What the mother of a newborn should do. Features and general rules for caring for a newborn boy in the first month of life: practical advice for young parents

03.07.2019

Even if during pregnancy you read all the books about children you could reach, anyway, upon returning from the hospital, you will probably feel as if an alien suddenly settled in the apartment. Today, few people have the experience of dealing with babies before the birth of their own children. The main thing is to remember that soon you will learn to understand the child a little better. Rest when possible, watch your diet and allow yourself to treat this strange creature as a normal, strong and healthy person with very little life experience. Don't be nervous about trifles!

Having well crumpled in the birth canal, children are swollen, with bruises, with red eyes; skinny, with thin and long arms and legs; with flaky red skin, a scattering of pimples, or with silky black hair on the ears. Do not worry, after a couple of months the baby will be smoothed out, it will eat up the fat, the excess hair will fall out. By the age of three months, most babies finally look like model infant photographs. However, some are great right away, but be prepared for anything.

Newborns sleep a lot

The child spends 16-20 hours in sleep for the first 2-3 weeks of his life, interrupting for food, soiling diapers and trying to understand what is happening around. As you prepare for with your child, you might be surprised. Use this opportunity to recover from childbirth, sleep yourself! By the third week, many have colic, which everyone struggles with with varying degrees of success, and that's when the fun begins.

Babies make sounds all the time

They sneeze, sniff, creak, swarm. The most common cause of sneezing is too dry air in the apartment, which causes mucus to dry in the nose and the appearance of the familiar boogers. A child with boogers can become a real tyrant, because the nasal passages of a newborn are narrow and tortuous, and without nasal breathing it becomes difficult to eat and sleep, which the child honestly reports with the only means available during this period - a cry. The way out is air humidifiers and nasal instillation of saline or its analogs "with the water of some sea", of which there is darkness in any pharmacy.

Hiccups are rarely caused by hypothermia.

The most obvious cause of a newborn's hiccups is the ingress of air into the stomach while feeding or. A full stomach presses on the diaphragm, the nerve endings of which are irritated, send an impulse to the brain and immediately receive a response back - the diaphragm begins to contract frequently, often, while the lungs grab air, producing a specific sound. You can hold the child with a "column" so that he burps. The child himself does not suffer from hiccups, although sometimes it lasts a very long time and prevents him from falling asleep.

Bathing a newborn is optional

Of course, bathing a baby is a pleasant process for everyone, but it is during the neonatal period that it is complicated by an umbilical wound, which is not recommended to wet. Here you can get out: bathe in a small children's bathtub, in boiled water, or you can simply wash it under the tap after a bowel movement or wipe it with a damp baby napkin until the umbilical wound is overgrown. Then - complete freedom, bathe as much as you like.

Newborns can swim

The sight of a baby swimming in a bathtub can completely change your ideas about the adaptability of a baby to the outside world. This is really impressive. Unfortunately, the umbilical wound greatly complicates the child's acquaintance with water. However, after 3-5 weeks he will still be able to swim, later the ability will be lost without training. If you take the trouble to accustom your child to an inflatable ring or free swimming, it will be possible to let him into a large bath, and sit next to him and be touched. It is absolutely impossible to leave a child in the bathroom unattended either with a circle or even in a whole inflatable spacesuit.

Breast milk will be what it should be

The child will receive all the necessary micronutrients at the moment, even if you eat poorly and irregularly. Your body has enough resources to compensate for the deficiencies in your diet for the first 2-3 months. The child will definitely receive calcium, you must choose where: from your teeth or from the curd you eat.

Sterile cleanliness around the newborn is unnecessary

Of course, you should wash your hands with soap and, if possible, limit the child's communication with snotty relatives. But daily boiling, sterilizing and washing everything around with bleach is unnecessary. The child's body must learn to cope with elementary household bacteria on its own.

Don't lick the baby pacifier

You can simply rinse it, wipe it with a damp cloth, pour it over with boiling water, if you are very afraid of germs, but does it really occur to someone that your saliva is capable of neutralizing something other than visible debris? If you are absolutely sure of the health of your and your partner's teeth, do not smoke, drink enough fluids - okay, lick it (I’m still against it!).

Don't try to make breast milk fatter

You do not need to eat sour cream instead of kefir while breastfeeding. Most of the calories are likely to settle on your sides, and fatty milk will be more difficult for your baby to suck and much more difficult to digest. In the first month, the child should gain only 600 grams. Despite the fact that it is customary in our country to brag about well-fed babies, it will be difficult for you to carry it yourself, and all physical activity is given to a chubby child with great difficulty.

Children are born with a specific set of reflexes.

There are about 75 of them in total, you don't need to know everything, but the following look pretty funny:

Sucking reflex - the child begins to rhythmically suck on any object in his mouth: your nose, chin, collarbone, knee. Hungry babies are violent and picky.
The hug reflex - with a sudden noise, for example a loud clap of his hands next to the child, he first pulls the arms to the sides, while opening his fists, and then, as it were, covers himself with the arms.
Reflex of support, straightening and automatic walking - if a child supported under the armpits is put on a support, he straightens his torso and stands on bent legs on a full foot; if it is slightly tilted forward, then it makes step movements along the surface.
Babinsky's reflex - if you run the tip of your finger along the outer edge of the infant's sole in the direction from the heel to the toes, they will unfold in a fan-like manner.
Grasping reflex (monkey) - when pressing on the palm of a newborn, he grasps and firmly holds the fingers embedded in his palm. The child can even be lifted in this way above the support.

