Stages of newborn development by month. Child development calendar by month

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The first year is the most important stage in the life of every child. The baby grows, develops, gets acquainted with the world around him, and acquires the necessary skills.

In order for parents to be sure that their child is growing and developing in accordance with his age, they must know how a newborn should develop normally month by month. This is exactly what will be discussed in the article.

1 month

The baby spends a significant part of its time sleeping during the first week of its life. Thus, adaptation to new living conditions occurs. Starting from the second week, periods of wakefulness lengthen.

By the end of the first month, the baby is already focusing his gaze on a bright toy, listening to conversations and trying to pronounce the first sounds. He can distinguish his mother's voice: after hearing his mother's speech, he is happy, which is manifested by active movements of his legs and arms.

2 month

The baby already holds his head relatively well, and when lying on his tummy, he rests on his forearms. He smiles radiantly at adults, turns his head towards the sound, trying to find its source with his eyes.

In the development of speech, the pre-verbal period or the “humming” period begins, when the baby begins to make the sounds “agu”, “abu” or “ua”.

3 months

A baby at this age not only holds his head confidently, but also easily turns over from back to side and vice versa.

The baby recognizes the faces of its relatives, smiles at them, laughs when communicating, coos, coos and conducts a dialogue. He hits the toys hanging above the crib with his hands, tries to grab them and taste them.

4 months

The baby makes attempts to roll over from his back to his tummy, and with the support of an adult he can sit. Performs conscious actions with objects: throws, takes, knocks, licks. He already has his first favorite toys.

The first syllables appear in speech, which the baby unconsciously puts into words: “ma-ma-ma”, “ta-ta-ta” and “ba-ba-ba”.

5 months

The development of a 5 month old child continues. The baby is already quickly turning over from his back to his tummy and vice versa, making attempts to sit independently and pull up his torso with the help of his hands. His actions become more purposeful: he connects his hands, pushes the ball, grabs it, etc.

Reacts differently to adults: gets scared and shudders at the sight of strangers, babbles and laughs when communicating with loved ones.

6 months

A six-month-old child makes attempts to sit up without the help of adults, crawls towards an object that interests him, and makes attempts to stand near a support. Actively engages with toys: throws them, moves them from hand to hand, from one place to another, etc.

The speech development of a child of 6 months continues: the first imitations like “av-av”, “bi-bi”, etc. appear. The baby already grasps cause-and-effect relationships: he pushed an object - it fell, pressed a button - music started playing, etc.

7 months

Physical development of a 7-month-old child: the baby sits independently, holding onto a support, stands and stands, crawls confidently and quickly in any direction. He is already trying to drink from a cup and eat from a spoon, he knows the meaning of some words: yes, no, no, names of actions and toys.

The baby shows affection for his mother: he cries when his mother leaves, and rejoices when she appears. He loves to look at books, turn the pages, and his first favorite pictures appear.

8 months

The eight-month-old baby stands well and tries to take his first independent steps near a support. He is well oriented in space, knows where his toys are, shows their location with a nod of his head or with his hand. Can carry out simple instructions: bring, serve, open, etc.

He already knows how to connect parts of a nesting doll, string pyramid rings, and cover boxes with lids. He loves to dance, stomp his feet, and clap his hands.

9 months

The child sits confidently, actively crawls, walks, holding onto support. He actively shows his emotions and attitude to what is happening: he cries if his mother leaves the room, laughs at the sight of a new toy, breaks out if he doesn’t like something, for example, if his mother cleans his ears.

By screaming and crying he expresses his indignation, achieves what he wants, and manipulates adults. Begins to show independence in the process of eating and dressing. The baby's speech continues to develop, but his first words are still understandable only to his parents.

10 months

The child continues to explore the world: listens to sounds, looks closely at objects and people, tries to imitate their intonations and actions. Walks confidently, holding onto a support, sometimes lets go of the support and moves away from it several steps.

Loves to dance, climb on and off low objects. He likes to play with toys; he can devote 10-15 minutes to this activity. Knows how to use toys for their intended purpose: rock a doll, roll a car, etc. New words appear in speech: “am-am”, “give”, “na”, etc.

11 months

The child moves independently, tries to perform all basic actions independently: drink from a cup, eat with a spoon and get dressed.

Fulfills requests from adults, such as “give”, “put down”, “take”, etc. Understands when he acts badly and when he acts well. Knows what he wants and what he doesn’t, and expresses it by nodding or shaking his head.

New words appear in speech that correlate with people, animals, objects, actions: “pee-pee”, “yum-yum”, etc.

12 months

The baby confidently walks, sits, and crawls. He has learned to throw objects and does it with pleasure. Transfers objects from hand to hand, can hold several small objects in one palm at once. He is very curious: he climbs everywhere, takes everything and reaches out to everything.

The baby explores the world with pleasure, listens to new sounds, experiments with objects: knocks on a plate with a spoon, pulls a toy by the string, pours the contents out of a jar, etc.
10-15 words appeared in his speech, although he pronounces them distortedly, but family members understand him perfectly.

As you can see, the development of a newborn child in the first year of his life occurs rapidly. It seems that just recently he was a tiny helpless baby, and now he has become a completely independent person with his own desires and needs.

Don’t be upset if your baby’s development month by month does not coincide much with generally accepted norms. He will definitely make up for lost time, and the main task of the parents is to help him with this.

Useful video about newborn babies

From the moment a baby is born, he begins a complex process of adaptation to the environment. It is important for parents of a newborn child to take care of creating comfortable and favorable conditions for the growth and development of the baby. From the moment of birth, the baby takes the first steps towards understanding the world, learns to communicate with his mother and other people around him. How child development occurs - the first days of a child after birth, the first week, the first month and up to a year - is described in detail in this article.

Due to lack of experience, in the first days of the child, young parents very often make mistakes that can negatively affect the health and well-being of the baby. To prevent this from happening, there are standard recommendations that allow you to master the skills of caring for a newborn baby.

The rate of development of a newborn child can vary depending on the course of pregnancy, heredity, and the birth process. Young parents need to understand that on the first day of a child’s life, the baby moves into a new stage of his life. All organs and systems of the baby begin the process of adaptation to work outside the mother’s body.

From the first day of a child’s life, the baby’s body is not able to independently withstand the potential danger of contracting infectious diseases. In order to protect the child's body, within 12 hours from the moment the baby is born, he is given a routine vaccination against hepatitis B. 3-7 days after the administration of the first vaccine, the baby is vaccinated against tuberculosis (BCG vaccination).

Assessment of the newborn's condition using the Apgar scale

After the baby is born, medical specialists assess his condition. For this purpose, the Apgar scale is used, which contains the following parameters:

• heart rate;
• skin color of a newborn baby;
• state of respiratory function;
• reflexes;
• state of facial expressions;
• muscle tone and physical activity.

This scale is used to understand what happens on the first day of a newborn baby's life and how this affects his condition.

Each of the presented criteria is assessed using numbers from 0 to 2 points. The assessment is carried out immediately after the birth of the child, and after 5 minutes of being outside the mother’s body. The resulting numbers are summed up to form a total score.

