Go with any Colour Palette You Like

On the internet, you can encounter many unique opinions about which colours your baby’s first environment should be. Here is another one. Although contrasting colours are indeed easier for babies to see, do not feel limited. Humans might not arrive with a fully developed vision and it might be easier for babies to see contrasting colours but vision improves very rapidly! By 2 months, babies are able to scan their surroundings roughly, and by 6 months they will see as well as you. As long as the room contains little stimulation, choosing the colour is totally up to your creativity! 

Choose a Good Quality, Firm, Natural Mattress

Your little one will spend more than half of their first year asleep. Even by 3 years old, the time they have spent sleeping will be more than the time they have spent awake, having fun. Every time your baby sleeps, their skin and airways will be in contact with the materials of their mattress. Choosing a firm mattress with a non-toxic core and a natural, breathable fabric cover, and adding a water-resistant wool pad between the mattress and the fitted sheet makes for the best nursery set-up, ensuring their safety and comfort, and your peace of mind. Crib wool pads are natural, hypoallergenic and good for regulating temperature. 

The Best Crib Sets

Crib sets with bumpers, crib skirts, and quilts are so pretty! However, they might not come in handy in every situation. Research recommends babies sleep on a firm surface, covered by a fitted sheet only, to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and suffocation. Fitted sheets made of natural fibres like cotton, bamboo or lyocell. When picking and putting on a sheet, make sure no cords, strings, or any loose material are within your baby’s reach. The design is up to you! There are many fun and cute designs for you to match with the rest of the nursery, and make the room a whole. 

Blackout Curtains or Blinds

Blackout curtains or blinds come in quite handy when designing a nursery! Sleep is of utmost importance when it comes to the health of our little ones, and helping them develop their circadian rhythm leads them through a healthy path of sleeping pattern. The circadian rhythm is regulated by the melatonin hormone and babies are born with high levels of melatonin. Though they arrive ready to sleep the whole year, this borrowed melatonin disappears after the first weeks, often bringing in “day-night confusion”, which results in babies sleeping more during the day than at night. By keeping your baby’s space dark at night, you will help establish and maintain their circadian rhythm easily, which will bring more rest to you as well. Using blackout curtains or blinds in your baby’s nursery helps keep the room as dark as possible, helping your baby have a clear distinction between day and night. 

No LEDs or Blue Lights

Anything inhibiting melatonin production can disrupt the circadian rhythm by tricking the brain into thinking that it is daytime in the middle of the night, hindering the process of forming it, and disrupting your baby’s precious sleep. At the earliest stage of life, it is best to keep your baby’s nursery screen-free. If you plan to use a night light during nighttime feedings and nappy changes, dim lights with preferably warm red or yellow lights or anything approved to be suitable for nighttime, rather than blue LED. 

Nappy Changing Stations

Nappy changes are quite frequent, especially during the first months of life. If your main nappy changing station is in a different place like a bathroom, adding another station to the nursery can be a lifesaver since that way you won’t have to look for anything or carry your baby around in the middle of the night, disrupting their sleep. On the nappy changing station, having a waterproof or easy-to-clean pad, nappies, wipes, and a few changes of sleep clothes can make your life even easier. 

Comfy Chairs

You will be spending a loooot of time sitting in a chair, feeding and cuddling your baby. A cosy rocking chair with good back support can make quite a significant difference in your overall comfort and physical health. When picking out a chair, keep in mind that safety is just as important as comfort, and remember that babies can get wedged between cushions or pressed against armrests, which are possible suffocation hazards. Consider how you will keep night feedings and cuddles safe and cosy at the same time. While picking a soft chair with good support can be beneficial to your back, having quiet alarms set to keep you awake can prevent your baby from sliding off your arms into the wedges of the chair, preventing any choking hazards along the way. 

