The Important Things Every Mother Needs to Know

Being a new parent is a daunting task. Here are some details that will help
make this task a little easier. The three main areas a new parent need all the
information they can get is on the babys sleeping schedule, their feeding
schedule and a comprehensive list of all the things you will need when the
baby comes.
Babys Sleeping Schedule
The hardest part about being a parent is getting your baby to sleep and
knowing if they are getting enough sleep, generally. The number of hours a
baby sleeps in a day varies with each child, and according to age. Here are
the ballpark figures of how much a baby should sleep approximately,
depending on their age.
Age: Newborn-2 months
Total Sleep: 16-18 hours
Nighttime Sleep: 8-9 hours
Naps: 7-9 hours (3-5 naps)
Age: 2-4 months
Total Sleep: 14-16 hours
Nighttime Sleep: 9-10 hours
Naps: 4-5 hours (3 naps)
Age: 4-6 months
Total Sleep: 14-15 hours
Nighttime Sleep: 10 hours
Naps: 4-5 hours (2-3 naps)
Age: 6-9 months
Total Sleep: 14 hours
Nighttime Sleep: 10-11 hours
Naps: 3-4 hours (2 naps)
Age: 9-12 months
Total Sleep: 14 hours
Nighttime Sleep: 10-12 hours
Naps: 2-3 hours (2 naps)
Age: 12-18 months
Total Sleep: 13-14 hours
Nighttime Sleep: 11-12 hours
Naps: 2-3 hours (1-2 naps)
Age: 18 months - 2 years

Total Sleep: 13-14 hours

Nighttime Sleep: 11 hours
Naps: 2 hours (1 nap)
Age: 2-3 years
Total Sleep: 12-14 hours
Nighttime Sleep: 10-11 hours
Naps: 1-2 hours (1 nap)
Age: 3-5 years
Total Sleep: 11-13 hours
Nighttime Sleep: [10-11] 10-13
hours

Naps: 0-1 hours (naps usually stop by age 5)

Babys Feeding Schedule
After sleeping, the second things
parents generally worry about is
their baby's diet. Here is a guide
to what your child should be
eating according to his or her
age.
Age: Birth to 4 months: Breast
milk or formula only
Feeding Schedule: During the
first four months of their life, a
baby drinks all its calories. You
should feed them roughly 28-32
ounces of formula or breastfeed
them 8 to 10 times a day.

Solid Food: None

What should the baby eat: Formula or breast milk only. Formula and
breast milk has essential nutrients that the baby needs for proper growth
and development.
Age: 4 to 6 months: Breast milk or formula and single-grain cereal
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you breastfeed your
baby for about 6 months. However, you may feed your baby some solid
foods before this time. Watch out for signs that your child is ready for solid
food. These signs are:

Can hold their head up

Can sit in a high chair
Shows general curiosity in their surroundings
Can open and close mouth around a spoon
Is showing movement of the tongue or is enacting chewing motions
Is double their birth weight or weighs at least 13 pounds

Feeding Schedule: At 4 to 6 months, feed your child breast milk every 3 to

4 hours or 20-28 ounces of formula
Solid food: feed your child two meals a day of no more than 2 to 4
tablespoons each.
What should the baby eat: Single-grain cereals. Single-grain cereals are
fortified with iron, which your baby needs after being born. Combine one
teaspoon of single-grain cereal with baby formula or breast milk, once your
baby can eat this runny meal you can thicken it by adding more cereal.
Age: 6 to 9 months
Feeding Schedule: At around 6 to 7 months, your baby will start
understanding the concept of solid food. As soon as they show this
understanding (by seeming to be excited by solid food, or making consistent
chewing motions) start them on a schedule. Start feeding your child three
times a day. It is okay if they feel hungry in the middle, just try to keep to a
schedule so that they can learn to follow it.
Solid Food: Feed your child solid food three times a day; for breakfast,
lunch and dinner. Each meal should be 3 to 4 tablespoons. They should have
breast milk every 3 to 4 hours or 20-28 ounces of formula in a day.
What Should the Baby Eat: Pureed fruits, vegetables and meats. Most
parents start with bananas because they are so soft, but any fruit or
vegetable that is sufficiently pureed should suffice.

Age: 9-12 months

Feeding Schedule: By this age, you should
have trained your baby to be regularly feed
thrice a day. It would only make your life
simpler.
Solid Food: Feed your child around 5
tablespoons of solid food, thrice a day. If they
get hungry in between meals, you can also
give them a snack such as mashed graham
crackers. The goal is that by the time they turn
1, they are on a proper eating schedule.
What Should the Baby Eat: Grounded,
mashed, or chopped foods. You can start
feeding your baby grounded graham crackers
or grounded fruits and vegetables by this age.
It is okay if you want to keep your baby on pureed foods on a little longer,
but Is relatively safe to feed them mashed rice and casseroles at this point.
Meal Times:
Try setting a routine when it comes to meal times. Wash your childs hands,
make them wear a bib, and set them in front of a table. This way they will be
able to sense that it is meal time, and eventually get in the habit of following
a schedule.
The following tracker is a chart that helps you keep a track of your babys
feeding, and sleeping schedule as well as their weight and the number of
diapers they have used in a
day.

Baby Shopping List

Having a baby can be very stressful,
but that is one thing that you should
not feel. Stress is very bad for pregnant
women. Rather than stress about the
birth of your child, take this time to
read up on motherhood, and prepare
for the time ahead. To help you in this
regard, we have prepared a
comprehensive list of items you would need when the baby arrives.

Clothes for the Baby:

5
5
2
2
1
1

onesies or undershirts
pairs of socks
hats
sweaters
blanket
or 2 dress-up outfits

Items for the Mother:

Maternity Clothes- lose button downs and trousers that you are comfortable
in

2 or 3 Maternity Bras
Breast Pump
Nipple cream and stretch marks ointment
Breast Pads

Changing:

Diapers
Baby Powder and Lotion
Pillow to Support the Baby
Tissues and wipes
Diaper rash cream
Changing mat
Disposal for dirty diapers

Other Items:

A car seat
A high chair
A crib or a bassinet
Baby mattress
4 to 5 baby sheets
A pram
Stuffed toys/mobile
A diaper bag