Newborn baby 1 week old. What is the first thing a mother needs to know about newborns? Medical support and documents

February 23

From the moment a child is born, the so-called newborn period begins, which lasts during the first month of his life. During this period, the baby adapts to new conditions: from the warm and dark space of the mother’s belly, which tightly “hugged” him in the last weeks of pregnancy, he finds himself in a world filled with bright light, sounds, smells and different sensations. Nature gives a child about three weeks to adapt to new living conditions, and this is the most difficult period in his life. Therefore, when organizing care for a newborn, it is important for parents to learn to understand and meet the needs of the baby in order to help him successfully adapt to the world around him.

In the first episode of the series “We Are Parents!” Singer, actress and mother Anna Rudneva talks about her experience raising a child from birth to one year.

Physiological features of the development of a child in the first week of life

Baby's nutrition in the first week of life

At first, the baby eats very often. The best food for him is breast milk, which contains all the necessary nutrients and vitamins. In addition, breast milk is an “individual product” that the mother’s body produces only for a given child, taking into account his needs and health status. The composition of breast milk varies depending on the age of the baby. So, in the first two to three days after birth, he eats colostrum, which has a rich and valuable composition. Modern pediatricians recommend feeding a breastfed baby on demand, that is, as many times as he wants.

Baby's sleep in the first week of life

In the first month of life, the child sleeps a lot - 19-20 hours a day, waking up every two to three hours to eat. The periods of wakefulness of a newborn do not depend on the time of day, and sleep differs significantly from the sleep of an adult. Babies are characterized by the so-called superficial phase of sleep. If a sleeping baby is disturbed during this period, he can easily wake up.

Features of the skin of newborn babies

The skin of a newborn baby has a number of features. It is quite dry and thin, easily vulnerable and prone to irritation. Whitish or yellowish “dots” may be noticeable on the wings of the nose and cheeks of the baby - the result of the accumulation of secretions from the sebaceous glands. There may also be purplish-bluish spots on the child’s forehead, back of the head and upper eyelids, which will disappear in a few weeks.

Also on the skin of healthy newborns, so-called physiological erythema can be observed - dilation of the skin capillaries, which looks like redness. This is the result of adaptation of the skin to the environment. Normally, this phenomenon goes away within ten days and does not require treatment. However, if physiological erythema does not go away after this period, parents should show the child to a doctor.

Since the life of a large family was replaced by separate living of a newly created family, young mothers have developed uncertainty and a feeling of helplessness after childbirth in the correctness and timeliness of the development of the newborn.

Without extensive experience in “babysitting” small children, a woman is stupefied by literally everything related to the physiological and mental development of her baby, especially in the first year of the child’s life.

We offer you a brief overview of the development of a child up to one year old. Let’s look at the first month of life, the most difficult in terms of how a young mother and baby adapt to each other, in more detail - week by week.

Week one, let's get acquainted

Sense organs of a newborn. The long-awaited return home. Now the baby can get to know his mother in a calm atmosphere, see, hear, smell and touch the world around him from a new perspective, already familiar to him in absentia from the muffled sounds coming from outside during intrauterine life.

A newly born child's vision is blurry; he can only distinguish large objects located nearby, which is a kind of protection against the sudden surge of colors and shapes. Hearing, smell and touch are quite developed in a newborn; these sense organs developed while still alive inside the mother.

Breast-feeding

In the first week after birth, it is very important to establish breastfeeding. Get used to the fact that the first time after birth, the baby will be in your arms almost all the time during waking moments and will constantly demand the breast.

It’s not so much a matter of hunger, but rather a need to feel the unity that is broken with the mother. Attachment to the breast at one week of age is perhaps the only and most effective way to calm a crying baby.

First bath

The first bath after birth is the most frightening procedure for new mothers and fathers. Try to do it correctly and calmly, so as not to spoil everything the first time and not cause the baby to dislike water.

Physiological characteristics of the newborn that most often cause concern:

  • Regurgitation. Many mothers worry that the baby spits up often and a lot and does not eat enough. Spitting up is normal for babies up to 6 months old.
  • They occur due to the immaturity of the digestive tract, immaturity of the nervous system and incorrect organization of the breastfeeding process, during which air is swallowed.

