How the baby grows in the first month of life
The weight that the baby lost in the first days of his life, while still with the mother in the hospital, he quickly compensates in the next three weeks. For the first month of life the child is gaining an average of 600 grams and grows somewhere by 3 centimeters. In addition, the volume of the head and chest also increases by 1.3-1.5 cm. It must be remembered that every child is an individual, and even in the first month of life he has his own individual development program. If the main indicators of its physical development do not coincide with the average, but, nevertheless, the child feels well, actively sucks the breast or milk from the bottle, then there are absolutely no worries.
Food
Important baby nutrition in the first month of life is breast milk. Breastfeeding of the baby on request promotes the formation of lactation in the mother, as well as the formation of a close relationship between mother and baby. With such nutrition the baby does not need water, everything necessary is contained in the mother's milk. Since the newborn's body only adapts to the new world, the mother in the first weeks of development of the child should adhere to a strict diet in order to avoid digestive disorders on the part of the baby.
If the circumstances have developed in such a way that artificial feeding is inevitable, then it is necessary to consult with the pediatrician in the matter of choosing a quality mixture for baby food. During bottle feeding, try to stay as close to the baby as possible to compensate for somehow important for the child the need to suck on the mother's breast.
Sleep
The dream of a newborn child is disorderly and irregular. The kid sleeps a lot and often wakes up, often wakes his parents in the middle of the night. As a rule, the newborn sleeps 16-18 hours a day. Try to adjust to the biorhythms of the baby and plan for feeding, swaddling and bathing, as well as household chores, which significantly increased.
It is desirable that the baby is as much as possible in the fresh air. The room where the baby's crib is standing should be well ventilated, in addition, you need to eliminate sources of additional noise - radio, TV, computer, etc. Try to organize the daytime sleep of a child in the open air - in a park, in a forest or somewhere else, where there is always something to breathe.
The kid should sleep in position on a side, periodically it is necessary to alternate the left lateral with right that will interfere with deformation of a head. In addition, it must be remembered that for the correct formation of the baby's spine there is no need to put a pillow in the crib.
Baby Care
The most worry is the care of the newborn. The first bathing, caring for the umbilical wound, the process of changing diapers is something that new parents should learn in the first weeks of a baby's life. So how do you behave with a newborn baby or daughter? Consider everything in order.
Morning hygiene
Morning hygiene of the newborn baby provides for: hygiene of nasal walking, washing, washing, and also care for the umbilical wound. All procedures are recommended to be carried out using sterile cotton wool and boiled water.
It is recommended to wash your baby from the eyes. Eyes should be wiped with cotton wool, moistened with boiled water, from the outer corner to the inside. Check the baby's spout if you do not need to clean it from dry crusts. Nasal passages must be cleaned with tight cotton wool harrow moistened with physiological solution, boiled water or baby oil. Do not use ready-made cotton swabs, because they can damage the narrow and tender nasal passages of the baby. Also, do not clean the ears with cotton buds. From the ear shells, only the sulfur is purified, which accumulates outside and is visible to the unaided eye. Remember: the nose is not cleaned for the purpose of prevention, as it can provoke irritation of the mucous membranes.
The morning toilet ends with rubbing the entire face of the baby with a cotton swab moistened with boiled water.
And, of course, do not forget about the umbilical wound. If it still oozes, treat it with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, then carefully peel off the crusts with a cotton swab and again treat it with hydrogen peroxide. Gently dry the navel with a cotton swab, and then smear it with a solution of brilliant green (green).
Care during the day
Since the newborn baby urinates to 20-25 times a day, and the stool is about 5-6 times, care during the day provides for a regular change of diapers and diapers, as well as a procedure of washing to avoid irritation from the effects of urine and feces. Several times a day, apply a protective baby cream on the clean skin of the buttocks and inguinal folds to avoid the appearance of diaper rash and irritation.
Evening treatments
Evening toilet of the baby is, first of all, bathing. Bathing a newborn baby is an important daily hygiene procedure. Usually. To bathe an infant in the absence of contraindications is recommended from the second day after discharge from the maternity hospital. The main accessories for children's bathing are: a water thermometer, shampoo, baby soap, or a special emulsion (foam) for the bath. Bathing baby is carried out in a special baby bath at a water temperature of no higher than 37 ° C. If the umbilical wound is not overgrown, only boiled water should be used for the procedure. The baby should be gradually immersed in water. After diving, the water should reach the toddler to the shoulders, no more. The duration of bathing during the newborn period should not exceed five minutes. When the child becomes a little older, and the bathing will give him pleasure, it will be possible to increase the duration of this procedure. After bathing, you must carefully dry all the skin folds of the child with a towel and then lubricate them with baby oil or cream. Do not forget about the treatment of umbilical wound.
Possible worries
When we talk about the development of a child in the first month of life, we often forget about possible conditions that can cause parents a lot of emotions and anxieties. Therefore, it is better to arm yourself with knowledge so as not to worry for no apparent reason. So, consider the natural physiological states that can be observed in the child of the first days of life.
Physiological jaundice of newborns , as a rule, occurs in most children approximately on the third day after birth. The baby's skin acquires a yellowish hue. This condition is caused by the breakdown of red blood cells - erythrocytes, resulting in the release of bilirubin (yellow pigment). As a rule, physiological jaundice does not require any special treatment and passes independently after 1-2 weeks.
If jaundice appears on the first or second day after birth, then it can speak of a serious disease - a hemolytic disease that occurs as a result of incompatibility of the blood of the mother and the fetus.
Sexual crisis
In newborns, both boys and girls, breast engorgement can be observed. Pressing and squeezing the contents out of the mammary glands is strictly prohibited! In addition, girls in the first days after birth can be observed mucus discharge, which on day 5-8 can become bloody. The boys may have edema of the external genitalia, which can last for 1-2 weeks. All the conditions described above are the result of the influence of the parent hormones, treatment does not require and passes independently.
Physiological weight loss
In the first three to four days after birth, the baby loses weight. The reasons for the decrease in the weight of the newborn are "postpartum stress", a small amount of milk from the mother during the first days after birth, departure of the original feces and urine. Typically, the loss of body weight of the baby is 5-6% of the original weight. From the fifth day of life, the baby starts gaining weight again and, by the tenth day of life, restores the indicators marked at birth.
Physiological skin peeling
On the third or fifth day of the baby's life, the skin can be peeling, usually on the tummy and on the chest. Such a condition, like the above, goes by itself and does not require treatment, and through time the skin of the baby again becomes tender and velvety.
Toxic erythema
More often in children with a hereditary predisposition to allergic reactions, a condition such as toxic erythema can be observed. On the second or fifth day of life, a rash can appear on the baby's body in the form of red spots, in the center of which you can see a grayish-yellow speck or a blister. In the next 1-3 days, new rashes may appear. In this situation, there is no cause for concern, since a few days later the rashes completely disappear.
Thus, in the first month of the development of the child, not only the kid, but also his parents adapt to the new conditions. The child adapts to a new life environment, and his parents learn to care for a tiny toddler, and also get used to a new life rhythm.