The first week at home with a newborn baby is a real baptism of fire for a new mother. Constant alertness, a lot of questions and worries: is everything really okay with him? In order to help parents during this difficult period, together with pediatrician Polina Aleksandrovna Kizino, we have prepared answers to the most frequently asked questions about caring for a newborn child.
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Changes in skin color in a newborn. Why and can something be done about it?
No, you don’t need to do anything, because the “wrong color” does not at all indicate mistakes in caring for the skin of a newborn baby.
Pediatrician Polina Kizino explains: “The skin color of a newborn baby can really differ from what we are used to seeing in advertising photographs. A newborn has reddish skin simply because it was in the womb for a long time and did not breathe the way we all breathe. During the first days after birth, the baby's skin acquires a more familiar color.
In addition, almost all babies can encounter such a transitional state as physiological jaundice. This is also a completely normal phenomenon and is associated with a change in the way the baby breathes. Due to certain changes that occur in his body, a large amount of bilirubin enters the blood, which gives the skin a yellow color. In most cases, this condition does not require any treatment and goes away on its own.”
Baby Care Basics
Here's what you need to know to care for your one-week-old baby, from diapers to bath time and helpful calming techniques.
Umbilical cord care
Parents used to be told to frequently pour alcohol on their baby's umbilical cord until it fell off, but this is no longer recommended. Instead, the AAP recommends that parents do virtually nothing! 6 Your baby's umbilical cord will fall off on its own in about a week.
Sponge baths
To avoid getting the umbilical cord too wet (and to help it dry), it's usually best to sponge bath your baby at this time. You can use a baby bath that doesn't cover the belly button area, or simply lay a towel on the floor and use a warm washcloth. Wash your face first with soapy water and then with warm water to clean your baby's skin.
You may notice a lot of "cheesy" white stuff. This is vernix, which protects your baby's skin in the womb and is completely normal. You can wipe it off if you want, but it will also be absorbed into your baby's skin. During this time, your baby's skin may feel dry and cracked, which is another consequence of the womb and is not at all dangerous for your baby.
Changing diapers
Your one-week-old baby will still pass meconium in the first few days of life. (a mixture of skin cells, mucus, and other substances that the baby ingested during birth) that makes the stool appear dark, sticky, and almost tarry. These diaper changes are difficult to clean, but that's normal.
By the time your baby is 5 to 7 days old, he will need frequent diaper changes and should have six or more wet diapers and three to four loose yellow stools every day. Exclusively breastfed babies may have stool colors ranging from bright yellow to greenish.
Over the course of this week, your baby's stool will change from a thick green tarry substance (meconium) to transitional green/yellow stool and more regular yellow stool in an older baby.
A New Parent's Guide to Baby's Bowel Movements Trimming Nails
Trimming your child's nails when they appear long is important and can prevent accidental scratches on the face or, more seriously, the eyes. You can use baby nail clippers or a nail file to trim them. You may need an extra set of hands, or you may want to do this while your baby is sleeping or eating to avoid unnecessary movement.
Belching
You should generally burp your baby after each feeding to prevent gas and fussiness. If your baby spits up a lot when you burp during a feeding, he may feel better if you wait until the end.
Breastfed babies may not need to burp as often as bottle-fed babies because they don't swallow as much air during feeding. But every child is different, so pay special attention to how your child behaves after eating. If they immediately seem fussy or uncomfortable, it may be time for a burp.
If you're having trouble with your baby's burping, try a new position. For example, try burping your baby while lying on your shoulder. If you don't burp, switch to a more upright position and burp while your baby sits.
Feeding and Nutrition For a one-week-old baby, you can still choose your preferred feeding technique, and this may change as your baby grows. You can feed your baby breast milk from the breast, expressed breast milk from a bottle, formula from a bottle, or a mixture of breast milk and formula.
In the first 24 hours after your baby is born, you may notice that he seems especially sleepy and shows no interest in eating. This may be normal as babies recover from birth (they've been through a lot too), so just check how many wet and dirty diapers he has to make sure he's eating enough.
