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| Infant - Week #6 |
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| Do You Hear What I Hear? |
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Your six-week-old's hearing has been fully developed for about two weeks now. He is now responding to familiar sounds, particularly your voice and the voices of those he is often exposed to. Make a point to familiarize him with other sounds as well; music, wind chimes, and baby toys are all favorites! |
| MORE Tummy Time! |
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Your baby's neck muscles are continuing to get stronger and stronger. Continue to emphasize tummy time as part of your daily routine. Remember tummy time doesn't always have to be on a mat on the floor. Lie down on the floor and put your infant on your chest. He'll lift his head to see what you are doing. This not only changes things up a little bit, but it's much more fun for you, since you get to be a part of it! |
| You Can Say That Again! |
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Not only is your six-week-old smiling from time to time, but he may be cooing and oohing and ahhing, too! Babies love to mimic, so be sure to spend lots of time talking to your baby. You might be surprised at what he "says" back! |
| Get Bouncing! |
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My favorite baby gear this week has got to be the bouncy seat. We have three in our house -- one for each floor -- and let me tell you, those things get some mileage. I use mine in the kitchen when I'm cooking, in the bathroom when I'm showering, in the family room when we are watching TV, and even outside in the grass when the older kids are swinging on the swing set. Get those bouncy seats out and get bouncing! |
| DO try this at home! |
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Infant Massage Therapy - I know we are all looking for special ways to spend one-on-one time with our newborns. I decided after reading an article about infant massage therapy that I would give it a try. The article that I read cited a research study that found that massage therapy in typically developing infants helped decrease stress, increase alertness, and develop better sleep patterns. In my opinion, that's all the more reason to attempt it. |
| Infant Massage Therapy With Max. |
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I decided that I would do massage therapy a couple of nights a week with Max after the older kids were in bed. I started with a bath and then got him diapered up and warm. I laid him on the floor and using plain old Johnson and Johnson's lotion massaged his little body starting from the toes up. I'm sure that there is a "correct" way to give a massage, but for my purposes it didn't matter. I just wanted to have some contact with my little one and give him some sensory stimulation! I wish I could say that every time I do this with Max he falls asleep afterwards and sleeps for a longer length of time or that on the mornings after massage nights he's more alert, but not so much! I can say that I love this time with Max. I feel like at least for this part of the day he is getting my undivided attention and can feel the love that I have for him. Give this a try with your baby...there is not a doubt in my mind that it will be a special time for you, too! |
| That's Questionable! |
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Q - Where have you taken your six-week-old? Parenting is one of those subjective things that everyone does differently. I love seeing how different things work for different people. I have a friend who hasn't taken her three-month-old out of the house yet except for doctor's visits. I have another friend who goes out but is very careful about where she goes. Max is pretty worldly...he's been to the zoo, the park, the mall (multiple times), grocery stores, doctor's visits, preschool, Mommy's school, Daddy's school, lots of play dates, and even to a movie! His all time favorite though...target (we go there multiple times a week)! It doesn't matter if you are a stay-at-homer or a go-outer, just enjoy your baby wherever you are! |
| Reading to Your Newborn |
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Particularly if you have a fussy baby, but even if you have been blessed with a calm infant, almost nothing is more soothing to a newborn than her mother's voice. Not sure what to say to say to your baby? The American Academy of Pediatrics says that it is never too early to begin reading to him. Try books that are soothing for both you and baby, especially Mommy Loves Her Baby/Daddy Loves His Baby by Tara Jaye Morrow and Sleepy Me by Marni McGee and Sam Williams. These books are sure to relax both a tense mom and a tense baby. Holding your baby close to you as you read allows her to feel the vibrations of your voice as you speak, giving her both the comfort of your voice and the familiar feel of your body and its rhythms. Both of these books are perfect for creating a rising and falling pattern of speech, producing even more of a baby-pleasing rhythm in your speech pattern. Researchers have found that babies like books for their sounds and rhythm of language, as well as for their stories. It may feel strange at first to read to a baby who is not even old enough to let you know whether or not he enjoys the story, but you are building a powerful habit that you and your child can enjoy for years to come. Scientists have consistently found that reading to, and later, reading with your child, is the most important factor in raising an intellectually engaged child. As much money as is invested in "brainy" toys and videos each year, they just can't take the place of reading to your child. As a wonderful bonus, you have an extra excuse to snuggle your newborn and murmur in his or her ear as the two of you travel to faraway places and enjoy this all too brief time together. |
| Super Food You Can Cook and Eat with One Hand! |
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If your six week old child is colicky, fussy or clingy, you may be trying to figure out how to deal with cooking meals with a baby you can not put down! A good, comfortable baby wrap and some simple recipes are the perfect answer. A safety note: Please keep your baby tightly wrapped. A back carry is the safest carry and second best is a tight front carry. Do not do this with a baby in a sling! Even with a front carry, safety must be paramount. Always shield your baby's head with one hand and use that same arm to keep him or her safely close to your body. Turn your body away from the oven or stove. And as usual, trust your instinct. If you do not feel safe, do not do it! Here is a recipe that I find foolproof: Super Stromboli Ingredients: 1 lb. pizza dough, thawed 10 slices mozzarella cheese 8 slices provolone cheese 1/4 lb. deli meat (ham, capicola, pepperoni, choose your favorite!) 2 cups baby spinach olive oil grated cheese salt and pepper Preheat oven to 375 degrees Roll out pizza dough to a large, thin rectangle Layer toppings over it to 1 inch from edge in this order: cheese, spinach, cheese, meat Roll dough up, sealing seam and ends under the roll Place seams down on cookie sheet Bake for 20 minutes Let rest 10 minutes Slice and serve with tomato sauce for dipping. Enjoy! |