Healthy skin does not need to be smeared with anything

If your child does not have irritation, multi-stage diaper change schemes (remove, wash the bottom, dry, sprinkle with powder, spread cream, put on a new diaper) can and should be simplified. Really, you just need to rinse the ass or wipe it with a damp cloth and dry it. If there is irritation, there can be a great many reasons: too many clothes under which the child sweats corny, too much baby cream that clogs the pores of the diaper and interferes with the rapid absorption of secretions, a poor-quality diaper, errors in the mother's diet. The easiest way to soothe mild irritation is to often leave your child to air out with a bare, clean bottom. If the baby's underarms and under the diaper are noticeably redder than the rest of the body, the problem is overheating. There is no need to stop using diapers, it is better to lower the temperature in the apartment or wear fewer clothes.

Baby poop is very different from adult poop.

This fact just needs to be accepted. While the child is eating, growing and sleeping (that is, doing everything that a newborn is supposed to do), the contents of his diaper can be anything. Any color and consistency. If you are breastfeeding, there may be no stool at all for 2–4 days, and this is also the norm: milk is completely absorbed. Maternal "I don't like our poop", perhaps bread and butter for probiotic producers. If you do not like it, do not eat it.

There are no identical children

Comparing your child to someone else's is not the best thing to do. Compare it with the norms of development at the current age, this is enough. A child is born with a character, usually the character of the next of kin. Perhaps you will finally have the opportunity to look at yourself from the outside. Relax and receive.

Newborns sleep a lot

Babies make sounds all the time

Hiccups are rarely caused by hypothermia.

Bathing a newborn is optional

Newborns can swim

Breast milk will be what it should be

Sterile cleanliness around the newborn is unnecessary

Don't lick the baby pacifier

Don't try to make breast milk fatter

Children are born with a specific set of reflexes.

There are about 75 of them in total, you don't need to know everything, but the following look pretty funny:

Sucking reflex - the child begins to rhythmically suck on any object in his mouth: your nose, chin, collarbone, knee. Hungry babies are violent and picky.
The hug reflex - with a sudden noise, for example a loud clap of his hands next to the child, he first pulls the arms to the sides, while opening his fists, and then, as it were, covers himself with the arms.
Reflex of support, straightening and automatic walking - if a child supported under the armpits is put on a support, he straightens his torso and stands on bent legs on a full foot; if it is slightly tilted forward, then it makes step movements along the surface.
Babinsky's reflex - if you run the tip of your finger along the outer edge of the infant's sole in the direction from the heel to the toes, they will unfold in a fan-like manner.
Grasping reflex (monkey) - when pressing on the palm of a newborn, he grasps and firmly holds the fingers embedded in his palm. The child can even be lifted in this way above the support.

Healthy skin does not need to be smeared with anything

Baby poop is very different from adult poop.

There are no identical children

Of course, during pregnancy, you imagined your motherhood somehow.

But, as soon as the baby was born, it turned out that your ideas and dreams have almost nothing to do with reality. Everything is somewhat different.

Today we invite you to talk about what life is like with a baby, what else will you have to face, what should you prepare for and what should you take into account?

Life with a baby: important points

Anything can happen, anytime

This is what every mother should always remember.

1. It is necessary to understand and calmly relate to the fact that your baby may get sick: he may get up, have diarrhea, and so on, the baby may bump, scratch, especially when it starts to crawl and take the first steps. The mother should be ready for all such situations, first of all, morally, so that she does not get confused and does not start to get very nervous, but quickly helps the baby.

2. Also, the mother should do everything to prevent dangerous situations and quickly provide assistance. This will require secure the house and put together a good ... In the house, remove all piercing and cutting objects from the floor, if possible, hide tees, sockets, wires, remove dishes, flowers, detergents and cosmetics, as well as important documents from the child's reach.

3. Collect a first aid kit : buy remedies for fever, diarrhea and intestinal infections, for colic, constipation, scratches, abrasions, allergies, runny nose, cough, do not forget about a thermometer, aspirator, gas tube, cotton wool, bandage, brilliant green, plaster and so on. The first aid kit needs to be carefully thought out and replenished as the baby grows up.

4. In addition, every mother should remember that in any emergency situation in which she does not know how to help, it is necessary see a doctor or an ambulance .

The baby understands a lot

When your baby is just born, he sleeps almost all the time, so it seems to you that he does not understand anything at all. This is not entirely true. Up to 4-5 months the kid really understands little, but he feels everything perfectly, remarkably distinguishes intonation and mood. Be sure to keep this in mind when communicating with your child.

The child feels your mood

If you are positive, active and cheerful, so will your baby. And if you are annoyed, scared, tired, your baby will also be more capricious, screaming and upset.

Try to be in a good mood, it is clear that a lot has changed in your life after the birth of the baby, it may be hard for you, but the greatest joy is happy and healthy babies! Hold on and be optimistic!

Favorite doctor

Many mothers love make problems out of nothing. For example, they do not sleep at night, harass all loved ones because they cannot decide why start off , in the water of what temperature to bathe the child, whether to give him some water what powder is better to wash baby clothes and so on.

Wait, stop being nervous, calm down, understand, your relatives also do not know how and what to do, what can they advise you? What to do, you ask? In fact, everything is very simple, need to go to the doctor ... Yes Yes! It is worth going to him or calling him if you have questions about caring for your child, and not only in those cases when he is sick. This is quite logical, because proper care is the prevention of many diseases.

