Month One

Babies First Year: Month One

Your Baby Is Here

If your baby doesn't have much hair, has short arms and legs and a head that looks too big, your baby looks pretty normal! Baby might not be what you expected, though. Maybe you didn't get the boy or girl you wanted, or maybe the baby just doesn't fit the picture of the "dream baby" you thought about during pregnancy or saw in magazines and on television.

It can take time to get used to the baby you do have. Some parents love their new arrival right away; others have to get to know the baby better. That's normal. It may be a little bit scary at first to care for a tiny infant. But you'll gain confidence with time.

Baby Wants You To Know

• I like to look at your face the most, also bright colors, mirrors and patterns.
• I feel comforted when you hold me and talk to me.
• I stare at things, but I don't grab for them yet.
• Loud noise, bright light and rough handling scare me. Handle me gently.
• I may quiet when someone picks me up and cuddles me.
• Please change my position sometimes so I can look at different things.
• I like your hand behind my neck when you move me, so my head doesn't flop over.

Time With Baby

Your amazing newborn has all the same senses you do. Even at birth, babies can see, hear, smell, taste and touch.

Vision
Babies prefer to look at faces. For the first few weeks of life, they see best at a distance of 8 to 12 inches, about the distance between your face and theirs when you hold them close to feed or to talk to them.

Bright colors, high-contrast patterns and shiny things are more interesting to babies than pale colors. Babies may follow moving objects with their eyes for a few seconds. During the first weeks, their heads turn to the side when they lie down. So hang mobiles from the side of the crib, not from the top.

Hearing
Infants may turn their heads toward the source of an interesting noise. They prefer gentle voices. By the time babies are three weeks old, they may recognize their mom's and dad's voices. When your baby is upset, soft music may help calm him.

Smell
Young babies react to smells. Strong, harsh smells make baby turn his head away and cry. By one week of age, babies know the smell of their own mothers.

Touch
Touching is very important to babies. Being held close and cuddled helps babies know that their world is a friendly place. In fact, studies have shown that holding babies for more hours each day causes them to cry less. Hold your baby, or use a frontpack. Being in your arms and hearing your heart beat make baby feel safe.

Cuddle and hold your baby whenever you want to. Don't worry about spoiling him. Babies are supposed to be babied! While you're at it, share a hug with the rest of your family. You'll all feel better for it.

Babies can also sense movement from very early on. Motion, like rocking and walking, helps calm a crying baby. Remember, he spent nine months floating inside the uterus; he's used to rocking and moving around. Holding him upright also lets him look around, so he may cry less.

Feeding Baby

Feeding is an important learning time for a new baby. Baby learns to know and trust you.

Schedule or On-demand?
When a tiny baby needs to eat every two or three hours, it's hard to believe you'll ever get sleep again! As she gets bigger, she won't need feeding so often.

When should you feed your baby? Watch the clock, but also watch your baby! Babies usually cry when they are hungry.

If fed when they're hungry, many babies will start to get on a regular schedule by themselves in about a month. It may take a little time to work out the details. If you try to establish a rigid feeding schedule, you and your baby may both be frustrated and unhappy. So be as flexible as possible, especially during these first few weeks.

Your baby will stop eating when she is full. Don't try to get baby to take more than she wants.

Breast Feeding Tip
Breast-fed babies usually need to eat more often than bottle-fed babies, especially during the first months. It is common to nurse a baby every hour or so during the part of the day when baby is most active.

Baby will take in more milk during each feeding, and the breasts will produce more milk to meet that demand. That is why it's best to stick with breast milk as the baby's only food for the first two or three weeks. After that, you can let baby have a bottle of iron-fortified infant formula now and then.

One way to know your baby is getting enough milk is to count wet diapers, there should be at least six a day.

If you have nursing problems such as sore nipples, call your doctor or local health unit for advice. Many of the concerns you may have can be addressed by someone with experience.

Bottle Feeding Tip
Don't heat bottles in a microwave oven. The bottle may feel cool on the outside, but still have hot spots inside that could burn baby's tender mouth. Instead, heat the bottle in a pan of warm water off the burner, or hold it under hot tap water for a minute or two. Shake the bottle well to mix the formula. Test the temperature by sprinkling some on the back of your hand. If it feels luke warm, it's OK for baby.