What can a 1 month old baby do? What a month-old baby should be able to do: reflexes, skills and reactions. For vision development

04.10.2023

Almost all young mothers remember their return from the maternity hospital something like this: “I put the baby in the crib and realized with horror that I didn’t know what to do next...”. The first month of a child’s life is a kind of “baptism of fire” for young parents.

Mom and baby first day at home

The stress of the first days, when parents are left alone with the child, should be kept to a minimum. For this:

Set aside all other matters not related to the adaptation of the child and family to new living conditions. Other things can wait!
In the first days, minimize visits from strangers (co-workers, neighbors, friends). While in the maternity hospital, the baby and mother were in a stressful situation: the baby, being born, adapted to new living conditions, and the mother experienced strong emotions - from incredible pain, fear, anxiety to peace and happiness. Therefore, once at home, both are in dire need of care, comfort and attention.
On the first day of return, it is important for both mother and baby to maintain the baby’s feeding and sleeping routine established in the maternity hospital.
Right now, the mother will need the experience and skills she gained in caring for a child in the maternity hospital.

Don't be afraid if...

And now the baby is at home, and the parents have the opportunity to be constantly nearby and watch him. And here anxiety may arise: many small pimples have appeared on the nose and forehead, the complexion is red or yellowish, flaky skin has appeared, arms and legs can be bluish in color. Sometimes parents notice that the child’s eyes seem to “run in different directions,” are uncoordinated, or begin to “squint.” Anxiety is caused by the child's periodic crying, without the appearance of tears.

Yes, in fact, a newborn baby may have all these signs in the first month, but over time they will pass. This is the child’s adaptation to new conditions after intrauterine stay.

A normal complexion will appear within a week, and tears in babies will appear in 3-4 weeks.

There is no need to be afraid if the newborn’s head is somewhat deformed. This is due to its passage through the birth canal. Over time, the head will take a normal shape, for which it is enough to periodically turn the baby from one side to the other during sleep.

Crying is not always a manifestation of a painful condition. When a child cries, he or she attracts attention, asks for food, and indicates discomfort and a desire to sleep. Literally, in a week, the mother will perfectly learn to recognize the baby’s demands, transmitted through crying ().

Often an infant cries due to anxiety due to so-called intestinal colic, so we strongly recommend that you read the article? Because of colic, many mothers simply go crazy and do not understand what is bothering their baby so much.

The baby may also be bothered by gases:

Baby care

The first month of a child’s life is an adaptation period that the newborn and the family go through. At the same time, there is a redistribution of responsibilities between parents and the rhythm of life of the whole family changes.

The most important and important thing that the baby needs now is care. It involves a number of procedures:

Feeding;
Wakefulness;
Bathing;
Hygiene;
Walking outside;
Hardening and massage.

Video: Caring for a baby in the first days of life

Should I set a routine for my child?

A healthy child will establish the “sleep-feeding-wake” mode independently, depending on his physiology. Sleep (up to 2-3 hours), wakefulness (30-60 minutes) and feeding are the main “work” of a newborn. Don't worry if your baby doesn't fall asleep on time as you think. The fact is that the biorhythms of newborns are so clearly adjusted that parents can only maintain this rhythm, and having studied the baby’s behavior, they can very easily recognize the child’s “requirements”. By the end of the second month of life, the baby will have formed its own daily routine.

When to take your first bath

Bathing a newborn can be done after the umbilical cord falls off and the umbilical wound has healed. Until this moment, it is better to wipe the child, having previously prepared everything necessary: warm water, changing table, cotton balls, baby soap, diapers for wrapping, cream and powder.

Parents choose their own bathing regime in the first month of life. The condition of the child's skin does not require daily bathing. This is, in most cases, a pleasant procedure for the newborn. However, not all children love to swim. In this case, carry out daily rubdowns. Bathing 2-3 times a week is enough. You can add herbal infusions to the water. The use of soap is also determined individually, based on the sensitivity of the baby's skin.

Video: first bathing of a newborn baby - tips

Note to moms!

Hello girls) I didn’t think that the problem of stretch marks would affect me too, and I’ll also write about it))) But there’s nowhere to go, so I’m writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method helps you too...

Mandatory hygiene procedures

Hygiene procedures must be carried out daily. This includes:

Washing;
Washing;
Caring for eyes, nose, ears;
Skin examination;
If necessary, navel treatment ();
Combing;
Removal of seborrheic crusts on the head;
Trimming nails on fingers and toes;

Read on the topic of hygiene and care:

Video: newborn hygiene - ears, eyes, nose, skin

Walking and hardening procedures are the key to health

Walking is important in the development of a healthy baby. The newborn took his first breath of air upon leaving the maternity hospital. In the future, walks will depend on the time of year and the temperature outside the window.

The system for regulating heat exchange in newborns is imperfect, so parents need to seriously consider the issue of walking in the cold season. In some cases, it makes sense to take the child out onto the balcony for a few minutes or let him sleep with the window open.

Until the end of sleep, the room should be warmed to normal temperature (). Naturally, the child must be dressed appropriately for such “walks”. Dress and cover your baby as you would and add another layer (for example, an extra blanket or cardigan).