Breast milk
Breast milk does provide optimal nutrition for your baby, but every family's situation is different, so there are many factors that influence what's best for you and your baby. Remember that breastfeeding doesn't have to be all or nothing.
If you are interested in breastfeeding your baby, you have many options - from breastfeeding your baby full time, breastfeeding part time, taking a mixture of expressed breast milk and formula, or using donor breast milk if available.
If you are interested in breastfeeding yourself, it is very important to try to establish your breast milk supply during this first week. You can replenish supplies by nursing your baby frequently to begin breast milk production, breastfeeding on demand, getting plenty of fluids, and resting. Transitional breast milk usually begins to come in three to five days after birth and gradually transitions into mature milk over several days to a week.
If you need help with breastfeeding, don't hesitate to call a lactation consultant, nurse, or doctor while you're in the hospital or after you're discharged so you can build up your supply and correct any problems right away.
Breastfeeding may be uncomfortable at first, especially as your milk comes in and your breasts become full, but it should never cause excruciating pain or bleeding. If you have a fever or red, hard spots on your chest, this could indicate an infection, so see your doctor right away.
You may also want to consider these helpful breastfeeding tips:
- Plan to breastfeed your newborn 8 to 12 times a day for the first few weeks.
- Try to have your baby suckle on both breasts at each feeding and, if possible, empty each breast completely. This will not only help stimulate your diet, but will also ensure that your baby gets enough nutrients. Different types of milk are released at the beginning of a feeding, in the middle and at the end of a feeding. The end is especially high in healthy fats that your baby needs to grow.
- Get help if you start to have problems, including poor latch, engorgement, sore nipples, or improve your breast milk supply. This help can come from other moms who have breastfed their babies, a supportive breastfeeding pediatrician, and/or a lactation consultant.
- Avoid formula supplements as you build your supply unless your pediatrician thinks they are medically necessary.
- Most experts recommend not introducing bottles or pacifiers until breastfeeding is established.
How to organize the process of natural and artificial feeding?
The best food for a baby is breast milk. However, situations are different, sometimes parents have to make a choice in favor of mixed or artificial nutrition for the newborn.
Pediatrician Polina Kizino tells how to properly organize this or that type of feeding: “If the baby is on the breast, feeding on demand is recommended. During the newborn period, the more often the baby is put to the breast, the better. Thus, lactation is stimulated. But, nevertheless, by the end of the first month of life, it is advisable to establish a more or less understandable regime. This means we don't wait until the three hours are up if the baby is hungry, but we also don't feed him every 30 minutes.
This applies to breastfeeding. If we talk about feeding exclusively with formulas, then feeding is carried out once every three hours or less - this issue is resolved with the pediatrician observing the child.”
Note that when choosing a formula for artificial feeding, you must consult a doctor, and then observe how the baby reacts to nutrition.
However, for a newborn’s digestion, changing formula is stressful, so it’s better to immediately choose a reliable option that you won’t have to change. This should be a mixture that excludes all possible “what if...”, that is, it is suitable for children prone to allergies, children with sensitive digestion, and babies with lactase deficiency, it should be easily digestible and tasty.
The modern goat milk infant formula Kabrita meets these criteria.
Even the most picky children do not refuse this mixture. The secret is in the creamy taste, adapted protein composition and a unique complex of fats, prebiotics and probiotics. Kabrita formulas are as close in composition as possible to breast milk, therefore they normalize the baby’s digestion and contribute to the correct and harmonious development of the baby.
Baby food
If you're not breastfeeding, your one-week-old baby will likely drink milk-based formula fortified with iron. Your baby will probably drink no more than one to two ounces at a time every two to three hours for the first few days. By the end of the first week, this amount will gradually increase to two to four ounces.
Feeding schedule
It's usually best to feed your baby on demand every 1.5 to 3 hours, especially in the first few weeks, rather than on a strict schedule. Additional tips for feeding a one-week-old baby include:
- Learn your baby's hunger cues and follow them! Don't wait until your baby cries before you start feeding him.