The breakdown of the child's Apgar score is as follows:

• From 0 to 2 points - a condition that threatens the child’s life;
• From 3 to 4 points - the presence of serious deviations;
• From 5 to 6 points - minor deviations;
• From 7 to 10 points - the child is completely healthy and does not have any abnormalities.

The neonatal period lasts from the moment the child is born until he reaches 28 days.

Weight in the first days of a child's life

The weight of a newborn is from 2500 to 4500 g. The baby’s height is from 47 to 55 centimeters. The indicators of a child’s weight and height are influenced by the conditions of intrauterine development, as well as heredity. During the first 3-4 days, the child experiences physiological weight loss.

The amount of weight loss in a child in the first days after birth is no more than 8% of the total body weight. At 6-7 days of life, the baby’s weight begins to return to normal. The body temperature of a newborn baby tends to be unstable. This indicator is influenced by the ambient temperature. Breasts can quickly become hypothermic and overheated.

Air temperature and humidity

That is why parents need to take care of ensuring a comfortable temperature in the room where the newborn baby is located from the first day of the child’s life after birth. The optimal temperature in the room for a newborn is from 20 to 23 degrees C.

At temperatures above 23*C, or below 20*C, the child either sweats or freezes. This makes him sleep restlessly and be capricious. During the heating season, it is necessary to ensure indoor humidity. Cover radiators with a wet cloth, or place a container of water nearby to evaporate.

For 2-3 days the child is in the maternity hospital with the mother. If the baby is healthy and has no abnormalities, then he and his young mother are discharged from the maternity hospital on the fourth day.

From this moment on, all responsibility for the health and life of the baby falls on its parents.
A newborn baby on the first day of life after cesarean section is no different from children born naturally. Of course, provided there is no intrauterine pathology.

The first days of a child's life after birth

In the first days of a child's life in the maternity hospital, the child goes through a difficult process of adaptation. Within 1 week, a newborn baby masters the following skills:

• awareness of environmental sounds;
• self-catering;
• breath;
• existence in daylight conditions;
• independent provision of thermoregulation.

By the end of the first week, no traces of vernix lubrication remain on the surface of the baby’s skin, as a result of which the baby gets used to moisture and air. In the first days of a child’s life, reflexes to external stimuli develop. In order to assess the development of the baby, a young mother is recommended to check the following reflexes:

• step reflex;
• back arch;
• spreading the legs and arms to the sides;
• scream volume;
• spreading the toes when pressing with a finger on the inner surface of the child’s feet.

If we talk about how much a newborn baby sleeps per day, then its duration can be about 21-22 hours.

During the first days of life, the child devotes all his time to sleep. The baby can wake up only for the purpose of eating.

First week of development

During the first 7 days, parents should carefully monitor the child’s behavior in the first days of life and the condition of his skin. During this period, physiological jaundice appears, which disappears after 2 weeks, provided that medical recommendations are followed. To treat physiological jaundice, phototherapy is used, which involves placing the child under a special lamp.

If the color of the child’s skin has not returned to normal a month after the start of treatment, then the parents need to show the child to a medical specialist as an emergency.

Second week of development

Over the next 7 days, the child continues to master the intricacies of existence in the conditions of the surrounding world. By this time, the baby’s signs of physiological jaundice disappear and the umbilical wound heals. In addition, changes are observed in the child’s behavior. The baby becomes active, sleeps less, makes sounds and reacts to the world around him. Adaptation to new nutritional conditions is accompanied by troubles in the form of intestinal colic. The newborn baby's gaze gradually focuses on the faces of the parents, the baby shows signs of smiling, distinguishes sounds and emotions.

First month of life

When the baby is 1 month old from birth, he is able to hold his head suspended for at least 20 seconds, calmly holds himself in a position on his stomach, and turns his head towards the sound stimulus.

During this period of life, it is extremely important to provide the child with close contact with his mother. This is achieved by placing the baby on the mother's breast. In order to assess whether the baby is developing correctly, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the characteristic indicators. The main indicators of the harmonious development of a child include:

• ability to smile;
• the ability to recognize mother and respond to her;
• the ability to focus the gaze on a specific object;
• reproduction of sounds (humming);
• reaction to light and sound stimuli;
• ability to bend the back;
• ability to distinguish colors;
• the ability to be in a position on the stomach, hold and turn the head;
• the ability to move chaotically with legs and arms.

Child development - the first days of a child after birth. In the first days of a child’s life, the development of sense organs and other analyzers begins.

During the first month of life, towards its end, the baby actively gains weight. The baby's weight increases by 500-600 g. The increase in height is 3-4 cm. The duration of night sleep for a month-old baby is 9-10 hours. During the day, the baby sleeps several times, on average 2 hours. If there is a lack of weight, most likely the baby does not have enough milk, or it does not contain a large amount of nutrients.

Newborn first days of life, baby's stool

The daily stool of a newborn in the first days of life has a mushy consistency and a yellowish tint. If the color of stool changes, it is necessary to exclude foods that are unsuitable for the baby’s digestive system from the nursing mother’s diet. If the stool is green in color with a sour smell and the child poops very often, be sure to get tested for staphylococcus and disgroup. Often this means 12 times or more, here we can already talk about diarrhea in a child. The normal frequency of bowel movements is considered to be around 10 times, depending on the composition of the milk.

If we talk about how much a newborn should pee, then the normal frequency of urination is from 10 to 12 times a day.

What to feed and drink a baby on the first day of life

The standard food for a newborn baby is mother's milk. This product contains the entire list of essential nutritional components that ensure the full development and growth of the baby. Mother's milk contains specific antibodies that form immunity in the child's body. It is thanks to immune cells that the newborn’s body is protected from the penetration of pathogens of infectious diseases.

In the first days after childbirth, a viscous yellowish substance is released from the mammary glands of the young mother. This is colostrum. This product contains a lot of fats and other nutritional components necessary for a child. After a few days, colostrum is replaced by mature milk, which is divided into “front” and “back” portions. The front portion of milk contains more liquid, a small amount of protein, and milk sugar (lactose).

How much a newborn baby should eat depends on the type of feeding - artificial or breastfeeding.

How much does a newborn eat?

The rear portion of breast milk is more nutritious, containing fats, proteins and vitamins. In order for the baby to feel full after each breastfeeding, the duration of feeding should be at least 20 minutes. It is recommended to use only one mammary gland during one feeding. This will ensure that the baby consumes all portions of milk evenly, and the baby has regular bowel movements.

The child’s nutrition and the type of milk “front” or “back” affect the frequency of stool in the child. If the baby receives only “foremilk” at one feeding, then the number of wet diapers will increase, and the frequency of bowel movements will become less frequent, accordingly. The baby gains weight more slowly. And if the baby sucks out a sufficient amount of hind milk, stool becomes more frequent and weight gains faster.

Child nutrition from the first days of life table:

The gold standard is to feed the baby on demand. Breastfeeding according to an hourly schedule does not make sense, since the mother runs the risk of not feeding or overfeeding the baby.