Therefore, we recommend that you do not create unnecessary problems and a tense situation at home due to powder or complementary foods, go to your doctor for a consultation. If necessary, go or call several specialists to find out different opinions and draw the right conclusions. In order not to forget to ask the doctor, write down all your questions in a notebook before your visit. A doctor can help you find answers to many questions.

At first, you may not feel love for the child.

Many mothers say that in the first months of motherhood did not feel love for the baby and were very angry with themselves for this. If this happens to you, you shouldn't scold yourself, it's not about you and not that you are so callous and heartless, everything has its time.

In the first months after childbirth your body is under stress, it is trying to recover from it, and then there is anxiety and constant lack of sleep, which is why you do not feel love, you just feel a shock.

Calm down, take care of the child, do what is necessary, now look, in a few months an all-encompassing heart will come to your heart. feeling of maternal love !

The baby needs a mom

If you suddenly need leave home for a while , leaving the crumb for dad or grandmother, prepare relatives for the fact that the child can be capricious in your absence. Children are often capricious in the absence of their mother, this is quite natural for babies, because they are not yet accustomed to being without mother's warmth and smell, they still remember the times when they were with their mother in the same organism. Therefore, in the first 6 months, try not to leave the house for more than 3 hours so that the baby does not get upset, and then gradually teach the child to be absent, leaving at least once a week for several hours.

Your life will change

It's also worth getting used to. It would seem that the baby has just been born, a month has passed, it seems that you have already perfectly adapted to everything, now everything will go smoothly. But, it was not so, the baby grows very quickly, a little more, he will start to sit, sleep less, learn to crawl and get up in the crib, and then walk.

Each new ability of the crumbs to make adjustments to the schedule of your life. Take it easy, be flexible, this is the lot of every parent.

# A newborn baby is an amazing creature. Weak and helpless, he is able to withstand stress relatively easily, which would overwhelm an adult as well. No joke - suddenly find yourself in a completely unaccustomed external environment, and even if necessary, instantly switch to a new way of breathing, blood circulation, and then nutrition!

The newborn is very small, but this small fragile body has a powerful growth potential. His digestive organs are able to assimilate 600-700 g of breast milk per day, but this is one fifth of his body weight!

A newborn comes into the world with a sufficient supply of purposeful reflexes. As soon as he touches his lips with his finger, he will pull them out with his proboscis, preparing to suck. Drop some sweet solution on the child's tongue, and he will begin to suck it in, smack his lips, and in response to sour, salty or bitter, he will wrinkle, scream, and try to clear his throat. A loud, sudden sound will make him wary - the child will wrinkle his forehead, as if listening, he will become worried. The baby distinguishes between smells and recognizes the mother by the smell of milk, associated with pleasant sensations for him.

But the most amazing thing is that the newborn is already an individual, already a character!

Perhaps, for a start, one should learn the truth that a child is not an adult in miniature, but has its own completely specific features that must be taken into account. Each age has its own characteristics.

You can evaluate your child's mental development for yourself. For example, check for basic reflexes:

- "plantar" reflex - you run your finger along the sole, and the child pulls back the leg,

- "sucking" reflex - you run your finger over the child's lips, and he readily folds his lips with a tube and smacks his lips, makes sucking movements,

- "grasping" reflex - you put the tip of your finger in the child's hand, and he squeezes it tightly.

If the listed (you must admit, quite funny) reflexes are present, your child is normal.

Remember that a child's character is formed from the first days of his life - in communication with you. The formation of character begins with conditioned reflexes: positive and negative. The parents' concern is that there are more positive conditioned reflexes, and, of course, fewer negative ones. Positive conditioned reflexes arise on regular meals, while regular hygiene procedures, communication, and affection. In everything that concerns the child, order and mode should be felt. The child should feel cared for.

But if you are inconsistent, irritable, and sometimes even angry (after all, it happens that you don't want to get up at night - swaddle the child, and even if you, dad, go to work early in the morning), then the child will develop a nervous character - and this will interfere him (and not only him) all his life.

In the very first days after you come home from the hospital, a nurse and a district pediatrician will definitely visit you and your child. Feel free to ask them any questions about your child and their care.

In the first year of life, it does not hurt to control weight gain on your own using a table in which the abscissa axis is the child's weight in grams, and the ordinate axis is the months or weeks of life. Normally, the curved line that you get on this table should be smooth - without sharp jumps up or down. If the line stays at the same level for several days, you should not worry. When a child is healthy, when he has a good appetite, he will gain the necessary weight.

Pediatricians determine the individual weight of the child, resorting to the help of all sorts of wise formulas and calculations. It is enough for parents to know that their child in the first three months of life with normal development should gain from 20 to 30 grams of weight daily.

Do not overfeed children. A fat child does not mean beautiful yet. Being overweight is not a guarantee against diseases.

As a rule, young mothers and fathers at first are afraid to even take a newborn in their arms. And this is no coincidence. They don't know how to take the baby correctly. He's so fragile and delicate, small.

You cannot lift the child by the hands.

You cannot hold the child so that his head is thrown back. The child's head must be supported.

It is not difficult to learn how to hold the child correctly: the child practically lies on your left hand, and the head is adhered to by the elbow; with your right hand, you support the legs.

In other words: it is necessary that the baby's body has three places of support - the back of the head, at the level of the shoulder blades and at the level of the pelvis.