From the second week of life you can start hardening and combining this in one procedure. To begin with, you can leave the baby in the vest for literally 1 minute, lightly stroking the entire body. If the child does not show dissatisfaction, this should become a daily procedure. Massage serves as a strengthening and developing tool for muscles.

Observe your child, study his behavior and in the future you will “feel” and easily understand him.

Video: walking with a newborn

Reflexes of a healthy baby in the first month of life

Parents can check at home themselves that the child’s development in the first month of life occurs in accordance with established standards. Below are the main reflexes inherent in healthy newborn babies.

Grasping - the child reflexively grasps and holds what touches his palm.
Searching and sucking - if you touch the baby's cheek or move the pacifier around the lip area, the baby turns his head and makes a sucking movement with his lips, looking for the breast.
If you press lightly in the area of the toes, the toes will bend, and if you lightly press on the heel, the toes will fan out and the baby will move the foot.
A reaction to a loud sound appears - the baby moves his arms and legs together and spreads them apart.
Swimming reflex - if the baby is placed on his tummy, he makes movements similar to swimming.
Imitation of walking - if the child is placed upright and his legs are supported, he will make movements similar to walking.

Video: Newborn reflexes

Child's reactions and skills

The development of a child in the first month of life occurs as if imperceptibly, but constantly: during feeding, during walks, during waking moments, during bathing. And, first of all, when communicating with mother, whom the baby is already beginning to recognize. He hears her voice, feels her intonation, the touch of her hands and, most importantly, reacts very sensitively to all actions. And if you trace the development of a child in the first month, you can determine the acquired reactions and skills of a newborn, namely:

Determines mom's voice;
May lie on his stomach for a short time, raising his head, and try to hold it (

What can a 1 month old baby do?

The most important thing a newborn baby needs is to feel peace, warmth and security. He receives all this from his mother if he feels that she is nearby, if you talk to the baby in a gentle voice, gently pressing him to your chest (after all, he heard the beat of your heart for all 9 months - this is a familiar, familiar sound, indicating safety).

When the baby is awake, create eye contact and talk to the baby as if he were an equal interlocutor. When swaddling or changing clothes, you should not do it with cold or sweaty hands - babies are distinguished by tactile sensitivity.

Already in the third week after birth, on the basis of unconditioned reflexes, the child begins to form conditioned reflexes that contribute to adaptation to the outside world. This means that the baby is “ready to learn.” It’s too early to read, count and write. But the little man will master the science of “correct” behavior (that is, one that can most fully satisfy his needs) quite quickly.

If in order for mom to appear, you have to scream loudly and for a long time, he will strain himself and yell to “joy” you and your neighbors. And if you squeak enough and mom appears, there’s no reason to scream. It may turn out that the baby firmly understands: the world he has come to is not ready to “respond” to his desires. This usually happens if the baby is fed not when he is hungry, but when adults “need” it; if they are ready to leave the child alone because “the time has come,” for example, for sleep.

Child development: facial expressions and speech

At 2-3 weeks, the baby gradually masters the science of copying. Of all his surroundings, he is most attracted to the human face - first of all, his mother's. Therefore, he constantly examines the faces bending over him or talking to him (the rest is still drowning in a foggy haze - this vision is just beginning to form).

If you make active facial movements during communication, the child will soon begin to repeat them, “answering” you. Mom sticks out her tongue and a tiny tongue appears between her lips. Mom smiles - the baby’s face also breaks into a smile. Mom sticks out her lips - the baby echoes her...

Also intuitively, the baby feels the emotions coming from the adult. If the mother is happy and calm, the child is also comfortable. If the mother is irritated, angry, or swears, the baby instantly reacts by crying in protest.

By the end of 1 month, “speech” joins facial expressions. Babies who are talked to a lot walk in response and make squeaking and snorting sounds. Those who are more active “talk” with their whole body - they reach out to mom with their arms and legs, raise their butts, and arch their backs. These actions are not yet conscious, but they perfectly train the baby’s muscular system.

The newborn signals his emotional state by crying or smiling. Crying expresses dissatisfaction, discomfort, fear, pain, cold or heat. A smile in the first weeks of life is a sign of calm contentment. At first, the baby smiles involuntarily, almost only in his sleep. Later, a smile can be observed both after feeding and during bathing. In all these cases they talk about a physiological or gastric smile.

But by the end of 1 month, the baby’s smile begins to fill with social content, appearing in response to contact from a neighbor. And soon the so-called “revival complex” will appear - a vivid emotional reaction of the baby to an adult’s address to him.

The key to normal child development

The main condition is that the mother is “at his complete disposal.” Don't be afraid to spoil your child or raise him to be selfish. On the contrary, your instant response to all needs and desires will help your child become a self-confident, strong and kind person. Knowing that the mother is always nearby, the baby will not disturb and demand your attention “just like that,” “in reserve” - such behavior is precisely typical of children experiencing a constant lack of maternal affection.

At 1 month, you should focus on the physiological development of your son or daughter. The intervals of wakefulness are very short. Try to distribute them so that you have enough time for exercise, massage, swimming and playing in the water. It is very useful to support the unconditioned reflexes given to babies by nature: crawling, walking, grasping.

The child has not yet learned to listen well and carefully. To develop hearing, firstly, be sure to talk to the baby. The baby distinguishes sounds by pitch and prefers meaningful speech to a set of words. When his mother speaks to him, he can freeze and listen - this is his first experience of sound concentration.