| Me First ! Really ? |
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When you become a new mom, you gain a plethora of new experiences to savor. Yet at the same time, you lose so much of yourself because you automatically imbued your unique baby into you that it is hard not to feel a loss. It is possible to feel regrets over a postponement of your career or your not having the freedom to do what you want when you want. Maybe you feel a smaller personal space because you are no longer alone... ever. Deep down inside where you will never admit it to anyone you might feel a loss of self. It is entirely realistic to be ecstatic the first few weeks following the baby's birth, then feel jealous that your best friend got the raise you were up for at work. The way to cope with these feelings is to put you before your precious baby, husband and everyone else. In other words, put you first. It does sound a bit odd that anyone who just had a baby could begin to think that way doesn't it? So, why do it? Let me explain it to you the way my mom explained it to me. You can not be the cornerstone of your house if there are things tearing your house down. What this means is, you can not be the be all and end all for everyone if you do not take care of yourself. You need to make sure you get rest so you can be a great mom at 2:30 in the morning. This means sleeping when your baby sleeps. If you feel lonely, have someone watch the baby so you and your honey can go out for a few hours. You will come back ready to hold and love your baby even more than when you left. Some times you just need to be by yourself, so go get a combination manicure/pedicure. You will feel more sexy and confident than you have in a long time. This does not mean you neglect anyone. This means making sure you are strong enough emotionally and physically to accomplish every thing you imagined when you found out you were going to be a mother. It means it is okay to have these feelings and to do something for yourself first. You do not want your house falling down around you, so you need to make sure that it is strong enough to keep standing. That way when everyone else needs you, you can invite them in. |
| My Experience with My Oldest Child |
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I began reading to my oldest child as soon as she was born (well, okay, it was actually when she was in utero, but I usually get odd looks when I confess to that). At first I would read anything that I was reading, assuming that it was not violent or otherwise inappropriate. Hence, my brand new baby was privy to emails, recipes, news stories, the back of the Cheerios box or anything that happened to be in front of me. Within a few weeks, the sleep cleared from my eyes long enough for me to pick up one of the many books that already lined the shelves in the nursery and I intentionally made reading a formal part of our day, always at bedtime, but often throughout the day as well. It may sound silly, but I could tell that she was listening. I was not foolish enough to think that she understood the story, but I knew that she was listening to my voice. I loved the excuse to sit down with her, even when she was not fussy and I could, technically, be catching up on housework. Therese could talk (not in sentences, but in paragraphs) before she could walk, and it got to the point where we had to limit the number of books (5) that we would read to her before bed, or else bedtime would never come. From the time that she was a young toddler, we would put her to bed with cloth and board books so that she would have something to read when she woke up in the morning, thus allowing me a little extra sleep. She could read long before Kindergarten and will choose a book over TV on most days. Can I attribute all of this to the fact that I read to her from birth? Not necessarily, but it is a scenario that is being played out among her younger brothers and sister as well, so I can not automatically rule it out! What I do know is that I treasure the memories of rocking exhaustedly while whispering the words of a beloved story into the tiny ear of a sweet smelling baby who grew up too fast. |
| Visitors! |
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So far, not only have all my friends and family come to see the new baby, we have taken her to a family reunion AND we're planning a trip down the East Coast to visit my elderly grandparents. So how do I know what is safe? Well, it is a question of trusting my instincts. I do not make everyone who holds the baby sanitize their hands but I do ask anyone who has been playing with other children, animals or working outside to do so. I will not let someone who is clearly sick hold her. Also, I ask people to please avoid touching her mouth or nose. But I also believe that babies need to know their families, friends and loved ones from an early age. So, I let my aunts and cousins hold Julia the whole weekend. I only held her to feed her and at night when we were back at the hotel and that is okay. I am not afraid of what will happen as extended family is crucial for children. |
| Me First ! Really ? |
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I never really understood what it was like to put me first until I had my second child. With the first baby, I was so into taking care of her that I did not pay any attention to myself. I stopped taking my medicine because I was trying to breast feed and did not want it to transfer it to my daughter. I did not realize that I was sick until I ended up back in the hospital. I was devastated that I was not the mother I thought I should be. I was not strong enough to hold her and feed her. I did not even realize I could not see her most of the time I was in the hospital. The doctor told me I was not getting enough rest for my body to be able to heal from the C-section I had. I was not looking after me. Then I had my son. I knew first hand how important it was to take care of me first. I arranged for my daughter to go visit grandma for a week. Any time my son slept, I was asleep too. If I needed to go out, I asked for help. That way I could do what I needed to go out for and there was someone with me to watch my son. I took up a hobby to fill those long days of maternity leave. When I saw anyone I worked with and they started telling me about work, yes I felt a little sad. Then I would tell them how I was learning to paint ceramics. It was fun hearing how they wished they had the time to do something like that. I felt like I was not wasting all my time when the baby was asleep. I was doing something productive. I was taking care of me. |
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