The child constantly spits up on the first day of life

If a child constantly burps on the first day of life, this may be a sign of air getting into the stomach. In order for breastfeeding to be equally comfortable for both mother and newborn, it is recommended to observe the following standards:

• Follow the rules for attaching your baby to the breast.
• Feed the baby on demand.
• Do not remove the baby from the breast on your own.
• Do not express breasts unless necessary.
• Monitor the condition of the mammary glands. When the first symptoms of abrasions or cracked nipples appear, the young mother is advised to consult a medical specialist and use a wound-healing ointment.
• Wear loose and comfortable clothing that does not compress the mammary glands.

If the baby is on the first day of life, then this may be due to a violation of the breastfeeding technique. The child also refuses to breastfeed if the sucking reflex is underdeveloped.

The standard daily routine for a child in the first days of life is as follows:

• 6:00 - morning feeding of the baby;
• 7:00-9:30 - daytime nap;
• 9:30 - feeding;
• 11:00 - 13:30 - afternoon nap;
• 13:30 - feeding;
• 14:00 - 16:00 - afternoon nap;
• 16:30 - feeding;
• 17:00 - 19:30 - afternoon nap;
• 20:00 - feeding;
• 21:00 -23:30 - evening sleep;
• 23:30 - feeding;
• 00:00-6:00 - night sleep.

Even within the walls of the maternity hospital, the young mother becomes acquainted with the child’s nutritional chart from the first days of life, with artificial and natural feeding.

Diet of a nursing mother

Full breastfeeding of a newborn baby is impossible without the mother following an appropriate diet. The diet of a nursing woman should include only natural products containing sufficient amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, microelements and essential amino acids.

It is recommended to steam vegetable, meat and fish dishes. It is necessary to exclude from the diet foods that can cause colic in a newborn baby and food allergies. These products include legumes, cabbage, sweets, fatty meats and fish, baked goods, carbonated drinks, smoked foods, citrus fruits, chicken eggs, rye bread, chocolate, cocoa, coffee.

The diet must include dairy and fermented milk products, fruit and vegetable juices, compotes, fruit drinks, and bran bread. To stimulate the production of breast milk, it is important for a woman to establish a drinking regime.

The daily fluid intake should be 1.5-2 liters. It is recommended to use water, black or green tea, with the addition of milk or milk cream as a liquid. Warm drinks stimulate lactation, so 10 minutes before putting the baby to the breast, a woman should drink a cup of warm drink.

Having a baby: the first days of life at home, instructions

The organization of child care from the first days of life (how to care) depends on the gender of the baby, since some hygiene measures used when caring for girls differ from the rules for caring for boys.

Every morning a young mother and newborn baby should begin with hygiene procedures. To wash the baby's face, the mother can use any hard surface, for example, a changing table. It is necessary to wash the baby using a cotton swab, previously soaked in boiled water. Separate swabs are used to wipe the baby's eyes.

It is recommended to pay special attention to the hygiene of the child’s nasal cavity. The baby is not yet able to independently get rid of the accumulated mucous secretion. In order to clean the nasal passages of the baby, the mother needs to use cotton wool soaked in Vaseline oil. The ears of a newborn baby are cleaned using cotton swabs dipped in boiled water.

The entry point for pathogenic microorganisms is the baby's umbilical wound. The umbilical remnant is treated every day. For this purpose, hydrogen peroxide is used, which must be moistened with a cotton swab and thoroughly wiped the umbilical wound, removing the remaining ichor. After this, the area of ​​the umbilical remnant is lubricated with brilliant green. It is strictly forbidden to cover the umbilical wound with adhesive tape and apply bandages. In the absence of oxygen, suppuration may develop.

Boy care

When a baby is 1 month old from birth, he tends to have bowel movements after every meal. For hygiene purposes, it is recommended to wash the baby after each feeding.

When washing a child, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the intergluteal area, but also to the area of ​​the external genitalia and perineum. It is recommended to wash the boy under warm running water. Bathing a newborn baby in a basin is highly discouraged, as feces residue can irritate the baby's delicate skin.

When the child is washed, his skin must be thoroughly dried with a clean diaper made of natural fabric. All folds on the baby’s body are lubricated with baby cream or special oil. Such measures are aimed at preventing diaper rash on the baby’s body. When lubricating the folds, it is strictly forbidden to touch the scrotal area. During hygiene procedures, a young mother needs to pay attention to the condition of the external genitalia in boys.

Newborn male babies often experience discharge from the urethra, resulting in irritation and swelling of the penis. If a mother detects alarming symptoms in her child, she needs to show him to a medical specialist as soon as possible.

It is recommended to bathe one-month-old infants daily. It is necessary to begin water procedures by washing the child’s face. Next, you should wash the baby’s head, body, arms, legs, back and external genitalia. An alternative to running water is pre-boiled warm water poured into a ladle or jug.

If a young mother is in a place where there is no water, then she is recommended to use special wet wipes used to wipe the baby’s body. The baby wipes do not contain ethyl alcohol or other aggressive components that can cause allergies and irritation to the baby's skin.

Caring for girls

Child development - the first days of a child after birth, how to care for a girl?

The procedure for bathing girls is somewhat different from washing boys. When bathing a child, the water stream should be directed in the direction from the genitals to the buttock area. This rule allows you to avoid microflora from the rectum getting into the vaginal mucosa. All other hygiene rules for girls coincide with recommendations for boys.

In the first week after the birth of a girl, a young mother should be prepared for some changes. We are talking about the appearance of slight bloody discharge from the external genitalia, as well as swelling of the mammary glands. This condition is completely normal and goes away on its own within a few days. During this period, parents need to pay increased attention to the hygiene of the child. It is very important to keep the diaper clean and change it regardless of how full it is. It is recommended to wash the baby 2 times a day with boiled water without using soap.

Modern diapers are considered to be a blessing of civilization, but this hygiene attribute carries many hidden dangers. In a normal situation, it is necessary to put a diaper on a child only when walking and moving long distances. In photos of a child in the first days of life, you can often see the consequences of frequent use. At home, the baby's skin should breathe. Access to oxygen ensures the prevention of irritation and diaper rash.

The constant use of diapers in boys creates a greenhouse effect that can negatively affect the further reproductive function of the child. If we talk about girls, then frequent wearing of a diaper can cause an ascending infection of the genitourinary system. This is due to the fact that the urethra in girls is shorter, and pathogens easily penetrate through it.

An alternative to diapers is ordinary panties made of cotton fabric. In such clothes, the skin of a newborn baby has access to oxygen. The full value of child development from the first days of a child’s life after maternity hospital depends on the degree of responsibility of the parents.

Rules for swaddling a baby

Recently, more and more pediatricians are inclined to believe that swaddling newborn babies in the “soldier” position has a negative impact on the development of the child. This practice is often the cause of the formation of hip dysplasia. To prevent this condition, medical experts recommend using wide swaddling. With this type of swaddling, the baby's hip joints are in a natural position. If the child does not sleep on the first day of life, then the mother is advised to pay attention to his general condition.