- Make sure you feed at least 8-12 times a day.
- If your baby doesn't wake up on his own after 3 hours to feed, it's time to step in and help him.
- If your baby is too sleepy to feed, you can help wake him up by removing his diaper, keeping him awake during feedings and making sure he's sucking properly.
Sleep
As stated above, your one-week-old baby will sleep a lot, but not necessarily at night when you want him to. While you may be able to try sleep training later, your one-week-old baby is still learning to adjust to life outside the womb, so this week will be all about going with the flow. Sleep when you can and let your baby sleep when he wants to sleep.
Again, it is not necessary to follow safe sleep guidelines, which include the following:
No co-sleeping
Pediatricians do not recommend sleeping with newborn babies. Understand, this is safety, many mothers sleep soundly and you need to take into account the presence of the baby near you. The dream turns out not to be a dream but a nap for the mother.
This is very difficult, if you are not ready to “half sleep” you cannot sleep with your baby!
Sharing a room for the first six months of your baby's life with a bassinet that is located next to the mother's bed, but not in the parents' shared bed. Always place your baby to sleep on his back (never on his side or stomach) on a firm sleeping surface, such as a firm crib mattress, covered with a well-fitted sheet. There should be nothing at all in the crib, including soft objects such as pillows and toys, or loose bedding. Pediatrics also recommends against using any type of bumper, including breathable versions, as they have not been proven to be safe for sleeping. If you have trouble getting your baby to sleep in a crib, consider using a bassinet. A full-size crib is sometimes too big for a newborn. Swaddling often helps babies fall asleep, stay asleep and calm down quickly, especially when they are newborns.
To help everyone in your family get a good night's sleep, parents can try taking turns caring for their baby at night, taking naps during the day when their baby sleeps, and getting help from family and friends when possible. Your partner can help at night by changing your baby's diaper, getting your baby ready for feedings, and putting him back to bed.
Why Newborn Sleep Is So Unpredictable (And How to Make the Most of It)
Is spitting up dangerous?
The pediatrician reassures: “In most cases, regurgitation is caused by the physiology of the child, the structure of his gastrointestinal tract. Due to the different angle between the esophagus and the stomach of a newborn (unlike adults), it is physically easier for the contents of the stomach to enter the esophagus and be poured into the oral cavity. But watch your child: there are diseases that are accompanied by profuse regurgitation, and this is no longer the norm.”
In fact, the mother will be able to understand intuitively whether the child’s regurgitation is normal or already “alarming.” If this is a serious concern for her, it's time to consult a doctor.
Newborn weight loss
Don't be alarmed to learn that your baby will weigh, on average, 5 to 10 percent less when leaving the hospital or birth center than at birth. What happened to the recession?
She's just losing fluid, which is normal right after giving birth. And since she doesn't need much food right now (which is good since breast milk doesn't come in until a few days after birth), baby won't get those grams right away.
Don't worry - within 10-14 days your baby will be back to his birth weight, if not more. Your pediatrician will monitor your baby's weight at wellness checks, most likely at 1, 2, and 4 weeks.
Typically, newborns gain between 113 and 200 grams per week during the first few months - that's 500 grams to 900 grams per month. After about 4 months, formula-fed babies will gain weight a little faster because formula contains more calories than breast milk and parents tend to force their baby to finish bottles (as opposed to letting him stop at the breast whenever they want).
Another good indicator : If baby is eating enough, he will produce eight to ten wet diapers per day, and at least five puffy diapers if he is breastfed (less for formula-fed newborns).
Postpartum eye tumor
If you've been struggling and struggling to get that cute baby out, you might feel like you've walked a few laps in the ring—and you might look that way, too. Black, blue and bloodshot red are typical for new moms, but they are harmless and temporary because the facial muscles tighten with the jolts.
