The first month in a childās life is the most important period. At this time, he adapts to new conditions of existence, he learns to breathe in a new way - on his own, to eat, to feel himself at a distance from his mother. It is for this reason that it is necessary to create favorable conditions in order to facilitate this difficult period of adaptation for him. How long is the baby awake in 1 month? How many times should it be fed? Such questions cannot but interest loving parents.
Physiological change
The birth of a child is not only a joy for many mothers and fathers, it is also a huge responsibility that rests with them.
After the baby is born, significant physiological changes occur during the first weeks:
- Postpartum puffiness subsides and disappears completely.
- The bone structure of the skull is strengthened.
- The face of the baby takes on a certain shape.
- A change in the organs of vision occurs - now the movements of the eyes are more coordinated, the focus of the eye improves.
- The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) adapts to a new diet, and beneficial microflora is populated in it.
- There is a restructuring of the hematopoietic and circulatory systems, and instead of fruit hemoglobin, new blood cells are formed.
Parents should not only know how much the baby should stay awake at 1 month, but also pay attention to urination periods. In a very young newborn, they are quite frequent, at least up to 6 times during the day. The liquid itself has an almost transparent consistency. As for bowel movement, this happens about 12 times a day. And, as a rule, immediately after feeding.
Daytime sleep
Newborn babies are not aware of the time of day and do not know that now outside the window is a sunny day or a serene night. He is awake exactly as much as he wants. And if the child has eaten well, then he can sleep for several hours, and then wake up in a good mood.
However, with malnutrition, he begins to act up and sleep poorly, constantly waking up. A nursing mother, especially those young women for whom the birth of a baby is the first experience, should take into account that improper feeding quickly leads to weight loss of the baby.
As a result, this threatens the depletion of the body, and this, in turn, ends with the fact that the child spends a rather long time in a dream, and then wakes up very tired and lethargic. How long should a month-old baby stay awake?
Reasons for a long sleep
But what leads to such a long sleep? There are reasons for everything:
- If childbirth was difficult, usually women are given different drugs that affect the babyās body as sleeping pills. In this connection, the baby during the first weeks of life can sleep peacefully and for a long time.
- If the mother incorrectly puts the baby to the breast during the period of feeding, he spends all his efforts to suck out the right portion of milk, which quickly causes fatigue. For this reason, the baby after feeding is also immersed in a deep and prolonged sleep.
- The womanās rough nipples, as well as their irregular shape, also lead to fatigue of the child, since he has to spend considerable effort to attach to the motherās chest.
Each baby is different in its individual characteristics, and how much a month-old baby should stay awake is up to him. Some need more time, while others need less. As a rule, a childās body is designed so that he himself knows exactly how much to stay awake, and how much to spend in a dream. And it doesnāt matter whether it is day or night.
At the same time, parents should remember that too long a childās sleep is a sure sign that they are not receiving enough nutrition. For this reason, the baby not only becomes even more sleepy, but also gradually loses its strength.
Fully developing and healthy babies during breastfeeding are usually immersed in the kingdom of Morpheus for 16-20 hours, waking up every 90-120 minutes to quench their appetite. And, mainly, this is due to the fact that the stomach is still too small, and it does not take much time to digest milk.
Therefore, it was no coincidence that the birth of a child is not only a joy, but also a responsibility for parents. And for the child to develop fully, it is important to establish his regimen.
How much should a child stay awake in 1 month. Or is there a threat from prolonged sleep ...
Looking at a sleeping child, he does not want to wake him up, even if there is a need for it. Nevertheless, this must be done for his own good. This is mainly related to nutrition - every 3 or 4 hours it should be fed in order to avoid dehydration. At night, this period increases to 5-6 hours. Even the child should be awakened, regardless of his whims, after feeding, he usually calms down.
It is not without reason that there is popular wisdom - in all things a measure is needed. This also applies to children, however, they have their own norm. Too long a childās sleep can adversely affect his health and development. And this is mainly due to a lack of nutrients supplied with breast milk.
As a result, increased drowsiness develops, because of which skipping feeding occurs. This, in turn, leads to a shift in the schedule, which is extremely undesirable. Along with the question of how long a month-old baby is awake, this is no less important. Trace elements necessary for the full development of the baby come in a limited amount.