Storage Units are Your Best Companion

Many, many things to have under your hand! When raising a baby, you’ll always need to have many things within your reach, resulting in the need for good storage systems. As they grow up, toys will multiply along with other needs, and storage units will multiply even more. Having storage units with touches of fun will not only add a spark to the nursery but attract the attention of your little one as well. 

Fresh Start Newborn Sets – Budget Friendly: These sets are specially curated to provide everything a new mum and her baby might need. They come in different themes like Exclusive, Eco, and Budget-Friendly, each packed with essentials tailored to different needs and budgets.

HelloBaby Newborn Clothing: Available in colours like blue and grey, these jumpsuits feature a polo collar and are made from 100% cotton, ensuring comfort and ease of movement for the baby.

Nuby Penguin Play Gym: It is an engaging and educational play gym designed to stimulate baby’s senses and promote early development. It features a soft, machine-washable base with padded sides for comfort and safety.

Babocush Newborn Comfort Cushion & Bouncer: This product provides comfort for newborns and relief for parents. It’s designed to hold the baby in a comfortable position that mimics being held, soothing the baby effectively.

Newborn Swaddles: Swaddle bags are essential for helping newborns feel secure and comfortable. ebebek’s range includes options made from soft, breathable, and hypoallergenic fabrics to ensure the baby’s comfort.

Bloomsbury Mill Organic Cotton Cellular Blankets: These blankets are designed with a ‘cell’ construction to keep the baby warm in winter and cool in summer, making them an excellent year-round gift.

Palm Pals Vivi Rainbow Soft Toy: Soft toys are classic gifts, and the Palm Pals Vivi Rainbow Soft Toy offers a delightful mix of colours and textures, perfect for sensory development.

We have chosen each of these gifts with the needs of newborns and their parents in mind, focusing on comfort, development, and convenience. For more detailed information and to view these products, you can visit ebebek.

A newborn baby should be laid on their side. This prevents sudden infant death syndrome associated with placing them face down and choking on spit-up and vomit associated with placing them on their back.

Newborn Baby Sleep Routine

When a baby is born, they cannot distinguish between day and night because there is no day or night in the womb. They can sleep all day and stay awake all night. To prevent this, you should keep the baby in bright, active, noisy environments during the day, and talk to or play music to them while changing nappies or breastfeeding. Conversely, at night, you should breastfeed in dimly lit, quieter environments, and change nappies quietly, thus teaching the baby the difference between day and night. For details: All Details About Newborn Sleep Routine

Nappy Cleaning for Newborn Babies

A newborn baby’s skin is very sensitive. Alcohol-free, pH-balanced, gentle products should be used for nappy cleaning. You should clean their nappy approximately every 3 hours, never leaving it soiled. Water is also a good alternative for nappy cleaning. After cleaning, you should dry with a towel or soft paper towel, and use pure olive oil or an appropriate moisturizer to both nourish and create a protective barrier.

Umbilical Cord Care

The umbilical cord provides the baby with nourishment and oxygen from the mother in the womb. During childbirth, the umbilical cord is properly cut. The attached part to the baby falls off after a while. This period is between 3 to 10 days on average. The umbilical cord must be kept very clean because infections can lead to serious consequences. Dressings should be done at least twice a day, covered with a sterile gauze pad to prevent contact with stool and urine. The most suitable material for dressing is 70% alcohol. However, depending on the conditions at the time, mercurochrome or betadine can also be used.

Room Temperature

The ideal room temperature for a newborn baby is around 22 degrees Celsius. Higher temperatures are recommended for premature babies. After the newborn period, room temperature between 18-22 degrees Celsius is sufficient. In very hot weather, the humidity decreases, and the baby’s respiratory tract defence mechanism may be damaged.

How Should a Newborn Baby Be Dressed?

