Welcoming a newborn into the family is undoubtedly a joyous occasion, but it also comes with its share of challenges and adjustments. New parents often find themselves having sleepless nights, with endless diaper changes, and the overwhelming responsibility of caring for a tiny, fragile human being. Amid these changes, parents often neglect their equally important well-being. But self-care for parents is essential. Let's take a look into some self-care tips for new mums and dads. What is Self-Care? Self-care for parents of newborns involves intentional actions to preserve their physical and emotional well-being amid the challenges of early parenthood. It encompasses activities that promote rest, nutrition, and emotional resilience. Self-care acts as a protective shield. From prioritising quality sleep to maintaining a balanced diet, self-care is vital for navigating the demanding responsibilities of caring for a newborn.  Read more: 10 Ways to Ensure Emotional Well-being during Pregnancy Why is it Essential for New Parents to Take Care of Themselves The physical toll of caring for a newborn is undeniable. Lack of sleep, irregular eating patterns, and constant physical demands can lead to exhaustion and potential health issues. Prioritising self-care ensures parents can maintain the physical stamina needed for the demanding tasks at hand. Emotional well-being is equally crucial. The rollercoaster of emotions that accompany parenthood, from joy to frustration, can be overwhelming. Taking time for self-care enables parents to recharge emotionally, fostering a healthier mindset to face the challenges with resilience. Essential Tips for Caring Parents of Newborns Prioritise Quality Sleep Ensuring sufficient, quality sleep is crucial for both physical and mental well-being, especially as new parents grapple with inevitable sleep deprivation. To make a significant difference, one should create a sleep schedule that allows for restful nights.  Read more: 15 Gift Ideas for a Newborn Baby Parents may consider taking turns with their partner during nighttime duties to maximise the quality of their rest. This approach not only fosters a supportive partnership but also ensures both parents have opportunities for uninterrupted and rejuvenating sleep amidst the demands of caring for a newborn. Delegate Responsibilities Due to traditional mindsets and patriarchal social systems, in many families, the care of a newborn and doing household chores are granted as the mother's sole responsibility. It may deteriorate the mother’s emotional and physical health. As a result, many mothers suffer postpartum depression. Therefore, it is necessary to recognise that the mother of the baby need not shoulder everything alone; seeks the aid of her partner, family, and friends.  The new parents and other family members can share diverse responsibilities like household chores, cooking, cleaning, etc. Delegating responsibilities eases the burden and also grant parents precious moments to concentrate on both nurturing their newborn and tending to their well-being.  Read more: Newborn Baby, Infant Care Tips during Summer Building a supportive network ensures that the challenges of early parenthood are shared. It fosters a healthier and more balanced environment for both parents and their new addition to the family.

A case has been filed under the Human Trafficking Act against four people, including two physicians, on charge of stealing newborns in Rajshahi.  Syeda Tamanna Akhtar, a resident of Talaimari area in the city, lodged the case at Rajpara Police Station on Sunday.  Sub-Inspector Kajal Nandi from Rajpara Police Station said the accused in the case include Dr. Nishat Anam Barna from the Gynecology Department of Rajshahi Royal Hospital and Dr. Ali Chowdhury Rimon from the Anesthesia Department of the same hospital.  Police are currently conducting an investigation into the matter, he said.  According to the case statement, Syeda Tamanna visited Royal Hospital in Lakshmipur area of the city last Thursday with labor pains.  Based on the doctor's advice, she was admitted to the hospital around 2 pm and taken to the Operation Theater (OT) around 3 pm. After spending an hour in the OT, she was discharged.  The doctors informed them that there was no baby in her womb after the operation.  The patient and her family members said that she was expecting twins.  They claimed that after being taken to the OT and receiving anesthesia, she gave birth, but the hospital staff allegedly stole her baby. Tamanna said the ultrasound report confirmed that she was carrying a boy and a girl.  “If it was stillborn, they should have at least given it to me. Why did I carry a baby for 9 months and 12 days if my baby isn't here?” she said.  Dr. Ali Chowdhury Rimon said that the patient's condition was critical. He heard from her brother that she was carrying twins, and even the patient believed she had a baby in her womb. Therefore, he administered an anaesthetic injection.  Dr. Nishat Anam Barna claimed that a woman arrived at the hospital showing all the signs of pregnancy. Before an examination could take place, she went into labor.  “The patient's relatives failed to provide any documents or seek advice,” she said.   