Secondly, let your child listen to music. The more varied it is, the better. Research shows that the works of Mozart, Vivaldi, and Haydn contribute to the normalization of various physiological processes in the infant body. So, if possible, play works by these composers for your child. Lovely music can be played softly when the child is awake and when he is sleeping.

Exercises in the water

To prevent your baby from being afraid of water, lower him into the water carefully, starting from his heels. After all, children are very sensitive to changes in the “physical data” of the world around them - they just have to get used to their weightlessness in water.

It’s great if you swim together for the first few days; your mother’s presence will immediately remove all possible negative emotions. If you are in the bathroom together, place your baby so that his back and the back of his head rest on your chest and shoulder, and support him under his tummy with your left hand. At this moment, with your right hand you can water the baby with water or show him toys.

By the way, you can swim “together” with your dad. This is even more interesting - daddy’s knees and long legs will make amazing slides for the little one! If you are standing “overboard”, place the baby on your tummy, supporting it under the chin and chest or just under the chin, and roll it around the entire bath, rock it up and down, slightly turn it from side to side.

Surely the baby will enjoy pushing off the side of the bathtub with his feet. To do this, turn the baby at the very edge so that he rests against the wall with his bent legs. The child must push off on his own and slide a little along the surface of the water. When you get it to the opposite edge, repeat the steps. If the baby does not immediately understand what you want from him, make several springy movements that imitate pushes from the side.

Another fun and useful exercise for those who are just starting to master the water space is walking along the bottom of the bathtub. To allow the baby to move freely, hold him under the armpits, tilting him slightly forward, stimulating reflex stepping movements. After the child has “walked” - preferably on his back (unless, of course, your child prefers to swim exclusively on his stomach).

By the way, swimming on your back, when the baby sways slightly in your arms from side to side, perfectly develops the vestibular apparatus and sense of balance. This “sea motion” is an excellent prevention of future “transport” problems.

Child development: vision and hearing

Place a bright toy (ball, rattle, ring) at arm's length in the child's field of vision at a distance of 60-70 cm above his face and wait until the baby's gaze lingers on the toy. After this, start swinging it right and left with an amplitude of 5-7 cm and a frequency of about 2 times per second.

Then move the toy in different directions (right, left, up, down), bringing it closer to the baby by 20-30 cm and moving it away at arm's length. The duration of the lesson is 1-2 minutes, the frequency is 1-2 times a day. You should do the same with a toy that makes a quiet, soft sound.

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Your baby has recently been born, and you are completely immersed in chores, concerns, first joys and anxieties. Is everything okay with the baby, is he developing correctly? Find answers in our Child Development Calendar.

Height and weight of a child at 1 month

During the first month, the child gains on average 600-800 g and grows by 3-3.5 cm.

Normal indicators*. Child's age - 1 month	Bottom line	Upper limit
Boys' weight, kg
Girls' weight, kg
Boys' height, cm
Girls' height, cm
Boys' head circumference, cm
Head circumference of girls, cm

*Data are indicated according to centile tables of domestic pediatricians

Basic reflexes of a newborn:

At birth, the baby has innate reflexes. Some of them are temporary, these include:

Sucking(manifests in response to irritation of the oral cavity);
Prehensile(the baby unconsciously squeezes his fingers if something is put into them);
Search(with careful, gentle stroking of the corner of the baby’s mouth, the child begins to lower his lower lip, tilt his tongue towards the stimulus and actively “look” for the mother’s breast);
Walking reflex(if you hold the child, he begins to move his legs as if he were walking).

Some reflexes remain with the child throughout his life: blinking, sneezing, yawning, flinching, etc.

It is by reflexes that neonatologists determine the level of development of the newborn’s nervous system.

Baby development at 1 month

It seems that now the child can only sleep, eat and cry. But that's not true! It is developing at amazing speed. For now he lies with his legs and arms bent, but within the first month they will straighten.

Advice! Place your baby on his tummy more often. In this position, he will try to hold the head and simultaneously train the muscles of the chest and back.

The child's movements become more coordinated, and his vision becomes sharper. Immediately after birth, he sees everything as if through a fog. Gradually learns to focus his gaze. He studies his mother’s face with interest when she bends down or takes him in her arms, and follows with her eyes objects that are no further than 20-35 cm.
A newborn sleeps almost around the clock. His rare waking hours are the most valuable. Use them to communicate with your child. He is an interesting conversationalist. He has a wonderful quality - the ability to listen. The child feels your mood, catches the emotional coloring of your voice, studies the movements of your mother’s lips, looks into your eyes and one day will respond to your kind words with a charming smile!

What a 1 month old baby can do:

Associate your mother’s familiar smell with her voice;

Listen to the intonations of people around you;

Hold the head vertically for a few seconds;

While feeding, gaze at the mother's face;

Distinguish between sweet, bitter and sour tastes;

Grab your mother’s finger and hold it in your fist for quite a long time;

By the end of the first month, he is able to focus his gaze on the face of an adult;

Smile.

Massage for children 1 month old

The mental development of newborn children is closely related to the physical. Even if the child just lies and actively moves his arms, this stimulates his nervous system. In the morning and before bathing, be sure to give your child a light massage. Just stroke the arms, legs, back and tummy. Draw a figure eight on the child’s feet: from the toes to the heel. This simple exercise for newborns has a positive effect on all body systems, because all the functional points are located on the foot.