A newborn baby may feel colder in the first days because they haven’t fully adjusted to the external environment. Especially their hands and feet may require warming with gloves and socks. Hats are not preferred because they can cause seborrheic dermatitis on the scalp. The baby’s inner clothing should always be pure cotton in every season, and outerwear should also be a cotton jumpsuit. Complete jumpsuits rather than elastic waist garments should be preferred for newborn babies. It is suitable for the baby to wear a mercerized or thin woollen vest in winter. In winter, muslin and in summer, cotton blankets should be preferred. Furry blankets should be avoided.

First Bath

There is no specific time for a newborn baby’s first bath. As long as the umbilicus is well cared for, they can be bathed before the umbilicus falls off. A newborn baby, especially after the umbilicus falls off, should be bathed every day. Bathwater can be around 38 degrees Celsius.

How Should a Newborn Baby Be Bathed?

The room temperature can also be around 26 degrees Celsius when bathing a newborn baby. Fill the baby bath with water at 38 degrees Celsius with baby bath foam added. The baby is put into the bathtub vertically with their head out. The body is briefly and quickly washed with a thin towel. The head is also washed with baby shampoo. Water is poured onto the baby from the back of the head, and the baby is quickly wrapped in a towel. The baby bath should be suitable for standard measurements. A washing file can be used inside.

Bath Temperature

The bath temperature should be 37-38 degrees Celsius, which is the body temperature.

Gas Problem in Newborn Babies

Gas pains are the most common problems observed in babies. They experience gas pains depending on the air they swallow while sucking. The protein structure of breast milk can also be effective. When breastfeeding, mothers can reduce gas swallowing by giving the baby not only the nipple but also the entire brown tissue in the breast. It is good to remove the baby’s gas for a long time after each breastfeeding. For this, the baby is held upright in the mother’s arms, and their back is patted. They expel stomach gas by burping. Despite all precautions, applying a lightly heated towel to the baby’s abdomen and making cycling movements with their legs may help if the baby still has gas pain.

When Should You Consult a Doctor?

If the newborn baby has jaundice, hasn’t urinated in the first 24 hours, hasn’t had a bowel movement in the first 48 hours, has severe vomiting, has a fever, shows reluctance to breastfeed, or has no lively crying, you should consult a doctor. However, do not be afraid of your baby vomiting. Babies often vomit a little after breastfeeding, especially when their gas is removed, and this is normal. Pathological vomiting, on the other hand, is explosive and can be unrelated to feeding. In this case, you can consult your doctor.

Daytime Sleep: 4-5 times totaling 8-9 Hours

Nighttime Sleep: Waking up every 2-3 hours totaling 8-9 Hours

Wakefulness Period: 40-60 min.

Total Sleep: 16-18 Hours

Babies start growing and developing at an extraordinary speed from the moment they come into the world. This means they have a serious energy requirement. They sleep a lot to find this energy and want to feed every time they are awake. Since their stomachs are still very small, they cannot take in the necessary nutrients all at once.

After feeding for about 20-30 minutes and satisfying their hunger, they stay awake for a maximum of 15-20 minutes and then sleep again, and this cycle of feeding, staying awake, and sleeping continues throughout the day. Since they are still developing biologically, it wouldn’t be correct to expect a routine regarding their daytime naps. It’s sufficient for them to nap when they need to.

At night, they can sleep uninterrupted for up to 3-5 hours. In fact, especially in the early days, even if they don’t wake up at night, it’s very important for their development and your milk production that you wake them up every 3 hours to feed them.

The most important thing you can do during this period regarding their sleep is to engage in behaviours that relax them and make them feel safe. You can do this by adapting the environment as much as possible to the womb.

In the first few months, babies still think they are in the womb, so providing similar conditions will relax them and make it easier for them to fall asleep. Let’s look at some tips together to establish a sleep routine for your baby during this period!