The good news is that the shabby look will disappear and your eyes will return to normal within a few weeks. What can linger in the postpartum period are bags under the eyes. Fatigue (which will soon become your middle name) and excess body fluid (still leftover from pregnancy) is a powerful cocktail when it comes to puffy eyes.
So what to do? You can try to speed up recovery by applying a cold compress several times a day. Iced tea bags also work well—tea contains tannin, a natural astringent that helps reduce puffiness. You can also try an eye gel (keep it chilled in the refrigerator) that contains ingredients like arnica, chamomile, and cucumber. You can try to prevent bags under your eyes by first sleeping on a couple of pillows to elevate your head and avoiding salty foods and alcohol. (And rest, rest, rest whenever you can!)
Breast engorgement
About two to five days after giving birth, when your milk comes in (before that, your breasts produce colostrum), your breasts fill with blood and become surprisingly firm—as hard as a rock, or rather two rocks. Two very painful, very aching stones. If you are not breastfeeding, the engorgement should go away within a few days. In this case, you should wear a fitted bra to minimize swelling.
You should also avoid any nipple stimulation or expressing milk - otherwise your breasts will continue to produce milk. Ice packs may help with discomfort. If you are breastfeeding, you can expect the engorgement to subside within two to three days. But it may take a few weeks for your baby and your breasts to establish a good supply-demand ratio.
In the meantime, you can take some steps to minimize the pain and discomfort of engorgement, including using warm compresses before your nursing session and cold compresses afterward; expressing small amounts of milk using a pump or manually; massage the breasts; but above all, feed your baby often (every two to three hours).
How to change a diaper and wash a baby?
“You should change your diaper as needed and not necessarily before every feeding, especially at night. If the baby's skin is healthy, without redness, then there is no need to use any special care products for newborn babies.
We wash the girl from front to back, boys - in any direction. Please note that when caring for a boy, we do not remove the head of the penis, since physiological phimosis - narrowing of the foreskin - is typical until 3-4 years of age.”
Caring for a baby outside the home, on a walk or in a clinic, often excludes the possibility of washing, so don’t forget about wet wipes for newborns. When choosing napkins, pay attention to their composition: there should be nothing “suspicious” in there so that irritation does not occur on the baby’s skin and allergies do not occur.
From this point of view, WaterWapes, which are soaked in purified water in combination with a small amount of grapefruit seed extract, are suitable for the delicate skin of a newborn. The softness and safety of these wipes was appreciated not only by mothers, but also by the American Eczema Association, which awarded WaterWapes its quality mark.
Child development and behavior
The beginning of the second month of a baby’s life is associated with changes in life and development.
If the newborn only slept, ate and cried, then starting from the second month the child begins to develop interesting behavioral features. He opens his palms wide and opens his eyes strongly, trying to look at the world around him. Eye contact appears with “your” adults - close people who often spend time nearby.
There is a more conscious use of sounds. If earlier crying was a sign of dissatisfaction, now the baby is noisy and in a good mood. Sometimes you can trace the first “aha”, a satisfied hum.
At this time, the child can give vocal signals and respond to feedback. Some children experience their first conscious smile.
If the baby starts to cry, it is better for the mother to approach him, pick him up and hold him close. This will allow the child to calm down and feel safe.
At the age of one month, a reaction to loud and sharp sounds appears. Fright may be accompanied by the Moro reflex, in which the baby throws his arms to the sides, and then tries to grab a solid object and cries loudly. There is no need to scare the child again.
Vision still doesn't work very well. There is still a slight squint, since each eye works independently. Nevertheless, the baby tries to keep an eye on nearby objects and loves to peer into the faces of those around him.
Should you give a newborn a pacifier?
Every young mother has friends or relatives who are sure that a pacifier is a mother’s best assistant. But there are also those who say: “Don’t even think about offering a pacifier, then you won’t wean it off!” Which camp should I join?