    For a one-week-old baby, the norm is to regurgitate after each feeding in a volume of no more than 2 tablespoons and once a day in a “fountain”. You can check the amount of milk regurgitated by pouring 2 tablespoons of water onto the diaper and comparing the stains formed from the water and milk.

  • Weight loss. In the first days after birth, breastfed babies tend to lose weight. This is normal and temporary. They will gain weight when breastfeeding is fully established.
  • Jaundice. You may notice that 2-3 days after birth, the newborn’s skin tone has turned yellow. The phenomenon is also normal and is an adaptive process that results in the formation of excess bilirubin in the blood, which turns the skin yellow. If jaundice is not pathological, it goes away on its own in 7-14 days.
  • Strabismus. Sometimes it may seem that a newborn's eyes are squinting. This occurs due to weakness of the eyeball muscles and inability to focus the gaze. Help your baby learn to use his eyes - hang a large, bright toy above the crib in the center, and the eyes will begin to move in sync within a few days or weeks. In very rare cases, strabismus can last up to six months, which is not yet a cause for concern.
  • Trembling in sleep. Does your baby startle suddenly in his sleep? It is not at all necessary that he has problems with the nervous system. Swaddle him tightly while he sleeps to create similar living conditions during pregnancy and the baby will become calmer. Such tremors disappear on average by 3-4 months after the birth of the child.
  • Peeling of the skin. After birth, the baby does not have a very attractive appearance due to a special lubricant that covers his body to facilitate the birth process and initially protect the skin from contact with air. There is no need to take it off for the first 2-3 days. Then it is absorbed and the child’s skin adapts to new conditions, resulting in peeling.

How to prevent constipation in newborns when bottle-fed

Do not use detergents; if the skin is dry, lubricate it, preferably with any vegetable oil, previously sterilized in a water bath. When walking, ensure that your baby is isolated from gusts of wind and direct sunlight. If you follow these recommendations, the peeling will soon go away.

Week two, getting used to it

A week has passed. For a newborn, this is a huge period of time, including a lot of new impressions, getting to know his body and the world around him. The umbilical wound is healing. The baby completely adapts to the new way of getting food. The number of intestinal bowel movements is normalized and is 3-4 times a day.

Weight gain begins. The baby becomes more and more interested in what is happening around him and begins to listen to surrounding sounds and look at objects more carefully. He can examine all the details from a distance of 20-25 cm. At this time, facial expressions begin to develop - your pet may even please you with his first smile.

Now your happiness can be overshadowed by the onset of intestinal colic, accompanied by prolonged crying and squeezing, twisting of the legs. You can start fighting them, but there is no consensus among doctors about both the cause of their occurrence and ways to alleviate the condition. There is only one piece of advice: be patient, sooner or later they will stop.

Week three, small victories

The third week marks the first achievements in your baby's life. Lying on his tummy, he tries to raise his head and examine the surrounding objects. He succeeds in this for a while. The baby's movements become more and more orderly, he makes attempts to reach the toys suspended above him.

When you address him, the baby becomes quiet, looks into the face of the speaker, reacts to the intonation of the voice and may hum and smile in response. During this period, it is more difficult to calm the baby; to relieve the tension of the nervous system overflowing with new impressions, he may cry for a long time. For some babies, crying for 20 minutes before falling asleep becomes the norm. The intonation of crying becomes more and more demanding.

Week four, summing up

The first month of life is coming to an end. The baby goes from newborn to infancy. The child’s vestibular apparatus is improving - he senses the position of his body in space, which will soon allow him to roll over and grasp objects.

The flexor muscles are still stronger than the extensor muscles and the limbs are in a semi-flexed position.

Muscle hypertonicity is a normal physiological condition for children under one month old.

A month after the birth of your child, you need to undergo a medical examination, during which doctors will evaluate physiological development and its compliance with age standards.

What should a child be able to do by the end of the fourth week of life:

  • focus your gaze on the object in question, turn your head towards the outgoing sound;
  • recognize parents and perk up when they appear in sight;
  • try to briefly hold your head while lying on your stomach.