Exercises for 1 month old babies

1. Fetal position

Pull the child's bent legs towards the stomach, fold the arms over the chest. With your right hand, tilt the little one's head slightly forward. In this position, rock the baby in different directions. This exercise is great for calming and relaxing.

2. Handles to the sides

Place your baby on his back. Place your thumbs in his fists. He will hold on to them. Spread your baby's arms slightly to the sides and shake them gently. This exercise will help strengthen your arm muscles.

3. We sit cross-legged

Take the baby in your arms and press his back to your chest. Bend his legs so that he sits cross-legged. Support his feet with one hand and grab his armpits with the other. Exercise will help cope with colic.

Bathing a newborn

How to treat an umbilical wound

Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova

Reading time: 29 minutes

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Article last updated: 05/25/2019

So a miracle happened - the long-awaited baby was born! Now mom and dad will need to go through a long and very interesting path of growing up and becoming personalities.

What vaccinations are given at 1 month?

In the first month, all organs of a newborn begin to actively adapt to external life. The task of doctors and parents is to help the baby adapt, protect him from the risk of infection, and build immunity. Here are the vaccinations given in the first month:

Against viral hepatitis - this vaccination is given in the maternity hospital in the first 12 hours,
Against tuberculosis (BCG) – during the first 3–7 days,
Again against hepatitis B – at 1 month.

Online vaccination calendar

Create an individual vaccination schedule for your child using our calculator. You can quickly create an immunization schedule for your child by entering the child’s date of birth and clicking the “Display schedule” button.

Vaccination schedule
Interval	Graft	Vaccine
	Hepatitis B
04.01.2019 – 08.01.2019	Tuberculosis	BCG, BCG-M
	Hepatitis B	Engerix B, Euvax B, Regevak B
	Pneumococcal infection	Prevenar
	Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough
	Polio
	Haemophilus influenzae infection	Pentaxim, Act-HIB, Hiberix
	Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough	DPT, Pentaxim, Infanrix, Tetraxim
	Pneumococcal infection	Prevenar
	Polio	Pentaxim, Imovax Polio, Poliorix, Tetraxim
	Haemophilus influenzae infection	Pentaxim, Act-HIB, Hiberix
	Hepatitis B	Engerix B, Euvax B, Regevak B
	Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough	DPT, Pentaxim, Infanrix, Tetraxim
	Polio	Pentaxim, Imovax Polio, Poliorix, Tetraxim
	Haemophilus influenzae infection	Pentaxim, Act-HIB, Hiberix
	Measles, rubella, mumps	Priorix, ZhKV, ZhPV
	Hepatitis B	Engerix B, Euvax B, Regevak B
	Pneumococcal infection (booster vaccination)	Pneumo 23, Prevenar
	Poliomyelitis (first revaccination)	Pentaxim, OPV, Imovax Polio, Poliorix, Tetraxim
	Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (first revaccination)	DPT, Pentaxim, Infanrix, Tetraxim
	Haemophilus influenzae infection (first revaccination)	Pentaxim, Act-HIB, Hiberix
	Poliomyelitis (second revaccination)
	Measles, rubella, mumps (revaccination)	Priorix, ZhKV, ZhPV
01.01.2025 – 01.01.2026	Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (second revaccination)	ADS-M Anatoxin
01.01.2025 – 01.01.2026	Tuberculosis (revaccination)	BCG
	Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (third revaccination)	ADS-M Anatoxin
	Poliomyelitis (third revaccination)	OPV, Imovax Polio, Poliorix

Which doctors are seen per month?

In the first month after discharge, the newborn should be visited 2 times by a local pediatrician and 4 times by a nurse. At 1 month the baby should be shown to the following doctors:

ophthalmologist,
orthopedist,
surgeon,
neurologist.

To exclude unwanted pathologies, it is necessary to undergo an ultrasound:

brain,
hip joints,
abdominal cavity,
kidney

Often all these procedures are carried out in the maternity hospital before discharge. Starting from one month, parents should bring their child to the clinic every month for examination. The baby is weighed, measured, basic reflexes are checked, the heart and lungs are listened to, and the tummy is felt.

Changes in the baby's body in 1 month

During the first month, the following main changes occur in the child’s body:

If the crust from the umbilical wound does not fall off by 14–15 days, there is redness, swelling of the umbilical ring, and discharge appears, then you should consult a doctor.

The first month of a newborn’s life: daily routine

Childbirth is stressful not only for the mother, but also for the baby. The baby spends most of the first month of his life, approximately 18-20 hours, sleeping. He wakes up to eat, look around a little and goes back to sleep. It is thanks to this daily routine that the newborn gains strength so that after a little time he can please mom and dad with his activity. When the baby is not sleeping, he eats.

Dream

There are three main types of sleep in a newborn baby:

deep sleep - the child’s eyes are closed, he breathes slowly and evenly, the baby’s body is relaxed;
shallow sleep - the child’s breathing is uneven, rapid, the movement of the eyeballs varies under the eyelids, the arms and legs twitch;
drowsy state - occurs during feeding of the baby before falling asleep and is characterized by half-closed eyelids;

A newborn usually sleeps in a frog position, lying on his back, arms bent at the elbows and raised up, legs bent at the knees and spread apart.

