I watched daddy swim with Aron today, which was quite an experience. I had never seen Aron dive under the water before and I had to admit that I was a little apprehensive. But, I continuously reassured myself that four-month-old babies can instinctively hold their breaths when held underwater – a fantastic instinct that will soon fade when the ways of the world envelope their neurological and physiological senses later on. Aron was, again, not the slightest bit fazed at the daddies and babies around him, the blistering heat of the pool area, the aqua blue water enveloping him and the fact that he was being shoved underwater time and time again, as the daddies followed the instructor’s commands.
A newborn baby next to Aron, who couldn’t have been more than 6 weeks old (the minimum age a baby can attend swimming lessons, I was told by a neighbouring mother) started crying from the chaos of splashing and, quite rightly, demanded to get out and into the arms of her mummy, who swiftly brought out a bottle and ran over to her child.
After the session, we ventured back to my parent’s house and it was another beautiful warm and sunny day. Mum was preparing food in the kitchen and dad was outside firing up the barbie for a big kebab feast. Aron was exhausted from his swim and had fallen asleep before we had arrived and so I placed him into the travel cot that we had set up and left at my parent’s in the lounge.
Hubby and I are still trying to work out a bedtime routine for Aron. We want to incorporate the following: 12 pm nap, 3 pm nap, 7 pm nap, bath time, baby massage, feed and then bed. Everything is a bit late and both hubby and I haven’t slept properly in a long time, so we’re both exhausted. We think Aron goes to bed too late (at 12 am) and sleeps too much during the day. But, unless we can get him to sleep more at night, we are reluctant to reduce his daytime naps. I never thought that bedtime routines would be the trickiest to master!
Aron is becoming much more playful now. It’s easy to make him laugh and he seems like a content baby. He copies me by sticking his tongue out when I do the same. He’s especially playful when I’m breastfeeding him and periodically looks up and searches my face when I make the slightest bit of noise. He’s getting very efficient at picking up toys with his hands and constantly has fingers in his mouth, whether it is his or mine. To be honest, I think you can get away with not buying baby toys if your fingers are around! We went to the doctor for Aron’s 3rd immunisations. I told the nurse administering the injections about Aron’s persistent cough. The nurse said that her son had suffered a continuous cough during spring that lasted 6 months. The doctors had prescribed her son with an inhaler. The weather at the moment is hot, sticky and thickly pollinated. I had even come out in a rash from the smoggy air and felt like my hayfever was back, so of course, Aron’s 4-month-old lungs would suffer from the thick polluted London air.
Aron also had his 3rd immunisations this week. I mentioned to the nurse administering the injections about Aron’s persistent cough. The nurse replied that her son had suffered a continuous cough during the spring season that had lasted for 6 months. So, the doctors had prescribed her son with an inhaler. The weather at the moment is hot, sticky and thickly pollinated, and even I had come out in a rash from the smoggy air. I felt like my hayfever was back, so of course, Aron’s 4-month-old lungs would suffer from the thick polluted London air.
When Aron had finished being injected (such a good boy for bearing 3 injections) the nurse made arrangements for a doctor to check Aron’s cough. I was slightly worried at having to wait to be seen as I hadn’t given Aron any Medinol to curb the fever resulting from the jabs. So, I had to wait rather impatiently in the waiting room for about half an hour. Aron seemed fine, however. We were called and taken to see a rather jolly and chatty female doctor who proceeded to check Aron over with a stethoscope and a swab. She spotted thrush on his tongue and prescribed Nystatin. She also heard a slight wheezing in Aron’s breath but reassured me that this was fine. Aron was too young to contract asthma and it is quite normal for his lungs to suffer from the unusually highly pollinated weather. But she prescribed an inhaler anyway, which I never ended up using. The inhaler itself looked like a fancy tube with a wider part at the end to be placed over Aron’s mouth. I honestly felt like he did not have asthma and that my baby only had a cough, which only meant that his lungs were working, right?