Residents digging through a collapsed building in a northwest Syrian town discovered a crying infant whose mother appears to have given birth to her while buried underneath the rubble from this week’s devastating earthquake, relatives and a doctor said Tuesday. The newborn girl’s umbilical cord was still connected to her mother, Afraa Abu Hadiya, who was dead, they said. The baby was the only member of her family to survive from the building collapse Monday in the small town of Jinderis, next to the Turkish border, Ramadan Sleiman, a relative, told The Associated Press. Monday’s pre-dawn 7.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by multiple aftershocks, caused widespread destruction across southern Turkey and northern Syria. Thousands have been killed, with the toll mounting as more bodies are discovered. But dramatic rescues have also occurred. Elsewhere in Jinderis, a young girl was found alive, buried in concrete under the wreckage of her home. The newborn baby was rescued Monday afternoon, more than 10 hours after the quake struck. After rescuers dug her out, a female neighbor cut the cord, and she and others rushed with the baby to a children’s hospital in the nearby town of Afrin, where she has been kept on an incubator, said the doctor treating the baby, Dr. Hani Maarouf. Video of the rescue circulating on social media shows the moments after the baby was removed from the rubble, as a man lifts her up, her umbilical cord still dangling, and rushes away as another man throws him a blanket to wrap her in. The baby’s body temperature had fallen to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and she had bruises, including a large one on her back, but she is in stable condition, he said. Abu Hadiya must have been conscious during the birth and must have died soon after, Maarouf said. He estimated the baby was born several hours before being found, given the amount her temperature had dropped. If the girl had been born just before the quake, she wouldn’t have survived so many hours in the cold, he said. “Had the girl been left for an hour more, she would have died,” he said. When the earthquake hit before dawn on Monday, Abu Hadiya, her husband and four children apparently tried to rush out of their apartment building, but the structure collapsed on them. Their bodies were found near the building’s entrance, said Sleiman, who arrived at the scene just after the newborn was discovered. “She was found in front of her mother’s legs,” he said. “After the dust and rocks were removed the girl was found alive.” Maarouf said the baby weighed 3.175 kilograms (7 pounds), an average weight for a newborn, and so was carried nearly to term. “Our only concern is the bruise on her back, and we have to see whether there is any problem with her spinal cord,” he said, saying she has been moving her legs and arms normally. Jinderis, located in the rebel-held enclave of northwest Syria, was hard hit in the quake, with dozens of buildings that collapsed. Abu Hadiya and her family were among the millions of Syrians who fled to the rebel-held territory from other parts of the country. They were originally from the village of Khsham in eastern Deir el-Zour province, but left in 2014 after the Islamic State group captured their village, said a relative who identified himself as Saleh al-Badran. In 2018, the family moved to Jinderis after the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, an umbrella for several insurgent groups, captured the town from U.S.-backed Kurdish led fighters, Sleiman said. On Tuesday, Abu Hadiya and the girl’s father Abdullah Turki Mleihan, along with their four other children were laid to rest in a cemetery on the outskirts of Jinderis. Back inside the town, rescue operations were still ongoing in their building hoping to find survivors. The town saw another dramatic rescue Monday evening, when a toddler was pulled alive from the wreckage of a collapsed building. Video from the White Helmets, the emergency service in the region, shows a rescuer digging through crushed concrete amid twisted metal until the little girl, named Nour, appeared. The girl, still half buried, looks up dazedly as they tell her, “Dad is here, don’t be scared. … Talk to your dad, talk.” A rescuer cradled her head in his hands and tenderly wiped dust from around her eyes before she was pulled out. The quake has wreaked new devastation in the opposition-held zone, centered on the Syrian province of Idlib, which was already been battered by years of war and strained by the influx of displaced people from the country’s civil war, which began in 2011. Monday’s earthquake killed hundreds across the area, and the toll was continually mounting with hundreds believed still lost under the rubble. The quake completely or partially toppled more than 730 buildings and damaged thousands more in the territory, according to the White Helmets, as the area’s civil defense is known. The White Helmets have years of experience in digging victims out from buildings crushed by bombardment from Russian warplanes or Syrian government forces. An earthquake is a new disaster for them. “They are both catastrophes — a catastrophe that has been ongoing for 12 years and the criminal has not been held accountable, and this one is a natural catastrophe,” said the deputy head of the White Helmets, Munir Mustafa. Asked if there was a difference between rescue work in the quake and during the war, he said, “We cannot compare death with death … What we are witnessing today is death on top of death.”