Children at this age do not yet understand the time of day. To help your baby get used to the daily cycles, you can moderately control his sleep, not letting him sleep all day, or waking up your baby for feeding and bathing procedures. Therefore, silence and darkness should be strictly observed at night. After a certain amount of time, the child will get used to the fact that day is a time for activity, night is a time for sound sleep.

Feeding a newborn

In the first month, the newborn must eat at least 8-9 times a day, sucking at every feeding 60 ml each milk. The baby is given breastfeeding at the first sign of anxiety, this is called “free feeding mode” or “feeding on demand”. More frequent breastfeeding is also one of the main ways to stimulate lactation in mothers, especially in first-time mothers. In this way, 10–12 feedings per day are obtained.

When sucking, the baby should grasp the entire isola. During the first 5-10 minutes of feeding, he usually sucks out the bulk of the milk. But some children quickly get tired and fall asleep; they need to be woken up by gently rubbing their cheeks, removing the nipple and putting it back into their mouth.

When sucking, air necessarily gets in with the milk, so regurgitation is necessary, it helps the baby get rid of the air accumulated in the stomach.

Regurgitation should occur every 5 minutes when breastfeeding and every 50 g when bottle feeding. This is usually done in a vertical position on the mother's shoulder.

Why does a newborn lose weight?

In the first days of life, the baby loses weight. Don't be alarmed, this is a completely natural process. When a baby is born, its body contains excess fluid. At the moment of birth the child loses 8-10% of your weight, only then does its mass take on a stable value and begin to increase. After two weeks, the child regains the body weight recorded at birth.

Height and weight of a child at 1 month

In the first month, a newborn eats well, gains weight and grows quickly. His weight increases by approximately 15 - 30 grams per day, and by the end of the first month the child gains about 600-800 grams. In the first month, the baby’s height increases by 2-3 centimeters, the circumference of the head and chest increases by 1.4 – 1.5 cm.

See the graphs and tables for the norms of physical development of a child 1 month of age:

Physical indicators of development of girls and boys at 1 month:

The table shows the normal height and weight of a child at 1 month. These are average values. Reasons why your baby's physical development may differ greatly from the norm:

Incorrect feeding method chosen;
Problems when feeding a child: refusal to breastfeed, insufficient lactation of milk, allergies;
Difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth: for example, the child was born prematurely;
The presence of a disease in a child that affects height and weight gain;
Heredity (small parents rarely give birth to large children);
Ecology;
The mother has bad habits.

Monthly consultation meetings, which the mother is required to attend, allow specialists to observe changes in the baby’s height and weight, this will help parents get rid of unnecessary worries.

If you find significant deviations from the norm, contact your pediatrician to find out the reasons:

If your child has gained less than average weight, he or she may not be eating well enough. In this case, the doctor will recommend adding formula to breastfeeding. If the baby is bottle-fed, adjust the frequency and volume of milk substitutes.
You shouldn’t be happy if your baby has gained much more than normal. Subsequently, this can result in obesity and disruption of the normal functioning of organs and systems associated with excess weight! Your pediatrician will help you adjust your newborn baby's feeding schedule.

Abnormalities and colic

1. Increased, decreased muscle tone or asymmetry of muscle tone child: the pediatrician prescribes massage and exercises for the baby, we will talk about them below. In complex cases, observation by a neurologist is required;

2. Jaundice: in some newborns it does not go away by a month, in this case a consultation with a pediatrician is required;

3. Colic: bloating, intestinal cramps often occur in the first months in practically healthy children. How to help a newborn baby with colic? The methods are simple: lightly stroking the tummy clockwise, using a gas tube, laying the baby on the stomach for 3-5 minutes, taking Plantex, dill water. All these methods will help remove gases from the baby’s intestines;

4. Insufficient weight gain: it can be associated both with a lack of breast milk in the mother and with illnesses in the baby. In any of these cases, the child should be shown to a doctor.

Caring for a 1 month old baby

Caring for a baby in the first month of his life involves performing the following procedures:

1. Hygiene procedures,

2. Bathing the baby,

3. Walks,

4. Massage and gymnastics.

Hygiene procedures

washing the face, eyes, neck;
washing, changing a diaper;
care for eyes, nose, ears;
daily treatment of the umbilical wound;
combing and removing crusts on the head;
trimming nails.

Bathing a newborn after the hospital

You choose your baby’s bathing regime, let’s just clarify that It is enough to bathe a newborn 2-3 times a week, on other days you need to wipe your baby. Add decoctions of herbs or chamomile to the water. Since your baby's skin is very sensitive, carefully select soap for him, choose baby soap with a minimum fragrance content.

Place your child in the water very carefully,given the high sensitivity of infants to temperature changes. When lowering it into the water, start from the heels. If the child cries and is very worried during the first bath, the mother can try to take a bath with him: lay the baby on her chest and carefully pour water over him.

You can let the child push off the walls of the bathtub with his legs, or, holding the baby under his arms, tilting him forward and stimulating the walking reflex, let the child walk a few steps along the bottom.