We were invited to attend a distant relative’s Turkish wedding and I welcomed the opportunity to dress up and feel like a real woman again. I had lost a little bit of weight, albeit still two sizes bigger than I was pre-pregnancy, so I wasn’t as self-conscious as before, even though my boobs were now huge at 36E. It took me a long time to find a dress that didn’t make me look humungous and my sister’s best friend generously lent me her flattering black dress which made me look thinner and my boobs slightly smaller. I straightened my hair, put on some makeup and finally felt womanly again. My sister’s best friend had also brought Aron a lovely blue pin-striped shirt and grey trousers and a pair of DKNY socks for the wedding. Aron looked so handsome and everyone at the wedding was gushing over him and commenting on how beautiful and healthy he looked. An older woman advised me to go out and buy an Evil Eye Talisman, which is believed by Mediterranean/Asian cultures to be an ‘evil glare’ from someone and, as a result, causes misfortune or injury to the person receiving the glare. As we were at a Turkish wedding, this phrase or belief is quite common and I didn’t spare it any second thought. Although, I did think to buy an Evil Eye for the house to protect my baby anyway – just in case…
My little boy is developing a sense of humour now! He loves it when I surprise him with a funny face or play ‘peek-a-boo’. Sometimes if it is too loud or startling, he gets scared and sticks his bottom lip out as if to start crying, but as soon as I pick him up and give him a kiss and cuddle, he is all smiles again. I love making Aron laugh, so hubby and I make lots of funny faces and generally just act silly around him, so we can hear his melodic laugh and watch him smile and giggle. We do believe that Aron loves us doing that more than his toys.
A fun fact – This month is a great month to travel with your baby because s/he can’t quite crawl yet and his/her sleeping and feeding habits are also likely to be less demanding.
I am so fed up with Aron’s current pram, the Xcursion because it is so hard to move about with a pram better suited for hiking. Don’t get me wrong, it is a sturdy buggy and it definitely does the job, but I can’t keep wasting one hour to set it up and almost break my back every time I go out. Therefore, I have taken matters into my own hands and, upon recommendation and personal presentation from a friend, I went ahead and ordered the Petite Star ZiaX, which is so affordable and very light in comparison to the Xcursion.
This week hubby decided to take me on a surprise road trip back to Wimbledon to see our old friends. Living on the other side of London is great because I am near my family, but, at times I feel pangs of loneliness because I miss my old friends, whom I used to hang around with daily when we were living in Wimbledon. When we arrived, we parked at our friends’ house and were greeted with lots of love and hugs, which was a really nice boost to yet another sleepless week. We drank some coffee and chatted about how parents tend to spend a lot of money on their little bundles of joy, especially when they are first-time parents like us.
I can totally understand the mentality behind the excess spending on our little treasures, as we had gone a bit overboard too – nothing is too great for our child, right? There are so many shiny new gadgets out in the market at the moment, like the [easyazon_link identifier=”B019JZOE3U” locale=”UK” tag=”motherho-21″]Lamaze Space Symphony Baby Gym[/easyazon_link], [easyazon_link identifier=”B000I2MRHE” locale=”UK” tag=”motherho-21″]Lamaze Spin & Explore Garden Gym[/easyazon_link] and the Petite Star 3 in 1 Car walker. Of course, Aron needs all of these things – The Space Gym aids sight development, the Spin and Explore Mat aids tummy development and the car walker assists with, well, muscle development…
The excuses are there for us to grasp with both hands, so why, oh why shouldn’t we embrace all the new and innovative products out there to assist in the child’s intelligence and physical ability? I am, of course, saying all of this in jest because I do genuinely believe that fingers make the best toys. A baby can suck on them for comfort, bite on them when they’re teething and play with them for fun. Looking after a baby actually need not be expensive. The reality is that the familiar faces of mum and dad aid sight development, a floor or any soft surface aids tummy development and hands, jumping around and/or swinging Aron in the air assists in muscle development. And Mummy and Daddy make the best entertainment!
