Being a new parent is an exciting and joyous time, but if we are being totally honest with ourselves, it can also be a time of worry. Questions like “Is my baby eating enough?” or “Does this nighttime crying mean colic?” are concerning.

As the parents of a brand-new baby, your worry is probably magnified several times over by the fact that we are also in the middle of a global pandemic. In addition to the regular concerns parents have faced for centuries, you may also wonder about how to safely care for your newborn during COVID-19.

Here are four tips to help you navigate this decidedly different time.

Physical Distancing Is Still Best

Yes, you want all of your family and friends to meet your precious new little one, but to keep you and your infant as healthy as possible, these in-person visits will have to be rain-checked a bit longer. As the Mayo Clinic notes, people outside the household should not come over until the pandemic has resolved. In your home, everyone who cares for the baby should wash their hands really well first and also wear a mask when holding the infant. 

This advice also applies to any older children in the house; they should be wearing kids' face masks when interacting with their newest sibling. If you have been understandably busy recovering from childbirth while caring for a brand-new human and have not had the chance to stock up on new masks for your older kids, no worries — you can order comfortable, colorful and highly effective kids' KN95 masks right from the comfort of home from a retailer like Green Supply.

Find Other Ways to Stay in Touch

To stay connected with your loved ones who don’t live with you, for now, rely on video chats through platforms like Zoom and FaceTime so everyone can see your baby cooing and looking adorable. You can also stay in touch via text or e-mail, sending cute photos of your newborn and/or making posts on social media.

If someone gets fussy about not being able to come by and meet your baby, gently remind him or her that newborns do not have mature immune systems and that you are doing everything you can to keep your infant healthy during the global pandemic.

Keep Up With Your Postpartum and Well Baby Checkups

While you might be tempted to skip going to the OB/GYN for postpartum visits and avoid the pediatrician’s office for well-baby checkups, Mount Nittany Health advises that you should attend these appointments as scheduled. It is important for your pediatrician to check your baby’s growth and ask questions about feeding, sleeping and other issues, and keeping him or her up to date on vaccinations is also crucial. If you have concerns about taking your baby into an office filled with ill kiddos, call ahead and ask if they have a separate room for healthy children, and/or if you can wait in your car until you are ready to be seen. 

Your physical and mental health is also paramount, so seeing your OB/GYN as scheduled means you will not only get a checkup to be sure you are healing well from the birth, but also have the chance to go over any questions and concerns you may have about nursing, sleeping and how to handle everything during the pandemic.

Enjoy That New Little One

The birth of a baby is something to be celebrated, no matter what is going on in the rest of the world. By being extra vigilant about handwashing and mask-wearing in your home, being firm with well-meaning relatives about sticking to virtual visits for now and keeping up with the medical appointments for mom and baby, you and your infant will get through the COVID-19 pandemic as safely as possible.