Walking with your baby

A frequent question from parents is: how long should you walk with your newborn? The time for the first walks with a newborn is no more than 10-15 minutes and gradually increases to 30 minutes. If it’s warm outside, the duration of the walk can be up to 1.5 – 2 hours. If the air temperature below 10 degrees or it is raining, snowing or windy outside, it is better to refrain and not walk with a 1-2 month old baby.

Walking in the cold season should be limited, because... The system for regulating heat exchange in infants is imperfect and can easily harm the baby. When there is bad weather outside, you can simply take your dressed baby out onto the balcony for a few minutes or leave him to sleep in the stroller with the window open.

Video on how to care for a newborn:

Massage, gymnastics and air baths

Periodically, the baby should lie on his stomach. This position of the baby minimizes the likelihood of constipation and activates motor reflexes of the head and limbs. How to properly massage a 1 month old baby, watch the following video. Nikolai Nikonov– leading doctor and massage therapist in Russia.

Co 2-3 weeks During the life of the baby, you can carry out air baths, hardening and massage with him. These procedures are successfully combined into one.

Watch the video for instructions on gymnastics for a 1 month old baby:

For a couple of minutes we leave the child in only a vest or completely undressed and covered with a diaper. At the same time, we begin to lightly stroke the baby’s arms, tummy, and legs with our hands. Starting from 1-2 minutes, you can increase the duration of these procedures to 5-7 minutes.

When changing your baby, try not to let your hands get cold, as 1-month-old babies are very sensitive to tactile sensations.

Exercises for the physical development of the baby:

Let your baby lie on his back, take him by the arms and smoothly lift them up above his head, then just as smoothly lower them down, cross them over his chest and spread them to the sides. You can do it with your baby's feet exercise bike. Don’t be silent, hum a pleasant song.
Turn the baby over onto his tummy, place a toy in front of him and begin to slowly lift it up. This encourages the baby to raise his head. You can place the baby on your stomach and gently call his name so that the baby raises his head and begins to look at you. Such exercises develop the muscles of the newborn.
While bathing, touch your baby gently while singing a quiet song. After bathing, wrap your baby in a towel, hide your face behind its edge and then look out from behind it and say "cuckoo".
Massage each finger on the baby's legs and arms. Touch it with your hands, a piece of cotton wool, a soft brush and a mitten made of terry or woolen fabric.

How do the senses work in a newborn?

How does a 1 month old baby see?

By the first month of life, the eyeball already has formed qualities. However, the visual function has not yet reached its full development. The baby's tears begin to form only in the third or fourth week. Most children at this age are characterized by slight wobble of the eyeball and slight squint. There is no need to worry too much about this; this phenomenon is due to the incomplete development of visual function and will soon pass.

Parents ask: when does the child begin to see? A newborn sees objects as blurry and indistinct. A one-month-old baby clearly distinguishes objects located at a distance about 60 cm from his eyes. It is at this distance that he clearly sees the face of mom or dad, recognizes them, begins to react with facial expressions and try to make sounds. He will also notice the bright toys that hang in his crib.

A newborn baby begins to see and recognize the face of mom or dad at 1 month at a distance of 60 cm from his eyes

The baby needs to be helped to develop his vision. To do this, you need to take the child in your arms more often or lean over him so that he can clearly see the faces of his parents, examine and remember individual facial features. Don't be lazy to play with him, showing him colored rattles.

By the end of the first month of his life, the baby can already follow with his eyes a slowly moving toy near his face. These are his very first games.

Just don’t tire your baby, spend a few minutes a day on such games, for his age this is quite enough.

Exercises for developing vision:

Sew a rubber band onto a small toy and hang it over your baby. Make the toy “jump” up and down in front of the child. Very soon the baby will not only look at the jumping toy, but also try to grab it with his hands.
Place a bright towel on your shoulder while feeding; your baby will look from your face to this bright object.
To better focus your eyes , do the following: show your baby a large toy from a distance 25 – 30 cm, wait for the baby to fix his gaze on it, and slowly move the toy to the side. Try to keep your baby's gaze focused on the object. You can smoothly move the toy, first horizontally, then vertically, and finally in a circle.
The same exercise can be done with a rattle, additionally making soft sounds. Do the exercise 1-2 times a day for 2 minutes per lesson.

How do newborns hear at 1 month?

The first few weeks of a baby's life are filled with completely new sounds. Since the newborn has not yet learned to detect the location where the sound is coming from, his natural reaction will be to freeze. However, when the child suddenly hears the parent's voice, he immediately stops crying.

At one month of age, the baby can already distinguish sounds well and turns his head towards the sound source. Try rattling a rattle to the side - the baby will definitely turn his head in that direction. Babies of this age love quiet, pleasant sounds, but their favorite, of course, is their mother’s voice. The child reacts especially actively to the mother’s voice and is able to feel her mood by timbre. If the mother speaks affectionately and calmly, the baby really likes it, he expresses his emotions with active movements of his legs and arms, and various sounds.

At the age of 1 month, you can see the baby's first smile. More often it is addressed to the mother as the most beloved person. If the mother is irritated or offended, the baby also feels her emotional state and may cry or be capricious.

A baby's hearing needs to be developed and trained. To do this, you need to talk to your baby more often, sing songs to him, and read books. Be sure to involve all family members. It's good if the baby has older brothers and sisters. Communication with them should occur from the very first days of life. Turn on low and calm music and keep the TV on during the day. The newborn should get used to different sounds, just avoid sounds that are too loud and unpleasant so as not to frighten him.