The arrival of a newborn baby is always special and a joyous occasion. While visiting a newborn baby and its parents, family members, relatives, friends, and other acquaintances often love to take some gifts. Of course, choosing gifts for a newborn baby is confusing. Let’s take a look at 15 practical gift ideas for a newborn baby.  What to Consider When Picking Gifts for Newborns  Before picking a gift for newborns some things need to be considered. Check here some features that your gift should have:  Practical Usage A newborn requires many things and parents will definitely be grateful if you gift them something that they can actually use. This helps parents to cut costs.  Read More: How to Clean Baby Bottles Sentimental Value Another thing you can go in while selecting a gift is the emotional route. You could consider something that helps store memories. So choose the gift that is personalized to the baby and can be kept in the future, and remind them of these months of nervousness, excitement, and happiness. Uniqueness While picking a gift for a newborn consider the uniqueness of the gift. So avoid buying common gift items. But make sure that your unique gift is useful to the newborn or sentimental to its parents.  15 Unique Newborn Gifts Ideas  Baby’s Clothes Clothes are the most suitable gift for a newborn baby. Newborn babies need huge clothes as they waste clothes frequently. Clothing items can be mittens, bibs, vests, caps, and booties.  Read More: 12 foods that shouldn’t be given to babies and children However, you need to be careful about the quality of materials while buying baby clothes. So, buy soft and comfortable cotton clothes. Never choose synthetic fabrics for babies.  Baby Diapers You can never go wrong if you think about gifting diapers. Disposable diapers are available in the market and you can choose from the locally available reputed brands. Nowadays cloth diapers are also available in the market and you can also buy them if you are environment conscious. But always choose and buy the age-appropriate size of diapers that maintain quality. Baby Bath Equipment The new moms often feel worried about bathing their newborns because babies seem very fragile. You can somewhat reduce the anxiety of a new mom by gifting her baby bath equipment. But choose one that will be suitable for the baby’s size. However, buy the portable kind so that baby bathing can be easier and more practical. Read More: How to entertain an unwell child without screen time Baby Photo Album A baby photo album can be another excellent gift that is surely loved by new parents. If you gift a baby photo album, new parents can record all the first-year milestones of their baby. They can store pictures and footprints of their baby. They can also keep records of their personal details; the birth weight of the baby, and the time he/she was born for memory’s sake. Gold or Silver Jewellery or Other Items  Traditionally, people consider gifting gold or silver goods to a newborn baby propitious. Both Gold and Silver metal has many health benefits. You will find gold and/or silver-made bangles, anklets, etc in the local jewelry shops.  Besides jewelry items, silver-made appliances like silver glasses, bowls, spoons, etc are also popular and traditional give items for newborns. Considering your budget you can gift any of these items for to a new baby.  Read More: Safe Toys for Children: Tips to avoid harmful playing objects Musical Toys Huge collections are handy in the market when you think about gifting musical toys for newborn babies. They were available in adorable designs and peppy and soothing also to entertain the baby. However, don’t pick a toy that creates loud noise; otherwise, it will scare the baby. Baby’s Bedding Set As winter approaches, special preparation is needed for newborns. If the baby is staying in a cold region, a linen bedding set can be a nice gift. You can buy standard and comfy sleeping bags with cute motifs. For summer weather, you can gift baby bedding sets that are available in attractive and colorful designs.  Choose a quick dry variety. Make sure, you have chosen a snug bed for the newborn baby. Read More: Best foods for expecting mothers Baby’s Room Decor Go for gifting baby’s room décor items can be a fun idea. You can choose from a wide selection of things, like picture frames, wall stickers, baby room lighting, height charts, rugs and carpets, drapes, etc. Babies love to play with new things.  Play Gym You can go for gifting play gym as a new parent may choose to have a cot mobile or a play gym. This gift can engage their baby and allow them to do some chores. You can select musical kinds in bright colors. Baby Carrier Sling A baby carrier sling is one of the most practical gifts. So you can gift a baby carrier sling to the parents of a newborn baby. Try to choose a quality product that maintains standards. However, make sure you buy one that has extra neck support for smaller babies. Read More: How to comfortably travel with babies Baby Pacifier The baby pacifier is surely the right gift for a baby as it can comfort the baby easily. You will find them in different animal characters. But don’t select the cheap and toxic kinds. Choose something safe and comfortable pacifier for a baby.  Baby Skincare Products Baby needs skincare products all year round and so you can gift a set of baby skincare products, like foam shampoo, baby body lotion, massage oil, baby soap, diaper rash cream, baby wipes, and something like these. But make sure you buy products specially made for babies as babies have sensitive skin. Baby Furniture  Baby furniture for gifting can surely be the perfect gift for a baby and its parents. You can choose furniture items like dressers or changing units, nursery rocking chairs, travel cots, baby carriers, etc. You will find them in different styles and finishes. Read More: How physical punishment affects children and alternative ways to discipline them Baby Teaching Kits A teaching kit for babies is a multi-purpose gift idea. Such kits include diverse teaching things such as first words, body parts, numbers, colors, and so on. Such kits also have finger puppets, soft playing blocks, CD/DVD sets of rhymes, etc.  It is not suitable for a newborn. However, as the baby grows up, parents can utilize these teaching items to introduce the baby to various things. Diaper Bag  A diaper bag is a handy gift item that can accommodate so many things like disposable diapers, tissues or baby wipes, a changing mat, diaper rash cream, and a sanitizer. So, you can gift it to a new mom. Read More: How to deal with your demanding child? Gift Cheque If you don’t have enough time to choose and buy a gift for a new baby, you can offer a gift cheque to the new parents. They can use that money in any way they wish to. Bottom Line Not all gifts are beneficial for the user. Therefore, select a gift that’s practical for the baby and its parents so that it can be useful for a while. So far, we have shared 15 gift handy ideas for a newborn baby and new parents. Make sure that gift maintains quality and won’t take up too much space. 

