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Baby Care Basics For First Time Parents: What You Need To Know

August 15, 2023 by Wendy S

Image by -Rita-👩‍🍳 und 📷 mit ❤ from Pixabay

Everyone gets excited when they’re expecting a baby, but there’s also a certain amount of anxiety involved in it. You’ll need to worry about taking care of your child, as they naturally wouldn’t be able to do it yourself. As a first-time parent, that can feel overwhelming, but it gets easier with some baby care basics.

Knowing what to expect in the days and weeks after having a baby helps with this. While it can still be an exhausting experience, you’ll be able to make sure you and your baby are still taken care of. With a little effort, and maybe even a few sleepless nights, you shouldn’t have a problem looking after your newborn.

It’s worth diving into everything you need to know before you have a baby. If you’re pregnant, consider it essential reading.

Top Baby Care Basics You Need To Know About

With a few baby care basics, you shouldn’t have a problem taking care of your newborn. There’s quite a bit of advice out there, so it’s hard to figure out what’s actually helpful. While keeping your and your baby’s needs in mind helps, you’ll need a little extra help with it. It’s worth diving into a few of the essentials with it.

If you’re a first-time parent, this is one of the more anxiety-inducing parts of the process. Where do you even start, and how do you even look after a newborn? Thankfully, it shouldn’t be as complicated as you might’ve thought. When you’re having a newborn, there are a few things to focus on, especially in the days and weeks after they’re born:

  • Sleeping – Your baby doesn’t know what night and day are, and they’ll be adjusting to life outside the womb. That leads to newborn sleep patterns being a little all over the place. It’s one of the more obvious things you’ll have to know about before your baby arrives. They’ll be sleepier than they would be as they get older, and will often need much more than older children.
  • Safety – You’ll already know you’ll need to keep your baby safe, but you mightn’t know everything you need about doing it. Swaddling them right, getting them the right kind of clothes, and similar baby care basics help with that. Then there’s the likes of sudden infant death syndrome and other conditions to worry about. Know how to reduce the risks of these happening so you don’t have anything to worry about.
  • Washing – You’ll have to wash your baby regularly, with this being at least two or three times a week. Sometimes, that can be complicated, and your newborn mightn’t enjoy it. If they object to having baths, you could consider the topping and tailing approach, where you clean their head, bottom, and similar areas. They’ll be more comfortable with it and will get used to being cleaned. Bathe them two or three times a week on top of this.

That doesn’t mean that’s all you’ll need to focus on when your baby’s born. There are quite a few other things you might want to know about. You mightn’t know about many of these until your baby actually arrives. By knowing what to expect, though, you’ll make it a lot easier for yourself.

At least, you’ll be better prepared when they actually get here. It’s worth going through seven of the more important – and often overlooked – things you’ll need to expect when your baby gets here.

What To Expect After Having A Baby

1. You’ll Be Sore

When you’re having a baby, it’s natural to focus on the health and wellbeing of the newborn as soon as they’re born. It could be all you’d think about, and you mightn’t even factor in how you’ll feel in the days and weeks after they’re born. It’s something you’ll need to think about.

Chances are you’ll be quite sore, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Childbirth can be a traumatic experience for any woman, and you should be prepared for it. Know what the recovery will be like in the days and weeks after you give birth.

2. They Could Get Sick

You’ll naturally want your baby to be as healthy as possible, and you’ll put a lot of time and effort into that. It mightn’t always turn out that way, and there’s a decent chance they could get sick in the first few days after they’re born. These are usually some of the more common illnesses and shouldn’t be life threatening.

You’ll still need to be prepared for it, though, as it avoids you being overly stressed about something you don’t need to be too worried about it. Consult your newborn’s doctor, and everything should be fine.

3. Feeding Is Hard

Your newborn will naturally get hungry at various points during the day. In most cases, it’ll be easy to feed them, but that mightn’t be the case during the first week of their life. They could be much harder to feed than you would’ve expected. It’s easy to see why that’s the case.

They would’ve gotten used to being fed a certain way in the womb, and they could be expecting that kind of treatment again. They’ll need to adjust to being fed with a bottle, so it’ll be a little trickier to feed them in the days after they’re born.

4. You Might Cry

Everyone knows a baby will cry a lot in the weeks after they’re born. What they often don’t realize is the parents could cry a decent bit, too. That’s especially true with moms, as they would’ve been through a traumatic experience during childbirth. It’s a natural part of the process, so be prepared for it.