We had to take a trip to the doctors this week to find out about a rash that has developed on Aron’s head, which turned out to be a little bout of eczema. The doctor advised us that that 9 out of 10 breastfed babies hardly get eczema and if they do they only have it on their heads. Well, I know my brother was breastfed for over two years and he had eczema all over his body. But, after explaining this to the doctor, she had assured me that my brother was either unlucky or he wasn’t exclusively breastfed. I wonder what my mother would think of that comment, as she had given up the best part of a decade, breastfeeding me, my two sisters and brother – for two years each, I might add! The doctor continued to explain that Aron’s eczema may have resulted from stress, which may have been caused by the chill he had caught on the way home from swimming at the weekend. It was possible that hubby may not have dried Aron off well enough after swimming and the weather was a bit breezy when we transferred Aron from the changing rooms to the car. Or, possibly, when we had decided to walk from our flat to my parent’s house one day (which takes about 30 minutes) and it was really hot, which led to Aron sweating a bit in the pram. One can only speculate…
The doctor prescribed [easyazon_link identifier=”B00DCPHVMU” locale=”UK” tag=”motherho-21″]Canesten Hydrocortisone Cream[/easyazon_link]for the eczema on his head and urged me not to worry about the cold. Easy for them to say! I am a first-time mum and this is my baby! But, Aron was happily perched on my lap as I was talking to the doctor, eagerly listening in on our conversation, so he was fine. I wonder whether he understands English now…
Back at home, I perched Aron on the floor in a seated position and placed cushions around him, so that if he fell, he’d just drop onto the cushions. He can hold his head steady when upright now and he can reach for objects if I place them in front of him. When I place him on his front, his head is up and scanning the place, but he stays put until I pick him up again, which is a massive improvement from last week. He always looks in the direction of where the noise is coming from too, which means his ears seem to be working fine as well. I have noticed that Aron definitely recognises mine and hubby’s voice and I am pretty sure he recognises my parents, my sisters, and brother because he sees them all the time. It’s nice that he’s not just staring blankly at our faces anymore. I am not sure whether he can pick out who his mum is yet or even if he knows what ‘mum’ means! He will soon…
I have started to introduce music as much as I can to everything I do, i.e. when changing Aron’s nappy, giving him toys that play music or can be played like a rattle or drums, and playing children’s songs and nursery rhymes from our hi-fi as I clean the house. He seems to respond to them by staring at the speakers or staring at the TV when something bright and noisy comes pops up on the screen. The Lamaze Space Symphony Baby Gym is still one of Aron’s favourite toys and he is kept constantly busy with the hanging toys and bright shiny objects dangling in front of him. If they’re hanging close enough Aron will reach out and grab the toys. It looks like I will need to take the mobile down soon and just keep the mat, just in case he gets too strong and breaks the gym.
I absolutely love playing with Aron. He smiles when I swing him up in the air, giggles when I blow raspberries on his belly or stares intently at me when I sing to him. He reacts by smiling, laughing or even anticipating what I’m going to do next by laughing even before I’ve done the action. I really hope that all of this physical and mental stimulation will aid Aron’s development. Hubby and I think that sometimes we may be doing too much – we pull a lot of funny faces, make a lot of noise and move him about a lot.
I am still desperately trying to incorporate Aron’s usual bath time routine and he’s slowly becoming more in tune with the water. We don’t know whether it’s the swimming lessons that are helping him now, but he’s definitely more comfortable than he was before. As soon as we place Aron in the water, he tries to dive in head first! He was having so much fun that when hubby started to change him after the bath, out of nowhere, he started crying hysterically and it took us a very long time to calm him down. My first instinct was to feed him, but he wouldn’t latch on because he was so agitated and stressed. The whole ordeal made my heart bleed watching his little eyes so red from crying that I wanted to cry. Yet, hubby stayed really calm and rocked Aron back to a more relaxed state. Daddy is so good at calming both myself and Aron down when these things happen! Aron still had his towel wrapped around him and we tried to dress him without bothering him too much. But, he started to shove his fist into his mouth so vigorously that hubby and I both agreed that Aron was in fact teething. There had been other noticeable symptoms, like the excessive dribbling and Aron rubbing his right ear, but his actions after bath time confirmed our suspicions. He had stressed himself out so much that we had to give him Medinol to calm him down and he slept from 12.30am to 5 am for the first time in 3 days. He did seem calmer the next morning and more refreshed.
