10 parenting mistakes new moms make

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Here you can have an idea of the most common parenting mistakes made by new mothers.

The experience of motherhood is not an easy experience especially for new mothers who have a lot of puzzlements and questions about the health of their babies.

And I can tell you from my own experience: being a mom is difficult, exhausting and rewarding, regardless whether this is the first child, or you already have others.

In the following lines you will find the 10 most common parenting mistakes made by new mothers.

 most common 10 parenting mistakes new moms make

#1: waking up the baby for feeding at night after 6 weeks old:

It’s one of the common parenting mistakes made by new mothers. New moms always think that their babies need to eat at the night, so they wake their babies for food even if the baby doesn’t show the signs of hunger.

This is wrong in some cases. Newborns who sleep for longer stretches should be awakened to feed. Wake your baby every 3–4 hours to eat until he or she shows good weight gain, which usually happens within the first couple of weeks. After that, it’s OK to let your baby sleep for longer periods of time at night. Source

So, Once the baby gains a good weight, there’s no need to wake up him/her for feeding, because if the infant is hungry, he/she would wake up on its own and cries or shows the signs of hunger.

Sleeping at night is one of the most important needs of the baby and it’s one of the signs of a healthy baby especially in the night because the growth hormone in children is secreted at night.

It is also essential for the mom to be able to cope with her responsibilities during the daytime.

I also made this mistake, I was waking my first baby again and again at the night until he used to wake up a lot and this became his routine unfortunately.

Now, he is fifteen months old and he wakes up at least three times at night and I’m trying hard to make him sleep all the night.

Note// You always have to consult the doctor first about this point because there are some cases require waking up the baby in the night for feeding.

Read more:

7 tips to survive a lack of sleep with a newborn.

#2: New moms panic when they baby cries!

You are not alone!

Having a baby changes the structure of the brain so that regions that control empathy and anxiety have increased, and that along with hormonal changes, can make new moms react to a baby’s cry with intense feelings of protectiveness and worry.

But remember, crying is the baby’s way of expressing his presence, he may cry without feeling pain or needing to the food.

So, When to worry about your baby’s crying?

When crying is accompanied by high temperature and strange movements exhibited by the baby like squeezing himself, and when he keeps crying for more than an hour because the normal crying of babies does not last more than an hour.

In such cases, it is a matter of concern and must be taken to the doctor.

Check out these posts:

How to battle stay-at-home mom depression and loneliness

#3: Shaking the baby:

Some mothers resort to shaking their babies when they cry to calm them down.

It’s a dangerous behaviour because it may affects the baby’s brain and causes paralysis or delayed growth or speech and understanding difficulties in the future.

Also moving the baby’s head rapidly, right and left, may cause bleeding in the brain.

You can know more about the risks of shaken the baby syndrome by asking a doctor to explain that to you.

#4: Not Clipping the baby’s nails the proper way:

One of the parenting mistakes new moms make is clipping the baby’s nails while he is awake, because this may cause fingers injuries.

When the babys are awake, they always move their hands constantly, so it’s difficult to control and trim their nails safely. That’s why you should clip the nails only during their sleep.

To clip your baby’s nails, make sure you have plenty of light, so you can see well and use baby nail scissor or clipper with rounded ends.

#5: Not giving enough care for baby’s first teeth:

Alo Baby’s first teeth are temporary, but that doesn’t mean it can be ignored.

attention should be paid to the health of the teeth from the first day of the birth, by wiping the baby’s gum with a wet cotton cloth after finishing each feeding to keep his teeth healthy.

Neglecting a child’s oral health in the early years can affect their development and harm their permanent teeth when they come through.

#6: Mistakes with baby sitting:

You should not try to make your baby sitting before he finishes his fourth month of age so that he doesn’t have deformities in his back because of his spine still weak.

It is essential that the mother put her hand behind the baby’s neck while trying to make him sit because he can’t control his head.

And you should try to make his back straight and unobstructed by using pillows to fix it.

#7: Mistakes with baby sitting:

Sometimes, a mother of a baby girl rushing to wear her baby a ring in her fingers or another accessory.

This is very dangerous because she may swallow the ring while putting her fingers in her mouth.

It’s also preferable not to pierce the baby’s ears until she is vaccinated against tetanus at six months.

#8: Leaving the baby with his young siblings:

It is never OK to leave babies with their toddler or younger children siblings alone, even for a short time.

Also it’s not fair to expect a child to take on the full responsibility of caring for younger children.

#9: Wrapping the baby tightly:

Wrapping the baby in his first months is controversial, some support it and another against it.

The only mistake with baby wrapping is when the mother wraps him tightly, it hurts his bones and prevents the gases from coming out naturally with the movement of the baby’s legs resulting in colic.

#10: Following some grandparent’s old-school ideas:

Grandparents can play many important roles in the lives of their beloved young children.

But, a new study found that grandparents who take care of kids often aren’t up to date on guidelines for how to keep them save and healthy.

It is important that you are as a new mom have your own parenting skills based on reading the latest information about baby care and safety, and not 100% following your grandma’s way of raising children.

For example, in some traditions, they put eyeliner to the baby after the shower, and some do a salt massage to the body of the baby after a week of the birth.

Read more:

The ultimate 2023 guide for new moms


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