Dana Gutkowski
Latest posts by Dana Gutkowski (see all)
- How can I be a good aunt? - May 19, 2021
- Aunt Quotes - March 19, 2021
- End Your Silence. Support Black Lives Matter - June 29, 2020
Choosing to babysit an infant is a major commitment. What is an infant? Infants are children under 12 months old (1 year). In some instances you may hear that they have extended this stage of life for up to 2 years old, however, for the purposes of this post, I will be referring to infants as children under 1-year-old.
During this stage of their lives, children are beautiful bundles of joy, but they’re also quite fragile. They are completely dependant on the help of others to be fed, burped, changed, kept warm or cool, and making sure that they’re safe at all times. On top of that, you’re going to have to figure out which of those they’ll need on your own because they can’t talk. Whoa!
Don’t worry, you’re in the same boat as their parents too. Mothers and Fathers have to learn what their baby cries mean because not everything comes second nature to them either. Once you have some experience with infants you’ll be able to predict what their needs are too. And parents are usually pretty good at telling you the specific behaviors for their child, but you should also go in with some basic knowledge.
What are the needs of an infant?
1.) Feeding
While babysitting an infant, you’ll need to know what their feed schedule is. Schedules and routines are very important, especially for this age. Depending on how young they are, they may only be taking formula or breast milk from a bottle.
As they get older, usually around 6 months, they’ll start to be given solid foods, like pureed vegetables and fruits and will also most likely have rice cereal mixed into their bottles.
NEVER give a baby any food that the parent hasn’t specifically told you to give them.
It’s up to the parents and Doctor to determine what foods can be given to infants by how old. They cannot swallow or chew very well so don’t take it upon yourself to share any of your food with the baby.
There’s a whole host of items that shouldn’t be given to children under 1-year-old, however, for you, it’s everything other than what the parent has told you to give them and at what time.
2.) Burping
Infants have trouble expelling gas on their own. It’s sad to watch a little baby dealing with gas pains. They’ll cry a lot when they have gas. Think about how badly your stomach hurts when you have gas. Then try to imagine not knowing what’s wrong with you at the same time. You might cry as well.
Since they take most of their food through a bottle, they also ingest a lot of air through the sucking motion. So these little guys will need to get it out.
Ask the parent how often the baby usually needs to be burped. When I was watching my nieces and nephews at this age and bottle feeding them, we burped them once after every ounce was drunk. You’ll have to check the levels on the side of the bottle to know how much they’ve taken. Otherwise, burping is an as needed thing, but they’ll certainly after an entire bottle is taken in.
If you’ve never burped a baby before, here is a helpful resource. Newborn Burping Techniques.
Changing
Infants need to be changed regularly, but it also depends on how much they’re eating for
If they poop, they have to be changed right away. It’s not healthy or sanitary to leave a baby in a poopy diaper. Poopy diapers are usually pretty messy, so make sure you have a garbage bag, wipes, and gloves (if you prefer) ready set up before you remove the diaper.
You won’t have to wonder if the baby pooped or not. The smell will permeate the room and you’ll know it’s go time! Also, be prepared that sometimes it’s A LOT of poop you’re dealing with. I can recall on more than one occasion when I was blessed with a poop diaper that went all the way to the baby’s neck!
Helpful tip: If you just changing pee, slide the clean diaper under the baby while the old diaper is still on. That way once you’ve removed the dirty diaper, you can quickly flip the new diaper up over their private parts and protect yourself from any pee pee flying up at you. It’s happened to me with both boys and girls when I wasn’t paying close enough attention.
If it’s a poop diaper, on to the baby’s legs above their stomach and remove the diaper from front to back. This is to avoid spreading any poop around. Have the box of wipes open next to you to start cleaning the baby up. And always wipe front to back!
Important:
Always keep one hand on the baby while changing them. Even if they are very young, you’ll have to get used to using one hand for lots of things!
Nap time
Infants need their beauty rest! They’re usually on a schedule for sleep, so it probably won’t be a guessing game for you. Also, they can’t help themselves. If they’re tired, they’ll usually conk out.
After
Ask the parents where to put the baby once they have fallen asleep. Or if they’re independent sleepers, (you’re lucky), where you should put them down to fall asleep on their own.
If the infant needs a little help falling asleep, go into a room that is quiet and dark. Rock the baby to sleep in your arms while humming or singing a song. I’ve found this to be the best method if they have trouble sleeping on their own.
Important:
Only allow babies to sleep on their backs! There is a high risk for babies to suffocate if they sleep on their stomachs. They’re not strong enough to roll over, so be very cautious and mindful when putting them down for a nap.
Interaction
Infants don’t just need to be fed, changed, and put down for a nap. They need some attention too! Infant toys usually light up and make funny sounds. Spend some time with the baby and interact with them with their toys.
Warning: Their smiles and laughs are contagious. 🙂
How do you know what they need an w hen?
Knowing what the baby needs and when they need it can be a little tricky. You’ll learn a lot based on their schedule and from the information that the parents give you. However, sometimes, you have to figure it out on your own too.
It’s usually a process of elimination.
If the infant…
- Just ate, they’re probably not hungry. Try burping them.
- Got up from a nap, they might be scared, too hot, too cold, or again, might have gas. If they’re hot, they’ll be sweaty. You can feel if they’re cold too by touch their skin. Sometimes a wet diaper can make them chilly, but in my experience babies don’t actually cry from a dirty diaper.
- Looks sleepy, such as watery and droopy eyes, and is acting like they want to literally fight you, it’s usually time for a nap. Some babies put up a fight and cry before going down for a nap.
- Has been given a bottle, been burped, and took a nap, he or she might just be bored. Some babies just want attention or to be held.
- Feels very warm, they may have a temperature, but their body temperature runs higher than adults. Use a thermometer to confirm, anything over 100 degrees F is usually considered a fever. Notify their parents immediately. Learn more about baby fevers from Web MD
Do not give any medication to the baby without parental consent. If consent is given, make sure you have read the bottle for the dosage and confirm that with the parent.
- And if you feel like you’ve done everything and the baby is STILL crying, it might be a stomach ache. Gassy or colicky babies cry A LOT.
How to start babysitting an infant
If you have little to no experience watching an infant, it might be a good idea to start out as a Mother’s or Father’s helper. Meaning, the parent is still in the home, but you’re looking after the baby. If you have an issue, you can ask questions so you become more comfortable with watching the baby.
This will help you get acquainted with the house to make sure that you know where all the items are kept, i.e. bottles, diapers, clean clothes, blankets, etc.
The parent can do other things like take a nap, clean, or tend to other household needs. It may sound a little silly to be a babysitter while the parents are still home, but it’s actually quite helpful for them to have a second set of hands around. Infants are a lot of work when they’re not sleeping.
Once you feel comfortable enough, the parent can start to go out for short periods of time until you both feel comfortable being left alone for longer breaks.
Babysitting an infant is much different from babysitting a toddler. Since they don’t have any speech you have to depend on their nonverbal queues to tend to their needs. If you feel like you’re not ready to take this on just yet, seek babysitting positions for older children. Once you’ve become a more seasoned babysitter, you can they consider children of younger ages.