The next day at playgroup I had spoken to the other mummies about last night’s incident and they all agreed that it sounded like Aron had started teething. He was uncomfortable at times, so I would give him a teether and watch him bite down hard on it for relief.
At playgroup, I had placed Aron onto a Lamaze Spin and Explore Gym and he absolutely loved staying on his tummy for at least 15 minutes, as opposed to the mere 5 minutes (max) that he could normally only manage. I decided to give Aron more tummy time at home, which would hopefully strengthen his neck.
I have started to lose some of my baby weight, probably due to the breastfeeding and my hair has started to fall out. Damn! I really thought I had missed that unfortunate side effect. But no, clumps of hair are coming out whenever I have a shower and I am really worried that I will lose too much hair. I don’t want thin hair! Enough hair comes out normally because of my thick, brown curls, so I fear I’m going to end up bald at this rate.
Maybe the hair loss is partly due to the sleep-deprivation too. I am so tired at the moment that I could quite possibly sleep standing up. A bedtime routine definitely needs to be imposed, so I can go to bed early, or even get some time to myself or with hubby. We are never alone because Aron goes to bed so late. The thing is, I know it is important for hubby and I to reconnect and maintain our relationship but Aron has only been around for four months, so I want to make the most of the limited time available with Aron as a baby before he grows up and flees the nest. Long time away, I know…
Aron has started to sleep in our bed too, despite all the preconceptions and morals I had pre-pregnancy. In fact, I absolutely love Aron sleeping in our bed. It really feels like we’re a close-knit family of three. And, Aron is actually feeding less frequently now. I have read that this is because his stomach has grown bigger. Also, he no longer concentrates fully on feeding, so I can never tell whether he’s actually getting a good feed in or not. So I’m trying to find quiet places to feed him so he isn’t distracted by his surroundings.
A fun fact – Your baby will be cooing and giggling a lot about now.
Aron may have started teething already, but as this is our first experience with a teething baby, we’re not too sure what to look for apart from red gums and rosy cheeks apparently. Without really knowing what to do, when Aron looks seemingly uncomfortable, I place my little finger in his mouth, so he can bite down really hard and try to gnaw my finger off. We ended up buying Aron a couple of [easyazon_link identifier=”B00IN8OJU8″ locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”motherho0d-20″ cart=”y” cloak=”y” localize=”y” popups=”y”]teethers[/easyazon_link], so that he can use something completely detached from me anytime he wants and I get a break! Unfortunately, he is not quite competent at grabbing objects with his hands and putting them in his mouth yet. So, when he makes a yelping sound, we bring the teether to his mouth and chomps away for a good few minutes. I do wish that Aron could talk sometimes, just so he could tell me what’s bothering him because I can’t tell whether he’s having tummy trouble or he is suffering from raw gums, which don’t look that inflamed, to be honest. I am keeping a close eye on them anyway.
