Your baby, 0 months 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 and older

Congratulations on the birth of your baby! Caring for an infant can be scary and overwhelming at times, but you and your baby will get to know each other in no time. Becoming a parent is a big change and can take some time to adjust to. Make sure that you accept help from friends and family in the early weeks.

Newborn babies move between six states throughout the day. Your baby could be in deep sleep, light sleep, a drowsy state, awake alert, fussy alert, or crying stage. It is important to recognize these stages so that you can adapt to your babies needs and develop a better understanding of what soothes him the best.

Babies like to look at human faces the most. They can not see very far and can not distinguish colors very well. Besides the human face, babies like brightly colored patterns, mirrors and objects that are red, black or white. Babies will stare at things but can not grab ahold of anything quite yet. It is comforting for your baby when you hold her close, rock her and speak gently to her. It is important to handle your baby carefully and always support their underdeveloped neck.

You may be tempted to put your baby to bed with you, but this is dangerous. Babies should sleep on their backs in their own crib. Young babies can begin to develop some type of a schedule. All stuffed animals, bedding and pillows should be removed to reduce the risk of suffocation. You can put your baby on her belly for tummy time several times a day. This will help to develop muscle strength.

When traveling, always use a properly installed infant restraint seat. To ensure the safety of your baby, have their carseat checked by a licensed car seat installer. Because car accidents reduce the quality of a car seat, never buy used car seats and replace yours if it is in an accident.

Babies cry for lots of reasons. When a baby is crying, that his means of communication. He is experiencing a need that is not being met. Babies cry because they are hungry, wet, tired, hot/cold, experiencing pain, overstimulated, and many other reasons. Soon you will be able to decode your babies cries. Sometimes babies can not be comforted and it seems that the crying will never end. When you have tried everything and nothing seems to work, put her in her crub and close the door. Come back in a few minutes to check on her. Whatever you do, don't take any frustration out on your baby.

Your newborn will be ready to eat every two to three hours on average. Formula fed babies may go longer in between feedings. Remember to burp your baby after each feeding to reduce gas and fussiness. Breast feeding can be trying for the first few weeks. It takes patience, support and dedication, but you can do it. If you are encountering problems, ask for help. Call your doctor, the baby's doctor or a lactation consultant.

Developmental Milestones Newborn


Physical

• It may look as if your newborn baby is scrunched up with his arms and legs not fully extended. Your baby is used to being inside the womb, and this is normal. If he appears bowlegged, don't worry. It's part of the stretching-out process and will most likely fase away by the time he's five or six months old.
• Your baby may lift his head briefly when he's lying on his stomach by the end of this month. Give your baby plenty of tummy time to help him develop his muscles. He may also be able to turn it from side to side. Jerky movements give way to more smooth ones as his nervous system and muscle control mature. Your baby's primitive reflexes, such as sucking and chewing on his hands, remain dominant.
• Baby's vision is still fuzzy and he can not see very far. Your baby likes to look at your face. Keep it close by and talk to him when you are holding him.

Intellectual

• Right now food is the most important thing in your newborn's life. Sleep comes in at a close second. Most newborn babies will feed every two to three hours around the clock. Sleeping patterns 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 to ten naps. By the end of the month your baby may have developed something of a feeding and sleeping pattern, but you may not notice any real pattern for months. It is hard to put a newborn on a strict schedule. Sleeping helps your baby regain energy and it also helps brain development.
• Right now your baby doesn't have much of a personality. Crying is the only way that your baby knows how to express himself. He spends his time moving in and out of several different states of sleepiness, quiet alertness, and active alertness.
• Your face is the most interesting thing to your baby right now. He also likes high-contast objects. Show him black and white toys at playtime.
• Learning begins immediately, so take all opportunities to teach him about the world around him. Use his quiet and alert times to play and talk with your baby.
• Your baby can recognize faces and may try to imitate gestures. Give your baby the chance to imitate you. Stick your tongue out and give him a chance to repeat it. Then, do it again. Even if he does not do it, he is watching you!
• Mobiles with high contrast patterns and picture books with strong line drawings will capture your baby's attention. When your baby starts fussing, its time to stop and move on to something else.
• Babies like their own reflection. Place unbreakable mirrors at cribside or on the floor for them to focus on.

Emotional

• 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.
• Your baby can show you their feelings. She may yawn, arch her back, turn her face, fuss or cry if she is overstimulated. She will coo if she is enjoying something. Pay close attention to what your baby is `telling` you.

Age Appropriate Toys:

• Rattles
• Play gyms
• Unbreakable mirrors
• Mobiles
• Soft toys
• Musical toys
• Toys with lights
• Swings
• Bouncy seats

Comments:

Comments 51-75 of about 11289 for month 0
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chellechelle - Thursday, 19 Nov
Lorelei- poor baby! I wouldn't have thought of that either but it makes perfect sense! I'm not a chili eater anyway, but now for sure I will stay away from it and any other foods that have the same effect!!