From the very first days, you do not need to nurse the child - you should not take him in your arms without special need, rock him or lull him to sleep. The child quickly gets used to such treatment and can no longer live without it, demands it, is capricious. And if the mother, another time busy, cannot babysit him again, the child goes all out - screams. Like it or not, you have to give in.

Do not panic at the first cry of a child. Come and find out the reason for crying.

There are not many reasons for crying a newborn and a child in the first months of life:

The child "went" into diapers,

The child feels discomfort (for example, undershirts are pressed against the stitches),

The child is hungry or thirsty.

In the first case, the child must be swaddled. In the second case - to revise his clothes (experienced mothers know, of course, that the undershirts are put on inside out - with the seams outward, so that they do not rub or press on the delicate skin of the child). Well, in the third case, you just need to look at your watch to see if it's time to feed your baby. Understand. Maybe your child is just thirsty. Give him boiled water from a teaspoon or sweet tea.

Due to the fact that the baby is still too weak and his neck muscles are not developed, his head movements are limited; in less ventilated places - on the back of the head, on the neck - sweat appears from time to time. If it is not removed in a timely manner, irritation may occur in the indicated places - in the form of small-point red rashes. This is the so-called sweaty sweat.

If you continue not to pay attention to it, then irritation under the influence of new sweat may increase. When the infection joins, even pustules appear. And this is already a serious complication. To prevent it, wipe off the perspiration from time to time with a napkin.

If you are monitoring the weight of the child according to the table, then remember that the weight curve should rise slowly and smoothly. By the end of the first month of life, the baby should weigh about four kilograms. But don't worry if it weighs three and a half kilograms. Individual characteristics must also be taken into account.

The same goes for growth. A normal full-term baby has an average length of fifty centimeters. In the first few months of life, the child grows five centimeters. But if you find out that someone's child is bigger, don't worry.

Do not forget to pay attention to the condition of the baby's navel. In some children - especially in restless ones who "like" to scream, the navel bulges out a little when they scream. Sometimes the navel, when screaming or when coughing, forms a rather significant bulge, sometimes reaching the size of a walnut or more. This is an umbilical hernia that occurs due to the weakness of the abdominal wall.

If you notice such a hernia, immediately consult with your local pediatrician. There are cases - you have to do an operation, but most often the hernia is eliminated by itself when the child gains weight in a few months and when adipose tissue develops more strongly.

Never forget that the skin of children is very delicate, and the child himself is still weak in order to successfully withstand some unfavorable external factors. You can not lightly leave the child lying on wet - in wet diapers; from this, diaper rash may appear on the baby's body. Diaper rash appears in the form of redness of skin areas. The skin is inflamed, very sensitive, painful. The child is naturally restless, crying. If the appropriate measures are not taken, blisters can form at the site of the redness. The blisters then burst and the picture emerges from an unpleasant one.

How to prevent diaper rash:

Strive to swaddle the baby on time;

Pay attention to the quality of washing the diapers (there may be residues of uric acid in the fabric, which can irritate delicate skin even with dry diapers).

If your child has a tendency to diaper rash, when changing him, he should be wiped with a clean damp cloth - wipe exactly wet places, and treat the diaper rash with fat baby cream.

One of the features of the first month is scabs on the scalp. Scabs appear with an excess of secretions from the skin glands. The discharge dries up, and it can be difficult to remove it later. The scabs are yellowish, sometimes translucent, sometimes scaly, and flaky.

In no case should you too actively cleanse the child's head from these scabs, since this can injure the skin and introduce an infection. Even the smallest infection is fraught with danger for the child - he is still so weak. Scabs are removed with a cotton swab with sterilized vegetable oil after bathing the child.

Do not leave your baby in one position for a long time. He is still small and cannot turn himself. From lying for a long time without changing position, the child's muscles get tired, and the child begins to worry. In addition, prolonged lying in one position, especially in the first months of life, adversely affects the formation of the child's head. For example, if a child constantly lies on his back, then over time, his head may have a slightly sloping back of the head. This is due to the fact that the “fontanelles” - the growth zone - on the child's head are still open, the skull is plastic.

Hearing of a newborn baby in the first month of life

Some young parents, from the first day, as soon as they bring the child from the hospital, walk around the apartment on tiptoe, fearing to disturb the newborn. Perhaps this is unnecessary. In the first few days after birth - about a week - the baby still does not hear very well. The auditory nerve develops completely during the first year of life. Accordingly, the baby's hearing develops gradually.

Pay attention to your baby's hearing from the very first day of life. It has been established with certainty that the child, while still in the womb, hears sounds - muffled, of course - the sounds of music, voices. By the way, the child already distinguishes the mother's voice from others: this voice is heard louder for him; the child perceives it not only by the organ of hearing, but also by the body - the so-called tissue conduction (do you know how Beethoven listened to music when he became completely deaf? He listened to music with his body - hugging the piano). When the baby is born and brought to you for the first time, he already recognizes your voice. This voice is dear to him. Talk to him more often. And remember: a child from the first days already distinguishes intonations well, he will distinguish an affectionate tone from a strict one.

As for the development of hearing (not only physiological, but also musical), try to make your child “bathe in sound” on the recommendation of some authors. Of course, this “bathing” should be done while the child is awake. In the first month of life, your baby sleeps almost all the time, but now he has grown a little, and more and more often the time for communication comes. Talk to your baby, develop his hearing; let music sound in your house at such moments - quiet calm music, something from the classics, with an easily guessed melodic pattern.

