Baby Care 101

Guess what — you're already a natural at caring for your baby (maternal instinct isn't a myth!). Start feeling like a parenting pro now with this guide to basic baby care, complete with tips to keep your newborn clean, cozy and happy.

Worried your newborn will be sporting a backwards diaper and you won’t even notice? Positively sure you'll fail to ever get a big burp out of your little one? Certain beyond a doubt that you’ll fall prey to the bevy of potential breastfeeding problems? Stop stressing. Remind yourself that you're a first-time parent with little prior experience in most things baby, from changing diapers (especially for a newborn boy who loves to make a splash) to burping (your baby, not you), so you can't be expected to be in the baby-care-know right off the bat. And even if you do mess up a little in the first few weeks, relax — first of all, blunders are a rite of parenting passage, and second of all, chances are your baby will be very forgiving. Actually, your pipsqueak probably won't even notice your inexperience and certainly won't remember that you waited a few too many days to trim those nails or that you didn’t get every speck of grime out of the cute folds in his baby neck.

One way to start breathing easily? Get the 411 for first-time parents with this basic baby-care guide. All your need-to-know newborn info, from belching techniques to umbilical-cord-stump care, is just a few clicks away. And the more you learn about caring for your baby — and the more you get to know your bundle’s little quirks — the more comfortable you’ll start to feel in those new-mom shoes. Before you know it, you’ll be grooming and bathing your newborn without batting an eye.

Even though babies grow (and grow) faster than you can imagine, one thing stays the same: Mother (hey, that’s you!) knows best. That being said, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it, and lots of it — whether it’s tapping an experienced mommy friend for swaddling suggestions or asking your mother-in-law to babysit (and it’s totally okay to skip date night to sneak in some much-needed shut-eye while Grandma’s on duty).

So whether you’re a laid-back lady looking for a few first-time parenting pointers or you worried throughout your entire pregnancy (both are completely normal), when it comes down to it, you want to do as much right as possible for your precious newborn. Luckily, with a little practice (and you'll get plenty of that) and some extra guidance (just keep on reading), you'll be a pro in no time.