Your Newborn Baby's Fifth Week: Umbilical cord needs special care to keep it from getting infected

For the first few weeks, your baby’s umbilical cord needs special care to keep it from getting infected. If your baby boy has been circumcised, his penis also desires to be protected from infection. Your baby gets everything he needs to live and grow through the umbilical cord. At birth this cord is clamped-off close to his body and cut. To help the base dry out and fall off, keep the stump uncovered by folding the diaper below the umbilical cord stump. Folding down his diaper keeps urine from getting on the stump and leaks it to air. Until the stump falls off and the raw spot heals, clean the base of the stump with cotton sloped swab and rubbing alcohol each time you change his diaper and at bath time. Dip the cotton swab in alcohol and clean at the base where the base meets the skin. 

A newborn’s head is the heaviest part of his/her body and makes up about 1/4 of his total body length. At birth, his/her neck muscles are not strong enough to support his/her head. The neck muscles will become strong enough after a few months. Until then, when you hold your baby, place one hand behind his/her head for support.

Neat your baby’s fingernails a few days after birth to prevent him/her from scratching his/her face or eyes. His/her fingernails will grow quickly and you may need to trim them twice a week. It may be easier to neat them while your baby is sleeping or someone else is holding him/her. Be very careful when you neat his/her nails because they grow very close to the tips of his/her fingers and you don’t want to cut the ends of his fingers. It is safest to trim his nails with an emery board made especially for babies. Do not bite off your baby’s nails as this can cause an infection from a virus. The toenails do not grow as fast and are not likely to scratch your baby. Trimming them every other week should be enough.

Your baby’s head is supported in the palm of your hand. His/her body is held along your arm like a football and supported against the side of your body. The football position allows you to keep one of your hands free. The football position is useful when washing your baby’s hair or for breastfeeding. The shoulder hold is often used for burping a baby. Hold your baby upright with his/her chest against your chest so that one side of his face rests on your shoulder, and his body is supported by “sitting” on your arm. When you lean forward to take him off your shoulder, support his head with the hand used to pat his back. Also, you can hide him in an upright position by sitting him on a pillow in your lap, supporting his head and chest with one hand and gently patting or rubbing his back with the other. This position allows you to see any spit-ups. 
Beware about Newborn Jaundice

Your Baby's First Year: Week by Week 
Previous Stage < ### > Next Stage

You might also like

More Baby Care Topics

Hepatitis B Vaccine
MMR Vaccine
BCG Vaccine
Polio Vaccine
HIB Vaccine 
Typhoid Vaccine
Rota Virus Vaccine

Baby Care: Useful Tips
Ideal weight gain in a New Born Baby
How much sleep does your baby need?
Breast Feeding Techniques
Well Breast Feeding Signs
How do I store my Breast Milk? 
Which day care center is more comfort?