Newborn baby's vision at first

month of life

The eyes, as a complex optical device, are also not yet fully developed in a newborn. It has been established, and you yourself will notice that in the first days the child is still unable to fix his gaze. Soon the baby will already be able to cope with this matter, but for some time he is not able to readjust to close and distant objects. He seems to see at the same distance. And this distance is 25-30 cm. Hence the recommendations ...

If you want to show your baby something - a bright toy, for example - hold it in front of him at a distance of 25-30 cm. If you want the child to consider the expression on your face (and he already distinguishes an affectionate face from a calm and even more strict ), approach the child at a distance of 25-30 cm.

When a child sees your face, let him see an affectionate smile. In this case, he feels protected, and his mood will be better. The kid understands everything. "Understanding" is provided by instincts. For him, they are like an "autopilot" in the sea of emotions and sensations.

Feeling of a newborn in the first month of life

In a child discovering the world, from the first days of life, all the senses should be involved. We have already spoken about auditory and visual impressions. The organs of smell and taste in a child are also sufficiently developed and "work" - this has been established experimentally. Now about the sense of touch ... When a child is awake, he needs to feel his body, to feel the touch to the body. This is important for the correct formation of the organs of perception, and for the subsequent correct orientation in space. If your child is awake, play with him more. He likes it, it is useful for him.

Swaddling a newborn

It is not the first year that pediatricians and orthopedists have been telling parents that it is impossible to swaddle a child tightly, with outstretched legs, as if at attention. Recently, this appeal has become especially relevant, because dysplasia, an underdevelopment of the hip joint, is more often noted in children. The defect itself is small, outwardly completely invisible, but if it progresses, dislocation of the hip joint may occur. And this will require long-term treatment, even surgical treatment in advanced cases.

It is very simple to create conditions for dysplasia not to progress: the so-called wide swaddling will help. A pose with slightly apart hips is natural, physiological for a child, it creates favorable conditions for the correct development of the hip joints.

Various panties have been invented for wide swaddling, but it is quite possible to get by with an ordinary flannel diaper, rolling it several times along and laying it between the baby's legs, under the diaper. Or, even easier: using as a diaper not a small diaper, as usual, but a large one.

Traditionally, the baby of the first months was swaddled "with handles", but it is more correct to leave the handles free, sewing the ends of the sleeves of the undershirt. Wear a cap or scarf only after swimming.

Breastfeeding a newborn

Does it need to be proven that breastfeeding is the best? It was out of competition, when it could only be replaced with cow's milk, it remains out of competition even now, when a lot of powdered milk mixtures made using advanced technologies have appeared. These mixtures accurately reproduce the chemical composition of human milk, they are enriched with vitamins and other useful additives. This is enough nutritious food for a child. But - only food. And breast milk is more than nutrition. It contains what is not and cannot be in artificial mixtures: biologically active substances, hormones, antibodies that protect against diseases. Recently, studies have been carried out showing that antibodies appear in breast milk against the pathogen that caused the baby's disease.

But, moreover, breastfeeding is of great psychological importance for both: mother and child are one here. After cutting the umbilical cord, a living warm stream of milk, flowing from mother to child, binds them again, helping to understand each other.

Although the sucking reflex is dominant and is still formed in utero, not all babies will breastfeed well at once. Difficulties can arise if the mother's nipples are flat, not prominent enough. Such nipples are supposed to be prepared for feeding even during pregnancy, gently pulling them out with your fingers several times a day. The same must be done before each feeding, and starting to feed, slightly squeeze the breast at the edge of the areola (areola) with the middle and index fingers - the nipple will move forward and it will be easier to put it into the baby's mouth. It is necessary to invest not only the nipple, but also the areola - so the baby will swallow less air, and this is the prevention of regurgitation. Mother's breasts may be too tight for your baby. You can help by pumping out the first drops of milk. Sometimes it becomes uncomfortable for a child to suck, simply because the mother does not know how to raise her breast with her hand, and she covers his nose, making it difficult to breathe. It happens that the mother presses the baby too tightly to her, and this makes him reflexively throw his head back.

Pediatricians have long noted that among infants, actively sucking and lazy ones are clearly distinguished. The active one, having made several search movements with his head, finds the nipple on his own, sucks rhythmically, without interruption, and having “got it”, he releases the nipple and falls asleep. The lazy one (this is often weakened, and not just phlegmatic), having sucked for several minutes, begins to doze at the chest, occasionally making sluggish and unproductive sucking movements in a dream. Such a person has to be encouraged to eat, to bother, to wake up, patting on the cheek, sometimes even to undress for a minute, so that he finally wakes up and begins to eat.

A great connoisseur of all the intricacies of feeding, Professor AF Tour also singled out a group of children who seem to be afraid of the breast - they will suck such a little and lean back with a grimace expressing almost disgust. Perhaps this is a foodie who will not like the smell of milk after mom eats onions, garlic, or some kind of spicy herbs. It is better not to eat anything such "odorous" at first, but to try later, little by little, checking the child's reaction. Avoid such clearly allergenic foods as citrus fruits, chocolate, strawberries.

Normally, feeding lasts 15-20 minutes, but in the first days, while the details of this procedure are being worked out, it can drag on for half an hour.

The ideal feeding rhythm is six times a day, after three and a half hours with a mandatory night break. However, a child born with a low body weight (less than three kilograms) should be fed seven times with three-hour breaks, and maybe more often. You can go to meet him and feed him at night, in general, feed not clockwise, but as needed.