On top of the possible teething trouble, my marriage has taken a bit of a beating too. I feel like I’m not factoring in anytime to spend with hubby, who has been pushing for us to spend one night a week alone together, to recapture that spark that seems to have faded in our relationship. But, at the moment, all I can think about is how I will find the time to work on my blog or do my exercise? What’s wrong with me!? My husband blatantly wants to do something nice for me – most women would wish to have such a doting and attentive husband, yet I don’t seem to have the time for him. At the moment, hubby and I are on totally different pages. He has to commute to and from work and then he doesn’t get home until about 8 pm. He’s so tired that all he wants to do is crash out in front of the TV. 8 pm, for me, is allocated to my website and exercise, as I have no time during the day to do either and I end up lagging behind on the website and/or getting flabby. It’s not important, I know, but somehow I have decided that I need to look after Aron, clean the house, go to playgroup, type, work on the website and exercise, all in a day’s work, otherwise I feel like some kind of failure. I don’t know why I do it to myself, but I have allocated absolutely no time for my husband. It’s not that I don’t love him – on the contrary – I am so comfortable and happy with him that I feel I don’t need to work hard at the relationship.
In all the haze of motherhood, my new found health kick and burning the midnight oil, I decided to arrange a meeting with my best friend this Saturday. But, it had later transpired that hubby and I had already planned to do something together on that day. I had totally forgotten about it! The whole kerfuffle ended up with hubby pouring out his feelings, about how he felt neglected and that I never factor him into my life anymore. This outburst really made me think hard about my priorities. He was even understanding enough to urge me to not change my plans with my best friend, as I hardly see my friends anymore and that just made me feel super guilty. So, I made a mental note to work much harder at the relationship to make hubby happy. He deserves so much more attention from me!
On a lighter note, Aron is growing up really fast. He may not be completely competent at grabbing things and putting them in his mouth yet, but he is developing the motor skills to do just that. If I dangle toys in front of him, he will slowly, but surely, reach out to grab them, and he will successfully hold onto them for a few seconds, but then he ends up dropping them onto the floor. He laughs when he sees my face close up and stares open-mouthed at me when I speak. I can see that he is starting to understand English and Swiss German now (hubby speaks to him in Swiss German when he comes home from work).
We also went to Aron’s weigh-in clinic again and Aron weighed a whopping 7.88kg! He’s grown another 500 grams in two weeks and I am really happy with the steady weight gain, even if he is placed in the 98th percentile in terms of weight for a baby boy of his age, i.e. two babies out of every hundred weigh more than him.
I have also given exercising a real shot again this week and noticed a reduction in my milk supply. I don’t think that exercise has got anything to do with it, but I think it may have something to do with a nasty stomach bug that I had caught the week before and the effects of my milk supply are starting to show now. I wasn’t able to eat for three days and, in turn, reduced the calories I had taken in, which probably impacted on the amount of milk I produced. I tried to feed Aron more than usual and let him suckle at the breast for longer, so those chemicals that tell the brain to produce more milk would kick start again. I really hope it works because I really don’t want to stop breastfeeding now.
A fun fact – Your baby may be eager to stand when s/he is on your lap.
The first week has been such a daze and it has gone by so quickly. I can’t believe little Aron is already a 1 week old newborn!
I stayed in the hospital for 2 days after Aron was born as I had a caesarean section and needed to recover. I was taken to the maternity recovery ward on the first night where other women were staying with their newborns.
I was bedridden for the first night as I was hooked up to a urine catheter and a drip which drained all the liquid from my caesarean wound. The midwives encouraged some skin-to-skin contact straight away so they placed Aron on my chest and showed me how to encourage him to my breast.
I was still very dazed from previous events, so the fact that I held my one week old son in my arms was an overwhelming experience to say the least. The labour and birth felt like I had accomplished something so great and Aron was my reward.
After several attempts (and quite a lot of patience from the midwives) Aron successfully latched onto my breast and we started bonding.
I was taken aback by the beauty of him and watched him feed. He then slept in my arms before the midwife came to place him back into his cot. The ward that night was so loud – newborn babies were crying constantly and I didn’t manage to get any sleep. Aron was such a good boy though and didn’t cry once. He only got up to feed, and then he would just go back to sleep.
The second night, the midwives took the catheter out so I was able to move around a bit and stretch my legs. I still had to have this annoying drainage device attached to me so I still felt restricted. Hubby and family came to visit and play with the baby who seemed so relaxed after what was such a distressing labour and birth for him too.