Here everyone decides for themselves. In the first couple of weeks after birth, lactation begins, and the more the newborn is at the breast, the better. The pacifier should not be in demand during this period. Then everything depends on the child and his needs. If you have to choose between thumb sucking and pacifier sucking, the pacifier is definitely better.
Newborn mode
At first glance, the routine of a newborn baby is simple: it consists mainly of sleep and short periods of wakefulness, which are barely enough for feeding, changing clothes and hygiene procedures. It is believed that a newborn sleeps 18–20 hours a day. However, all children are different, and such norms are conditional.
Many young parents, who in theory know that the baby should sleep all the time in the first month, are very surprised when he takes a shallow nap between feedings, or even falls asleep during the day only for a few minutes after feeding. (READ ALSO: Peculiarities of newborn sleep)
For a child who has been one with his mother for 9 months, the first weeks of adaptation to “separate living” are very difficult. Therefore, physical contact with mom is especially important now. Many children in the first months of life require it almost around the clock - the baby stops crying and falls asleep only in his mother’s arms.
If your child is now behaving this way, do not worry - the time until the baby so desperately needs your constant presence will fly by very quickly. Now it seems unthinkable, but very soon you will remember with tenderness the period of your child’s newbornhood. In the meantime, enlist the support of other family members, delegate household chores to them as much as possible and enjoy motherhood: rock the baby in your arms, carry around the apartment (while moving, you create vibrations similar to those that the child felt for 9 months while staying in your stomach), sing songs (nothing pleases a baby’s ear more than his mother’s voice, which he learned to recognize from thousands of others long before birth), hug him more often, lay him on your stomach and, of course, feed him on demand.
In recent decades, the method of increased contact between mother and baby has been especially widely used for nursing children born prematurely or with insufficient body weight. This approach is called the “Kangaroo Method” and is based on three things: constant coexistence of mother and child from the moment of birth, breastfeeding on demand (without limiting the time spent at the breast), frequent skin-to-skin contact (the undressed baby is laid out on the tummy on the mother’s bare chest, cover the baby with a flannelette diaper on top to keep the baby warm).
However, not all children require constant holding in their mother's arms. Many newborns easily fall asleep on their own in the cradle. Only the mother decides whether to carry the baby in her arms for a long time or not, based on the baby’s reactions. No general recommendations, as in many other issues of infant development and care, can be accepted a priori, because all children are different. And each mother develops her own comfortable mode of interaction with her child exclusively individually - alas, only by trial and error, and nothing else.
What to do if your baby has colic?
Polina Aleksandrovna explains: “In the first months of a child’s life, his gastrointestinal tract is adjusted to work, populated with flora, which means there may be discomfort and gas formation. Also, babies do not immediately learn to coordinate the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, so the process of defecation may not be so easy. But this is a temporary phenomenon. Auxiliary measures in this case are laying on the stomach, massaging the tummy, and a gas tube. Not an enema!
Also monitor the child’s routine - 70% of requests during consultations that relate to the baby’s crying during the day require a simple correction of the routine. What’s interesting is that after the regime stabilizes, the “colic” goes away.”
The point is that you still don’t need to feed your child “all the time,” although we retain the concept of “on demand.” You just don’t need to consider every baby’s “squeak” as a requirement.
If your baby is breastfed and you see how hard his tummy feels after feeding, talk to your pediatrician about it. Perhaps he will suggest replacing the diet and advise you to try infant formula with goat's milk, which is easily digestible and the child becomes calmer.
Your first postpartum food
Not all mothers want to go to the toilet to empty their bowels after childbirth, in the first 1-2 days.
You've just pushed out about 3 (more or less) kg of baby - so why are you worried about pushing out those first (probably small) postpartum poo? Yep - maybe it's because you just pushed out a 3kg baby!
First, the abdominal muscles that help you move become stretched and weakened. Second, your bowels may be reluctant to return to work right away, especially if these muscles were injured during childbirth.