Even if you have a C-section, it could still be an emotional time. Don’t be ashamed in feeling the way you do, and make sure you experience your emotions. Don’t keep them inside, and let them out when you need to.

5. You Won’t Get Much Sleep

As mentioned above, a baby’s sleep patterns can be a little all over the place. You’ll need to adapt to that, which could mean you mightn’t get as much sleep as you might’ve had before. Be prepared for that and try to sleep anytime your baby sleeps. It’ll make it easy for yourself.

Taking shifts with your partner gives the both of you the chance to get some extra sleep whenever you need it. While that takes a bit of juggling, it’ll make sure you’re getting close to as much sleep as you and your partner need.

6. Your Baby’s Skin Needs TLC

After your baby is born, you’ll likely want to give them a bath pretty soon. They’ll be coated in a white, waxy substance when they first come out of the womb. It happens with every baby, and this substance is called the vernix. Since it might make them appear dirty – and even make them smell – you might want to wash it off quickly.

As it turns out, that mightn’t always be the best approach. It could offer a few benefits if you leave your newborn coated in it for a few hours or even a day or so. They might cry less, and they’ll be less likely to develop hypothermia while protecting their skin. Give it a day or so before you wash it off, and your child will be better off because of it.

7. There’ll Be A New Normal

With all of the above in mind, it’s easy to see how having a baby leads to your life changing dramatically. That should be obvious to everyone, but it’s often difficult to understand and figure out exactly what this new normal will be. In many cases, things could get more difficult, especially when you don’t know what you’re doing.

The key to this is to adapt to your new normal, and there are quite a few ways you can do this. You and your partner can figure this out relatively easily by working together on it. Since most of these changes can be quite personal, it’s worth spending some time figuring this out with your partner.

It’s also worth mentioning friends and family might be eager to help. If you need it, there’s no shame in taking them up on this.

Baby Care Basics: Wrapping Up

First-time parents have a lot to take on board, and it could feel like an overwhelming experience. It leads to a lot of anxiety as you worry about how you can take care of them. You’ll have to know the essentials before the baby’s born, and that’s especially true of some baby care basics.

By knowing what to expect and how to handle it, you shouldn’t have much of a problem. There’ll still be a lot of work involved, and you could even feel yourself getting exhausted on more than a few occasions.

That’s natural and shouldn’t be anything to be ashamed of. You’ll still be getting your grips on everything, but knowing a few things beforehand makes this much easier. 

Filed Under: Blog, family Tagged With: baby, care, parents

Keeping kids safe in a car or on a bike — Parachute Safe Kids Week

June 1, 2022 by Wendy S

Parachute Safe Kids Week is from May 30 to June 5, 2022, and this year they are focusing on safe and active transportation. 

They have put together an amazing list of Active Transportation Safety Tips to help keep kids safe and active on their travels.

children crossing safety

Driver safety tips: Help keep pedestrians and cyclists safe

• Reduce your speed. Lower speeds give you more time to react and brake if needed. Lowering your speed also greatly reduces the chances a pedestrian will be killed if there is a crash. Be especially cautious in areas such as school zones, where children may be travelling to or from school.

• Drive at 30 km/h. A pedestrian struck by a car travelling at 50 km/h is almost six times more likely to be killed than a pedestrian struck at 30 km/h. At a speed of 30 km/h, vehicles and pedestrians are both relatively safe; drivers have sufficient time to stop for pedestrians and pedestrians can make better crossing decisions.

• Keep your distance. Ensure you give cyclists space on the road. When parking on the street, always check for cyclists before opening your door.

• Put down the distractions. In the few seconds you turn and reach for something in the vehicle, your eyes are off the road. Leave whatever it is until you stop. Don’t use handheld devices of any kind; these create high levels of distraction risk among drivers.

• Be alert. Traffic congestion and unsafe driver behaviour are common in school zones during drop-off and pick-up times. As a driver, be patient and expect kids to be kids. Be alert for child pedestrians and cyclists darting between cars or moving suddenly onto the road.

• Drive sober. If you are planning to drink alcohol or use drugs, don’t drive.
Visit our road safety page for more helpful tips: parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/road-safety/
Pedestrian safety tips

• Travel with your younger children. Younger children still need to develop the cognitive and physical skills to make safe judgments about road crossing and traffic. While your children are developing these skills, travel with them and talk to them about pedestrian safety.