A paediatrician also checked Aron over and advised he was recovering very well. The midwife could also tell that I hadn’t slept at all that night and moved me to another ward where there was only one other woman. It didn’t make much of a difference though as the lady snored so loudly and every time the snoring would stop, her baby would wake up and cry loudly. Poor Aron and I didn’t get any sleep again.
I was discharged from hospital on the Tuesday. The midwife checked me and Aron over and gave us a clean bill of health, so that night hubby and I were given the all clear to go home. We were so excited to take Aron home for the first time. It was freezing outside, so we dressed him up in a sleepsuit and snowsuit, hat and gloves and placed him in the car seat. He’s so beautiful, I can’t stop staring at him!
It was such an exciting and daunting time for us. We were now solely responsible for Aron’s wellbeing and were watching him like a hawk to make sure everything was ok. When we got home I fed him and we put him to bed. I just sat there for hours staring at him. I couldn’t believe hubby and I made such a beautiful baby boy! He seemed so relaxed and settled too, considering everything that had happened. Needless to say, hubby and I weren’t quite as relaxed and didn’t sleep at all that night – we were up every hour feeding and changing Aron.
To be honest, all it seems we have been doing this week is feeding Aron and doing constant nappy changes. After 1 week, he has started to have more active periods which is so cute and hubby and I have already noticed certain characteristics which help us to prevent Aron from crying. He is such a good boy though and hardly cries. The midwife came over this week to give Aron the heel prick test. He cried a bit but was otherwise very good and took it like a man.
He gets a lot of hiccups and breastfeeding seems to be the only thing to stop the hiccups. There is one problem though – he gets quite gassy. He had trouble at one point, not being able to burp and poo, but the midwife advised us to buy Infacol* and that seems to have done the trick. He has already passed meconium quite a few times and now his poo is a mustardy colour. I am laughing as I write this.
I can’t believe how much hubby and I have become so obsessed with Aron’s digestive system! Has Aron pooed? What colour is it? Has he peed? Is he hydrated? Am I feeding him well? The midwife did advise me to stop eating acidic foods like orange juice and also to go out and buy Spatone iron supplements* as my haemoglobin levels were quite low, which has made me quite constipated. Honestly, feeding and sleeping in the first week of life is all we’re thinking about at the moment!
I managed to do a bit of catching up on work before I passed out for a few hours while hubby took over a bit. Then it was rinse and repeat!
By the end of this week, hubby and I can safely say that we have learned the following 1 week old milestones:
It doesn’t take long for your breast milk to come in – about two to three days – and they feel uncomfortable, large and sore. However, after 1 week my breasts are going back to normal now so the uncomfortable period is quite short.
My one week old newborn doesn’t like the cold. He doesn’t like his nappy to be dirty and only cries when he’s soiled his nappy. However he also doesn’t like to be changed because that also makes him cold so we have decided that straight after breastfeeding is the best time to change him because he’s so content and drunk from breast milk that he doesn’t care.
Aron is fascinated with my hair because it’s dark and curly.
It is ok for Aron to sleep 3 to 4 hours at a time, but it’s probably best to make sure he only does this once or twice during the day, but only when he’s older, as he’s too young at the moment for a sleep schedule. But it’ll allow us to have a good sleep (by good sleep I mean 4 hours).
Aron can now stretch his legs out in front of him and no longer feels the need to curl up into the foetal position.
Aron brings his legs up to his chest when he is in discomfort or when he’s about to fart or poo.
Aron loves it when I put him over my shoulder after breastfeeding and rub his back until he burps.
About your newborn’s first week of life – 1-week old baby development
Read on for some general guidelines related to development in the first week of life.