Height and weight

Here are the average indicators developed by the World Health Organization. In parentheses we will indicate critical values ​​indicating the need for a medical examination. Everything that falls within this range is a variant of the norm.

Second month

The period is characterized by the establishment of a similar pattern of sleep and wakefulness. The baby still sleeps a lot, but now mom knows when and approximately how much time he needs to rest. Now he can firmly grasp everything that falls into his hands.

What a baby should be able to do:

  • focus your gaze not only on moving, but also on stationary objects;
  • roll over from side to side;
  • briefly hold the head from a position lying on your tummy, try to rise on your arms, arching your back, turn your head towards the sound;
  • demonstrate the support reflex: feel the support under your legs and push off from it;
  • demonstrate a “revival complex” when adults appear: smile, move arms and legs, arch, “walk”, making drawn-out vowel sounds.

Constipation in infants: first aid and prevention

Third month

If development proceeds at an average pace, then at the age of three months the child has learned to roll over from his back to his tummy and lift himself from his tummy on his arms, maintaining this position for up to several minutes.

Don't worry if your baby doesn't succeed, he will catch up by 4-5 months.

Due to the increase in subcutaneous fat deposits, the baby acquires rounded shapes, swelling with folds appears on the arms and legs. The child puts everything into his mouth and tastes it. At three months you need to undergo a second medical examination.

Skills and abilities:

  • the revival complex develops further, the child tries to talk using “cooing” and is very happy to see mom or dad;
  • rollover from back to stomach;
  • emphasis on the arms with raising the body while lying on the stomach and holding in this position.

Fourth month

Most children by this age end with problems with intestinal colic, and mothers can breathe easy, but not for long - the first teeth may soon appear. Some are destined not to receive the long-awaited respite.

Skills and abilities:

  • holding small objects with ease;
  • babbling, humming, pronouncing the syllables “ba”, “ma”, “pa” and others;
  • reaction to your name;
  • confident holding of the head in an upright position in the arms of an adult;
  • grasping, pulling towards oneself and tasting objects of interest;
  • first attempts at squats.

Fifth month

The baby's physical activity has increased so much that the best place for him now is the floor, where he can happily perform all sorts of tricks. By this time he had already become bored with the crib. Now the restless one needs vigilant supervision. Most people start teething, which is accompanied by itching, anxiety and profuse drooling.

What a child should be able to do:

  • roll over from back to stomach and back, pull yourself up on your arms, make your first attempts to crawl and sit down;
  • play with toys independently for 5-10 minutes;
  • “talk” in syllables vaguely reminiscent of human speech.

Sixth month

The child tries to crawl, and many do it well. Attempts to sit down turn into triumph, but the spine does not yet have strength, and the little one cannot sit for a long time. He actively explores the world, showing capriciousness due to his teeth bothering him. At six months you need to have another medical examination.

Skills and abilities:

  • short sitting in pillows, a highchair, or a stroller;
  • crawl;
  • laughter, muttering, and even something similar to singing;
  • jumping in the arms of an adult with the support of the arms, which becomes the toddler’s favorite pastime.

Seventh month

By this time, the child has learned to understand the meaning of many words and points his finger at objects of interest. He understands that the trick with missing things is just a trick, and they can be found.

Many toddlers begin to experience fear when parting with their mother, which is a high indicator of mental development.

Skills and abilities:

  • the child stands up with the help of support and moves while standing;
  • crawls confidently, but it also happens that the baby skips the crawling period and immediately begins to move, holding onto support.

The importance of complementary feeding from 6 months when breastfeeding

Eighth month

Your baby learns to achieve her goal by being persistent and measuring the boundaries of what is permitted. He already understands the word “no” well, which greatly upsets the little man. Character traits emerge. A child may already have 4-6 teeth, but there is no clear time frame for teething; all children undergo the process individually. The level of distrust of strangers increases even more.

What can a child do:

  • sit down independently;
  • throw toys and transfer them from one hand to another;
  • take the first steps holding the hands of an adult.

Ninth month

The child is growing before our eyes. Once helpless, he now tries to do everything on his own, despite the fact that it turns out poorly. The baby is good at sitting, standing up and walking with the help of support. Speech skills are developing, some children are already pronouncing their first words.