Police on Friday arrested a local Awami League (AL) leader for strangling to death a newborn he himself fathered with a widow in Mujibnagar village under Sylhet’s Jaintapur upazila. The arrestee has been identified as Fakhrul Islam, member of No 1 Nijpat Union Parishad and Vice president of No 2 Ward unit of AL. According to police, Fakhrul developed an illicit relationship with Sharufa Begum, a widow for ten years, after her husband’s death. Fakhrul was assisted by two people, namely Suhel Ahmad and Jamir Uddin, in this crime. Sharufa got pregnant recently and gave birth to a baby boy on Friday. Read: Nusrat Murder: AL leader arrested from Dhaka Upon hearing about the birth of the child, Fakhrul strangulated the newborn to death and buried it based on the counsel of Suhel and Jamir. The widow informed the locals about the matter, who then called up the police for taking action against the killers.   “We’ve recovered the body of the newborn and sent it to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital for DNA test. Also, we’ve arrested Fakhrul and looking for the other two accused. The victim has filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act for infant killing,” said Golam Dastgir Ahmad, Officer In-charge (OC) of Jaintapur Model Police Station.

An aggrieved father has blamed the private clinic where his wife gave birth for the subsequent deaths of the newborn twins, within hours of being born on Tuesday. The tragedy occurred at the Matriseba Normal Delivery Centre, a private clinic in the Port City’s Jhornapara area. The victims’ father Md Monir, a tempo driver, said his wife was admitted to the clinic when she went into labour around noon on Tuesday. “My wife gave birth to twins around half an hour after she was hospitalized,” said Monir, adding that the clinic asked him to shift the babies to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for better treatment. Read: Stolen newborn rescued in Ctg; 3 held “Though the clinic demanded Tk 10,000 for their service, I paid Tk 5,000 since the babies were delivered normally,” he said. While he was engaged in arguing over this with the clinic authorities, the babies apparently died due to lack of oxygen. Monir blames the clinic for not letting him go and take his children to CMCH without paying the full amount. A tense situation befell the clinic as news of the tragedy spread through the area, said witnesses. Md Sakhawat Hossain, the OC of Double Mooring police station, said a team was dispatched to the clinic as soon as they learned about it, and they eventually brought the situation under control. The clinic was put under lock and key and four staff members were detained by police. OC Sakhawat said that legal action will be taken once allegations are filed officially with police.  