As a result, metabolism is disrupted, the composition of the blood does not change for the better, there is a lag in growth. It also adversely affects the mental development of the child.
Ultimately, all this leads to the appearance of unwanted symptoms:
- Good sleep, during which the child lies in the same position for more than 3 hours.
- Unsatisfactory condition of the skin - if pinched, the return to its original form does not occur immediately.
- Quiet and weak crying.
- Urination is rare - less than 2 times in 24 hours.
- Sunken fontanel.
- Dry mouth.
- Fever.
How should a baby stay awake at 1 month? In other words, the childās prolonged sleep (more than the due date) indicates that not everything is in order with him. Perhaps there is even a threat to his health. For this reason, when these symptoms appear, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Something else important ...
In cases where the baby is rarely applied to the motherās breast, the risk of developing mastopathy is increased in relation to the woman. As a result, the mechanism of milk production is undergoing changes, and sometimes not for the better. The possibility of breastfeeding decreases sharply or completely stops.
In this case, it is necessary to use artificial substitutes, but in this situation this can only aggravate the situation of your child. The fact is that supplementation should be introduced only in the absence of any disturbances on the part of the body.
In this regard, when the baby is awake for 1 month and skips the next feeding time, the mother needs to monitor the condition of the mammary glands and periodically express the milk so that it does not disappear.
However, if the child spends a lot of time in a dream, this does not indicate any pathology. Nevertheless, this is an extra reason for parents to be even more attentive to their baby. Experts do not recommend trying to find the cause on their own. It is best to call a pediatrician, and if necessary, conduct an examination.
Awakening Rules
The need to awaken a child follows, we now understand, but the main thing is to do it right. This should be done during the period when he is asleep in order to exclude his fear. This is no less important, as well as knowing how much the child is awake in 1 month of life.
Recognizing the right moment is easy:
- The eyelids are in a slightly elevated state and slightly tremble. Eyeballs are moving.
- The limbs also twitch.
- It is necessary to gently touch the face of the child, the sucking reflex is activated in him.
- On the face appears facial expressions.
Only before waking up the child, you should turn off the main lighting or curtain the windows to create twilight in the room. Bright light adversely affects the retina. Also, the baby must be swaddled, because of the stuffiness, he may refuse to eat.
How to lull a child
Most mothers think that it is enough to pick up a child and he will fall asleep. In an extreme case, still lightly pump it. However, this is their mistake. The average weight of a newborn is about 3500 grams, but when he grows up, it will become even harder. Parents will have to download it all the time due to the developed habit, while thinking about how much time a month-old baby should stay awake.
To everything else, itās not worth it, almost on tiptoe to walk around the apartment, afraid to wake the child. In any case, the child should get used to the sounds surrounding him. Some experts recommend leaving the TV, radio or music equipment turned on, just lowering the volume to a minimum. So it will be easier for the baby to get used to the sound environment and sleep soundly.
Favorable position
The recommended and safe position for babies to sleep is lying on their side. At the same time, parents should ensure that their child changes position over 3 hours, and is not in the same position. The right side must be alternated with the left so that the skeleton develops evenly.
Sleeping on your back is highly discouraged, because when you burp, the baby can choke. Also, you can not lay the child on his stomach, as it will be more difficult for him to breathe. This is another important point in the question of how much the baby is awake at 1 month, which should always be kept in mind.
So that the baby does not take dangerous situations in a dream, rollers should be placed on both sides of it.
Schedule
Actually, now itās time to move on to drawing up a daily regimen. For monthly children, this is also vital. What remains to be done to the child in the first month of life? That's right - to eat, sleep, establish contacts with parents, spend free time to good use. Yes, actually, a lot more.
Thanks to the established schedule, the child will eventually know what awaits him, and will learn to prepare for this in advance. In addition, the baby will have an optimal biological rhythm that will allow you to distinguish day from night over time.
As the observations of psychologists show, those children who developed according to the rules of the daily and night schedule grew up disciplined, collected, and self-confident.
As an example
An approximate daily routine that will help determine how long the child is awake at 1 month may look like this:
- From 6:00 to 7:00 - the first morning feeding is carried out. In some cases, after this and changing diapers, the child may fall asleep again. Mom can also join him.
