much of yourself during these first days! If anyone offers you help -- take it! During your baby's first few weeks of life, he will be concentrating on getting to know you and his surroundings. Your baby needs to be handled so that life outside womb seems as little different as possible to life inside womb. Your baby's needs, while they may seem overwhelming to you, are really simple: food, warmth and comfort from cuddling. Wrap him snugly and warmly, hold him closely, handle him slowly, and feed him when he's hungry. Your baby will have routing and sucking reflexes as well as tongue thrust. These are needed to get nourishment from breast or bottle. You can also use this time to bond with your baby with lots of skin to skin contact. Whether you decide to breast or bottle feed, feeding in first few weeks is not an effortless process. Try to have early feeding sessions in a quiet setting with as few distractions as possible. Make sure you are in a comfortable position as it takes new babies a while to eat and you don't want to end up stiff and sore. Cuddle and caress your baby as feeding time is a wonderful opportunity to show your baby how much he is loved.

Preventing Drowning

Did you know that drowning is second most common cause of death from injury for children aged 1 to 4 years old? Children under four are at risk beause they move very quickly but are not always aware of dangers around them. As parents, it is our job to minimize dangers.

Drowning hazzards in and around home account for about 50% of all toddler drownings (according to Canadian Red Cross Water Safety Service). The peak age for toddler drownings is age 3 for boys and two for girls. 55% of infant drownings occur in bathtub, while 30% of toddler drownings occur in backyard swimming pools.

A young child can drown in as little as 2 1/2 inches of water. For every toddler that drowns, six to 10 almost drown. Near drownings can result in permanent brain damage. Most of these drownings or near drownings are very preventable.

In your home:

Empty water from wading pools, buckets, and baths immediately after use Never leave a baby or young child alone in bath for even a moment. Keep toilet lids down too -- better yet, get a toilet seat lock. Young children must be watched constantly near pools, drainage ditches, ponds, docks and beaches. Learn first aid, including rescue breathing (for more info on infant CPR, click here) Babies under one year of age may enjoy water, but they really do not have physical strength and coordination to swim. When your child is older, look for swimming instruction that teach a progression of water skills and safety. Do remember though that swimming lessons will not 'drown-proof' your child.