The child can explain himself using facial expressions, gestures, syllables and words. Copies the intonation of adults well.

At 9 months, a medical examination is necessary to assess the baby's development.

What a child can do:

  • holds a spoon in his hands and tries to eat independently, drinks from a mug or sippy cup;
  • at the request of an adult, takes objects that are named to him;
  • sits, sits, crawls and walks independently with support;
  • transforms babble into words.

Tenth month

The skills and abilities acquired in the 9th month of life are further developed.

Baby's first days. Recently baby development was happening inside your mother, you felt its tremors and fading, and now you hold this miracle in your hands. 1 month of baby's life, and especially in the first days, a newborn may seem completely fragile and awkward-looking to you. The baby's arms and legs are not yet fully developed. The child may even appear bow-legged. Don't worry, it's only first week of baby's life: Your baby will slowly grow, stretch out, and by the age of 6 months his body will become completely straight.

Not very cute yet. The newborn's face may be swollen, bluish, and not symmetrical. Don't let this scare you, because... During the passage of the birth canal, the baby experienced quite strong physical stress. Nature has provided for this and the soft bones of the newborn will soon straighten and the swelling will subside.

While the baby is adapting to life outside the warm, cozy, safe mother’s tummy, he needs to be kept warm (as in the womb), swaddled in diapers or a light blanket. Moreover, swaddling imitates the closed space of the uterus, in which the child’s development took place for 9 whole months, and this is his entire life.

Reflexes of a newborn baby

A child is born with a number of reflexes.

Fright - newborn reflex, causing the child to automatically arch his back, spread his arms and legs, and sometimes scream when he hears a sharp, loud noise or sudden movements. Newborns even react this way during sleep, but this will happen later, after several months.

Other newborn reflexes include:
- Babinski reflex(the baby’s big toe protrudes and the other toes “fan out” when the soles of the feet are firmly stroked),
- step reflex(when his feet touch a hard surface, the child raises his legs as if he is walking or dancing),
- sucking reflex(sucks with his tongue when something hits him).

Hunger and sleep rule

Food is the most important thing in a newborn's life, followed by sleep. Most newborns will feed every two to three hours around the clock.

The sleep schedule of almost all children is the same and it is unlikely that your child will have much different. Your baby will likely sleep a total of 16 to 17 hours a day. A "sleep" is usually broken down into eight or so "dreams". To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), make sure your baby sleeps on his back.

By the end of the first month, your newborn may have developed a consistent eating and sleeping schedule, but don't force it. At this age, the baby should be fed when he shows signs of hunger, preferably before he cries.

Taste and smell

Your child already has a developed sense of taste. In fact, newborns seem to have a more developed sense of taste than adults. Sensitivity to sweet and bitter foods is present at birth, but a reaction to salty foods is not observed until about 5 months of age.

A newborn uses his sense of smell from the very beginning, and can detect odors: Notice how he turns his head away if he smells something unpleasant (like his dirty diapers!).

Research shows that 5-day-old newborns will turn to a cotton swab soaked in breast milk. This proves that they can smell milk, and a few days later they prefer the smell of their mother. Using his sense of smell, your baby can move towards your breast.

Mom after childbirth

You are a mother! Congratulations!

This week, everything became reality - you have a baby! He is all yours, you take him home with you, and he is completely dependent on your love, care and feeding.

All the worries associated with pregnancy and childbirth are left behind, and your long-awaited baby is finally with you... But here new questions arise, for example, how a newborn child should grow and how to properly care for him. Let's take a look at how it will go 1 week of baby's life.

Of course, for the first 3–4 days (or 5–7 days if you had a cesarean section) you will be in the maternity hospital, where experienced neonatologists and a pediatric nurse will always come to your aid. During this time, try to ask them as much as possible about everything that interests you. But, unfortunately, you will not be able to find out about everything right away - many questions will arise after returning home. But don’t worry - your maternal instinct will definitely tell you what to do right!