1 day old baby
You will be doing a lot of trial and error as you navigate your way with your new baby who will be crying, sleeping and feeding. You may still be at the hospital and so try to ask for help when you need it. Your baby will be able to see as far as your face but their vision will be blurry. They can grab onto your finger if you place it in their palm. Encourage your baby to root for milk as they will be hungry.
2 day old baby
Your newborn will be sleeping for most of the day, only to wake up every few hours to feed. Newborns can’t sleep through the night as they have very small tummies, so it’s normal for them to wake up. Newborns have around 8-12 feeds every 24 hours.
3 day old baby
You should be able to see some interaction from your baby now. When they are alert they will focus on your face and will be drawn to your voice, especially higher-pitched voices. Even if they can’t understand, keep talking to them because not only will they be enjoying it but they’ll be taking everything in like a sponge.
4 day old baby
Your baby will be focusing more and more and becoming more active. Keep talking and interacting with them, using baby noises and funny faces to encourage a smile.
5 day old baby
Your baby will still be sleeping for most of the day and their face may have even changed from when they were born. Keep interacting with your baby, as well as cuddling them a lot. It’s good for them!
6 day old baby
Your baby can only see objects up to 12 inches in front of your face, which is about the same distance from your face to theirs while feeding. At this stage they will hold your gaze for a few seconds. They will still be sleeping for most of the day and you’ll likely feel like a feeding machine because they feed every few hours.
What else to know about your week old baby – Your baby’s development at one week old
Your newborn’s appearance in the first week of life may be different to what you expected but their face will be changing daily. You may not understand all the crying in the first week of life, but slowly you will begin to point out what a hungry cry is as opposed to an annoyed or pain cry. Trust your instincts and give yourself time to learn as you go along.
1 week old development – milestones
1 week old baby milestones include instinctive brain function which means babies know how to breathe, feed, sleep and poo. This is all instinctive as the name suggests so follow your baby’s cues.
1 week old baby food
Your baby should only be drinking milk, either breastmilk or special formula made for newborns. They don’t need anything else at this stage, not even water.
1 week old baby sleep
Your baby will sleep for around 16 to 18 hours a day, waking to feed and then going back to sleep. It’s important to take their cue and allow them to sleep when they want to sleep at this stage.
1 week old baby schedule
It’s difficult to implement a baby schedule at this point as you’re basically following your baby’s cues at this stage. Keep learning from your baby and eventually you will be able to guide them to a loose schedule – but not now, they’re too young!
1 week old baby health and safety
Common health concerns in the first week of life include:
It’s very important to practice safe sleep, which means no items in the cot and no bumpers or loose blankets to restrict or cover baby. Place baby at the end of the bed with feet touching and use a sleepsuit to cover them while they sleep. Keep the room around 18 degrees celsius and make sure the cot’s sides are up.
1 week old baby care basics
After the first week – baby health check-ups include:
Newborn physical examination
Hearing screening test
Heel prick test
Your baby’s weight
Vaccinations
Bonding and communicating in the first week of life
It’s very important to promote bonding, whether that is wearing your baby using a baby carrier/sling, skin-to-skin contact and lots of cuddles. Your baby only needs food, sleep and lots and lots of love. They have only just come out of your womb so keep them close – and, no, you won’t mess them up if they fall asleep on you – just the contrary!
A fun fact – The baby’s main activities at the moment are sucking and chewing on his/her hands.
Read on for more newborn milestones week by week!
Move forward to 2 week old baby
Click above for our journey with Aron at two weeks old and how we got on in the first month.
Some things you can do with baby while they’re awake include:
Dancing with them (make sure to protect their neck!)
Tummy time to strengthen their back, although it will only be for a few minutes
Stretching, baby massage and lots of tickling and sensory touches
Reading to them
Singing to them
What should a baby be doing at 1 week old?
Most of the time they’ll be feeding and sleeping, but you can still interact with them as much as you can. Know their cues when they’re overstimulated, though, or they’ll become fussy babies!
How long should my 1 week old newborn sleep?
Other questions asked were:
How much does 1 week old sleep?