A child born with a body weight of more than four kilograms is a candidate for fat people, do not overfeed such. As a rule, babies do not suck more from the breast than necessary, but large children sometimes initially have an increased appetite. If such an assumption has arisen, it is necessary to check weighing before and after feeding to determine how much it sucks. And if it turns out that it is more than 120-130 g, then do not allow additional feedings.

After feeding, hold the baby upright for a few minutes so that he regurgitates air - this will reduce the likelihood of regurgitation. And put it on the side afterwards, because if he spits up, he may choke in the supine position.

The first weeks of breastfeeding are a time of concessions, compromises, and mutual adjustment. Feeding can be somewhat chaotic, but by the end of the month, a rhythm close to the generally accepted one should still form, and with a correction introduced by the characteristics of the child.

What is natural and what is disturbing

If an abscess appears on the body, which looks like a bubble filled with a yellowish liquid with a red rim, and even more so if there are several such abscesses, this may be the beginning of a purulent-inflammatory disease. Call a doctor, and hurry up!

In medicine, there is the concept of "gateway to infection." In a newborn, an umbilical wound is often made with such a "gate". If, after the crust has fallen off, its bottom remains wet, oozes, a doctor or nurse should take care of the navel. Before they arrive, you can only drop a little 3% hydrogen peroxide into the wound, and when it foams, dry it with a clean sterile cotton wick.

Abrupt sudden changes in the child's behavior can be alarming if, for example, he, who always sucked willingly, suddenly stubbornly refuses to eat. Or, previously relatively calm, begins to cry continuously, even to scream, not calming down either after being swaddled, or from the warmth, not on hands, or with a dummy, or after eating. And if, moreover, he does not eat - even more so! Of course, this can happen with a healthy child, but it is better not to take risks, not to speculate, but to consult a doctor. This is the rule forever!

What a newborn should be able to do by the end of the first month of life

By the end of 1 month of life, the newborn:

Shudders and blinks at a harsh sound.

For example, from 9-11 days, the child already distinguishes sounds, reacting with crying to sharp, loud ones, but does not yet listen to them. He begins to listen between 3 and 5 weeks of life. The kid calms down with a strong sound (the reaction of auditory concentration) for 10-15 seconds, listens to the voice of an adult, the sound of a toy.

Keeps a stationary object in the field of view, i.e. capable of visual concentration.

By 20-22 days, uncoordinated movements of the eyeballs disappear. Visual concentration occurs for 15-30 days, the delay in looking at something else is short-term. The infant fixes with his gaze for 5-10 seconds a motionless object in his field of vision at a distance of 40-50 centimeters. General movements are still inhibited. The kid is still farsighted, and you should not fix his gaze on objects located closer than half a meter, otherwise he will squint his eyes to examine the object or toy.

In the prone position, it raises and holds the head for 5-20 seconds.

For example, already at 8 - 10 days, the child tries to raise his head if he is put on his tummy, and at two weeks of age he turns it towards the source of the sound.

During this period, the first smile appears in response to the addressed speech.

A smile is a call for mutual understanding, an invitation to communicate, an expression of positive emotions!

The infant can make separate sounds in response to a conversation, sometimes the reaction is still delayed for a few seconds.

For example, some babies, within a few hours after birth, may imitate if someone sticks out their tongue or opens their mouths. At the very beginning, the child cries or screams, then begins to emit throat sounds, which are less and less by the month. In the second month, the baby will begin to pronounce sounds reminiscent of "a", "kx", "ah" and so on ... When the baby is sleeping, you can often hear quiet snoring or even "snoring".

The movements are not yet coordinated.

For example, already on the first day of life in a healthy newborn, more than 170 are recorded, and on the 10th day of life, more than 550 separate and general movements per minute! Of course, we are talking about immature, uncoordinated movements, which are a consequence of the excitation of immature brain centers. But all these movements are very important for the development of the child!

1 month baby

Height and weight of the baby at 1 month

In the first month of life, the child gains on average about 600 g of weight and 3 cm in height, in the second month you can expect a greater increase - about 800 g or more, the child will grow again by about 3 cm.The average height of a child at the age of 1 month is 54- 55 cm.

The norms of physical development are described in more detail in the centile tables: for boys, for girls.

What a 1 month baby can do

The first month of your baby's life has flown by - the most painful and scary one. Now the baby is already 1 month old, and he enters the second month with a smile. There was a smile before, but that smile was involuntary - the child reacted to comfortable sensations. At 4-5 weeks, the baby begins to smile “for real” - responding to your affectionate words.

By this time, the baby can usually hold the head upright for a short time. It can keep your face or a bright toy in sight for a long time, turns towards the sound source. The first hum appears, facial expressions become more expressive.

How much does a baby eat at 1 month

The baby is now actively growing, so the body needs more and more nutrition. By the end of the month, the need for milk can be estimated at 750-800 grams per day (110-150 grams per feeding).

How much does a baby sleep at 1 month

At the age of 1-2 months, the child sleeps 17-19 hours a day, of which the night's sleep is about 8h 30m, and the daytime sleep can be divided by 3-4 times

Regime, daily routine of the child at 1 month

This is how the daily routine of a baby from 1 to 2 months old might look like:

Time Routine

6:00 1st feeding

6:00 - 7:00 Awake

7:00 - 9:30 Sleep

9:30 2nd feeding

9:30 - 11:00 Awake

11:00 - 13:00 Sleep

13:00 3rd feeding

13:00 - 14:00 Wakefulness

14:00 - 16:30 Sleep

16:30 4th feeding

16:30 - 17:30 Awake

17:30 - 19:30 Sleep

19:30 - 20:30 Awake

20:00 5th feeding

20:00 - 21:00 Wakefulness

21:00 - 23:30 Sleep

23:30 6th feeding

23:30 - 6:00 Sleep

This mode is far from a clock guide to the life of a mother and baby, but only an example by which one can imagine what the duration of sleep and wakefulness, breaks between meals, can be.