While you are in the maternity hospital, your baby will receive the first vaccination in his life - this will be a vaccination against viral hepatitis (usually done within the first 12 hours after birth). On the eve of discharge, the child must receive a second vaccination - BCG (against tuberculosis).

If your baby loses about 10% of his birth weight during this week, don't panic! Such physiological weight loss is considered normal and is a consequence of the child’s adaptation to life outside the womb. If the baby is healthy, he will gain weight fairly quickly over the next month.

What will happen to the child?

On the third or fourth day after birth, the baby’s skin should turn completely pink. If you notice that your skin begins to peel, do not panic - this is normal! Areas of peeling skin should be lubricated with baby lotion or nourishing milk.

Half of newborns develop (yellowing of the skin) during this week. This condition is associated with increased levels of bilirubin in the blood and should normally disappear within a week. But if the jaundice does not go away after a week, your baby will need medical attention.

In the first month, the baby sleeps almost around the clock (about 19 - 20 hours). Doctors identify five conditions in which a newborn baby is:

  • drowsiness - a condition that occurs before falling into a shallow sleep and during feeding - you may notice that the baby is lying with his eyes half-closed;
  • state of shallow sleep - at this time the child’s breathing is uneven, rapid, the eyeballs under the eyelids periodically move (“eyes dart”), the baby can “throw up” - twitch his arms and legs;
  • state of deep sleep - at this time the child’s face and body are completely relaxed, his breathing is slow and even, his eyes are closed;
  • wakefulness is the time when the child is active, when his eyes are open, he moves his arms and legs, turns his head;
  • crying - with the help of crying, the child expresses his discomfort - either a feeling of hunger, or a dirty diaper, poor health, etc. (you can find out from our other article by following the link).

A very important point this week is caring for the umbilical wound. As a rule, by the time of discharge from the hospital, only a small percentage of children have time to fall off the remainder of the umbilical cord and the umbilical wound has completely healed. For most children, this happens on the seventh to fourteenth day.

In principle, you should not have any particular difficulties caring for your belly button. Every morning and evening (after bathing) lubricate the wound with a solution of brilliant green (brilliant green). This must be done until the wound is completely healed.

When bathing children whose navel has not yet healed, pediatricians recommend adding a decoction of St. John's wort, calendula or chamomile, or a weak solution of potassium permanganate to the water. Please note that the temperature of the water in which you will bathe your child should not exceed 37.5°C, and the duration of water procedures should be no more than 7 minutes.

If the umbilical wound has not healed within 15 days, if discharge appears from it, it is red or swollen, then you should show your child to a doctor (call him at home).

Provide your child with a constant ambient temperature (preferably 20 - 22°C), since newborn children do not cope well with body thermoregulation and are prone to overheating and hypothermia.

Long after birth, the baby's vision will be quite blurry. All children are born nearsighted, and your child can only see things when they are no further than 20 - 30 cm from his face. Therefore, your baby can only see your face when you hold him close to you.

What will happen to mom?

After giving birth, 2 to 4 days later, your milk will begin to flow (before that you will). Breast engorgement leads to a feeling of “fullness” in the breasts—congestion—and can cause discomfort and fever.

Your breasts may become hot, firm, very tender, swollen, and even throb. Now the most important thing for you is not to perceive breastfeeding as something painful and not to give up on it! You definitely need to establish lactation and continue to feed your baby breast milk!

The discomfort from the flow of milk will gradually decrease, and your body will adapt to breastfeeding. While this adjustment process takes place, try the following techniques to reduce chest discomfort and tenderness:

  • Take a warm shower;
  • Apply warm compresses to your breasts before each feeding (for example, a washcloth soaked in hot water and wrung out) - this will not only relieve pain, but also promote milk flow.
  • Express a little milk from each breast before feeding your baby. Breasts that are too full can make it difficult for the baby to latch onto the nipple, leading to poor sucking in the baby and nipple injury in the mother.
  • Wear a special bra for nursing mothers.
  • Feed your baby according to his demand, and not by the hour (as a rule, in the first month of life, children eat every 1.5 - 3 hours). Do not refuse to feed because of pain - the more often you feed, the faster lactation will improve and your breasts will stop hurting.
  • Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and to maintain milk production.
  • After feeding, apply a cold compress to your breast.