• Use sidewalks or paths. Spaces that allow pedestrians to move around separate from motor vehicles are safer. Sidewalks can reduce the incidents of drivers hitting pedestrians along a roadway by up to 88 percent. No sidewalks? Travel facing traffic and as far away from vehicles as possible.

• Cross at designated crossings. Use traffic signals and crosswalks when possible. Talk about what you do before you cross a road. Teach your child to use their senses. Think, look and listen, even if there is a crossing guard or traffic signals to assist them. Teach kids at an early age to look left, right and left again when crossing the road. When the way is clear, or all the cars at the crosswalk or intersection have come to a full stop, teach your child to cross the road and not to double back or run.

• Be a role model. Children learn from their parents and caregivers. Over time, your frequent demonstrations will become ingrained in your child’s approach to crossing roads. Expect them to do the same thing when they are crossing the street independently.

Visit our pedestrian safety page for more helpful tips.

cycling safety
Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

Cycling safety tips

• Check your ride. Ensure your child’s bike is adjusted correctly for their height and have them do a bike check before riding to ensure tires are inflated and brakes are working properly.

• Be prepared. Bike safety training and knowing the rules of the road are important for riders’ safety. Protect young riders by using designated riding areas when possible. Bike safety training courses are available at https://canbikecanada.ca/

• Assess your child’s navigational skills before riding on the road. Children develop better physical and cognitive skills around age 10 – but their ability to ride on the road may depend on their experience, environment and development. Not sure if your child is ready to ride solo? Consider traffic volume, the number of intersections and your child’s level of experience before making a decision.

• Stay on the right side of the road. When using the road, ride on the right side in the same direction as traffic to make you more visible to drivers. Adults should lead kids by cycling single file and having them repeat hand signals.

• Protect your head, wear a helmet. A properly fitted and correctly worn bike helmet can make a dramatic difference, cutting the risk of serious head injury by 60 per cent. Use the 2V1 rule for helmet fitting (two fingers above eyebrows, straps form a “V” under ears, no more than one finger space between strap and chin) to ensure the right fit.

• Be seen and heard. Make sure drivers can always see you and your child. Wearing bright, reflective clothing and equipping your bike with flashing lights and reflectors help increase 360-degree visibility. A working bell will also alert other riders and pedestrians when you are close or passing.

Visit our cycling safety page for more helpful tips –> parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/cyling/


Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay

Safety tips for other wheeled activities (such as skateboarding, rollerblading, scootering)

• Choose a safe place to wheel, away from traffic. Use pathways, sidewalks and skate parks.

• Wear the right helmet for the activity. Bike helmets can be used for in-line skating and non-motorized scootering, but skateboarding helmets should be used for skateboarding and longboarding; they cover the back of the head better and can protect against more than one crash. Visit Parachute’s helmets page for more information. parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/helmets/

• Always wear the gear. Along with a helmet, wear wrist guards to help prevent broken bones and sprains. Wear elbow and knee pads for in-line skating. Also wear brightly coloured clothing and reflective gear to help increase 360-degree visibility.

For more information, visit parachute.ca/safekidsweek

Filed Under: Blog, family, Life, safety Tagged With: bike, car, drive, driver, safety, scooter, vehicle

Summertime is Quality Family Time!

July 21, 2017 by bigdaddy

Each year, we try to maximize the amount of time we can in our trailer trailer, affectionately known as the #SilvaBulletRV.

Last year, we took an amazing trip down to Florida with our trailer. The girls really wanted to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. We are all huge Harry Potter fans, so when they asked, we all got really excited.

 

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Sep 14, 2016 at 6:45pm PDT

Next thing you know, we are planning our trip. We decided to tow our trailer down, and make it an extended 3 week trip. By doing so, we were able to visit places we had never been before, and see some of the great places in the US along the way.

 

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jul 31, 2016 at 1:32pm PDT

The trip south

We booked 3 campgrounds on the way down. Our first campground was Wally World in Loudonville, Ohio. We had stayed at this campground before, and absolutely loved it. We stayed at Wally World for 2 days.

 

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 1, 2016 at 6:36am PDT

Volunteer Park Family Campground in Heiskell Tennessee was our next stop. We stayed there for one night.

