Limbs are still curled:
Your newborn baby will probably look "scrunched up," with his arms and legs not
fully extended. This is normal, and his limbs will uncurl as he gets used to being outside
your uterus. If he appears bowlegged, don't worry. It's part of the stretching out process
and will most likely take care of itself by the time he's 5 or 6 months old.
Newborns are adjusting to a new world very different from the warm, safe confines of the
womb, which is why so many infants take to swaddling: being wrapped securely in a
blanket.
Ruled by his hunger:
Food is the most important thing in your newborn's life, with sleep running a close
second. Most newborns will eat every two to three hours around the clock. Sleeping
schedules are equally intermittent. Most newborns sleep for a total of 16 to 17 hours in a
24-hour period, but that's usually broken up into eight or so naps.
Crying is the main form of communication :
Your baby is busy expressing himself the only way he knows, crying. He spends his time
moving in and out of several different states of sleepiness, quiet alertness, and active
alertness.
Having undergone the trauma of birth, he's now trying to deal with an onrush of
stimulation. This month your baby becomes quiet and calm when you speak to him gently and
hold him upright. He may even make an "ah" sound when he hears your voice and
sees your face. Most babies love to be held, caressed, kissed, stroked, massaged, and
carried. Touch is an important means of communicating with your baby.
He only has eyes for you:
Your baby's vision is still pretty fuzzy. Your face is the most interesting thing to him
right now, followed by high-contrast items such as a checkerboard. In fact, a newborn's
range of vision is only 12 inches or so. In other words, a baby can clearly see the face
of the person holding him but not much beyond that. Studies show that
babies prefer human faces to all other patterns or colors. So keep your face close to your
newborn's so he can study your features, and talk to him.
Learning begins immediately :
You may notice short periods of time when your newborn is quiet and alert. This is
primetime for learning. Use these periods to get better acquainted with your child. But if
you try to interact with him and he doesn't seem receptive, he may have gotten sleepy or
moved into a state of active alertness. Even this early, babies can recognize faces and
gestures intuitively and sometimes even imitate them. Give your newborn a chance to
imitate your facial expressions by putting your face close to his and sticking out your
tongue or raising your eyebrows a few times. Repeat it. Then give him some time to mimic
your gesture. He may not do anything, but he's definitely watching you.
Playing with your newborn:
Picture books with strong line drawings will captivate your baby. But be alert to your
baby's reactions to stimulation and interaction. While it's great to help him start
learning about his world, some babies can tolerate only brief periods of interaction, or
stimulation of just one sense at a time. Your baby will show you he's overstimulated by
yawning , averting his gaze, arching his back, turning his face, fussing, or crying. He'll
also tell you what he enjoys, and believe it or not, you'll understand his signs in
no time.
Babies find their own reflections fascinating. You can amuse him by propping up an
unbreakable baby mirror at cribside for him to focus on. A play gym with plenty of
compelling things to watch, swipe at, and listen to allows your baby to practice his arm,
hand, and finger coordination skills and lying down becomes less boring. In the
first few months, he won't move his arms purposefully to really try and reach particular
objects this sort of movement comes later, in month four or five.
Is my baby developing normally?
Remember, each baby is unique and meets physical milestones at his own pace. These are
simply guidelines to what your baby has the potential to accomplish. If not right now,
then shortly. And if your baby was born prematurely, you'll probably find that he'll need
time before he can do the same things as other children his chronological age. That's why
most babies born prematurely are given two ages by their pediatricians their
chronological age (calculated from their birthday) and their adjusted age (calculated from
their due date). You should measure your child against his adjusted age, not his
chronological one. Don't worry. Most doctors assess a preterm child's development from the
time he should have been born and evaluate his skills accordingly. |