If you have cracks in your nipples, purchase a special cream that heals cracks (for example, Bepanten) and lubricate your nipples with it after each feeding. Keep your breasts in the fresh air more often - airing helps the cracks heal.

Review your diet - if you are a nursing mother, then your diet should not contain foods that can harm your baby or upset his digestion.

The first week of a baby's life– the most responsible, next week the baby will feel more adapted to extrauterine life. Therefore, it depends only on you how comfortable your baby will feel in a world that is still foreign to him!

  • Development by week
  • Breast-feeding
  • The first days and weeks of a child's life are difficult for both parents and baby. During the newborn period, which lasts 4 weeks after birth (28 days), mothers and fathers learn to care for the baby, and the child adapts to new living conditions. How successful these processes will be depends on many factors. And one of them is to understand exactly how newborns develop in order to respond to any problems in time and contact a pediatrician to eliminate them.


    Immediately after birth, the baby needs to adapt to the world around him, and his mother is the best person to help him with this.

    Main stages of development

    While still in the maternity hospital, the child begins the stage of adaptation to changed living conditions. At this stage, all organ systems of the baby adapt to new conditions:

    • The lungs begin to work, and blood circulation is reorganized to function with the inclusion of the small circle.
    • Baby's head in the first days of life, it is quite often elongated, which is associated with the flexibility of the skull bones and the passage of the baby through the birth canal. Its shape becomes correct by 2 weeks of age. In addition, many babies develop a birth tumor on their head, which disappears without a trace after 1-2 days.
    • The skin immediately after childbirth has a reddish tint.. In many children, from the third day it acquires a yellow tint - this is how physiological (non-dangerous) jaundice manifests itself, which normally disappears by 2 weeks of age.
    • The nervous system is very sensitive and works actively. Various unconditioned reflexes appear, among which the main ones are searching and sucking.


    In most cases, a newborn's skin has a reddish tint, which goes away by the end of the first week of life.

    • Thermoregulation is still imperfect Therefore, the baby often experiences sudden changes in body temperature. The baby easily overheats and freezes quickly.
    • A newborn has perfectly developed hearing, smell, taste and touch. At the same time, the child's vision is weak, he sees everything fuzzy and blurry.
    • Many babies after birth experience slight strabismus caused by weakness of the eye muscles. This condition goes away on its own over time.
    • During the first day, urination occurs 4-6 times, and then the number of urinations per day reaches 15-20 times. In many children, on the first day, the urine acquires a reddish tint, which is normal and is associated with the low water content in colostrum.
    • Various microorganisms enter the baby’s intestines, which were previously completely sterile. Meconium begins to be released from the intestines (the so-called dark feces that has accumulated in the baby’s digestive tract at the time of birth), and then the feces lighten and become more liquid.

    Watch the episode of the famous children's doctor E. Komarovsky's program dedicated to newborn babies below:

    At the next stage of development, which begins after discharge, parents have to deal with various difficulties, for example, colic, which often bothers the baby from 2-3 weeks of life.

    Also, a new mother can expect difficulties in establishing lactation, which are best dealt with by frequent feeding.

    By the end of the newborn stage, babies change noticeably - their facial features become clearer, postpartum swelling disappears, and their gaze focuses on faces and objects.

    The baby's muscles become stronger, allowing him to briefly raise his head and move his limbs. In addition, the baby pleases loved ones with a “revival complex” - recognition of their faces, active movements and the manifestation of positive emotions.


    By the beginning of the second month, the baby’s skin becomes pink, the head is leveled, and the birth swelling on the face disappears.

    Development calendar by week in the table

    Age

    Skills

    1 Week(7 days)

    Hold the head for a few seconds.

    Focusing the gaze at a distance of 5 to 15 cm.

    Involuntary closure of fingers and arms.

    Involuntary smile.

    Recognizing the smell of breast milk.

    Reacting to bright light by blinking and closing the eyes.

    Animation when parents approach.

    2 weeks(14 days)

    Examination of an adult, involuntary winks and funny grimaces.

    Fixation of gaze on a bright toy with a diameter of up to 10 cm.

