The Developing Stages of a Child

YOUR BABY IS ONE MONTH OLD

Here you are with your baby back at home. Now everybody is eager to

advise you how to look after your baby in the best way. And sometimes

these pieces of advice are quite contradictory. Rely on your intuition

and remember that there are no “average” children; that is

why your baby is unique, he or she is an individual with his or her habits

in nutrition, sleep, and behavior. In this period you begin to notice

the slightest hints of the baby’s future character: he or she may

be noisy or calm, nervous or diligent. You will have to face a great number

of periods of excitement, and crying that is sometimes hard to explain.

Try to hold your baby differently to find out which position is preferable

for him or her. You can notice small pink or red spots on the back of

your baby’s head, on the eyelids, or on the neck. They formed because

of small capillaries that are just under skin. These spots must disappear

by 3 or 4 months.

The rest of the umbilical cord usually drops off during the second week,

or sometimes on the third. Before it happens, don’t bath your baby

in a tub, but wipe him or her off with a wet napkin. If your baby underwent

circumcision, use Vaseline and gauze napkins so that nappies don’t

stick to this area.

Don’t be afraid to wash fontanels and gentle places on your baby’s

head. The fontanel above his forehead will close by 3 months, and the

fontanel on the crown usually heals by 18 months.

During the first week your baby will sleep for about 20 hours a day.

But there is nothing to worry about –- as soon as he or she overcomes

the birth trauma, he or she will stop sleeping so much. Most likely, a

stable regimen of sleep will not be settled until next month.

Babies of this age ask for food every 3 or 4 hours and, of course, must

be fed. Many of them belch after nursing. If your baby still gains weight,

there is no need to worry.

Try to feed your baby more slowly by using some intervals. And when

your baby finishes, hold him or her in a half-sitting position for about

half an hour.

If you noticed small scratches on your baby’s body, it’s

time to cut his or her nails. It’s better to do it while he or she

is asleep. Use a scissors with rounded ends, and cut nails straight and

not very close to skin.

As soon as your baby’s eye muscles become stronger, his or her

look will be more fixed and he or she won’t seem so cross-eyed.

At this age children are short-sighted; that’s why toys must be

placed at a distance of less than 0.5 meter. Though your baby is able

to turn his or her head following the object dropped out of sight, your

baby doesn’t even think about it.

Young parents always find reasons to worry. If you have any problems,

consult a doctor.

Baby’s physical development this month

Motions of hands and legs are still reflexive.

He or she suddenly startles (the so-called Moro’s reflex).

His or her fists are firmly clenched.

He or she partly rolls from back to side.

He or she can keep the head on the same line with the spine in a sitting

position.

He or she watches motionless objects, but doesn’t stretch a hand

towards them.

He or she can look askew when watching an object.

If you undo the baby’s fingers, he or she may grasp a rattle,

but may also throw it.

Baby’s social development this month

The baby focuses his or her look on the parent’s face if the parent

is not father than in 0.5 meter.

The baby looks into your eyes.

The baby becomes silent while examining people’s faces.

The baby adjusts him/herself to the position of the person who holds

him or her.

The baby can catch a person.

The baby reacts to people’s voices.

Baby’s intellectual development this month

The baby is active 1 hour out of 10.

The baby has a dim face that doesn’t express anything during almost

all his or her time spent awake.

The baby identifies his mother by voice and smell.

The baby cries when he or she asks for help.

YOUR BABY IS 2 MONTHS OLD

Your one-month old baby begins gradually adjusting to outward things.

You also adapt to the new family member and study his or her character

because he or she is awake and active for a longer time already. Perhaps

the baby doesn’t communicate with you yet, but during the time when

he or she is awake, he or she watches, hears, absorbs, and studies. The

baby can express not only discomfort but also satisfaction, and by the

end of the second month he or she can smile to you quite deliberately.

The sight and hearing of your baby is just beginning to be coordinated.

He or she can turn towards a sound and search it with his or her eyes.

He or she can even pronounce some vague sounds in response. By the end

of the month, he or she will be able to follow objects -- first from side

to side, then up and down. At the beginning of the second month you can

notice red heat-spots in your baby’s face. It happens because of

disappearing maternal hormones. They will disappear in 4 or 6 weeks. You

can also find peels on your baby’s head. They neither cause pain

nor itch. Your doctor will tell you how to get rid of them with the help

of a child’s cream or olive cream.

Sucking still remains a very exciting thing, and your baby coordinates

his or her head with the mouth more effectively. The baby puts everything

into his or her mouth – this is how he or she realizes where his

or her body ends and the rest begins. By the end of the month nutrition

and sleep become more or less stable, although your baby will deviate

from schedule from time to time. As soon as your baby reaches about 23

pounds and overcomes infantile colic, he or she will manage to sleep for

7 hours without a break.

While preparing a baby for sleep, always put him or her on his or her

back. It can reduce the risk of sudden death syndrome. And however that

may be, sleeping in one position can deform the soft head bones. To avoid

this, turn the baby’s bed in such a way that the baby looks in different

directions Also put the baby on his or her belly when he or she is awake.

By the end of the month your baby will be able to lift his or her head

while lying on his or her belly. An active child can even perform crawling

movements.

The baby’s movements become less and less jerky, and he or she

gets control over his or her body. And even though the baby’s bucks

and swingings still seem aimless, in reality this isn’t so. A baby

trains his or her muscles in such a way.

Baby’s physical development this month

The baby holds his or her head for several seconds.

In a sitting position, he or she keeps his or her head straight.

Muscle tone improves.

He or she observes the setting.

He or she coordinates his or her look while observing an object.

He or she can follow an object that moves from side to side.

He or she smoothly moves his or her legs and hands.

He or she can touch objects.

Baby’s social development this month

You can calm the baby down with sucking.

He or she vocalizes -- that is, pronounces vowels in a sing-song voice.

He or she calms down when somebody takes him or her in their hands,

or when he or she hears or sees a person.

He or she is awake for a longer time in case somebody plays with him

or her.

Baby’s intellectual development this month

He or she recognizes voices, people, tastes, and objects.

He or she vocalizes.