Top 5 Concerns of a New Mom

Top 5 Concerns of a New Mom

Mothers are concerned about their newborns. They always think that their baby is not getting enough milk. New Moms are all the more concerned about their babies as they are experiencing all these things for the first time.

1. Is my baby getting enough breastmilk?

This is possibly one of the most often asked questions to our medical team. Most mothers are concerned whether they are producing enough breast milk, or whether their child is drinking enough milk. Pressure from family and friends add to the worries of a mother, who starts feeling that if her child doesn't feed as often as the neighbour's child, something's not quite right. Relax. Psychological stress can affect breastfeeding, so pay no heed to what those around you are saying. As long as your child is gaining adequate weight, you have no cause for concern.


2. My baby usually vomits after I breastfeed her. Why is this? Should I be worried?

Often babies vomit after breastfeeding, due to overfeeding, gas or colic. If the child is gaining weight adequately, even though she vomits once in a while, there should be no cause for concern. But if your baby is irritable when being breastfed, if she seems to be in pain, and if she is not gaining weight, it could indicate a reflux problem, and you should contact your child's doctor.


3. Should my baby sleep on her back or on her tummy?

Your baby should definitely be put to sleep on her back or on her side. Numerous studies have shown that children who sleep on their tummies are at a greater risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). SIDS occurs when an infant dies in his sleep for no apparent reason. Get your child a firm mattress that covers the entire floor of the crib, and which doesn't shift around, to minimize the chance of your child suffocating.


4. Why does my baby cry so much? She seems to be crying all the time! Does she have colic?

Realise that crying is one of the only ways your baby can express her feeling or her wants. If she is hungry, tired or sleepy, she will let you know this by crying. If she refuses to stop crying, try this:

•Lie down in a warm bath, and hold her in your arms. The warm water should relax her.

•Take her for a drive. Babies find the rhythmic movement of the car soothing. In addition, the change of being outdoors should distract her from crying.

•Sometimes, no matter how hard a parent tries to comfort their baby, she will just not stop crying. This worries parents, and leads them to suspect that their child may be suffering from colic. Colic is a stomachache, or more specifically, an intestinal pain, due to which a child cries non-stop. The pain generally begins in the evening, and carries on for a couple of hours. Colic begins when a child is around 2 weeks old, and could carry only until the child is around 3 months. At times, if you are not breastfeeding your child at this age and she develops colic, she may be allergic to a particular formula. She could also be suffering from some other condition like reflux. If your child cries inconsolably almost everyday, it makes sense to show her to her pediatrician.

5. When will my baby sleep through the night?

The older your baby grows, the less often he will wake up at night. The initial months, however, are difficult, as babies seem to wake up constantly at night. Though babies sleep around 18 hours a day, most of this sleep is in short spans. Babies keep waking up every few hours, and need to be patted back to sleep. New mothers often don't get a full night's sleep, so it is best for them to adjust their timing according to the baby's timings. Sleep when the baby's sleeping, and wake up when the baby wakes up.


Don't hesitate when calling your paediatrician, even for what may seem to be a silly reason. You should feel comfortable calling him up as often as you need to, without feeling guilty. If your paediatrician shows annoyance by your frequent questions, it's time for you to look for a new one.