A newborn baby was found abandoned at a graveyard in Ibrahimpur on the outskirts of Sunamganj town on Thursday night. Hearing the cries of the newborn around 10pm, locals rescued the girl and rushed her to Sunamganj Sadar Hospital. Taslima Akter, a resident of the area, said, “We heard the cries and found the newborn baby at the graveyard. Later we informed the police and rescued her." Also read: Baby born on road after accident that kills parents, sister Local UP member Giash Uddin said he would be more than happy to raise the baby. "She is being taken care of at the hospital," he said. Also read: Baby snake killed after bit by 16 months old in Chuadanga Sunamganj sadar police station assistant sub-inspector Sohel Ahmad said they had informed their higher authorities about the matter.

A newborn has been rescued from the sewerage pipe of Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital after her mother gave birth in a toilet of the maternity ward, the hospital’s director said on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when Shilpi Begum accidentally delivered the baby girl on a high commode of the toilet. Also read: Woman gives birth on running Dhaka-bound train The prematurely born baby slipped toilet’s pipeline and got stuck some metres below,, said baby’s father Neyamat Ullah, a fisher from Swarupkathi upazila in Pirojpur. He said,” I went out to bring some medicines after the doctor decided to conduct a c section surgery for delivering the baby. As I returned, I saw people crowding around the toilet and my relatives crying.” “They described to me the whole incident. I could hear my baby crying from inside the pipe but was unable to bring her out,” said he. The hospital immediately informed the nearby Fire Service office to rescue the baby. But before they arrived Neyamat broke the  pipe on the second floor of the hospital building and rescued the baby who suffered slight bruises. Also read: Woman who sold newborn to foot hospital bills, gets him back Baby’s mother Shilpi said she didn’t realise when she gave birth due to severe labour pain. “The rescued baby is currently admitted at Special Care Newborn Units (SCANU) and the mother at the maternity ward. We are giving top priority to their treatment,” said Dr HM Saiful Islam, Director of SBMCH.

A single mother in Chandpur who was forced to sell her baby immediately after giving birth to foot the hospital bills, got back her child Thursday night, all thanks to the local administration. Tamanna Begum, 28, from Hanir Par village in Matlab Uttar upazila, underwent a C-section to deliver her baby Wednesday. But she had to sell the newborn boy to pay Tk 40,000 for the delivery at a private hospital. Tamanna’s husband has been missing for a long time, and her neighbours admitted her to the hospital after her labor pain started. "Soon after my admission, I gave birth to my son but no one sadly came forward to foot the medical bills. A man proposed to me that I could sell my baby to pay the bills and I complied," she said. Also read: Abandoned newborn rescued by police after man calls 999 As the news spread across the locality, on Thursday, additional commissioner (land) Mohammad Hedayetullah and local police conducted a joint drive to return the child to her mother. In fact, they recovered the baby from a woman named Shimla Aktar in Shatnal union of the upazila. After interrogation, they found out that both the parties had mutually brokered the deal. Later, the administration handed over the baby to Tamanna by making both of them sign a bond. Also read: Bodies of 2 newborns recovered from a box in Sherpur Gazi Shariful Hasan, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) who supervised the drive, said, “We are glad that we could return the baby to his mother with spontaneous support of the locals.” UNO Shariful personally gave Tk 5,000 to Tamanna as assistance.  

Police on Wednesday recovered the body of a newborn child from an alley at Kamrangichar in the city. Md Saidul Islam, sub-inspector (SI) of Kamrangichar Police Station, said they recovered the body around 12pm. Read: Bodies of 2 newborns recovered from a box in Sherpur The newborn's left arm and the left knee were broken, he said. The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) morgue for an autopsy, said the SI.