BABIES: THE FIRST YEAR

Welcome! If you're reading this, you must be a new or expecting parent. Congratulations on your little bundle of joy. Humans are programmed to breed and nurture their young, but there are still many important lessons you must learn in order to be a good parent.

First off, how was your childbirth? Fun? Painful? I bet. If you want to read about the process of childbirth, please look elsewhere as this post is simply about the first year of a baby's life. After a baby exits the mother's vaginal canal, it is often covered in blood and/or mucus. You may think your baby looks gross, but I assure you that he or she just needs to be cleaned off. The baby will also probably be screaming quite loudly!!!! But wouldn't you be screaming loudly if you were just pushed out of your comfortable, womb-like home you'd been living in happily for the past nine months?

The best thing to do after your baby is cleaned off and swaddled is to speak to him or her. Make him or her comfortable with the voice of their parents. He or she may or may not be hungry when she comes out, as well. Are you breastfeeding?? If so, great! Let the baby drink milk from your breast. If you are the mother, of course. If you're the father, be supportive of the child's mother as breastfeeding is harder than it looks and can often be painful. Usually there is a nurse that can help you adjust to breastfeeding.

The baby may spit up. That can be messy! Watch out!

If you are not breastfeeding, there is nothing wrong with that!!!! Really!!! Just give the baby formula from a bottle. The father can do this as well, unlike breastfeeding, which is one reason many parents choose this method of feeding.

For the rest of the year, your baby may or may not sleep through the night. Babies cry a lot and need a lot of attention. Try to teach them how to speak when they get closer to a year. They will probably start saying stuff like "mama" or "dada." Depends on which parent is around the most, I guess. Baby poop smells gross and diapers need to be changed as often as possible. I mean, unless there is no poop or pee.

Remember - parenting is a beautiful thing! Enjoy your child - after year one there are many wonderful years left.