In order to swaddle a newborn baby correctly, you must first fold the diaper into 4 layers and place it between the baby’s legs. In the first days of life, a newborn baby must be swaddled along with its arms. This is necessary so that the baby is not afraid of his own limbs. If parents prefer not to restrict the baby’s movements, then an alternative to swaddling is special rag mittens that are placed on the baby’s arms.

Vaccination calendar

Child development - the first days of a child after birth, what vaccinations are given? Standard vaccinations in the first days of a child’s life are the only effective way to protect a newborn child from the penetration of pathogens of infectious diseases. The effectiveness of these procedures directly depends on compliance with the vaccination schedule.

The standard vaccination calendar looks like this:

Age category	Vaccine name
First day of life	Against hepatitis B
From 3 to 7 days	Against tuberculosis (BCG)
First month	Against hepatitis B
3 month	Against hemophilus influenzae, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, diphtheria (DTP)
4 months	DTP
5 months	DTP
Six months	Against hepatitis B
1 year	Against mumps, measles and rubella
1.5 years	DTP
6 years	DTP

In response to the administration of a prophylactic drug, the newborn baby’s body begins the process of producing specific antibodies that form immunity against infectious diseases. Before carrying out routine vaccination, medical specialists carefully examine the newborn child.

Vaccinations are strictly prohibited if the baby has an elevated body temperature and general signs of malaise. If on the first day of life the child does not breathe through the nose, or the child sneezes on the 1st day of life, then vaccination will be postponed to a later period.

Organization of a children's room

It is recommended to take care of the room in which the newborn baby will be located even before the baby is born. When a young mother and child arrive from the maternity hospital, a separate room must be ready in the apartment, which has a changing table, a chest of drawers, a crib and other necessary household items.

Many parents prefer not to equip the children's room with a crib and practice co-sleeping from the moment the baby is born. In any case, mom and dad should take care of creating comfortable conditions for the newborn baby to stay. The room in which the baby will be located must meet the following criteria:

• lack of aggressive design of walls and furniture
• the room temperature should be between 20-22 degrees
• air humidity should not exceed 70%
• As a nursery, it is recommended to select a bright, warm room that must be kept clean.

Newborn baby's wardrobe

It is necessary to dress a newborn child in accordance with the season and temperature indicators. The list of clothes for the summer period is somewhat different from the list of winter things. A baby's basic wardrobe consists of the following items:

• booties;
• T-shirts;
• slips;
• cotton socks;
• bibs;
• caps made of fine fabric;
• baby vests;
• bodysuit with long and short sleeves;
• sliders;
• overalls and suits for walking.

During the cold season, clothes for a newborn baby are selected in accordance with temperature indicators. This list is supplemented by warm suits and overalls, jackets, hats, etc. A newborn baby’s wardrobe should contain a large number of undershirts made of thin material.

When a mother gets ready to go for a walk with her child, she needs to put several of these vests on her baby under outerwear. This creates conditions for maintaining heat. A mandatory attribute of a baby's winter wardrobe is a warm envelope in which the baby is swaddled before going outside.

The normal temperature of a child in the first days of life is from 36.3 to 37.3 degrees.
Caring for a newborn baby in the first days of life requires the presence of the following attributes in the home:

• flannel diapers (10-12 pieces);
• food scales;
• scales for weighing a child;
• night light;
• a stroller with a special cover to protect against precipitation;
• feeding bottles (4-5 pieces);
• child car seat (if necessary);
• a kangaroo device used to carry a child;
• medical paraphernalia (gas tube, small and medium volume syringe, hair brush, furatsilin, solution of iodine and brilliant green, antipyretic suppositories, zinc ointment, chlorhexidine);
• care products for newborns (cotton swabs and sticks, powder, baby cream, cotton pads, petroleum jelly).

Walking outside

If the weather conditions are favorable for walking, then going outside with the baby is allowed already for 3 days from the moment of discharge from the maternity hospital. In summer, it is recommended to walk before peak solar activity. The optimal time for summer walks is considered to be before 11:00 and after 16:00.

In winter, it is also necessary to pay attention to temperature indicators. Walking with a newborn is allowed provided that the outside temperature is not lower than -12 degrees.

To ensure that the development of a child from the first days of life is not overshadowed by colds, parents should master the golden rule. The child should wear as much clothing as the mother, plus one more layer. The baby is wrapped in a winter envelope on top of his clothes.

Problems of the first days of life

Child development - the first days of a child after birth, intestinal colic in a child, the most common problem that a child and his mother may face. Their appearance is associated with the adaptation of the baby’s digestive system to new food. This condition brings discomfort and pain to the child. When colic appears, the child constantly cries in the first days of life, eats poorly, and parents may notice bloating and tension in the baby’s abdomen.

You can alleviate your baby's condition by doing the following:

• Massage. You can facilitate the passage of gases from the intestines by gently stroking the tummy in a clockwise direction. After this, it is recommended to gently bend the baby’s legs at the knees and press them to the tummy. It is also recommended to perform the “bicycle” exercise.
• Dry heat. To normalize the process of passing gases, it is recommended to apply a diaper to the baby’s tummy, which has previously been ironed with a hot iron.
• Medications. To eliminate colic in a newborn baby, parents can use Espumisan drops. Dill water is used as a traditional medicine.
• After feeding, hold it so that excess air comes out of the stomach.

Due to colic, the baby's appetite decreases, so the child's weight in the first days of life may decrease slightly.

Another, no less common problem is neonatal thrush - candidiasis. This condition is caused by fungi of the genus Candida. A symptom of thrush is the appearance of white plaque and pulp on the mucous membrane of the baby’s mouth.

At home, a young mother should treat the baby's mouth with a weak solution of baking soda (1 teaspoon of soda per 350 ml of boiled water). A child suffering from candidiasis needs medical attention.

Child development - the first days of a child examined. With a responsible approach to the issue of the birth of a baby, parents will be able to easily solve any problem associated with this event. If young parents have difficulties, they are recommended to contact their local pediatrician. If alarming symptoms appear, it is not recommended to postpone a visit to a medical specialist. There are also government services in the first days of a child’s life after birth, which young parents can take advantage of.

6. The newborn period is an intermediate stage between life in the mother’s womb and life outside her body, lasting about 4 weeks.

The newborn experiences the shock associated with birth and the first encounter with the outside world, losing direct physical connection with the mother at the moment of cutting the umbilical cord (which finally disappears after a few days).

Adaptation to new conditions requires the emergence and improvement of many mechanisms that control proper breathing, blood circulation, digestion, maintaining a constant body temperature, increasing weight, and excreting waste products.

7. Knowledge of the characteristic features of raising a child and caring for him in the first weeks of life reduces the feeling of fear and powerlessness in front of a new unfamiliar creature.

Your own assessment of the newborn’s reactions and needs helps you cope with the responsibilities that parents shoulder from the first days of a little person’s life.

8. A healthy newborn baby sleeps with his eyelids closed most of the day.

This is a shallow, superficial sleep, during which the child makes sudden uncoordinated movements of the limbs, unconscious facial movements (grimaces), sometimes reminiscent of a smile, and strains the back muscles.

