Photo: Emily Taylor
The first few hours, days and weeks with your baby can be equal parts terrific and terrifying. Prospective parents know newborns require around-the-clock care, but it?s still a shock to discover what exactly that entails. There?s the riddle of how to soothe the ceaseless crying of a tiny person who can?t even talk. Is she hungry" Does she need her diaper changed" Is she just toying with us" Getting to know each other can be overwhelming. It?s an intense time of change and growth for the baby?and the parents.
Thinking of it as an additional trimester can help. ?This is the most important concept for new parents to grasp,? says Harvey Karp, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California and creator of The Happiest Baby on the Block book and DVDs. ?Once you understand that, everything that?s going on will make sense and seem more manageable.? Photo: Emily Taylor
1. Recreate life on the inside:

Karp explains that compared with other mammals, human babies are actually born several months too early. ?A horse, cow or camel can run on the day it?s born,? he says. A human baby, by comparison, can?t even lift his head for four weeks or so.
To facilitate all the growth that needs to happen before a baby can be a bit more independent, parents should try to recreate life on the inside as much as possible. In the uterus, your baby became accustomed to several key elements: constant touch, a confined space, loud rhythmic ...