The show, sponsored by Lidl GB, will take place from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th March, providing a one-stop shop for new and expectant parents to try and buy products, watch live demonstrations, listen to the UK’s top experts and benefit from brilliant discounts!
The Live Talks Stage will host some of the UK’s leading baby and parenting experts and guest speakers ready to offer their free expert advice, information and support. Here some of them answer the most googled questions by new parents:
Comments from Dr Shruti Nathwani, NHS Paediatrician and host of the instagram platform @thechildrensmedic
Firstly, we want to say that this can vary hugely from baby to baby and even though it’s hard, it’s very for parents to try and not compare their baby’s poo to others! At the minimum, you should expect about three bowel movements a day, though some newborns will have anywhere from 4-12 per day and others will only poop once every few days. Bowel movements will change as your baby ages, especially as they start eating more solids.
There can be a difference in poop frequency between breastfed and bottlefed babies. If you’re breastfeeding then your baby may poo several times a day, sometimes as often as every feed. This usually decreases after around six weeks. If you’re bottle feeding then you may see up to 5 full nappies a day in the first few weeks, decreasing to about once a day after a few months.
As long as your baby is passing soft stools, is feeding well and not showing any signs of discomfort or distress then infrequent poos aren’t usually an issue, and don’t always mean that your baby is constipated. However, if no stool passes for more than 7-10 days, or earlier if baby appears unwell, let your health visitor know or contact your GP.
The number of wet nappies increases quite quickly in the first few days of your baby’s life. In the first 2 days, you would expect around 2-3 wet nappies but from day 5 of life onwards you would expect around 6 heavy wet nappies in 24 hours.
Comments from Dr Shruti Nathwani, NHS Paediatrician and host of the instagram platform @thechildrensmedic
Sticky eyes are really common in newborn babies because their tear ducts are still developing and therefore can get easily blocked. The poor drainage can cause sticky white or yellow discharge around the corner of one or both of your newborn baby’s eyes. The eyelashes can also stick together as a result. You would expect the narrow or blocked tear ducts to start opening up within the first few months of life with normal draining following.
You can either leave it alone or clean your baby’s eyes with cotton wool dipped in clean, cooled boiled water. You can then use the damp cotton wool to wipe each eye from the corner by the nose outwards. Use a clean piece of cotton wool for each eye and make sure to wash your hands before and after. You can also try and massage the tear duct using gentle pressure every few hours by very lightly pressing the outside of the nose near the corner of the eye. If you find that the sticky eye persists beyond the first few months or you notice green discharge/red eyes make sure to speak to your GP.
Comments from Dr Shruti Nathwani, NHS Paediatrician and host of the instagram platform @thechildrensmedic
Newborn hiccups can be quite common and usually are not a cause for concern. Parental concern usually outweighs your newborn baby’s discomfort and most cases resolve on their own. If you want to try and help reduce hiccups you could try and wind your baby more often or try and feed in a more upright position to reduce the amount of gas building up. Sometimes hiccups can be a sign of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) if associated with other symptoms such as regurgitation and distressed behaviour or agitation during feeding. If you think this is the case please see a healthcare professional.
Comments from Dr Shruti Nathwani, NHS Paediatrician and host of the instagram platform @thechildrensmedic
Babies are nasal breathers so when their noses are blocked it can impact their breathing and feeding. One product that can really help is nasal saline spray which is used best before feeds and at night before bedtime. The saline can help break down the snot and moisten the nasal passages making it easier for your little one to breathe. Snot suckers are also helpful at sucking out the boogers that babies can’t expel themselves from their nose. Remember babies can become easily dehydrated so if their noses are blocked try and feed little and often to keep them nice and hydrated.
Comments from Sarah Patel, Infant Sleep Consultant, @teachtosleep
This is something most newborns struggle with because they are used to being in a warm, snug environment where they have felt like they are being held all the time. Making sure that your newborn is fast asleep before you try the transfer as this will make the process easier. Playing white noise and warming their crib (try putting a hot towel from the dryer or a hot water bottle in their crib for a few minutes before they go in) can really help. You can also support the transfer by putting them into the crib on their side and then slowly rolling them onto their back and gradually removing finger by finger.
Comments from Sarah Patel, Infant Sleep Consultant, @teachtosleep
This can vary hugely with some only needing 9 hours of sleep in 24 hour period and others needing as much as 19 hours in a 24 hour period. Getting to know your newborn and their particular sleep needs can be a game changer. Keep an eye out for their sleepy signals and support them to fall asleep whenever you see that they are tired.
Comments from Sarah Patel, Infant Sleep Consultant, @teachtosleep
Newborns rarely have a sleep schedule, but rather follow a pattern of sleeping, feeding, being awake and feeding to sleep again. There is no magic schedule that you need to follow, just follow their sleepy signals which may mean they need to be having a nap as often as every 20-45 minutes in the first few days and weeks. This ‘awake window’ will gradually increase to around an hour – an hour and a half by around 1-3 months of age.
Comments from Clare Byam-Cook, Former midwife and author of “What to Expect when you’re Breastfeeding….and What if you Can’t?”
It’s not possible to give a straightforward answer as to how much milk a newborn should drink as it all depends on how old the baby, is how much they weigh and how frequently they are feeding. For example, a large baby who is feeding every four hours will drink far more at each feed than a small baby who is feeding two hourly. But as a rough guide, from 4 days to 3 weeks, most babies will drink approximately 70 to 100 mls per feed.
Useful tip: When breastfeeding, you will know that your baby is getting enough milk if he settles well after each feed and is gaining the correct amount of weight. When feeding with a bottle, there should always be a bit of milk left in the bottle so you know your baby has stopped feeding because he is full rather than because the bottle is empty.
Comments from Clare Byam-Cook, Former midwife and author of “What to Expect when you’re Breastfeeding….and What if you Can’t?”
Again, there is no absolute answer to this question as it all depends on how much milk the mother has, how quickly it flows and how efficiently her baby sucks. In the first few days before the milk comes in, most babies need to feed little and often, sometimes as frequently as 1 to 2 hourly in order to get the small amounts of colostrum that their mother is producing. But once the milk proper comes in around day three or four, a mother who is lucky enough to produce lots of milk should find that her baby chooses to feed less frequently than this – maybe 3-4 hourly. But if a mother has a low milk supply, her baby may need to feed much more frequently in order to get the milk they need and to stimulate the breasts to increase production.
Useful tip: If your baby is getting plenty of milk and has no digestive problems such as wind or colic, they will settle well after feeds and last 3-4 hours before they get hungry and ‘demand’ another feed. If your baby wants to feed much more frequently than this it is likely that he is having snacks rather than a full feed
Disclaimer: The information above does not replace competent medical advice. Please seek help from a healthcare professional if you’re worried about your child.