Opens eyelids, makes unconscious, aimless movements with eyes. Children are born with bent arms and legs, and then take a long time to learn to straighten them on their own. Therefore, it is not recommended to swaddle a baby with outstretched arms and legs, since this position is unnatural for him.

9. The skin of a healthy baby turns pink immediately after birth, his sweat glands are underdeveloped, so the skin is a little dry and, if not taken care of properly, diaper rash can form.

On the 2-3rd day after birth, the baby's skin may turn yellow. This is due to the functional immaturity of the liver. Such jaundice is called physiological and, as a rule, Disappears without a trace after 1-2 weeks.

10. During short periods of wakefulness, which gradually become longer, a healthy child vigorously moves his arms and legs, at times screams loudly with crying grimaces on his face, but without tears, since the lacrimal glands have not yet “ripened.”

The newborn reacts to unpleasant stimuli by screaming, general excitement, body tension, and movement of the arms and legs. Similar reactions are observed with painful bloating (gas colic).

11. The ability to regulate temperature (maintain body temperature) in a newborn is also not yet developed.

He easily becomes hypothermic (skin becomes cool to the touch) and overheats, causing restlessness, dehydration, and increased body temperature. In normal condition, the baby's palms and feet should be cool, and there is no need to warm them by increasing the temperature in the room or by wrapping the baby warmly.

A properly fed and not overheated baby loses only 5-10% of its birth weight in the first days and completely regains it between the 7th and 10th day of life. Physiological reduction in body weight occurs as a result of fluid loss through urine and feces, as well as through evaporation through the skin and during respiration.

At the same time, the amount of incoming fluid does not replenish the losses (the sucked milk is not enough for this), and this leads to a decrease in fat reserves in the tissues, which is a normal phenomenon.

12. A newborn excretes feces several times a day, and urine up to several dozen times.

The first portions of urine in a full-term baby, fed on the first day of life, are excreted within 24 hours after birth. Lack of urine on the first day may be a sign of diseases of the genitourinary system.

Original feces (meconium) are dark and sticky, on the 3-4th day the feces become greenish and more liquid, stools become more frequent - up to 10 times a day. In the second week of life, the number of bowel movements decreases to 3-5 per day, and the excreted feces are already yellow and mushy.

13. The period after birth is characterized by the presence of unconditioned reflexes, which indicate the imperfection of the newborn’s nervous system and disappear in the first months of life.

The child needs to be helped to go through the difficult period of the newborn, satisfying all his needs: feeding regularly, maintaining an optimal ambient temperature, regularly ventilating the room, creating a calm, friendly atmosphere in the house. The baby needs close contact with his mother, especially during feeding, her gentle voice and gentle touches when swaddling.

19. By the end of the first month of life, the child develops the simplest mechanisms for performing basic life functions, including weight gain.

The next period begins - infancy. It is believed that the end of the newborn period is the moment when the child made the first conscious movement requiring the participation of the cerebral cortex.

This is usually a sucking motion that the baby makes when he is placed in the feeding position without irritating the lips. This phenomenon can be observed as early as the 3rd week of life in breastfed children. The child smacks his lips when his mother puts him in her arms, presses him to herself, about to feed him.

In this case, other stimuli were also combined with the act of sucking - body position, warmth and the smell of the mother. This is the first manifestation of the participation of the cerebral cortex in the processes of nervous activity. From this moment on, the number of such manifestations increases rapidly, ensuring the child’s mental development and knowledge of the world.

20. The first month of life is important not only for the child himself, but also for his parents.

During this time, they must master the difficult techniques of meeting all of the newborn's developmental needs without disturbing the peace and balance of the home.

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So, a baby was born into the family. Happy event! Now parents have to master the new roles of caring father and mother. And of course, they will closely monitor how rapidly their baby is changing. How does a newborn baby develop after birth, week by week and month by month? How will he change by the age of one?

1 Week

Of course, the child is still far from handsome. He may have a swollen face and eyelids, a reddish (or yellowish) skin tone, whitish hormonal acne on his nose, the shape of the skull has not yet been formed and may seem strangely elongated, the body is covered with “newborn fuzz”, there is practically no subcutaneous fat, the arms and legs are hypertonic and constantly compressed. However, all these manifestations will pass in the near future (except for muscle tone - it goes away by about 4-5 months), and the baby will acquire the tenderness characteristic of all babies.

Normally, a newborn is born with a height of 45–56 cm and a weight of 2.6–4.6 kg. In this case, in the first 3–4 days, physiological weight loss occurs (it should not exceed 10% of the child’s weight), and then gains of 20–30 g per day begin.

The sweat glands will begin to work by the beginning of next week, but tears will appear in 3-4 weeks. By the end of the first 7 days, the umbilical wound should dry out.

For the first three days, the baby produces newborn stool - meconium (thick, dark green, odorless), then it becomes yellowish and acquires a sour smell. The child may have bowel movements after each feeding or 4–5 times a day. With artificial feeding, the baby's stool has a strong odor, its frequency is lower - up to 2-3 times a day. At the beginning of the week, urination occurs up to 6 times; by the end of the week, the frequency will increase to 16–20 times.

Sleep takes up most of the time - up to 20 or even more hours a day, about three hours with breaks for feeding and short wakefulness. At the beginning of the week, the baby can eat up to 300 g (from 30 to 60 g at a time), by the end of the seven days - up to 400 g.

How does a newborn experience the new world? Of course, not as fully as adults. He hears much better than he sees. At the same time, he reacts only to sharp sounds; monotonous noises are perceived by him as usual, as in the womb. The child sees only light and dark blurry spots. If a large object is located no further than 20 cm, the baby tries to follow it. But he still can’t see the mother’s face; he recognizes her by her voice and smell (the baby already has a sense of smell, as well as a sense of taste).

Reflexes of newborn babies

Reflexes are involuntary reactions to a certain type of stimulus. They determine, first of all, the correct development of the baby’s nervous system.

Let us list the main reflexes of newborns.

• Protective (in the tummy position, the baby turns its head to the side).
• Sucking (if you insert your index finger into the baby’s mouth, he will begin rhythmic sucking movements). The reflex can last up to 2 years, and sometimes longer.
• Proboscis (if you touch the baby’s lips with your finger, he pulls them into a tube). Keeps for approximately 3 months.
• Search (when stroking the corners of the mouth, the baby begins to look for the breast, turning the head towards the stimulus). It fades away after about 3–4 months.
• Moro (a sharp sound or sudden movement of the baby in space causes the baby to arch his back, throw his arms and legs to the sides, and cry out). Fades away by 5 months.
• Supports and walking (having touched the surface with the feet, the child rests on it and pushes off, taking a “step”). It fades away by about 1.5 months of age.
• Grasping (when pressing on the baby’s palm, he reflexively squeezes it). Can be traced up to 3–4 months.
• Crawling (in a position on the tummy, the baby makes crawling movements with its arms and legs, and when it feels support under its heels, it pushes off from it). Can last up to 4 months.
• Babinsky (if you press your finger on a child’s foot, the toes bend; if you run along it, they open up like a “fan”). The reflex can last up to 2 years.
• Galanta (manual irritation of the line along the spine causes the baby to arch). Fades away by the end of 4 months.

