Your Baby and You: Week Fifty Two
YOUR BABY
Physical Development: Where's your tiny newborn gone?
At the end of this week your baby will be 1 year old, and they look a lot different now to the way they did 12 months ago. At the age of 1, most babies weigh around 2.5-3 times their birth weight - and that's a lot of growing!
Many babies take their first steps around the age of 12 months, your little one may already be walking or he might not have got that far yet. Don't worry if your baby is not yet walking, unless he is showing any other developmental concerns there is unlikely to be a problem - many children wait until after their first birthday before taking their first steps.
It's a long time before your baby will be getting themselves up, dressed and ready for the day all by themselves. However, they aren't too young for you to encourage them to at least help you to get their clothes on in the morning. Whether it's asking them to push an arm through a sleeve, or a foot through a trouser leg, instructing them will help to gradually increase their vocabulary, their coordination and their independence.
Behavioural Development: Naughty baby?
Be cautious about labelling your child as naughty. There are lots of behaviours during the toddler years (which you are now about to enter!) which are challenging, but they are usually about more than just a child deliberately being naughty. There are 2 key reasons behind most areas of difficult behaviour with very young children:
- Frustration - their desire to do things tends to exceed their ability to them, as well as their communication. So often they haven't been able to tell you what it is they really want to do and that can trigger a tantrum. They might also get frustrated because they don't understand why certain things happen, such as why play time is coming to an end or why you won't let them crawl out of the front door.
- Curiosity - they are still learning so much about the world around them. They don't know that it is naughty to empty your DVD rack, or to bite you, these are things that they have to learn over time. In the meantime, they are probably just curious to see what happens when they do these things, and what the reaction will be from you.
Be consistent with your disciplinary approach and be firm when you say no. Over time your baby will learn right from wrong, but there is a long path to travel on first!
Social & Emotional Development: Relationships with others
Your baby may now be forming stronger relationships with other adults - in particular, grandparents or people who look after them or that they see regularly. You might find their confidence in the presence of others is increasing, and leaving them might be harder for you than it is for them!
If your baby is getting upset when you leave them, the chances are (and your caregiver or babysitter will probably corroborate this) that they are fine within a short time of you leaving. They may also become upset when you arrive to collect them, this is also common behaviour and is not necessarily an indication that they have been distressed without you all day.
Speech & Communication: Mama & Dada
By now, your baby's speech may well have developed such that a couple of words are clearly distinguishable - such as Mama or Dada. What's more, at this stage they might be capable of actually directing them at the right person rather than just saying them indiscriminately. The first time you realise your baby is able to use a name for you can be a heart-warming moment.
Feeding: Can they have treats now?
If you completely ban certain foods from your child then you are in danger of creating a 'forbidden fruit' type issue, whereby you only make them more intent on having it. So if all the other children are having something and your baby has cottoned on to it, it may be OK to let them have a small amount in that situation. However, there is also a lot to be said for the what they don't know won't hurt them approach, and your baby is still very young. There is no need to give them their first ice cream, just because there's an ice cream van at the park, or to offer them chocolate cake just because you have it in the house and you want to treat them. There are plenty of other ways in which you can treat your baby to something special - at this age they will probably be just as grateful for some blueberries! It's important to remember that your baby's taste for food is still developing, and by introducing them to sweet, sugary foods too early you can quickly affect their taste for more healthy foods.
Care Advice: Sterilising bottles
Many healthcare providers recommend that you continue to sterilise bottles up to the age of at least 12 months. Although it can seem nonsensical when your baby is on the floor all the time and trying to put all sorts of things in her mouth, the reason bottles should still be sterilised is because milk can be hard to clean out of them properly and bacteria can grow quickly causing your baby to become ill. If your baby is still having milk from a bottle, then you can still continue to sterilise the bottles but in the mean time you might want to think about switching them over to a cup or a beaker so as to avoid problems with tooth decay and speech development.
Safety Advice: Accidents waiting to happen
Of course it can be worrying for parents as their little one set off on their feet to explore the world (or at least the house), and it is important that you take sensible measures to make sure that your house is safe for them. However, it is important that you allow them to explore, and to fall occasionally too as it's all part of learning for them and wrapping them in cotton wool will hinder their development.
THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK
Entertainment: Role play & helping
Involve your baby in your day to day activities. They are old enough to help tug pieces of laundry out of the washing machine with you, and to be given a dustpan and brush to have a go at sweeping the floor - albeit not very effectively! Most babies and young children love being involved in these grown up activities, and whilst they won't really provide that much 'help' for you right now, you could be reaping the rewards of these lessons one day!
ALL ABOUT YOU THIS WEEK
Your Body: You should be proud of it
The chances are, no matter how hard you may have worked at losing weight or getting fit again after your baby, your body will have changed a little now that you have a 1 year old. Be proud of the changes in your body, they are the result of an enormous achievement - creating, carrying and giving birth to your baby.
Your Emotions: A time for reflection
With your baby's first birthday at the end of this week, you might find yourself feeling very nostalgic about what you were doing and how you were feeling a year ago. Use this birthday as an excuse to look through some of your old photos - from scan photos and bump photos, to ones of your baby when he or she was first born. It's astounding how much has changed for you all as a family in a year.
YOUR WEEKLY CHECKLIST
(Helping to keep you organised!)
Routine medical appointments: MMR Vaccination
Make sure you have an appointment for your little one's first MMR vaccination, this usually happens between 12-13 months.
Baby Health: Teeth
Once your baby has her birthday, it's time for them to get their first dental check-up. Make an appointment for them with your own dentist, if possible.