Beyond this (but equally powerful) is the fear factor. You're probably worried about your stitches coming apart (don't worry, you'll be fine), worsening hemorrhoids, severe pain, or embarrassment, especially if you're still sharing a room in the hospital. But the sooner you get your bowels working again, the better for everyone. You should not retain your intestines; due to your stagnation in the intestines, the baby you are breastfeeding may develop colic. At least think about the baby.
As always, fiber and fluids are your friends, and a short walk (easy at first) can help too. If necessary, a stool softener and a mild laxative can be combined to make the first movement a little less uncomfortable; your practitioner will probably recommend one.
How long should you walk with your baby in the first weeks after birth? How to dress it and what to take with you?
Our expert pediatrician answers: “Walk as much as you want (the exception is frost, when it’s cold, we start with 5-10 minutes).
Dress as standard: one layer more than you wear. Check your baby's back while walking - it shouldn't be cold or wet. Bring a diaper and WaterWapes with you; summer sun protection for yourself and your child; for myself - something to eat and drink.”
If it’s warm outside and you’re going for a long walk, take extra light clothing with you, which will come in handy in case of an “incident” with a diaper.
How is mom feeling?
It is important for any woman to be beautiful, desirable and cheerful. But the appearance of your body after childbirth is not particularly pleasing, there is no opportunity to get enough sleep, and breastfeeding sometimes leads to additional problems.
What to do?
We invite you to seriously engage in physical rehabilitation exercises aimed at eliminating stretch marks, regaining your waistline, and reducing your weight to normal. It's too early to worry about breasts. You just need to follow all the rules of hygiene, changing the pads in your bra every few hours. Wash your breasts daily with warm water and baby soap. Choose bras to wear from cotton fabric, free size and unfastening in the front.
Bleeding problem
Let us immediately make a reservation that bleeding after the birth of a child is an absolutely normal and necessary phenomenon. This is how a woman gets rid of lochia and placenta.
You can observe bleeding both immediately after childbirth and later, after a month or two. The severity and degree of risk is determined depending on the volume and nature of the discharge. The fact is that heavy bleeding can be a health hazard. But if the entire loss of secretions does not amount to more than half of one percent of the total body weight, then we are talking about a normal physiological process.
When we talk about late bleeding, we mean those that sometimes appear during the first month after childbirth and can be disturbing for several weeks after.
In the first week after childbirth, women's discharge becomes thinner and loses smell, color and thickness over time. Their number is also significantly reduced.
But sometimes it happens that a woman cannot get rid of bleeding within a month or two. However, you should only worry when this process is accompanied by the release of clots and a suspicious odor.
First of all, you should be wary of:
- unexpected and heavy bleeding;
- putrid odor;
- yellow or green color of discharge.
In this case, we may be talking about the symptoms of an inflammatory process in the uterus or vagina. It occurs most often due to a bend in the fallopian tubes, which interferes with the release of lochia, which accumulates in such an inconvenient place and lends itself to rotting.
How to bathe a newborn and at what water temperature?
Skin care for a newborn baby is a separate issue. At first, doctors do not recommend using bathing products, but when you decide to do it, pay attention to the markings on the jars: “From birth” or “0+”, this is mandatory.
“As for the duration of the procedure, we bathe as long as you and the child can stand it. Considering the baby’s short waking time, 20-25 minutes is the maximum for a newborn, but over time it will be possible to increase the “swims”. On his first bath, the child will feel comfortable at a water temperature of 37°C; you can gradually reduce it by 1-1.5°. Remember: missing a child’s bath once or twice is not critical,” explains the pediatrician.
Put our advice into practice, and let life with a baby be full of joy, not worry.
- share with your friends!
Experts: Polina Aleksandrovna Kizino
How is the baby feeling?
Sounds
Your baby is already seven weeks old, which means that you have already noticed how he has begun to pronounce his first vowel sounds. He makes funny “screams” and “points” and tries to maintain a dialogue with you.
Most of the sounds heard in the house are already familiar to the baby. This is noticeable by the fact that he reacts to them briefly, preferring to focus mainly on those that he likes. And this is most often the speech of people, especially those close to him.