- From 8:00 to 9:00 - the second feeding in the morning and the first trip to the toilet.
- From 10:00 to 11:00 - a mode for morning sleep. You can leave the child in the crib and do household chores or go for a walk with him, placing him in a stroller. In the fresh air, sleeping will be especially beneficial.
- 12:00 - feeding is carried out for the third time.
- From 12:30 to 14:00 - another dive into the kingdom of Morpheus. To do this, it is best to take a walk on the street.
- 15:00 - the fourth meal.
- From 15:30 to 16:00 - afternoon rest, which will be useful not only for the baby, but also for his mother. And sheād better use this opportunity.
- 18:00 - feeding is carried out for the fifth time, showing wakefulness, communication, massage.
- From 19:00 to 20:00 - the next sleep mode.
- 21:00 - evening bathing procedure.
- From 22:00 to 23:00 - already the sixth meal and sleep. During the night regime, the child may wake up several more times to eat.
Now you can already have an idea of āāhow much the baby is awake in 1 month. Of course, this schedule is very conditional due to, again, the individual characteristics of the child's body. Nevertheless, it will bring invaluable benefits in organizing your day and will provide an opportunity to devote more time to your beloved son or daughter.
Feeding Features
This is another important point in the development of the child. Many pediatricians are inclined to believe that it is necessary to arrange the feeding of the child at his request. Young mothers may hear this phrase - "The baby should be at the motherās breast 24 hours a day." But do not take it literally. The baby should sleep in his bed, but it is necessary to feed him at a time convenient for him. This is especially necessary to remember the primiparous mothers, as they should be established breastfeeding.
It is worth noting one fact that several decades ago, most women fed their children strictly according to a given schedule. And it doesnāt matter whether the children were crying, acting up, or having a tantrum, in any case, they had to wait in the wings. Perhaps the question of how much the baby is awake at 1.5 months did not interest them at all. Even today, some mothers still do not give up this practice.
At the same time, feeding at the request of the child is appreciated by the fact that the mother's body begins to adapt to his needs. As a result, milk is produced exactly as much as necessary. This adjustment occurs during the first months of the babyās life.
Certain feeding points
Usually, the baby is fed every 1.5-2 hours, which is difficult for him to get used to. Parents have to make some efforts.
20 minutes is not always enough for a child to quench his appetite. The intensity of sucking on the motherās breast may vary. The risk of malnutrition is not excluded. And this, in turn, can lead to weight loss.
In addition, this mode, when the child is away from the mother, deals him a psychological blow.
We spend time with benefit
And yet, how much is the baby awake at 1 month? These minutes should be increased gradually, slowly, depending on age:
- up to 2 weeks - from 15 to 40 minutes;
- 2-4 weeks - from 50 minutes to an hour;
- monthly baby - from an hour to 75 minutes;
- two-month-old child - from 75 minutes to one and a half hours.
And how can you fill these minutes of wakefulness? Actually, anything the soul of the mother and her child - feeding according to the schedule, bathing, massage, gymnastics, putting the child on her tummy, walking. It has been noticed by many mothers that babies have a special interest in hanging objects.
Gymnastics puts some babies to sleep, which is why it is useful to arrange it directly in the evening before bedtime. However, if such exercises, on the contrary, have an invigorating effect on the child, then they need to be carried out in the daytime. And best of all in the first half of the day.
A walk in the fresh air is useful in that kids get a portion of vitamin D. Moreover, walks must be done regularly (that is, daily, and at the same time). Morning hours and afternoon snacks are best suited for this. Now the question of how much the monthly baby is awake becomes clearer.
But if the weather is unfavorable on the street, you should wait for it at home. You can open the window to let in fresh air into the room, which will benefit all residents. So the child can fall asleep faster and stronger.
Conclusion
As already noted, each baby has individual characteristics, and the daily routine is largely composed of his needs. In fact, it is not so important how much time the baby is awake or immersed in the kingdom of Morpheus, with the exception of a number of cases.
For parents, the main thing is to observe their child and respond in a timely manner to unwanted changes in his behavior. They will have to stock up on patience and strength, because by showing love for your own baby, you can avoid many troubles. Well, a full, healthy rest will give strength to the child to the joy of his parents. This is the success of a happy family!