    3 weeks(21 day)

    Hold the head for up to 5 seconds, lifting it after a short rest.

    Recognizing mom and dad.

    Looking at objects and faces at a distance of up to 50 cm.

    Freezing at the sight of anything new and sharp unfamiliar sounds.

    Grasping parents' fingers and hair with their hands.

    4 weeks(28 days)

    Active movements of legs and arms.

    Focusing your gaze on objects and faces at a distance of up to 1 m.

    Expression of emotions by different screams (dissatisfied, joyful).

    Raising your head while lying on your tummy for up to 5 seconds.

    Keeping your gaze on your mother's face or a stationary object in your field of vision for a long time.

    Active viewing of the surrounding world from the hands of an adult.

    Firm grip of an adult's fingers.

    Hold your gaze on a moving object for up to 7 seconds.

    Humming.

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    First week

    In the first days of life, the baby and mother get to know each other, and The baby's main need is close contact with mommy. The best food for a toddler is colostrum, which after a few days is replaced by mature milk, adapting to the needs of the baby.


    After birth, it is very important to place the baby on the mother’s breast as early as possible.

    Outwardly, the child does not yet look like the babies on the pages of the magazine. After childbirth, the baby’s face is asymmetrical, swelling often appears on the head, and the head itself is flattened and slightly elongated into an oval.

    The skin is often red and turns pale only by the end of the first week. Some children develop peeling skin on the chest and tummy at 3-5 days of life. Slight jaundice from the 3rd day of life is also considered normal.

    In addition, in the first week the following features are noted:

    • Muscle tone is increased in the first week.
    • The baby has no tears in the first weeks of life, and the sweat glands are still developing (their function improves by the 7th day of life).
    • There should be no plaque on the mucous membranes; they should normally be moist and pink.
    • By the end of the first week, the umbilical wound dries out and heals.
    • The baby's nose is sometimes covered with a rash in the form of small white dots.
    • The baby's heart beats 110-170 times per minute, and the normal breathing rate per minute is 30-50 times.
    • From the second or third day, instead of meconium, yellowish stools with a sour smell begin to be released about 4-5 times a day (with breastfeeding).

    To see what a baby looks like in the first days after birth, watch the video:

    Second week

    Skin redness, swelling and jaundice often go away this week. The baby begins to gain weight, and hypertonicity in the limbs, which is considered normal for a child in the first month of life, still persists. The baby has not yet learned to hold his head up, but The movements of the baby’s legs and arms are still involuntary and chaotic.

    The following nuances are also noted:

    • The baby sleeps most of the day (about 16-20 hours).
    • Thermoregulation has not yet improved.
    • The palms and feet are covered with dry skin.
    • The nails grow, so they already need to be cut.
    • The skin of many children begins to peel off.
    • There are at least 15 urinations per day.
    • The child's intestines empty 3-4 times a day, and the feces are mushy and yellow.


    At two weeks of age, the baby spends most of his time sleeping

    Third week

    The movements of the limbs of a toddler older than 2 weeks are already becoming less chaotic, and the skull of most babies in the third week of life regained its shape.

    The baby's activity increases, and due to the abundance of impressions, many babies become irritable in the evening.

    The baby's cry changes, acquiring intonation, for example, when the baby is worried about something, the cry will be loud and demanding.

    A baby in the third week of life is characterized by the following features:

    • The baby's sense of smell becomes sharper.
    • The baby begins to feel the balance and position of his own body in space.
    • Breastfeeding meals at this age are at least 10-12.
    • The toddler begins to recognize the faces and voices of loved ones.
    • The daily routine is just being established; the baby still spends most of the day sleeping.

    Bowel movements at this age occur from 2 to 8 times a day. When breastfeeding, yellow stools with a buttery-milky smell and the consistency of mustard . If the baby receives formula, stool occurs 1-4 times a day, and the stool is darker and harder, with an unpleasant odor and a brownish tint.


    A 21-day-old baby still performs most actions and movements reflexively

    Fourth week

    The baby's development is progressing at a fast pace this week. The baby adapts better and better to the world around him, rejoices at his parents, looks after his toys and begins to coo.