OrganicMomma - Thursday, 19 Nov
Habibi~ if baby has enough soiled diapers probably he is not going without. for the first 6 weeks i sat on the couch with my LO attatched to my breasts. he enjoys comfort nursing. as soon as the breast was removed from his mouth he would cry. most times he wasn't nursing, just hanging out in my arms very comfortable. some days i didn't get to shower, lol, but i'm glad i allowed it. now that i'm back to work he gets bottles of breast milk. its only been 3 days, but he's ok :) I called my local Le Leche League and it was confirmed, some babies are 'comfort nursers'... you could call LLL and get a consult, have them check baby's latch. i had a wonderful experience with them at a meeting... good luck

habibi7689 - Thursday, 19 Nov
Hi ladies I have a question about breast feeding when i feed my baby boy he feeds very well but it seems he always wants to suck on my boob i am wondering is he not getting a lot to eat I am worried that I am starving him and I feel so bad :(

lorelaismom - Thursday, 19 Nov
So I had the urge to cook dinner the other night which I hadn't had in a while. I used to cook every day and love it, but once I got pregnant, I didn't really want to anymore and just wanted to eat cereal mostly. lol Well, I made a black bean chili and it was so tasty! Unfortunately, I didn't think about what beans would do to a newborns stomach and my lo was sooo gassy all day yesterday!! It was horrible! She did pretty well though and just really wanted to be held, she didn't cry too much. But to make it worse, it was my hubby's first day back at work (he took off two weeks to help) so it was my first day alone with a two year old and a newborn! I didn't think we were going to make it! haha. Anyway, the moral of the story is that I won't be eating chili for a while!

serenitysmommy - Thursday, 19 Nov
Oh no the pelvic exam was horrible.. I don't remember how long I was in bc after a while they gave me moraphine and some other pain stuff in my iv and that's the last I remember but I know it was for ever and I don't like hospitals any way.. Oh well just glad its over now

beckie - Thursday, 19 Nov
I think the laziness with Archies feeding is because of the cold/snuffles he's had.Plus as soon as his bottles get the slightest bit cold he's just not interested,he'll drink 2oz then push the bottle out to be winded,by the time i put the bottle back in he's not interested because the milk ain't warm enough! Very fussy! So i end up making him up another 2oz to try and finish him off! As for sleeping at night i've been real lucky,since being born (3wks) he's always woke up just the once at night,slept through 3times.I'll give him his last feed around 9-10pm,he'll wake around 2am then up about 7am.

SPUDinTHEoven - Wednesday, 18 Nov
Serenitysmommy: Ya, it's scary stuff, they just did a urine and blood test for me, and a pelvic exam (which hurt considering I had just delivered 2 days before!) But it took for-EVER, since it was on a Saturday I went to the ER cus my reg dr's office was closed, and it was Halloween so the ER was busy, I think we were there for around 4 hours- BORING!

serenitysmommy - Wednesday, 18 Nov
Spud.. I got iv meds too when I was in the hospital and then they gave me perscriptions to go home with.. That's where my pain is now too feels like its in my overies I was told if I wouldn't have gone in to the hospital and it would have gotten worse that I could have had to get a historectomy! I was so scared bc they did so many tests on me including a cat scan and x rays and ultrasound and blood and urine.. That was a horrible night!!

joshandconorsmommy - Wednesday, 18 Nov
Beckie I'm not sure how much Conor is eating per feeding (BF). But I do feed him some on each side each feeding to help ward off engorgement. I also have him on a schedule of feeding every 2 hours during the day. This was suggested to me by a nurse in the hospital. The reasoning is that the baby will get all the calories and nutrition they need during the day and will sleep more at night. Conor sleeps on average 3 to 4 hours at a time at night, so it seems to be working for us. Don't be afraid to wake your baby up to eat if you are worried that he isn't eating enough.

SPUDinTHEoven - Wednesday, 18 Nov
Beckie: Kylie eats about2 to 2 1/2 oz every 2 to 2 1/2 hours during the day. But at nighttime, she usually goes 3 to 4 hours with the same 2 to 2 1/2 oz

SPUDinTHEoven - Wednesday, 18 Nov
Serenitysmommy: I can't remember the names of the antibiotics they had me on, but I got 2 through an IV, and then 2 prescription ones. I'm feeling tons better though I do still get tinges of pain from time to time in what I think are my ovaries cus it's always either a little to the left, or a little to the right. They come and go, but only last for a couple minutes. As far as bleeding, I still am a little bit, but not much at all, it's slowed down A LOT! Hopefully that means I'll be done soon!

