Caring for the baby from birth up to three months old is not an easy venture especially for new parents when parenting is totally new.

“The parents and the newborn are all in a period of adjustment which the parents should deal with patience and understanding.”

It pays to seek the advice of people around you who have been parents or who are knowledgeable enough about infant care. If you are a new parent and are within the first trimester of parenting, then you should know the challenges you might face and how to deal with them.

Here are some of the challenges experienced by readers of The New Age Parents. Our message for new parents “If you think that parenting an infant is tiring, you are NOT ALONE!”

Challenges on Infant care During the First 3 Months

• Irregular time for sleeping and feeding
Your first three months of being a mother or a father is a time for adjustment. Your baby is also trying to come up with a daily routine so it pays to set a system of feeding and sleeping schedule which you can try out until the baby will get used to it.

• Refusal to drink milk
It is a must for the parents to understand that the baby has been used to feeding inside the womb and refusal to drink milk is but logical. Be patient enough to introduce breast milk or formula milk until the baby gets used to it.

• Refusal to sleep
The baby has stayed inside the womb for nine months and seeing the world outside it is indeed a surprise. The presence of noise and light is something new to the baby that keeps him awake even during wee hours. Parents should try to keep the environment around as quiet and peaceful as possible especially when the baby is asleep.

• Constant Crying
Babies will never have the chance to speak out about their needs. When a baby cries, there are three things to consider: hunger, pain and sleep. Address these needs and be able to calm the baby in time.

• Baby Colic
Colic is a condition in which infants cry or scream too frequently and in longer periods usually caused by abdominal pain.

• Deciding whether to breastfeed or bottle-feed
As parents, you need to plan early on what mode of feeding you will give your baby. You might want to consider your needs like going back to work but remember to always put your baby as a priority.

• Infant reflux
Reflux is the act of spiting up also known as happy spitters. Try to give smaller and more frequent feedings and check on his nighttime sleep position.

• Baby safety
Newborns up to the third month are made to explore the new world around them. Try to keep baby away from things that might hurt like sharp objects or little toy parts he or she might swallow.

• Holding and physical support
Your baby might always want to be carried and cuddled. As he develops further, physical support is a must to deal with his inability to stand or crawl on his own.

Being a parent is a series of challenges. As your baby grows, more difficult tasks are expected of you. It takes love and patience to be able to adapt more effectively to the challenges of parenting during the early stages.

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