Our third stop was Southern Trails Resort in Unadilla Georgia. We stayed there for one night. While there, we met people from our home campground in New York State. Such small world!

 

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 6, 2016 at 5:38am PDT

Florida!

When we arrived in Florida, we stayed for 3 nights at Ellenton Gardens in Ellenton. It was a small RV park with an awesome pool.

 

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 31, 2016 at 7:03pm PDT

We visited friends, and spent some time at the beach on Anna Maria Island. One of the best beaches I have ever been to. The kids loved it there!

 

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 9, 2016 at 7:58am PDT

Our second destination in Florida was Sherwood Forest RV Resort in Kissimmee. This was a beautiful park, and would be our home base for the time we spent going to and from Universal Orlando.

 

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 10, 2016 at 10:37am PDT

Universal was awesome, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter did not disappoint.

 

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 10, 2016 at 9:18am PDT

It was time together we will never forget!

 

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 18, 2016 at 9:27am PDT

The trip home

The first campground we stayed at on the way home was Barnyard RV Park in Lexington South Carolina, where we stayed for 2 days. This was less than an hour from where Wendy’s cousins live, so we were able to get in a visit before we left.

 

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 19, 2016 at 5:29am PDT

Our next destination was Fort Chiswell RV Park in Max Meadows Virginia. The scenery was stunning! We were in the mountains, so cell reception was not the best… but none of us cared.

 

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 20, 2016 at 2:37pm PDT

Our last 2 nights were spent at Rocky Fork Ranch Resort in Kimbolton Ohio. Wendy and the girls got in some geocaching while there.

All hands on deck

As you can imagine, with an itinerary like this, we needed all hands on deck. Wendy and I shared the driving, and the girls helped in every way they could. They helped cook meals, clean up, and pack up the trailer.

When we arrived at a campground, they helped put the wheel chocks in, set up the stabilizers on the trailer, and unpacked the trailer. When it was time to leave, they helped with clean up, and the reverse order of set up. Having all hands on deck makes easier work for everyone.

 

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Aug 8, 2016 at 1:08pm PDT

Quality Family Time

21 days on the road + 5517kms traveled + drove through 11 States (New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania) = Quality Family Time.

While it was tiring at times, I wouldn’t have passed up this opportunity for anything. We love spending time together as a family, and this was the perfect time to do it.

 

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Aug 3, 2016 at 5:23am PDT

As well, we couldn’t have done this trip without the organizational skills and superb planning of my tag team partner for life!

If you are thinking of taking a road trip, be sure to check out Furkot to help with your trip planning. It helped keep us on track, and gave us a very detailed itinerary. Next trip we’ll probably stay closer to home in Canada, and maybe look into Haliburton cottage rentals for a change.

Cheers,
Big Daddy

Filed Under: Blog, Camping, family, fun, Life, RVing, Travel, Vacation Tagged With: florida, orlando, Quality Family Time, road trip, RVing, Universal Orlando, vacation, Wizarding World of Harry Potter

What an amazing summer it is going to be!

July 14, 2017 by Rachel Kreativ

My amazing Summer started off with a trip to Montego Bay in Jamaica! It was awesome, but I will leave that for another post.

I’m so excited for the rest of the summer! So far, I have been hanging out with my friends and having a great time. We’ve gone to the park, the mall, and the movies. We saw the new Wonder Woman movie… it was amazing!

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Jun 28, 2017 at 5:49am PDT

Volunteering

I volunteered at the grade 8 grad with my Dad, and my friends Lauren and Ben. I handed out programs to the parents, while Lauren helped with audio. Ben helped back stage. My Dad was taking photos for the yearbook, which he also designs.

This week, I am also volunteering at my church’s VBS summer camp (Vacation Bible School) with my friends. I haven’t been to VBS in a couple of years, as we usually are away camping, but this year, we came back just so we can go.

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Sep 12, 2016 at 1:57pm PDT

Another Amazing Summer at Niagara’s Lazy Lakes!

Tonight, we will be heading back to the #SilvaBulletRV at our home campground Niagara’s Lazy Lakes (in Lewiston, New York) for the weekend. We’ll get a couple of days of relaxing at Lazy Lakes before heading off to Ohio with our camping family! I am so excited to be spending a whole week with them at Wally World in Loudonville, Ohio.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 1, 2016 at 6:36am PDT

Wally World in Ohio!