But unfamiliar noises, creaking, and sharp ringing immediately attract his attention. The child listens and tries to analyze where the sound is coming from and whether it poses a threat. The repetition of certain tones leads to the fact that the baby no longer reacts to this sound stimulation.
The most positive influence on children is:
- Cheerful or soothing harmonious music and songs.
- Low musical whistling.
- Bell ringing.
- Recitative with changes in intonation.
- The ringing of a bell.
Loud and sharp sounds frighten children at this age. This is very noticeable in their reaction to such irritation.
Motor reflex
The baby loves to lie on his tummy; he raises his head and can hold it in this position for quite a long time, looking at everything around him.
Look how the child tries to lift himself up on his weak little arms. These ridiculous push-ups and push-ups aren't really that useless. At this time, the muscular system is strengthened:
- neck;
- upper limbs;
- shoulder joints.
Such exercises lead to the harmonious physical development of the baby. Soon he will need all the skill and dexterity in order to be able to roll over on his own and change the position of his body at will.
At this point in time, infants still vary greatly in the pace of development, so you should not worry about this and rush yourself and your baby.
Note. When indicating an increase in height or weight of an infant, we are guided by data provided by experts from the World Health Organization, also relying on the findings of the Multifocal Study on Growth Standards. The studies involved children whose mothers cared for them in full compliance with WHO health guidelines. This concerned feeding standards and the absence of bad habits among breastfeeding women.
We remind you that the results of the MGRS today are a single global standard against which the development of infants is verified, taking into account the following parameters:
- place of residence;
- methodology and quality composition of feeding products;
- belonging to a certain ethnic group;
- cultural characteristics of the environment.
Baby's behavior
You have already noticed that your child has complicated his behavior and is demonstrating more and more skills and abilities every day. His reactivity increased over several weeks. You can already easily guess the child’s mood, his readiness for dialogue and play, or his desire for peace and relaxation.
The baby's waking time also increased. He spends it studying everything that happens to be around him. But impressions, especially vivid and complex ones, quickly tire him. The baby is not yet ready to process a large flow of information.
Light vibrations, an abundance of sounds, tactile sensations in combination lead to the fact that the child cannot properly respond to all this correctly. And then you see how his face twisted into a grimace of displeasure. The baby begins to cry, although it seems to you that there is no reason for this.
Conclusion. Try to limit the amount and complexity of information provided to your child. Make sure that the impressions are not too vivid for him. Do not reassure the baby with the whole family team, overloading his information channels. When you see that your baby is being capricious for no apparent reason, calm him down and give him the opportunity to relax and unwind.
Communication training
Remember that communication is extremely important for a child now. Train yourself to constantly talk to him, talking about your affairs and commenting on all your actions.
Tell your baby about yourself, about how you carried him in your belly, about his father, about his grandparents, brothers and sisters. To attract attention, raise your voice, but to calm down, on the contrary, a quiet and gentle tone is needed. While moving around the room, also talk to your baby. It will keep an eye on you, developing both hearing and vision at the same time.
Exercise . Use a toy, preferably a bright one, to train your baby’s attention and visual powers. At a distance of about twenty-five centimeters from the child's eyes, move it from side to side. The baby will watch her with interest. Then change the trajectory of movements, for example, from bottom to top. Then make circular movements with the toy. If you notice that the child is tired, stop moving.
How to strengthen the connection between sound and action in the baby’s mind?
Sew bells onto baby booties or socks. Moving the legs will result in ringing. The baby will want to know why and where these sounds come from. He will eventually figure out that the sound is related to his specific movements of the legs.
Taking proper care of your child
Your personal hygiene and child care should become a strict rule of all life activities. First of all, pay attention to your baby’s skin, examine daily:
- genital area;
- folds on the hips and buttocks;
- bends of the upper and lower extremities.
It is in these places that redness and diaper rash most often occur.
Why?
