Your Baby and You: Week Five
YOUR BABY
Physical Development: Noisy wind!
Is your baby burping and farting its way out of the cute baby stereotype you were lead to believe was normal? Don't worry! Whilst loud outbursts of wind from either end can seem a little uncivilised, they are very normal. They swallow air when feeding or even crying, and then more gas is generated as a by-product of digesting their feeds. Always remember, it's better out than in!
Social & Emotional Development: Smiles
Have you seen a smile yet? Don't worry if not, most babies don't show their first proper smiles until they are at least 6 weeks old!
Feeding: Upping their demands
Most babies experience a growth spurt between 4-6 weeks so prepare yourself for an increase in demand whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding! If you are breastfeeding this can be hard work but rest assured that the repeated feeds are an effective way of prompting your body to produce more milk to satisfy their increasing appetite. Once your milk production has stepped up then their feeding pattern should settle back down to a more reasonable schedule. Understanding growth spurts can help you to get through a long night of relentless feeding so read more about them here.
Worried about breastfeeding in public? Here are some tips to build up your confidence:
- Practice breastfeeding at home in front of a mirror, you will probably be surprised at how little of your body is actually exposed to the casual observer
- Find out which café's or restaurants are breastfeeding friendly and have good changing facilities (nappies often need changing after a good feed!)
- Go with a friend - especially other breastfeeding friends to help increase your confidence
- Wear practical clothes for accessing your breasts easily and discreetly. A top that pulls or open downwards will avoid exposing your midriff, which most new mums are self-conscious about
- You can buy a breastfeeding cover but most mums find that a muslin cloth draped over their shoulder and over the baby's head is sufficient
Care Advice
Cradle cap is a condition that affects many new babies, but it is harmless and doesn't usually cause them discomfort. Cradle cap is typically identified by the presence of yellow or brown scaly patches, usually on the baby's head. Never pick at these scales as you may cause an infection. It usually clears up within a few weeks but does last longer for some babies.
You may have heard of flat head syndrome, a condition where one part of the skull becomes flat. This is most often caused by repeated pressure on the same area of skull when the baby sleeps, particularly these days as it is advised that babies sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of cot death. To reduce the effects of flat head syndrome encourage as much tummy time as possible during the day. Also vary how they are held or carried during the day by alternating between your car seat or swing, rocker seat or baby sling.
You may want to introduce baths at bedtime as part of your baby's daily routine. It is not necessary to wash their hair frequently, a rinse with water should be adequate for freshening them up and removing the remnants of a dribbled feed. Babies and parents often find bath time relaxing but make sure that you are prepared before getting them in the tub, have their warm towels, fresh nappy and clothes to hand so that they don't get cold.
Safety Advice
Babies should never be left alone in the bath, even a very shallow bath or one where they are in a special baby support seat. A baby can drown in a very small amount of water.
Safety Tip - slippery babies
Avoid the worry of a slippery wet baby on a hard slippery bath surface by submerging a folded towel in the tub. It will provide a non-slip protective surface for you to rest them on, freeing up a hand for you to wash them with!
If you are getting into the habit of feeding your baby in bed at night, be careful that you aren't a bit too comfortable. It can be easy to fall asleep with your baby on your lap and serious accidents can result from babies falling from beds or being suffocated. If you and your baby co-sleep, then read more here on how to do so safely.
Common illnesses and ailments
How do you know when your baby has diarrhoea? Babies with naturally loose poo, especially breastfed babies, can sometimes cause undue concern for parents who think that they might have diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is recognisable by frequent watery stools. If they pass 6 or more such stools in 24 hours then contact your GP, or sooner if they display any other signs off illness such as a fever or unresponsiveness.
THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK
Activities: Bath together
A relaxing way to spend some quality skin-to-skin time with your baby is to take a bath together. This is easier if you have someone to help you by passing the baby to you in the bath and taking them out for you when you are done, but it can be done alone safely too.
- Prepare your bathroom so that the ambient temperature is warm and the bath water is at a suitable temperature for the baby (this might feel a bit colder than you like, it should be warm not hot)
- Lie your baby on plenty of towels on the floor by the bath whilst you get in, then reach out and bring her into the bath with you
- If you are breastfeeding this can be a lovely time to give them a feed
- When you have finished, place the baby on the floor on a towel and then climb out. Never be tempted to try and get in and out of the bath whilst holding your baby, the possibility of slipping over poses a risk of serious injury to both of you
ALL ABOUT YOU THIS WEEK
Your Body: Diet & exercise
Keep your energy levels up and help to start shedding those post-pregnancy pounds by ensuring that you are eating a sensible post-natal diet and thinking about your fitness. We're not talking about rapid weight-loss or marathon training here, but a healthy lifestyle will help you in lots of ways. Eat wholesome nutritious foods and start introducing exercise back into your life gradually by taking short walks with your baby on a daily basis.
Healthy Diet Tip
Impose an easy rule: 5 a day you have to eat, before you give yourself a treat!
Fill your snack bowl up with fruit and raw vegetables, and don't allow any naughty treats until you've hit your 5 portions of different fruit and vegetables for the day. You might find you no longer fancy those nutrition-free nibbles by then!
Your Relationships: Friends
Most of the time, you come with an arm attachment these days - your baby. Relationships with your close friends will be easier to maintain if you let them get to know your baby too. Involve them in the care of your baby when they come to see you (if that's what they want to do). As your baby gets older they will enjoy having close bonds with other adults outside the family. This is also a good time to consider who you might want as Godparents to your child, if you are going to have them christened (or other similar alternatives if you are having a non-religious ceremony, such as a naming ceremony).
Things to do: Thank you notes
The chances are you might not have got around to thanking people for the gifts they gave you. Nobody expects long and fancy thank you letters so don't put yourself under pressure unnecessarily. You could send a simple email to all the people that gave gifts - or even post a general thank you to everybody on Facebook or Twitter. If you are feeling creative though, there are lots of websites that will help you to design thank you cards with a photo of your baby on. Photo cards can sometimes be expensive, but some companies offer photo stickers at a much lower price which you could add to simple thank you cards instead.
Read our easy guide to creating a sophisticated baby photo in your own home here.
Time for yourself: Handing over a feed
If you are breastfeeding, think about expressing a feed on a daily basis that your partner can feed your baby at night. This doesn't necessarily mean that they have to forego their sleep - perhaps they could do the late evening feed whilst you hit the hay early, and clock up some additional sleeping hours ahead of the night-shift.
YOUR WEEKLY CHECKLIST
(Helping to keep you organised!)
Baby Health: Vitamin D
According to the department of health, breastfed infants may need to receive drops containing vitamin D from one month of age if their mother has not taken vitamin D supplements throughout pregnancy. Ask your health visitor for more information if you have not yet been given advice on vitamin D.
Admin: Registering your baby's name
You must register your baby's name before they turn 6 weeks old. If you have not yet done this then contact your local registry office to make an appointment.