Wally World is one of my favourite campgrounds. There is so much to do around there. They have an activity complex a few minutes down the road with go-carts, high ropes and low ropes courses, a mini golf course and lots more. You can also rent canoes, kayaks, or tubes to float down the Mohican river.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 16, 2015 at 9:25am PDT

A couple of years ago when we were camping there, I canoed 7 miles down the Mohican River with Mom and Lauren. The end point is right by the campground, which is really convenient. Dad followed our journey in the truck and took some awesome pictures.

Another one of my favourite things is visiting the Amish market near the campground. When you walk in, it’s like you just walked into bakery heaven. The awesome thing is that everything there is homemade. I especially like the apple butter and the ice cream.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jul 10, 2015 at 9:08pm PDT

Camping at Lazy Lakes and Bronte Creek

After a week in Ohio, we will be heading back to Lazy Lakes for a couple of weeks, then a week at Bronte Creek Provincial Park, and then the last two weeks of my amazing summer will be at Lazy Lakes.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on May 22, 2016 at 10:44am PDT

At Niagara Lazy Lakes, there are two pools and a playground. But we always have things to do, whether the weather is good or it is raining. We have lots of games to play, movies to watch, and colouring books. We also have Storm, who loves our attention all the time, and loves to cuddle and run around.

We also get to spend a week camping at Bronte Creek Provincial Park, which is close to our house. We have only been there to visit the petting zoo and play at the activity barn. We have never camped there, so I am really looking forward to spending the week there.

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Jul 1, 2017 at 7:29am PDT

The most amazing summer ever!

This is going to be the most amazing summer ever, and the best thing is I get to spend it with the best people in some awesome places!

Cheers,
Rachel

Filed Under: Blog, Camping, friends, fun, Life, munchkin, RVing, Travel, Vacation Tagged With: amazing summer, Bronte Creek, camping, Lewiston, Loudonville, Niagara's Lazy Lakes, Ohio, rachel silva, rachelectrik, RVing, summer, vacation, Wally World

Let The Summer Begin!

July 7, 2017 by Lauren Kreativ

My favourite part about the summer is spending time with friends and family! In the summer we go camping in our travel trailer. It’s called the #SilvaBulletRV.

A post shared by bigdaddykreativ (@bigdaddykreativ) on Sep 12, 2016 at 1:57pm PDT

Camping is so much fun because we get to see our camping family. We have become very close with some friends at our campground. They are just like part of our family. I am so excited for when we go to Ohio because I will get to ride in a go-cart by myself! Ohio is going to be so much fun because we are going with our camping family. I am so excited!

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jul 23, 2016 at 11:48am PDT

l love to go to the park and play with my friends at camp. Going swimming at the campground’s pool is so much fun. I get to make big splashes when I jump in! Swimming is the best this year because I can go to the pool with friends, and not have to have Mom and Dad come with me. I never swim alone, because it is not safe.

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on May 29, 2016 at 10:16am PDT

Summer break is awesome because we don’t have to do any school work! Lots of popsicles and freezies for all those hot days. Even if it rains, we still have fun! I like to ride my bike and go on bike rides with my friends!

A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Aug 10, 2016 at 10:39am PDT

Last year in the summer was lots of fun. We went to Universal Studios! I went on a few of the roller coasters!

We went to 3 campgrounds on the way to Orlando. While in Florida we stayed at 2 campgrounds. We stayed at 3 more campgrounds on the way home. We were so excited to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It was amazing! We tried some Bertie Botts every Flavour Beans, Butterbeer, Frozen Butterbeer, and Chocolate Frogs. We had lots of fun at Universal Studios.

I cannot wait for the rest of the summer. We have a lot planned. It’s going to be so much fun!

TTFN,
Lauren

Filed Under: Blog, Camping, friends, fun, Life, peanut, RVing, Travel, Vacation Tagged With: camping, kreativcamper, lauren silva, RVing, summer, swimming, travel trailer, vacation

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mapsgirl@gmail.com

Why “mapsgirl” ?

Wendy is a cartographer! She draws maps!

When not mapping, Wendy is also a mom to two daughters. They are the inspiration of this blog. Passionate about child passenger safety, Wendy was a certified Car Seat Technician in Ontario, Canada from 2008 to 2020. [Read More …]

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