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 76-100 of about 11274 for month 0
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heathert - Monday, 16 Nov
So glad to be here and not on the pregnancy page now.. Paityn is 9 days old now and my 17 month old MAdisyn is sick. blah..

heathert - Monday, 16 Nov
channy I will have to try that, makes since we give kids in the nurses office peppermints. thanks

Purplesugar - Monday, 16 Nov
Hi all, I've added a few more pictures of James. Have a look if you want. Hope your all doing great. Love Kirsty.xxxx

beckie - Monday, 16 Nov
Archie will be 3wks tomorrow,it's going so quick! I'm starting to get somewhat tired of this stop start bleeding,and the leaking boobs!

deeyore486 - Monday, 16 Nov
littlemissfatty!!, sometimes baby has a hard time on the breast if you are engorged. If you don't want to switch to the bottles just yet, make sure you aren't too full for bub before trying to nurse!

lorelaismom - Sunday, 15 Nov
Thanks to those who responded on my hiccup issue! I hope that everyone and their little ones are doing well!

SPUDinTHEoven - Sunday, 15 Nov
Thanks Channy723, I really don't want to be pregnant again, maybe I can get the 72 hour pill or something. That's crazy how it happened to your friend, we need to be more careful, lol!

channy723 - Sunday, 15 Nov
ladies, I learned a great remedy for gasiness. Take 3 ounces of warm distilled water and disolve a peppermint or use a couple drops of peppermint oil(the oil doesn't have the sugar that the candy does) Feed it to baby when they have gas and it works great, i tried it last night and it was like instant relief for my little guy! Makes sense, seeing as when we have sore bellies dr recommends peppermint tea.

mommynwifey5 - Sunday, 15 Nov
~*Hello everyone I just had my baby 2 days ago! So I'm new here for this child lol (5th baby) I just added my birth story and pics of Jackson if anyone wants to have a look! So glad to be here!! Goodnight!*~

channy723 - Sunday, 15 Nov
Spud - It is possible to get pregnant this soon after baby, it happened to a friend of mine! She had her baby on the 10 and got pregnant again on the 24! If you don't want to get preggo again this soon, get your butt to the doc! Hope all is well!

SPUDinTHEoven - Sunday, 15 Nov
Ladies, me and DH had a romantic night out last night and ended up doing the deed :P I'm 2 weeks postpartum so I was not planning on having sex this soon after delivery, but in the heat of the moment, it just happened! Anyways my concern is that I'm not on birth control yet and we didn't use a condom, does anyone know if it's possible to get pregnant 2 weeks after delivery? (PS, I'm not breastfeeding)

allynne7 - Sunday, 15 Nov
Littlemiss: To help with the pain of having full breasts (of milk!) pump a few oz's every few hours. That shoould also help reduce the milk supply your breasts produce. It's not as much as baby needs to eat but it's enough to keep you comfortable. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly for you.

littlemissfatty!! - Sunday, 15 Nov
NEED HELP...Archie has been super miserable on breast so today i have finally given in and we r swapping to the bottle :-( BUT my boobs r full of milk, shud i wean him onto bottle slowly to let my boobs adjust or wot??? i dont wanna get mastitus and they r already feeling bruised and lumpy and its been one night...wot do i do?? as for the nurping i get a burp out of archie twice a feed, one in the middle and one in the end, he rarely gets wind now :-)

beckie - Sunday, 15 Nov
Archie is bottle fed and gets the hiccups after most feeds,i tend to offer him more milk and this gets rid of them straight away.As for burping he is just like my other sons,and very stubburn,i reckon i get 2burps a day at a push! If it was bothering him then he'd cry and let me know but so far he's quite content with not burping after every feed.Also he is full of cold at the moment,caught it of my 2yr old,poor lil man he's so snuffly and sneezing alot,really feel sorry for him! Can't believe he'll be 3wks already on Tuesday,it's going so quick!

baby2onway - Sunday, 15 Nov
keegans I think your the best thing would be to take a pregnancy test. If you are pregnant there could be spotting during implantiation, or you can have some spotting due to the shot. So it could be anything really. Better to be safe and take a pregnancy test.

keegansmommy - Saturday, 14 Nov
Hey ladies, I have a question.... So I had 2 doses of the depo. I was supposed to get my third back in either sept or oct and I decided not to get it. The day before halloween or the day of halloween ( i cant remember) I ended my period. I had unprotected sex on halloween night and we tried to be as safe as we could. Today is exactly 2 weeks sincce I had sex, and I was spotting earlier today. I haven't checked to see if I still am or not. But my question is.....when does fertilization take place? And am I possibly pregnant, or is it just an effect from coming off my birth control? Please help if you have any iea! Thanks a bunch!

expecting-2b-patient - Saturday, 14 Nov
Thanks ladies! Yes, I am breastfeeding- so you guys are right. My little man gets the hiccups probably 10 times a day, no lie! I even asked the pedi about it and she said it's fine. Newborns sneeze and hiccup a lot, she said it bothers us more then them. But I don't know about that, after about 10 minutes of him having them he starts to get cranky. But like Mamatabby said, I'll offer the boob and they'll normally go away.

mrs. myers - Saturday, 14 Nov
Expecting - Are you breastfeeding? Breastfed babies swallow less air than bottle fed babies, so they tend to burp less. I get a burp out of Wesley maybe one out of every three feedings.

SPUDinTHEoven - Friday, 13 Nov
Thanks Baby2onway and Deeyore486, I would have never thought to use crisco, that's interesting! We've been using this Lansinoh diaper rash ointment, because the pediatrician suggested putting lanolin ointment on the rash followed by vaseline. It seems to be doing the trick, because today the rash is almost gone, just a lil pink now

allynne7 - Friday, 13 Nov
Lorelai: I use oval for the baby's tummy ailments but you can also just sit them up straight. That's what the hosp. nurse told me to do but it doesn't take them away. I guess it just makes them more comfy! On a positive note the hiccups are a good sign. It means the baby's tummy is settling. Does your LO use a soother? Try that as well. Expecting: are you bf? The LO's have less gas from bf as opposed to the bottle and formula...as well as less waste (ie/#2) b/c it's all natural and baby takes most of it. But as long as they let you lie them down then there probably isn't any/enough gas in there that makes them uncomfortable.

mamatabby - Friday, 13 Nov
My son gets the hiccups to. But I just put him bk on the boob again and they go right away. :)

lorelaismom - Friday, 13 Nov
I have a question for all you ladies. It seems that after every feeding my little one gets the hiccups and they last for a long time, sometimes between 10 to 20 minutes. The worst part is that she'll get them after feedings at night too and it takes so long to get her back to sleep. Sometimes I can get them to go away when I pat her back like I'm burping her but not always. Does anyone have any suggestions?

lorelaismom - Friday, 13 Nov
expecting - I sure hope not because I can not get Scarlett to burp to save my life! I'm like you and only get a few good burps a day. Sometimes she'll spit up though if she doesn't burp, but not all the time.

expecting-2b-patient - Friday, 13 Nov
After every feed should my baby burp?? I'll pat him for five minutes and most of the time he wont burp. Maybe I'll get 3-5 'good' burps a day... Just wondering, am I supposed to pat him till he burps??

deeyore486 - Friday, 13 Nov
Having worked in the infant room at a childcare center, I swear by vaseline or crisco (yes, the baking grease...) on the diaper rashes...cleared up the worst bloody, blistered diaper rash I have ever seen up in a matter of hours!

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