What to Expect in the First Month of Your Baby’s Life?

Congratulations mama, your sweet little baby is here! If this isn’t your first experience of welcoming a baby, you might already know a thing or two on what to expect. If this is indeed your first time, this compact guide on what will take place in the first month is perfect for you! Of course, you’re an experienced parent just planning to do a bit of revision here, you are very much welcome to have a trip down the memory lane as well! 

For a parent, the sweet parts that come with having a baby are endless. Whenever your baby achieves or does something for the first time, it becomes your own achievement as well. The good news is, this will go on for so many years to come! You will never stop being proud of what your kid does. But, before we get too far ahead, let’s bring the focus back to the first month. During this time, here are some milestones you can look forward to in the first month of your baby’s life!

Newborn reflexes

Believe it or not, you will never be completely clueless when it comes to tending to your baby. When your little one needs something, they have their own ways of letting you know that. In fact, right from the beginning, your baby is already equipped with a number of reflexes to protect themselves and make sure their needs will be attended to. So don’t worry! If you feel like you are not quite there yet in terms of parental instinct, your child will help you get there! 

Before we get deeper into it, keep in mind that some of the newborn reflexes can last until your baby is about 5 to 6 months old, so do not feel like you have to rush it if they are not yet doing these at the start. Common newborn reflexes include:

Rooting reflex: Your baby will turn to or follow where their mouth is stroked or touched. This helps your baby with being fed. 

Suck reflex: your baby will start to suck when the roof of their mouth is touched

Palmar grasp reflex: When you stroke your baby’s parm, their fingers will close in a grasp. 

Moro reflex: Often known as the startle reflex, this occurs when your baby gets jumpy when started by a loud sound or movement.

Involuntary Movements

During this time, your baby’s movements will mostly be reflexive and they have extremely little to no control over them. This will go on for the first few weeks of their life, so do not worry so much if it seems like all your baby does is get fed, cry, sleep, and occasionally make you change their diapers – those are simply what they’re mainly able to do at this point. Past the first few weeks, their reflexive movements will gradually disappear and they will be able to control their movements better. 

Your Baby’s Communication Cues

At this particular stage, your baby’s most common mode of communication is crying. They will cry to let you know everything that is going on with them. Either they are hungry, need their diapers changed, or experiencing any discomforts, ‘informing’ you through their cries is the only way they know how to do it. A newborn normally needs to be fed every two to three hours, so if they are crying, check if it has been that long since their last feeding. If it is, then it might be time for the next one. 

The good thing is, you will also start to learn your baby’s cues! They may have certain cries that you can easily recognise them as parts of their hunger cues in which they are asking to be fed. Likewise, you can also tell the difference between these cries and the other kinds of cries where your baby is simply tired or in discomfort.

You May Also Read this : Preparing for the arrival of your baby

Ways to Support & Promote Your Baby’s Development in the First Month

You might feel like all the interactions with your baby are one-sided at this stage, but the effects of that one-on-one time can go a long way. Slowly, your actions will stimulate their social, visual and emotional development as well as listening skills. So, although it seems like your baby is not responding well to what you do or how you talk to them, your baby will benefit extensively from this period. To encourage your baby’s development from this crucial month onwards, there are several things you can practise along the way.

• Talk to your baby 

They may not understand a word you say yet, but they will know that you have been interacting with them, making you a familiar sight to them. If you baby seems to produce some sounds and noises, let them have their turn to ‘speak’. This will make them realise that you are interested in what they have to say and they will be more open to such activities.

• Play with tactile toys

At this point, your baby’s hands are curious explorers. The sense of touch is what helps your baby to recognise the world around them. Using tactile toys that come in various textures, materials, and shapes will help with your baby’s development. If you are not sure where to start, there are a lot of baby items and toys that could help in your parenting journey. Choose credible and trusted platform to get them such as on MumChecked for online purchases or official physical stores.

• Take a walk 

Carrying your baby around is a great way to keep them calm and soothe them if they are in distress. If you are going outside, try to interact with your baby in the middle of your walk, such as by describing what you see. Remember to get a stroller and infant car seat that is ergonomic and will support your baby’s body properly!

• Massage 

Among the very few things off the short list of activities you could do with a newborn, massage is one of the best on it. The skin-to-skin contact is what your baby needs to build a stronger bond with you. They will eventually get used to your touch. Not to mention, massaging your baby can greatly soothe and comfort them as well as preventing gas, bloating, and colic.

All in all, you really do not have to stress too much over their development at one month old. If your baby is generally healthy, they are most likely doing fine and developing well regardless of whether they are following any milestones chart closely or not. They will catch up on everything soon, so just give them some time. And moms? Don’t worry, you’ve got this! If you happen to be looking for a confinement baby nanny agency Singapore service that can help you during the critical first month of your baby’s life, PEM is just a phone call away! We’d love to help you take your first step in your parenthood journey.