The Newborn Anthem—a poem
April is National Poetry Month, and a secret love of mine is rhyming. I don’t think you can quite call it poetry, but it’s such perfect timing! (See what I did there?!) Today I’m sharing an infant development poem I wrote to help break down some of the information about the newborn period. Enjoy the silliness, and hopefully you will learn a thing or two—lots of evidence-based info about each suggestion is linked all the way through!
(Also, do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in some true, beautiful poetry this month.)
The Newborn Anthem
Hey new parent! Congrats on your newborn!
There’s lots of info out there—you might be feeling torn.
So here’s a quick list from your baby to you
To help you decide what you’d like to do:
Put me on my back to sleep
But tummy to play
—an hour a day keeps the PT away!
Swaddle me snugly when I am little
But make sure there’s room for my hips to wiggle!
Use a rear-facing car seat until I am two,
And until my first birthday, I want to sleep in the same room as you!
To use a binky or not, is your choice to make,
It may help me self-soothe, but can be a tough habit to break!
Remember that FED is best—whatever baby and mama need,
Whether bottle, breast, or tube, let’s get in those feeds!
Starting day one of birth, enjoy skin-to-skin time every day,
Because best of all are the snuggles and play!
Baby-wearing can be bonding for both parent and baby.
It allows movement experience (and even doing chores, maybe?!)
I have no doubt you’ll be the best parent of all,
Eat, sleep, snuggle, play—the newborn phase is a ball!
And if things get hard, you know who to call!
(Remember what I always say…consult your doc/PT at the end of the day)
TL;DR
First of all, it’s not too long, so GO READ! :)
Babies are great
Parenthood is great, but can be hard
There is lot’s of info out there, so choose what’s best for YOU!
Eat, sleep, snuggle, play—and always consult a medical professional to guide your decisions