Baby health at 1 month

If a child was born in the fall, winter or early spring, in the second month of life, the doctor usually prescribes a drug containing vitamin D to prevent rickets. Both the drug and its dose are selected individually, taking into account the nature of the child's feeding (since most of the adapted formulas contain vitamin D). Sometimes the prevention of rickets can be started earlier or, on the contrary, postponed at certain indicators (with gastrointestinal disorders or if the doctor finds the fontanelle size too small, insufficient increase in the head circumference).

Development of one month old baby

Now the most pleasant and dear thing for the baby is the voice of the people around him, and especially his mother. After all, it was him that he heard in his tummy. Therefore, talk to him more often - this both calms him down and allows him to learn more about the world around him.

Call him by name or just an affectionate nickname when you enter the room. Share your feelings when you dress up. By changing the volume of your voice, you can calm it down or attract attention. It is very interesting for the kid to observe the change in timbre - from low to high and vice versa - this can attract his attention for a long time.

Another great activity is massaging your fingers and legs. Massage each finger to him separately, this will allow the baby to feel his body.

In this article:

Before characterizing the main features of a newborn baby, let's define the terminology. Newborns are considered to be children under one month old.

What you need to know about newborns?

Being born, the baby is forced to learn not only to breathe and eat, but also to regulate heat exchange, to protect the body from viruses and infections, to distinguish between the time of sleep and wakefulness. Children learn to do all this in the first days of their life, as a result of which they experience active changes in the body.

Outside the cozy walls of the uterus, the baby needs to be taught to live, grow and develop, therefore, from the moment of birth, all organs and life support systems of the crumbs are included in the work, reflexes are improved. The baby's lungs begin to breathe, the blood circulation process is improving, the gastrointestinal tract makes the first attempts to digest the incoming colostrum. The body of the crumbs is already able to regulate the body temperature, depending on the air temperature.

At first glance, a fragile and defenseless baby is actually distinguished by increased adaptive abilities. Even in the most difficult conditions, his body will adjust the life support systems in such a way as to survive.

It should be understood that full-term and premature babies develop on different schedules. Let's talk about the differences in the development process of both.

The main characteristics of a full-term baby

A full-term baby is considered to be born at 38-40 weeks. The normal weight for a full-term baby is 2.5 to 4 kg. As a rule, boys are born several larger than girls. Infants weighing more than 4 kg can lead to a number of difficulties during childbirth.

In the first days after birth, the initial weight of the baby decreases by an average of 250-300 g. The child loses weight due to the loss of glucose and water. The losses will be replenished in the next few weeks. The norm is the weight gain of a newborn in the first month of life up to 600 g. In practice, it happens that, being breastfed on demand, the baby gains 2 times more.

The growth of a full-term newborn baby ranges from 48-53 cm, and in girls, the body length is usually less than that of boys, by several centimeters.

A healthy, timely born baby has smooth, delicate skin of a slightly pinkish tint. The abundance of sebaceous glands makes it especially elastic, does not allow drying out. The peculiarity of the skin of a newborn is the release of lysozyme, a protective substance that prevents it from becoming infected with microbes. In order for the protective substances to be released in the right amount, the baby's skin must be kept clean.

As soon as the baby is born, he announces this significant event with a shrill cry. Baby already
in the first minutes after birth, it is characterized by increased motor activity. The main reflexes at this moment are also normal. If you put the baby to the breast of the mother, he will begin to suck and swallow.

In newborns, the body temperature is slightly increased compared to an adult and reaches 37 and a half degrees. In the early days, slight jumps in temperature can be observed, which is primarily due to the adaptation of the crumbs' body to new living conditions.

Another feature of the newborn is the delicate tissue between the bones of the skull on the head, popularly called “fontanelles”. As the crumbs grow older, they will close due to the compaction of bone tissue.

Features of the baby's senses

In the first weeks after birth, the sensory organs of the newborn, although developed, are imperfect. Crumb
able to distinguish tastes, rejoices when he gets the opportunity to taste something other than milk, for example, sweet drops or a decoction of dill seeds for colic. Against bitter or sour mixtures, the baby will desperately protest, turning his head away.

A newborn's sense of smell is also imperfect, but it already has its own characteristics. The baby is especially sensitive to odors that can irritate his nasal mucosa. It would be better for mothers to refrain from treating their breasts with medicinal ointments with strong odors.

The touch of the baby is also quite developed. The baby reacts positively to the mother's touch, falls asleep and calms down, feeling the warmth of her hands.

But the baby's vision in the first weeks of life is still far from ideal. The baby sees objects with blurred outlines and only at a distance of at least 35-40 cm. The eyeballs are uncoordinated, which leads to the manifestation of signs of strabismus, which usually disappear by three months. The absence of the blinking reflex is noted when the object is located as close as possible near the eyes.

The baby hears at about the same level as he sees. He has a reaction to loud sounds, in addition, the baby positively perceives the sounds of the mother's voice.

How do the excretory organs work in newborns?

