You drove 30 km/hr home from the hospital and discovered a new world of crazy drivers…

You survived night 2 and 3 with a fussy newborn and seriously engorged breasts…

You’ve spent countless hours staring at your sweet baby in awe of the perfection…

You’ve been awake around the clock caring for your baby…

AND

You wouldn’t change a thing.

But now this crazy schedule has become your new norm and the questions are piling up.  No IKEA instructions with this little gem.  Ahhh, what to do?  Really, it’s going to be OK, take a deep breath we’ve got you covered!  Seriously, write down those middle of the night questions and get a hold of us here at HaltonParents (call, e-mail, or join us on twitter or facebook).

We’re here to help.

Let’s get started and explore 3 common questions asked by new parents:

• The hiccups
• Peeling skin
• Baby Acne/Milia

The hiccups:

First off, don’t sweat it, the hiccups don’t hurt your baby. Your little one has been hiccuping since they were cozy and calm inside your tummy. Hiccups are simply a product of the diaphragm moving up and down. Home remedies aren’t proven to decrease the frequency and length of the hiccups.  If you let them run their course, they will be gone as fast as they came.

Peeling Skin:

Yikes! Does it look like your newborn spent too much time in the sun? When babies lose the protective waxy coating (vernix) from their skin, the outer layer of their skin can get dry and peel.  According to the Canadian Pediatric Society the skin should be left to do its thing for about a week.  After that time moisturize with natural products like grape seed oil or olive oil, to keep the new skin moist and chemical free.

Baby Acne/Milia:

Darn, those little red and white bumps.  It’s picture day and nobody told you about this one!  Two options, embrace it… or there’s always photo editing!  Baby acne usually appears on the cheeks and forehead as red bumps and splotches.  Milia also appears on the face as tiny raised white bumps.  Both are thought to be caused by things like maternal hormones passing through baby.  Leave them alone, give it time (a few weeks for sure) and they will go away on their own. Don’t be tempted by acne lotions — they won’t help and aren’t safe for baby.

So there you have it… 3 less things to worry about.  While you’re here, be a smarty pants and sign up for our E-bulletin for age specific updates on your child. Before you know it you’ll be an expert on all this stuff!

Be sure to give us a shout as you navigate your parenting journey, we would love to hear from you.

• Leave us a comment below
• Tweet with us @haltonparents
• Follow us on Facebook
• Email us at haltonparents@halton.ca

For parenting information or to speak with a public health nurse (every Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) simply dial 311 or 905-825-6000.