As the baby's nervous system matures, conscious movements and skills will replace reflex ones.

Never test your newborn's reflexes yourself. Firstly, you don't know how to do it correctly, so you may get the wrong effect. Secondly, with your actions you can harm the baby, causing severe fear. Reflex manifestations should only be assessed by doctors!

2 weeks

Starting from the 8th day after birth, yellowness of the skin, redness, and swelling disappear. The baby's head gradually acquires the correct shape. The umbilical cord falls off, so the baby can be bathed (and overgrown nails trimmed). Now the newborn should begin to gain weight, having survived the stress of birth and learning to feed from the mother's breast.

The limbs are still half-bent, and the fists are tightly clenched (hypertonicity still persists, it can be observed for up to several months), and the movements are still reflexive. The muscles relax only during sleep, which still takes up most of the day.

The baby can't hold his head yet, which requires parents to be careful. It is also important to monitor the baby’s body temperature, because its natural thermoregulation is still far from perfect.

During the 2nd week, the baby will gain about 200 g, eating 80-90 g of milk at one time. At night he eats, just like during the day, every 2-3 hours.

The sense organs and nervous system continue to develop, although they are still far from perfect. Therefore, the baby is still very sensitive to light; it recognizes an adult’s face from a distance of no more than 20 cm, and its gaze does not focus. The child looks at the object with each eye separately, so it seems that they are constantly squinting or moving in different directions. This will pass by 2 months. Sounds become more distinct for the baby, and he reacts to them more actively.

3 weeks

The baby still sleeps most of the time, eating up to 12 times a day, since the size of his stomach is extremely small. By the age of 20 days, the baby will have added about 150–200 g and grown by several mm. The daily milk intake at this age is equal to a fifth of the baby’s weight, and it will remain this way for another three weeks. By the way, now the baby is starting to burp, because the digestive system is being adjusted to a new type of nutrition. The baby's stool takes on a more pronounced consistency and a buttery milky smell. When artificially fed, it has a greenish or brown tint and a stronger odor; the frequency of bowel movements in this case is several times less.

The child's activity gradually increases. This week, irritability begins to appear in the evening due to the large number of daytime experiences. The best way to relieve tension is crying (now more harshly). The sense of smell and reaction to sounds become more acute (pulse and sucking movements become more frequent, the baby freezes, may blink or shudder). The sense of touch is important. The child should have the opportunity to constantly touch different surfaces with his body and limbs.

What can the baby do now? Hold the head for about 10 seconds, cling to the fingers of adults, trying to pull yourself up, lie on your tummy, turn the head towards the sound, smile (though still reflexively), briefly stop your gaze on a large object or the mother’s face, catching her emotions. The baby begins to make his first facial expressions and his first cooing and smacking sounds.

4 weeks

At this stage, the first “ahu” appears in the child’s “speech,” especially in response to the mother’s affectionate words. With each passing week, the humming will become more active until it develops into babbling (at about 4 months).

Muscle tone is still preserved, so the baby's fists are clenched and his arms and legs are constantly bent. But when he is unhappy or has colic, he moves them and cries, signaling discomfort. By the way, crying becomes “wet” (tears appear) and intonational, from which you can determine the child’s needs (wet, hungry, lonely, something hurts, tired).

Sleep now takes up to 19–20 hours (of which 8–9 hours occur at night), and the time spent awake increases slightly. By the end of the first month, the baby should gain an average of 600–800 g and grow by 2–3 cm.

What can a month-old baby do?

• Hold the head for a few seconds while lying on your tummy.
• Look around.
• Keep large objects and adult faces in your field of vision.
• Listen to the sound and look for its source by moving your arms and legs.
• Follow the object in motion for a few seconds.
• Firmly hold your mother's finger or object inserted into the handle.
• Lie (even sleep) on your tummy.
• Respond with movements, a smile, a walk to the smile and voice of the mother, expressing joy.

5 weeks

Now a revival complex is beginning to appear. When an adult appears, especially when they speak tenderly to the baby, he responds with a joyful smile, active movements, and pronounced humming.

Starting this week, the maturation of organs and systems accelerates. Colic and shuddering disappear, breathing evens out, the reaction to smells and sounds increases, the need to communicate with mom grows (now the baby needs her constantly, not only for food and rocking, but also for active communication), a conscious smile appears, and interest increases to the surrounding world. The waking time can reach half an hour. But at the same time, the baby still cannot cope with a large number of impressions, so there should not be too many visual, sound and other stimuli, and at least 19–20 hours should be allocated for sleep, monitoring the baby’s body temperature, since its heat exchange is still imperfect .

During this week, the child will gain about another 200 g and grow a little (by 5–7 mm). The volume of an average portion of milk increases to 100–140 g with a total number of feedings of at least 7 in essence.

Progress in the development of the baby is noticeable.

• He tries to briefly hold his head in an upright position, and while lying on his tummy, he even tries to look around.
• Vision begins to focus (now the baby looks at objects with both eyes at the same time), the baby begins to look at toys, especially interested in bright, contrasting ones.
• The expression of emotions corresponds to the situation: if the baby feels bad, he cries, if he feels good, he smiles and hums (and the humming gradually becomes more varied: gurgling, grunting, squealing, “giggles”).
• Of particular interest is the mother’s face when she coos affectionately with her child.
• Everything that gets into the hands is pulled into the baby's mouth.

6 weeks

So, a month and a half has passed since the birth. Since that time, the baby has grown by about 4.5 cm, gained weight from 800 to 1000 g. The chest has increased in volume by 2 cm.

Sleep time is still long (about 18–19 hours a day), the number of feedings is at least 7. Night “snacks” remain. The work of the intestines and urinary system is now individual: the baby can walk “in a big way” both 2 and 8 times a day, urinate at least 6 times.

The child becomes more and more actively interested in the world around him, looking closely and listening to everything. Now the baby is starting to like new toys, he tries to look at them, watches them with his eyes, tries to grab them, but so far he can only push them. Hearing a new sound, the child tries to find it by turning his head. Sharp sounds can cause crying and even fear.

The complex of revival manifests itself more and more clearly, the baby actively demands communication and attention from dad and mom, preferring them to other adults, hums for a long time, trying different intonations, trying to repeat them after the adults, catching their facial expressions.

The movements of his arms and legs are still reflexive, but he can hold his head a little longer than last week. Some babies may even roll over from their side to their back.

These are the main stages of development of babies in the first one and a half months of life. Further development will occur more and more actively, reaching its peak at one year of age.