The main organs of excretion begin to work as soon as the baby is born. Already on the first day, the bladder is actively functioning, which is manifested enough frequent urination (about 5-6 times a day). By the end of the first week, when the baby begins to receive food, this number will double.

As for the feces of a different nature, in the first few days, the excreted feces are primordial meconium, formed in the body of the baby in the womb, mostly from the swallowed amniotic fluid. As soon as the stomach of the crumbs begins to process colostrum, and then breast milk, the place of meconium will replace the normal feces of a mushy consistency. The baby's intestines are emptied not much less often than the bladder - up to 5 times a day.

The better and more stable the baby's intestines are, the faster they will be able to adapt to life outside the womb.

In healthy full-term babies, the immune system is as well developed as it is in the mother. That is why it is so important that the pregnant woman, throughout the entire period of bearing the baby, adheres to the diet, sleep, walks, and takes vitamin complexes for expectant mothers.

Features of a premature baby

Children who were born before the 38th week are considered to be premature. The degree of prematurity can be different and depend on the timing of delivery. Such newborns weigh less than the norm: as a rule, up to 2 kg with a body length of up to 45 cm. Naturally, premature babies have their own characteristics compared to babies who were born on time.

One of the main features - this is the minimum amount or, in severe cases, the complete absence of subcutaneous fat. Such babies, as a rule, are not proportional enough, with a head over the norm, thin sedentary limbs and a large navel displaced to the bottom.

The ears of babies are pressed to the head and more delicate than the ears of a full-term baby, the nails are underdeveloped, the skin is too thin, covered with a network of wrinkles. The entire surface of the body of premature newborns is covered with a layer of thin fluff, in addition, the genitals are not fully developed in children: in boys, these are not descended testicles, in girls, a covered genital slit. The pupils can often be covered with a white film. Naturally, the brightness of the expression of the marked signs will depend on the degree of prematurity of the baby.

Internal organs and main body systems of a premature baby

Outward signs of underdevelopment are just the tip of the iceberg. The main problems relate to the internal life support systems and organs, which by the time a newborn is born do not have time to go through the main stages of intrauterine development. Usually babies have problems with the functioning of the respiratory system and the central nervous system, and most of the internal organs are characterized by a state of general immaturity.

As a rule, premature babies are distinguished by:

lethargy;
increased fatigue;
quiet crying;
prolonged sleep;
shallow rapid breathing;
drops in body temperature.

Usually, such children do not eat well, often have problems with sucking and swallowing, and are susceptible to diseases due to imperfect protective properties of the body.

What you need to know about the basic physiological conditions of newborns?

A newborn child develops in accordance with the basic norms laid down by nature, and the manifestation of certain physiological conditions is inevitable for him. The more parents know about these
states and their manifestations, the more calmly they will react to them.

It should be understood that the physiological conditions of newborns mostly pass during the first few months and only in some cases can it worsen, turning into a disease with a deterioration in the baby's health. In order to react in time to the first signs of such failures, it is necessary to understand the essence of these patterns.

Let's consider the main ones.

Jaundice of newborns

Jaundice in the vast majority of newborns appears in the middle of the first week of life. First, it becomes noticeable on the face of the crumbs, after which it moves to the body and limbs. A striking sign of jaundice is the characteristic yellow color of the mucous eyes.

The main reason is insufficient activity of enzyme
liver systems that cannot cope with the rapidly increasing bilirubin. If the development of the newborn is not complicated by diseases and infections, then by the middle of the first month the jaundice usually goes away without special treatment.

If the jaundice does not go away for several months (this is usually associated with difficult childbirth, trauma to the newborn during childbirth), the doctor prescribes optimal treatment to rule out the aggravation of the problem.

Sexual crisis: what you need to know?

The first sign of a sexual crisis in newborns is an increase in the size of the mammary glands, both in boys and girls. The main reason is the transition of hormonal compounds into the newborn's body from
mother. Along with the swelling of the glands in girls during the period of sexual crisis, minor spotting may appear, in boys - swelling of the genitals.

During a sexual crisis, the general condition of the baby does not change and in most cases its manifestations pass without the intervention of doctors until the end of the first week of the baby's life.

Sweat and sebaceous glands: signs of blockage

In the first weeks of a baby's life, blockage of sweat and sebaceous glands is not uncommon. A sign of a blockage is points on the baby's face with a characteristic white or yellowish color. They do not need to be specially treated - it will be enough to intensify the care of the baby's skin and wait a few days until the situation changes for the better.

Features of the newborn's day regimen

Healthy baby in the first few weeks after birth
devotes all the time to strengthening the strength for development and growth - sleep and nutrition.

Before going to bed, the baby must be bathed in water at the optimum temperature for him - 37-38 degrees.

If nothing bothers the baby, then his sleep will be long and calm. Newborns usually wake up for several reasons:

hunger;
pain;
violation of the temperature regime;
dirty diaper;
general discomfort.

In some cases, the child can wake himself up with pens if he is not swaddled. Newborns wake up about every 2 hours to receive their next milk supply, no matter whether it is day or night.

It is believed that in the first month of life it makes no sense to try to accustom the baby to a certain daily routine. Over time, this will really become possible, but at the initial stage it will be right to feed the baby on demand, adjusting to his schedule.

Starting from the third week, outdoor walks should become mandatory in the newborn's day regimen. In the early days, you can walk for no more than 15-20 minutes, gradually increasing the time. By the end of the first month of the baby's life, it will be possible to walk with him twice a day - in the morning and in the evening - for at least an hour.