Diapers: as a rule, most PDF babies will need a diaper change
that corresponds with their feeding times. This will total 6-8
diapers per day, or more if you manage to change your baby prior
to her pooping. Most new parents learn to “time” the diaper
change to correspond with the after-meal expulsion of solid
waste, but if you miss it, you’ll have a few more diapers to go
through in the course of the day.
Diaper rash: some babies have sensitive skin and will get a rash
due to food allergies, teething, yeast infections, or sitting
too long in a messy diaper. If this occurs, talk to your
pediatrician about an over-the-counter remedy or a prescription
product for a more serious situation.
Growth spurts: the first of these confusing times may come as
early as 10 days after birth. They are typically preceded by a
sleepy day and a voracious appetite (either nursing or
bottle-feeding). They may show up again at 3, 6, and 12 weeks
and again at 4 and 6 months. If you notice that your baby is no
longer satisfied after feedings like she has been, you might be
approaching a growth spurt. If you are nursing, add a feeding or
two to your routine to accommodate your baby’s needs and to
increase your milk supply.
Immunizations: you will not hear me ever say that an
immunization is a bad thing; there are simply too many deadly
diseases which can be prevented by immunizing your baby. Talk to
your pediatrician about the timing of different injections and
any concerns you might have, but understand that part of the
reason we have such healthy babies these days and an incredibly
low rate of infant mortality is because we’ve largely wiped out
infantile diseases through immunizations.
Pacifiers & thumb sucking: breastfeeding moms should not permit
themselves to be used as pacifiers. Sometimes a baby will have a
need to suck beyond what is normal for feeding; in these cases,
an actual pacifier is very useful. There is no such thing as
“nipple confusion,” as your breast and your baby’s pacifier feel
and taste nothing alike. Babies are very smart little creatures
and are able to discern between the two easily. Some children
will not take a pacifier but will take their thumb—if you don’t
have a problem with that, go ahead and permit it.
Spitting up: nearly all babies spit up from time to time; some
will do this more than others. If your baby is healthy and
growing and gaining weight, don’t worry about it. Projectile
throwing-up is not the same as spitting up—this is powerfully
rejecting the entire contents of the stomach, not just ‘urping’
up a little milk. If your baby does this frequently, see your
pediatrician.
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