7–12 weeks

As the child approaches the age of 4 months, the skills and achievements progress in accordance with the development of all his organs and systems. Thus, vision improves, muscle tone decreases, reflexes fade, the nervous system strengthens, and intelligence gradually improves. All this allows the baby to stay awake more (about 17 hours a day is left for sleep), strengthen physically, replace reflex actions with conscious ones, and explore the world. Therefore, he already confidently holds his head in any position, begins to listen intently to everything that is happening around him, examines objects from a distance of up to 3 m, purposefully and consciously knocks on them, and then grabs them and pulls them into his mouth to study (the objects of study also become his own arms and legs).

Physical improvement is aimed at mastering the skills of turning over, standing up, sitting, and crawling. For now, this is only the foundation for future victories.

An understanding of friends and others appears, speech gradually moves to the stage of babbling, when consonants are added to vowels (the result is something like syllable chains), facial expressions and emotions are improved.

By this period, colic has practically stopped, which makes the little one calmer, and the growing volume of the stomach allows the child to withstand up to 3.5 hours between feedings. Some babies are already able to wake up at night for feeding just once.

So, what will the baby learn in these 6 weeks?

• Roll from back to side, and then onto tummy and even back.
• Lean first on your arms, and then on your forearms, lying on your tummy.
• Hold mom's breast while feeding.
• Rise, holding the hands of an adult, from a supine position to a sitting position.
• Find the source of sound with your eyes.
• Push off the support with your legs, lying on your tummy, make “crawling” movements.
• Grab toys.
• Walk with support under your arms.
• Distinguish all colors.
• Laugh.
• Grimace.
• Understand your name.
• Play independently for a while (exploring toys or your body).

Development up to a year

Over the remaining 8 months, the little one will turn into an almost independent little person. His vision will be almost equal to that of an adult, he will learn to sleep all night without waking up to feed, understand cause-and-effect relationships, remember faces and upcoming events, perform logical actions (search, build, add, compare), fulfill requests, use gestures; master a spoon, a cup, and begin to learn self-care skills and communication with others. The baby will have teeth and will be able to eat solid food. Sleep time will be reduced to 10–11 hours; the child will be able to sleep 2 times during the day. Height and weight gain will decrease due to increased physical activity.

In motor terms, the baby will go through the stages of sitting, standing up against a support, crawling, and walking (first against a support, and then independently). In speech development, babbling will be replaced by autonomous speech, the baby will accumulate a passive vocabulary, and then begin to pronounce his first words.

Parents need to remember a few important things. First: the baby will learn by imitating the adults around him in everything. Therefore, the example must be worthy. Second: communication with family - speech, games, general affairs - is of the utmost importance for the proper development of a child. Third: at the age of one, the baby will begin its first serious age-related crisis, which will require patience, understanding and participation from mom and dad.

In this article:

The appearance of a new person in the family is always joy, responsibility, new worries and big expenses. And this is a completely different way of life, which destroys the usual order of things. At the same time, the birth of your first child is always stressful. A young family, having escaped from under their parents' wings, is just learning to live independently. And then the baby appears, and again everything in life changes beyond recognition! The young woman, having barely realized that she is not a daughter, but a wife, tries on a new role - now she is a mother herself. To adapt to a new role, we suggest that a young mother consider the stages of her child’s development literally week by week until he turns one year old. As you know, if you see the future, then it’s not so scary to follow an unfamiliar path.

First week - getting to know each other

This week everything is happening for the first time for the young family. The mother has her first breastfeeding, both parents have her first bath, the first sleepless nights and the search for solutions to problems with unexpected crying. All these points require clarity and explanation.

Let's not forget that the birth of a child is stressful not only for the parents, but also for the baby himself, and more so than for the young mother and father. The development of a child up to one year is very different from any other age period. This is his first acquaintance with the outside world, the first use of all parts of his body outside the womb. For the first time, the baby eats by mouth rather than receiving food through the umbilical cord. Taste, smell, touch, vision - in the first week everything is used for the first time. How many things will happen for the first time before the first year! But it is with these first steps that human development begins.

Feeding

In the first week of a baby's life, it is extremely important to establish breastfeeding. A young mother needs to get used to being with her child almost always, since separation from her mother is the cause of his anxiety. Nine months of development of the baby in the womb allowed him to constantly be with her, touch, feel, hear the heartbeat and
voice. And then the baby is separated from her, placed in different conditions. Therefore, the surest way to calm the baby is to put him to the chest. This is required by the development of a child in the first week of life.

Also, let's not forget the fact that it is in the first month that the growth of a toddler requires not only calmness, but also nutrients that are found in mother's milk and help strengthen the child's body, and with them antibodies that protect him from all kinds of infections.

A few words about the first bath

Bathing for both the child and the parents can be both the most pleasant and the most frightening procedure. It all depends on how correctly young parents will approach the execution of this action.

In order for the first impressions of swimming to be the most pleasant, the procedure must be started with great care. You should take into account all the factors to which the baby especially reacts in the first week. This includes the temperature of the water, constant communication with the child, as well as careful movements of the parents that do not cause any discomfort to the baby. The duration of the procedure is of great importance. As soon as the parents notice the first signs of anxiety and discomfort in the child, bathing should be completed as soon as possible so that the next time the child recognizes the water, he will show a favorable attitude towards it.

Some physiological features of newborn development

These include:
regurgitation;
weight loss;
jaundice;
strabismus;
shuddering in sleep;
peeling of the skin.

We propose to analyze each feature separately. Let's start with regurgitation. It should be noted that, despite the anxiety of young mothers, this is a normal phenomenon, not only for newborns, but also for children up to six months. Regurgitation occurs because the food tract and nervous system are not fully formed. Also, the cause of this unpleasant phenomenon may be improper feeding, in which the child swallows air.
For a child in the first week of life, it is considered normal to regurgitate the food eaten in the amount of two tablespoons after each feeding and once a day in a “fountain”.
How can this be checked? Pour a couple of tablespoons of water onto the oilcloth and visually compare the amount of water with the amount of milk that the baby burped.

Weight loss. This is also normal in the first week of a baby's life. Adaptation to the external environment and a completely different way of eating is the only correct, natural and acceptable explanation This is a feature of babies in the first month of life. Very soon the baby will begin to actively gain weight.

Jaundice. Young mothers do not need to worry too much if the skin of their newborn baby acquires a yellow tint on the second or third day. This phenomenon is also typical for newborns in the first two weeks of life. If the baby’s skin has this shade for a long time, then you need to check whether there is excess bilirubin in the blood. In this case, you should consult a doctor for advice.

Strabismus. Due to weakness of the eyeball muscles and the inability to focus on an object, a child's eyes may sometimes appear to be crossed. This can be easily fixed if desired. You just need to train the eye muscles of your beloved child. This workout is very easy to do. We need to help the baby master a new sense for him - vision. To do this, hang a bright toy above the crib, and after a few weeks the eyes will begin to move synchronously. Very rarely, strabismus can last up to six months, but this is not a cause for concern. Regular training, during which parents encourage the baby to follow the toy moving left and right, up and down, in a circle, will do the trick, and the problem will disappear.

