It's all up to the parents, though, in the end. “If the person or people who come to your home to visit are going to help, that might outweigh the risk of exposing baby to potential illness,” she says. “If not, parents might want to hold off on the visit until baby is about 3 months old.”
Focus on essential and well visitors
Anyone who is sick should either stay away or, if unavoidable, mask and minimize close contact with the baby. And they should be up to date on all their immunizations, including influenza, pertussis and Covid-19.
Dr Prasad says to prevent serious health consequences, everyone, including moms, should avoid kissing infants early on.
There are no set rules about how long to wait before taking a newborn out into the world or when to let people near the baby. Some doctors recommend that parents wait until their baby is a few months old before going to crowded public places (like malls, movie theaters, and airplanes).
The Bottom Line. As long as your baby's essential needs are being met and you actively engage them in a loving way, how much or how little you hold them is entirely up to you. If you want to hold them, do. If you want to put them down, even if they cry, that's fine as well.
Around this time, most babies cry and fuss more. This is a typical part of development and will pass in time. It usually peaks around 6-8 weeks and starts to settle at around 12-16 weeks.
Newborns are used to their mother's tight and quiet belly and they do not always like the outside world. Babies specifically do not like noise or a bright light. These factors can tire and irritate the baby, making him/her tearful and nervous.
As with most aspects of pregnancy and the postpartum period, there's no one-size-fits-all rule on when to return to work after birth, and every new mom's situation will be different. Some moms return to work just a few weeks after having a baby, while others take up to a year (or longer) of maternity leave.
In some cultures, women stay in the house with their new baby for a month or more. But it is also fine to take your baby outside as soon as you feel ready. It is a good idea to go out when your baby is calm and happy. After a feed and a nappy change is a good time.
You cannot cuddle your baby too much. In fact, there are loads of benefits to cuddling your baby. Science tells us that cuddles strengthen the bond between parent and baby. When you cuddle your baby, the cuddle chemical, oxytocin, floods the brain.
From clothing to food and security, the list can seem daunting. There are six basic needs that all newborn babies require: security, clothing, enough sleep, nutritious food, sensory stimulation, love, and attention.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to newborn visitors, but it is important for new parents to set boundaries and take precautions so their new baby stays healthy. Parents should try to limit the number of visitors their babies come in close contact with overall.
It might feel challenging, but you can establish your boundaries early to ensure everyone understands. You need to put you and your baby's needs first and theirs second. Part of this is communicating your needs through the six types of boundaries: physical, emotional, time, sexual, intellectual, and material.
While you're likely still adjusting to the 24-hour demands of parenting, by six weeks postpartum your body's physical recovery from pregnancy and delivery is typically in good shape. So, you'll likely get the go-ahead from your doctor to resume most activities.
Just be sure to take breaks as needed and have everything you need (diapers, wipes, etc.) easily accessible. With a little bit of effort, you can successfully go grocery shopping with a newborn - it just might take a liiiittle longer than usual.
While the cause of SIDS is unknown, many clinicians and researchers believe that SIDS is associated with problems in the ability of the baby to arouse from sleep, to detect low levels of oxygen, or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood.
The lip-restraining guidance is most pertinent to people outside an infant's household, experts told me, which can include extended family. Ideally, even grandparents “should not be kissing on the baby for at least the first few months,” Tan told me.
Sweet and squishy baby cheeks are hard to resist kissing, but doing so can cause serious health consequences. In order to prevent serious health issues, anyone and everyone, including parents, should avoid kissing babies.