The fact is that a child’s thermal balance that is not fully adjusted sometimes leads to excessive sweating. The baby's body may also react to a certain type of diaper fabric.
What to do?
The best defense against skin problems is keeping your skin dry and clean. To do this, you need to buy diapers that do not impede air circulation and fit freely to the baby’s body.
If diaper rash nevertheless begins to bother your child, consult your doctor about purchasing a special powder or special ointment using zinc oxide. Also increase the number and duration of air baths.
Growth chart
It would be wise for you to keep a special table to record all changes in your child’s body and functioning. Observe and measure it every day:
- height;
- body weight;
- sleep and feeding schedule;
- dynamics of abilities development;
- skin condition;
- physical problems and mental changes.
Note how long your baby can hold his head, be in the “tummy down” position, and not be capricious without various light and sound stimuli. When visiting your pediatrician, be sure to take this table with you. This will help him find the most effective and safe development and treatment methods for you and your child.
Power problem
Please note that your baby's needs are growing daily. Now he needs up to one kilogram of milk or formula. But we are talking not only about quantity, but also about the quality of food, so you should very carefully develop your regime and diet for replenishing food. With your milk, all these substances and vitamins enter directly into the baby’s body.
Here's a simple example:
Do you like coffee or its derivatives? But you must take into account the factor of digestibility and duration of removal from the life support system of this product. And this is at least two hours. That is, during this time, breast milk contains caffeine. The same can be said about strong tea. If you drink three or four cups of this drink a day, then be prepared for the fact that your child will be overexcited all the time and have trouble sleeping.
Check all your food products against this indicator. Remember that you will also find a significant dose of caffeine in carbonated drinks, chocolates or cocoa.
Note: We recommend that you use only breast milk to feed your baby, based on WHO recommendations. This method of feeding is especially important in the first six months after childbirth. Mother's milk is an ideally balanced diet for the full development of the baby. In addition, the production of breast milk is a necessary condition for the rapid and high-quality restoration of the reproductive process without detrimental consequences for the health of mothers.
Sleep problem
In the seventh week, you may encounter the problem of your baby being overexcited. This is not surprising, since the baby is constantly increasing the amount of information he perceives. You will have to think about how to eliminate the consequences of such overexcitation and help your child fall asleep, because he needs at least eighteen hours a day for proper rest.
We recommend that you put your baby to your breast more often and buy a pacifier specifically for soothing. Select several different pacifiers from the pharmacy so that your child can choose the one he likes best.
Already have a rocking chair? This is a great solution for you and your baby - your arms will have a rest from rocking, and the even rocking will put you both to sleep.
Spend time with your baby in the fresh air more often. It's useful for everyone. Riding and rocking in a stroller is a great way to restore physical strength and the nervous system during sleep. In the meantime, you will relax, chat with friends, and gain new impressions.
Note: Speaking about the average norm of 18 hours of full, daily sleep for children at this age, we do not insist that your baby’s figure may be slightly lower or higher. The duration of sleep is influenced by many factors, including individual ones, but for everyone, the main criterion is good health, a positive attitude and lack of nervousness. If you notice problems in this regard, contact your pediatrician for help.
Security problem
Your child does not yet know how to change the position of his body. It depends entirely on you. However, be careful not to leave him alone, especially if there are heavy or fragile objects nearby. It is best that the baby is not able to reach with his legs or arms a vase, telephone, lamp, etc.
Please note that now the child fidgets all the time, thus developing his motor activity. Therefore, when moving, he runs the risk of falling off a sofa or chair. Carefully inspect the surface, it should be:
- flat;
- hard;
- not slippery.
Place your baby in the middle of the table or sofa, not on the edge.
Psychology of joy
Convince yourself that your child is already an individual, and completely unlike anyone else. Get used to seeing only the positive in it. Help him develop harmoniously, and for this, your confidence in the child’s future bright talents should be transferred to him from the first days of birth. Teach him to art. Read him fairy tales and poems, sing songs, dance with him. Open the way for him to a joyful and creative future.