beckie - Wednesday, 18 Nov
How much is everyones babies feeding? Archie was doing really good,2-4oz every 2-4hrs,depending on how long he slept.But since he had a cold and snuffles,which are alot better now,only the odd snuffle and sneeze he doesn't seem to be drinking much.He'll go a good 4hrs and only want 2oz,then another 3-4 hrs and again only 2-3oz.This is my 3rd,but every child is different and it worries me he ain't getting enough,but then he'd be complaining if he was really hungry!

serenitysmommy - Wednesday, 18 Nov
Spud.. Yes they put me on levaquin and vicodin and it took me about a week also its been 12 days now an I still have some pain and really iregular bleeding but I'm still a lot better than I was I have to go back next week for a recheck bc my white count was way high last time it was checked.. Do u still have ne pain or bleeding?

~Mendy-Tinksfairydust76~ - Wednesday, 18 Nov
Rylan is 1 week today! Breastfeeding is going good, sometimes latching on is a pinch of pain, but after he gets latched on good, its a breeze...I call him the milk drunk baby, cause when he falls off the breast full, his mouth has milk dripping out of it, and his eyes roll back...LOL...

herecomesbaby2 - Wednesday, 18 Nov
mommynwifey: I had cracked, bleeding, and scabby nipples with my first and with this one. And yes, BFing hurts like hell at first but it does get better. Brooklyn is 3 weeks old and it only hurts for the first couple sucks and than gets better. My nipples are no longer bleeding and are actually back to looking normal (no scabs). For a while when she spit up, she was spitting up blood because I was bleeding so bad. Pretty gross! Just try to stay with it if you can. You'll be glad you did. :)

SPUDinTHEoven - Tuesday, 17 Nov
serenitysmommy: Yes, that's the same thing that I had!!! It was awful, took me about a week before I felt somewhat normal again. Are you taking antibiotics for it? How are you feeling?

lorelaismom - Tuesday, 17 Nov
Those of you who are almost in your pre preggo jeans, try wearing either spanks or one of those belly bands. I wore spanks for the first few days I was home from the hospital and went straight into my old jeans! I'm not in the spanks anymore, but they sure helped for those first few days.

joshandconorsmommy - Tuesday, 17 Nov
mommynwifey5 I had cracked and bleeding nipples with my 1st. Mine were bleeding before we even left the hospital. I know what you are going through. It does get better, your nipples will toughen up and you shouldn't feel much pain after that, well until baby gets teeth. One thing that really helped me was Lanolin. If you put it on religiously after every feeding it should help. It will condition your nipples so they heal and toughen up quicker. Its really nice because you dont have to wash it off before you feed baby. As for potions I found that laying down while feeding hurts the most as it requires a different latch. Mostly all I can say is stick with it, it does get better.

lorelaismom - Tuesday, 17 Nov
JoshandConorsmommy - I thought the same thing the other day that I really should change my name but I haven't yet. My poor Scarlett probably feels left out! lol

joshandconorsmommy - Tuesday, 17 Nov
Thank you spud, yes I am feeling better. And it wasn't that bad, Conor is really easy compared to my son when he was this old (he had colic). Conor just kind of hangs out with us. I hope you are feeling better as well.

serenitysmommy - Tuesday, 17 Nov
Spud... I have an infection in my uterus as well called endometritis... Is that what u got?? It hurts so bad

chellechelle - Tuesday, 17 Nov
I'm sooo jealous of you who fit into your pre pregnancy clothes! I tried on my jeans the other day and couldn't get them up around my hips :( All my tops fit but it's the jeans I want!! I guess only the gym will cure that.

mommynwifey5 - Tuesday, 17 Nov
~*P.s. Ive already tried the cream and milk on my nipples its just not letting up!!*~

mommynwifey5 - Tuesday, 17 Nov
~*Omg I'm soo thankful I'm the only one with huge breasts!! This is my 5th child but 1st time breastfeeding and omg i didn't know it would hurt so bad!! I even went to see the breast doctor as hubby calls her lol b/c my nipples are bleeding! She showed me a lot and I try to do this at home and it's not working like it did in the office? I have no clue! It hurts so bad right now and I'm hoping the pain goes away soon as i don't want to give up like I did with my 1st! I also tried to hand pump last night as I was in tears from pain and nothing came out! But I can make it come out with my hands! Has anyones ever bleed??? If so how do I make this pain go away??? I need help!!!~*

SPUDinTHEoven - Tuesday, 17 Nov
Joshandconorsmommy: I got an infection after getting home from the hospital too! Mine was in my uterus though, but I know how hard it was for me-n I had my husband and mom here taking care of me n my lil one for about a week while I was healing. So I can't imagine how hard it must be for you taking care of others when ur feeling sick! You are a strong woman!!! Hope you feel better soon!

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