Startling in sleep. Often the child's movements are chaotic. This applies to the first months of life, because in the womb the baby could not fully use his arms and legs, which cannot be said about the postpartum stage of life. Also, the cause of flinching can be ordinary fear. Moreover, the baby scares himself with his own hands, which touch his body in a dream. It is necessary to create the baby's sleeping conditions as in the mother's womb, for example, softly swaddle him, and when he is awake, slowly teach him
be friends with your arms and legs. Often, shuddering during sleep stops by the third or fourth month.

Peeling of the skin. The skin of the newborn baby is covered with a special lubricant. It is needed to facilitate the process of moving the child through the birth canal. Also, in the first days after birth, this lubricant protects the baby upon contact with air. You should wash off this lubricant only after a few days, when it is absorbed. During this period, the baby's skin adapts to the new environment, and the mother will be able to observe the exfoliation of unnecessary cells. To quickly free your child from keratinized particles of lubricant, you should not use soap products - it is better to take vegetable oil boiled in a water bath and cooled to room temperature. When going for a walk, it is necessary to protect the baby from gusts of wind and sun rays directed at him. If mom conscientiously follows these simple recommendations, the peeling will soon go away.

The second week of a child’s life – adaptation

By two weeks, the newborn begins to get used to his body, to his new environment. The umbilical wound is healing. The baby adapts to a new way of getting food. The functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is improved. The stool occurs three to four times a day and begins to return to normal. This is expressed primarily in an increase in body weight.

In the second week
the baby begins to explore the world around him, looking at it and listening to its sounds. From this moment the development of the child’s attention begins. He already fixes, albeit very briefly, his gaze on objects. Examines details at a distance of 20-25 centimeters. And during this period he begins to smile and express feelings with the help of facial expressions.

Since the formation of all processes in the baby’s stomach and intestines continues, this is often accompanied by colic, in which the baby cries, draws in his legs or twists them. While breastfeeding, a mother should monitor her diet and nervous system, since stress and the wrong foods are some of the causes of colic. In the meantime, you will have to be patient and try to alleviate these anxious conditions for the baby with light tummy massages, water with the addition of fennel, or other means that the pediatrician will definitely recommend. Remember that this will not always be the case - this thought is comforting...

The third week is a week of small victories

The child’s exploration of the world around him begins to take place more actively. The baby tries to reach the toys that hang above his crib. And if you hang them at arm's length of a child, he will soon be try to grab them. Lying on their stomachs, children try to raise their heads and look at everything around them. But the weakness of the neck muscles does not yet allow them to hold their head up for a long time, although these attempts help strengthen them.

When someone communicates with a baby, he becomes quiet and listens carefully to the intonation of the interlocutor’s voice. If she is calm, playful, and benevolent, the child begins to smile and walk. If the voice is even a little stern or angry, the baby may cry. For children of this developmental period, prolonged crying, often twenty minutes, is normal, especially before bedtime.

Its cause is the child’s inability to cope with overwhelming new impressions. Therefore, the transition from wakefulness to sleep is often turbulent. This will pass within a year, which is facilitated by the active development of the little man.

Fourth week – summing up

This is the last week of the baby's first month of life. Its development passes from the newborn period to infancy. The vestibular apparatus is intensively developing, which allows him to better and better sense the position of his body in space.

Baby starts
tries to roll over from back to tummy, briefly raises head to look at the world around him, tries to grab objects.
The muscles that allow the arms and legs to extend are already working better, but for now the flexor muscles are stronger, so the position of the child’s arms and legs is still half-bent. This is a normal condition in children in the first month of life, which is called muscle hypertonicity.

The first month of life is the control month. Parents should definitely visit a pediatrician and find out whether the child’s physiological development corresponds to age standards.
Here's what your baby should be able to do by the end of the first month of life:
fix your gaze on objects located at a distance of up to half a meter;
turn the head towards sounds;
recognize mom and dad, as well as older brother or sister;
Hold your head lying on your tummy for a short time.

Developmental norms for a child in the third month of life

The development of a three-month-old baby is characterized by the following skills. The baby can roll over from his back to his tummy, lie on his stomach, rise on his arms and remain in this position for several minutes. He actively communicates with mom and dad, “cooing” in response to words addressed to him.

This is the average data. If suddenly the child does not succeed in something, then there is no need to be upset: by the fifth month he will definitely make up for lost time.
In addition, at three months, children develop wrinkles on their arms and legs, and the babies become cuter and plump. This happens because the little one begins to gain weight, and the amount of subcutaneous fat deposits increases. At this age, the child puts everything into his mouth, trying
to taste. It is at the age of three months that parents must visit a doctor for a mandatory examination.

Baby development in the fifth month

At this age, babies become very active. They try to crawl and generally do all sorts of tricks, so the best place for them is the floor, which turns into a place for active activity. The crib gets boring, and the baby always trying to get out of it. From this time on, you should begin to vigilantly monitor your restless child so that he does not cause harm to himself.

In addition, in the fifth month of life, children become more capricious. No, this is not because their character begins to deteriorate or they begin to show it. The reason is simple: the baby is teething. It is very painful, unpleasant, offensive and uncomfortable. Since the baby cannot express all his sadness to you in words, he cries, whines, and is mischievous. All this is accompanied by profuse salivation and the desire to put everything that comes to hand into the mouth to scratch the gums.

To make teething easier, parents can buy special teethers, which are pre-cooled in the refrigerator and regularly treated with hygiene products. At night, the baby’s gums can be smeared with a special soothing ointment, which acts like ice caine - freezing painful areas. So baby and parents
will be able to sleep peacefully. You can buy such an ointment at a pharmacy. Don't forget to check the expiration date and read the instructions carefully!

And at five months, the child not only freely rolls over from his back to his tummy, but also makes attempts to sit up and even crawl. He pulls himself up on the arms in the crib and just lying on a horizontal surface, tries to reach the toy. The toddler can already play with objects for five to ten minutes. But the most interesting thing is that he tries to repeat words and syllables, copying human speech.

Seventh month

There is very little time left before the child reaches one year. During this period, its development has stepped forward significantly. From a completely helpless, constantly screaming lump, he turned into a cute and inquisitive toddler who pokes his finger at objects that interest him and tries to understand the meaning words addressed to him, many of which he already knows.
A high indicator of the mental development of a child of this age is that he experiences fear when parting with his mother. As for physical activity, children of this age can already stand on their feet, holding on to some kind of support, and move independently. If the baby loved to crawl, then at seven months he will do it quickly and confidently. It happens that children pass the crawling period and immediately move from a sitting position to a standing position on their legs, holding onto a support.

The long-awaited eleventh month

What did the child learn before reaching the age of one? Over the past four months, he has been getting better and better on his feet without the help of others, walking not only with support, but also without it, holding a spoon in his hands, and also drinking from a cup or sippy cup. The little one understands adult speech perfectly and can even answer simple requests: give it, put it back, take it off, etc. The baby is trying to explain himself and convey the meaning of his desires to his family with the help of words, although they are not yet sufficiently clear.

The period up to one year is the time of preparation of the child for a completely new stage of his life, which, together with the acquired new capabilities, will bring him new discoveries and allow him to fully understand the world around him. After all, all the fun for the little one begins after reaching the first year of life.