Tips for Better Baby Sleep

• Safe Sleep Environment: The first thing you need to do is to provide a safe sleep environment for your baby. For this, you should lay your baby on their back in a firm, tight bed without using a pillow, blankets, quilts, or toys that could obstruct your baby’s airway. 
• Keeping a Journal: After your baby is born, the first few days will pass in a cycle of feeding, burping, changing diapers, and putting them to sleep. During this process, keeping a journal will help you understand your baby’s habits and their own routine without the need to remember everything. If you do this for every step you take with your baby, you will see how beneficial it will be to establish their routine in the coming days, not just for sleep but for every aspect of their care. 
• Teaching Day-Night Difference: Babies don’t know the difference between day and night when they are born. They can sleep for long periods during the day and wake up very often at night. In this case, you can help them understand the difference between day and night and establish a sleep routine by making them sleep in a bright and noisy environment during the day and in a dark and quiet environment at night. 
• Regulating Sleep Durations: If your baby sleeps for more than 2 hours during the day, you can gently wake them up and feed them. This way, you’ll not only ensure they get the amount of food they need but also encourage them to sleep shorter during the day and longer at night. Intervening with a sleeping baby in such situations will be very beneficial for establishing a regular sleep pattern later on. 
• Engaging in Different Activities at Night and Day: Another important thing to do to avoid day-night confusion is to separate activities. You can play fun and cheerful games during the day and include more calming activities to prepare for sleep at night. While feeding and changing their diaper during the day, you can sing songs and talk to them. When they wake up at night, you should feed them, change their nappy quietly without turning on the lights, and put them back to bed. 
• Ensuring Fullness: For babies to sleep for long periods, they need to have consumed the required calories. However, because they are still very weak, they can fall asleep while feeding. If they fall asleep without breastfeeding for even 10 minutes in the early days, you should gently wake them up and make them continue. Even though we may not want to wake them up, being full will help your baby sleep long enough during both day and night. 
• Swaddling: Babies still think they are in the womb during the first 3-4 months. Therefore, the closer you create an environment to the womb in the outside world, the easier it will be for them to fall asleep. Swaddling not only provides your baby with a feeling of tightness and warmth similar to the womb but also prevents uncontrolled hand-arm movements that they sometimes make while sleeping and sometimes wake them up. Since these uncontrolled hand-arm movements end around the 3rd-4th month, you can use swaddling for sleep until this period. The important point to note is that you should swaddle your baby’s arms only, not their whole body, in a half-swaddle. 
• Trying a Pacifier: Babies have a natural sucking reflex that relaxes them. They often do this even when they are in the womb. Therefore, after your baby gets used to breastfeeding well, towards the end of the first month, you can try giving your baby a pacifier for relaxation. This way, your baby will satisfy the sucking reflex they need with the pacifier instead of with you. However, you should only give the pacifier at sleep times and should not force it if your baby doesn’t like it. 
• Benefitting from White Noise: The womb is a noisy environment for babies. They hear all the outside sounds as a hum. Even if it is completely silent outside, the sounds of the mother’s organs and the flow of blood in the veins make babies feel like they are in a loud environment. Therefore, providing a silent environment after birth will not relax them but rather worry them. To make them feel safe, they need sounds similar to those they heard in the womb. White noise sounds are the biggest helper in this regard. White noise sounds you play during sleep time will both relax your baby by giving them the feeling of being in the womb and facilitate their transition to sleep by suppressing external noises. 
• Make Sure to Rest: Whenever your baby sleeps, try to sleep, or at least rest. The more you rest in the early days, the more stamina and patience you will have in the coming days. Also, keep in mind that hormones that increase breast milk are released during sleep. So, by resting, you not only get the energy you need and increase your milk supply but also spend more productive time with your baby.

Dr. Pınar Balgoz, Medical Park Health Group Bahçelievler Hospital Pediatrics Specialist, answered our questions about ulcers in babies.

What Are the Causes of Peptic Ulcer? 

Dr. Pınar Balgöz: Ulcer occurs with symptoms such as abdominal pain, heartburn, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite in children as in adults. Peptic ulcers can be seen in infants and children. 