Exercises for hearing development:

You can play classical music or recordings of various musical instruments for your newborn for up to 10 minutes every day.

Place your baby in his crib with 3-4 large toys and a pleasant tune. Periodically place your baby on a development mat.
Talk to your baby more often and try to let the baby see your facial expressions - this will stimulate the child’s hearing and speech development. The baby will quickly begin to respond with a conscious smile in response to the mother’s affectionate speech.
Start reading children's poems to your baby - this will develop the baby's hearing and sense of rhythm. You can change the words in any song to suit your taste.
If you tie a bell to your baby's booties, then when he moves, the baby will hear the ringing and listen to it.
When your baby is lying in the crib and you are moving around the room, do not forget to talk to him. This stimulates both the baby's hearing and his vision at the same time.

Baby's sense of smell

The baby is also able to distinguish smells. He remembers his mother by the aroma of her body, and finds his breast by the smell of milk. Children of this age like sweet smells.

To stimulate the baby's sense of smell, you can dip a cotton ball in mint or vanilla water so that the space around the baby is filled with this aroma and he breathes it.

baby speech

A one-month-old baby is already trying to “walk” and pronounce individual sounds. Most often these are vowel sounds.

He “talks” in a good mood when he is full and his mother is nearby. At this age, the baby expresses his desires and needs by crying.

Very soon, by the timbre of crying, the mother will learn to distinguish when the baby is hungry, sick, needs to change diapers, or simply wants to be held.

How newborns behave in the first month - baby’s reflexes

Reflexes are the body's response to various stimuli. In the first month of life, the child still has unconditioned reflexes that help him adapt to life outside the womb. Over time, reflexes are lost.

Parents should carefully observe every reflex of their child, because at the moment this is the only means of communication between the baby and this world.

How to find out if your child is in pain:

If the child feels discomfort or is in pain, he will communicate this by screaming and intense movements of the limbs.
Numerous studies have been able to prove that when pain occurs, a child bends his toes and straightens his thumbs.
When colic begins, the baby will make active manipulations of the lower limbs.
If suddenly the baby experiences discomfort associated with the ears, he will begin to vigorously turn his head.

If parents are attentive to their child and learn to understand his every move, this greatly simplifies life for the whole family.

A pediatrician should examine congenital reflexes during patronage, as well as when visiting a clinic at the age of 1 month.

How to test your child's reflexes

Preparation:

The reflex test is carried out in conditions favorable for the newborn: the room should be warm and the child should lie on a flat surface.
The baby should be fed, calm, in clean diapers, so that nothing distracts him.
Mom's hands should be smooth and warm, and jewelry on the fingers and long nails should not interfere with the examination.

If all conditions are met, the assessment of reflexes will be adequate.

Checking your child's reflexes

Physically healthy one-month-old infants should have all the basic reflexes:

Sucking. Touch your baby's mouth with a pacifier or the tip of a clean finger. The baby will try to grab the object and begin to make movements with its mouth that imitate sucking. This reflex is called the “sucking reflex,” and it begins to appear almost immediately after birth. As soon as the baby is born, it is placed on the mother's breast and unconsciously the newborn begins to suckle.
Prehensile. If you place your finger or a light rattle in a child’s palm, you can see how he firmly grasps and holds the object in his tiny palm for some time.
Protective. Place your baby on his tummy and watch his head move. A healthy child will immediately turn his head to the side to breathe normally. Pediatricians call this reflex “protective.” If the baby has neurological disorders, he will not be able to turn his head to the side. The condition is dangerous because the baby can bury his nose in the surface on which he is lying and suffocate.
Crawling reflex. In the tummy time position, place your palms on your baby's feet. Feeling support, he will try to push off and make a movement, as if he wants to crawl.
Automatic walking reflex. Holding the child by the armpits, place his legs on a flat, hard surface and tilt him forward slightly. The baby will begin to take steps independently with his feet.
Search. If you stroke a baby on the cheek, he turns his head, this is how his instinct to search for food or “search reflex” is expressed.
Babinski reflex. We easily run our finger along the outer edge of the foot, the baby’s toes spread out in different directions, and the feet turn.
Mohr's reflex. Hearing a sudden loud sound, the child spreads and closes his arms and legs.
Babkin reflex. With light pressure on the palm, the child opens his mouth and turns his head.
Swimming. If you put the baby on his stomach, he begins to make swimming movements.

If you notice that some of your baby's reflexes are missing, consult a doctor immediately! This may indicate the presence of diseases of the nervous system.

Video by Dr. Komarovsky on this topic:

What should a 1 month old baby be able to do?

At different stages of his life, the baby will make new progress, which parents must carefully monitor. It would seem, what can a 1 month old baby do except suck the breast and sleep? In fact, for his small age he can already do a lot. A one-month-old baby is a little person who understands a lot and requires a lot of attention and care from relatives.

Here is a list of what a 1 month old baby should be able to do:

Recognize mom's voice, turn towards the sounds.
Try to pronounce sounds, “walk”.
Smile.
Grasp an adult's finger or small toy.
Lying on your stomach, raise your head and hold it for a few seconds.
Recognize mom's face, follow bright objects moved near his face.

The listed skills are an indicator of the proper development of a one-month-old baby.