How much should 1 week old sleep?
How long should 1 week old be awake?
Babies sleep throughout the day and can interchange between long periods to much shorter periods. You should let your newborn baby sleep for as long as they need but do note they will wake up every two to three hours which is perfectly normal.
What are the hardest weeks of a newborn?
The first six weeks can be quite stressful because of the lack of sleep for parents and the overwhelm of learning something new every day with your baby. Keep at it because the time flies so fast and, before you know it, they’re 18 and have flown the nest!
How much should a 1 week old feed?
Other questions asked were:
How much does 1 week old eat?
How much should 1 week old eat?
How often should 1 week old eat?
How long should 1 week old nurse?
If you’re breastfeeding, then your baby will know how much to feed, but if you’re formula feeding then you will feed around 2 to 3 ounces (60 to 90 ml) of milk depending on their hunger cues.
Is the first week with a newborn the hardest?
It can be the hardest, especially if you had a tough birth and you’re recovering. Don’t forget you’re also dealing with lochia (the bleed after the birth) and you’ve barely slept. But this period is fleeting and it will get easier as you get used to your new normal and slide into a routine that works for you and your baby.
My baby is 1 week old and constipated. What do I do?
Other questions asked were:
My baby hasn’t pooed for 1 week. Is my one week old constipated?
Why is my 1 week old constipated?
How often should 1 week old poop?
A good baby massage and a warm bath may encourage your baby to open their bowels. Make firm but gentle circular motions from the belly button outwards as your baby is lying down on their back. You can also move their legs backwards and forwards in a ‘bicycle’ motion to help keep things moving.
Why is my one week old red?
Other questions asked were:
Why is my 1 week old baby so red?
Some newborns may have red marks on their skin which may be caused by squeezing through the birth canal. These will heal and disappear after the first two weeks. It’s quite normal for your newborn to develop a rash on their face as they get used to the outside world, but if they have a temperature or the rash looks angry, it’s best to consult your GP to see if it’s nothing to worry about. Better safe than sorry!
Can I take my baby out at 1 week old?
Yes you can and there are no set rules but it’s recommended to keep your baby away from crowded places until they are at least a few months old to allow them to build immunity slowly and to pass the immunisation milestones for added protection.
What do I do with the umbilical cord stump?
Umbilical cord care is very important so as not to get it infected. It’s recommended to just leave well alone until it falls off on its own and wash around it during bath times.
I can’t think of any baby names for my little one. What do I do?
You still have up to 6 weeks to register your baby’s name so there’s still plenty of time to come up with a name. Ask friends and family for help and draw inspiration from places around you. Eventually you’ll come up with a name with which you’ll be happy.
Should 1 week old make eye contact?
Other questions asked were:
What can 1 week baby see?
A baby at one week won’t be making eye contact all the time – this usually happens when they are about six to eight weeks old. But, they will be looking at your face a lot, so keep interacting with them and eventually they will make eye contact with you.
My baby has lost weight. Should I be worried about their birth weight?
Other questions asked were:
I was told that newborn weekly development included a bit of weight loss. Is this true?
My one week old baby has lost weight. Should I be scared?
Weight gain and body shape at one week old changes almost instantly after birth. This is because babies are born with extra fluid so it’s normal for them to lose up to 10% of their birth weight, which they will then regain in weight withing the first two weeks of birth. If they lose more or you’re worried you’re not feeding them enough then it’s important to consult your GP as it may be down to latch if you’re breastfeeding or an issue with their digestive system.
What is the most important item you’ve used during your first week?
Our most important item was the Moses basket as we could move baby around wherever we were stationed.
Can you tell me more about newborn baby and one week old development milestones please?
Please read above for more information on developmental milestones at 1 week old and keep reading the Motherhood Diaries series for more information on your baby as they grow!
*Every baby is different so use the above as only loose guidelines. If you are worried about your baby, please see a healthcare provider ASAP
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