In peptic ulcer, a wound is formed on the inner surface of the duodenum, which is the beginning of the small intestine in the stomach. According to studies, peptic ulcers are mostly caused by a bacteria called “helicobacter pylori”. Studies confirm that this bacterium is also common in children. 

Helicobacter, which is a common bacterial species in our country, is more common in crowded family environments. However, some factors other than this bacterium can also cause ulcers. For example, using too many painkillers and drugs in children is among the reasons that accelerate the formation of ulcers. In addition, the stress experienced during head trauma, burns and severe infections also causes the formation of ulcers. 

Why Does Peptic Ulcer Occur in Newborn Babies? 

Dr. Balgoz: Peptic ulcers can be seen in babies even when they are newly born. However, ulcers in new-borns usually occur due to reasons such as infection or trauma. According to studies, there is no increase in the rate of stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers in children between the ages of 1 month and 6 years. 

Is Kissing Babies Also a Cause of Ulcers? 

Dr. Balgoz: We can’t help but kiss our babies, right? Sometimes we bite their cheeks, go even further and kiss them on the lips. We never thought that we would infect them. However, this behaviour can cause many diseases for babies, especially ulcers. 

Not only with kissing, but also with some of our habits, we can inadvertently transmit many microbes to children. One of the most common mistakes is to taste the food with the same spoon to see if the food is cold or hot while feeding babies. 

With this type of behaviour, they can transmit bacteria to children because bacteria that cause ulcers are usually transmitted to children and babies by mouth. In order to prevent the transmission of this bacteria, we recommend that you do not kiss your child on the lips and near the mouth. In addition, it is necessary to give up the habit of feeding the child by tasting from the same spoon. 

How to Diagnose If Your Baby Has a Peptic Ulcer? 

Dr. Balgoz: It is not easy for experts to diagnose ulcers in children because children cannot fully explain their discomfort. They often show around the navel but have difficulty expressing exactly where the pain is. So, how can you understand this disease that even experts have difficulty in diagnosing? 

In young children and infants, ulcer disease is more likely to show signs of restlessness, crying spells after meals, and nausea. The most basic symptom of ulcer in children can be very severe abdominal pain. Burning abdominal pain usually occurs 2-3 hours after meals. 

In children, as in adults, this disease often causes vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss. Also, if your child has a peptic ulcer, she may experience anaemia due to iron deficiency, among other symptoms. 

In addition to these symptoms, bad breath and dark stools can be seen in children with ulcers. That’s why families need to be extremely careful. 

How Is Peptic Ulcer Diagnosed and Treated? 

Dr. Balgoz: Today, endoscopy is one of the most used methods in the diagnosis of peptic ulcer. With this method, the ulcer can be seen directly, and the cause of the ulcer can be determined by taking a tissue biopsy. 

Endoscopy can be easily performed for all age groups starting from the new-born baby. Endoscopy in children is performed by a specialized paediatric gastroenterologist. Children are put to sleep with drugs during endoscopy, so they don’t feel and remember the endoscopy. 

The dimensions of the endoscope used in children are smaller than those used in adults. This medical procedure takes 15-20 minutes and then the child can be discharged from the hospital as soon as she wakes up. 

A definitive diagnosis can be made by seeing the bacterium under a microscope and growing it through culture. Since the presence of antibodies against bacteria in the blood is accepted as the biggest indicator of ulcer, urea, breath and stool tests are also performed. In this way, the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori microbe can be made more easily. 

Ulcers in children can be treated with medication. Today, it is a known fact that the most important factor in the formation of ulcers is the bacteria called “Helicobacter”. Therefore, to destroy this bacterium in the digestive system, appropriate antibiotics, drugs that reduce stomach acid and protect the stomach lining are given to the patient. A high success rate of 90-95% is achieved with drug treatment in ulcer disease. 

Would you like to share your experiences and questions as a comment?

Have a nice and healthy day!