Read further:

The baby is becoming more and more like the children on the cover of glossy magazines. Postpartum swelling disappears, the skin becomes smoother, and most of the transient conditions of the newborn’s skin (toxic erythema, infant acne, milia, physiological jaundice) disappear.

Natalia Kalinina

Tell me what kind of regimen your children have at 6.5 months?
I’m trying to understand if my daughter has confused night and day or something else? She wakes up at night within 2-3-4 hours (different every night) and WALKS. She doesn't yell or anything. SINGS SONGS!! Today I got up at 3 and didn’t sleep until 6.15 in the morning! this is already the limit. At least 1-2 hours before this. The lights are turned off and they don’t play with her or talk to her. I think maybe he gets enough sleep during the day?? During the day he sleeps for about 5-6 hours.
He goes to bed at night at 20.00.... until he falls asleep at 21.00. and at night we will rise;((
Since birth, she always woke up around 4 in the morning, but I chalked it up to summer and the sun at 4-5 in the morning.
Yesterday she slept twice. At 9.40-11.15 and from 13.45 to 16.40. ALL. And at night around 20.00 she began to lay her down on her chest. I fell asleep only at 21.00.
What to do about it? not letting you sleep at all? 5-6 hours during the day seems to be the norm...

Newborn sleep

By one month, the child himself forms a peculiar one. He already has quite clearly defined periods of wakefulness, eating and sleep. The baby is active for about 40-60 minutes, after which he quickly gets tired and falls asleep.

Children at this age do not yet distinguish between day and night. They have not yet developed their circadian rhythms. Remember that a baby's stomach is too small to digest breast milk or formula quickly. This is why the baby can wake up every 2-3 hours at night.

If you are lucky enough to have your baby sleep more than three hours at a time at night, you don't need to wake him up to feed (unless there is a medical reason for it). If your baby wakes up at night and doesn’t want to go back to sleep after feeding, then you can play with him, but don’t turn on the light. So over time he will get used to distinguishing between night and day.

In addition, a child, like an adult, has two phases of sleep. AND In one-month-old babies, the phase of shallow sleep predominates over deep sleep, so they can easily wake up.

Baby food

The baby's gastrointestinal tract has already adapted to the new type of nutrition. Even if he still has infancy, then you already understand that this condition is self-limiting and needs to be overcome. During the first month, children gain an average of 600-1000 g in weight. Some may gain more, others less, but it is important to understand that weight gain must be necessary.

With breastfeeding, feeding on demand is still maintained, but the baby is already learning to form his own regimen.

Remember that your baby may swallow air during feeding. If he falls asleep on his chest, then there is no need to wake him up and carry him in a column. The baby will burp air when he wakes up.

If the child receives formula, then he needs to be fed in his hands at an angle of approximately 45 0 so he can release air while feeding. In this case, there is also no need to hold the children upright after feeding; it is better if they are held in their arms for some time at an angle of 45 0.

What can a child

♦ Humming appears. He learns to make sounds other than crying.

♦ Able to fix his gaze on bright, contrasting objects, and best of all, on your face.

♦ Knows how to distinguish mother from all other adults.

♦ Keeps the head in a prone position for a few seconds.

♦ Actively moves arms and legs. By the end of the month, physiological hypertonicity begins to go away.

Child psychology

The baby is already learning to smile in response to your smile or simply when you lean over him. He tries to copy your facial expressions, and sometimes he even succeeds. The more often you smile, the more smiles you will receive in return.

Motor development

The child’s independent conscious movements are just beginning to form. Lying on his stomach, he can already hold his head up for a few seconds, but then he buries himself in the bed again. If you hold him vertically, then he can hold his head up just as well.

Active movement while awake promotes faster development of the baby. That's why It is not needed under any circumstances while the child is awake. Lying on the stomach on a fairly hard surface helps children develop their motor abilities.

How to play with a child

The child already knows how to keep his attention on bright objects and toys. Can follow moving objects for a short time. Play time at this age is about 2-3 minutes.

You can move a brightly colored toy close to your child's eyes so that he can keep it in his field of vision. You can just make faces and watch his reaction. Sometimes you can bring your child to the mirror and observe how he reacts to his reflection.

How does the child feel?

All children are empaths. AND The younger the child, the stronger his connection with his mother, the more clearly he captures all her emotions. Try to smile at your baby as often as possible, give him your positive mood, and he will answer you in kind.

The child is interested in the world around him. He already recognizes his mother, and a whole range of reactions may arise when she approaches - a smile, vocal expression of emotions, motor animation (the baby straightens his arms and legs). It is fully formed by 2 months.

A baby cannot yet see pastel colors, so when choosing toys or furniture for the nursery, be guided by the principle of bright colors. They will help develop his ability to distinguish colors.

What does a child hear and understand?

When a baby is born, sounds begin to sound very clear and bright to him. The child loves to listen to your . Try to talk to him more: when you are standing in line at the store, preparing dinner or walking down the street. Even when you are talking to someone else, the child learns a valuable lesson and begins to babble back. This way you create the preconditions for his first words.

Various musical toys, rattles, classical music and other sounds of the world - all this develops children's hearing. However, hearing screening is necessary. This is necessary to make sure that the child hears well. Pay attention to whether the child flinches at sharp sounds.