Behind remained a difficult nine months of pregnancy and childbirth. A young mother returns home with an envelope in her arms. The first month of a child’s life begins. The most complex and responsible, filled with anxieties and joys. At the same time, some parents are sure that the baby is still too small to learn something new. Others catch every moment, delighting relatives with stories about how the baby recognizes them, listens carefully and understands everything. Of course, both are far from the truth. But the first month of a child’s life is truly magical, crucial, during which he gradually gets used to autonomous functioning.
Tiny miracle
But in the heart of his mother, he takes the main place. A newborn baby is a truly amazing creature. This is not just a little man. Weak and completely helpless, this baby survived the most powerful stress during childbirth and found himself in an unknown environment. Imagine if you were lowered under water without explaining what will happen now. And he was forced to switch to a completely new way of breathing, blood circulation and nutrition. Analyzing this, you understand how much power and potential nature has laid in the helpless baby.
Reflexes, character and personality
The first month of a child’s life is a time to get to know the world. For the baby, until everything is decided by mom, she feeds him and changes his clothes. But inside the tiny body, work is in full swing. Most of the time he sleeps, but this does not prevent him from developing at the same time. The baby comes to this world with a certain set of reflexes that are important for its survival. Doctors will definitely pay attention to sucking and grasping reflexes. But his personality does not limit only a set of given programs.
And this is the most interesting. All the kids are completely unique. Recent studies have shown how different the reactions of a newborn baby to the same stimuli can be. This also applies to the intensity of expression of emotions, reaction speed and many other points. In the first month of a child’s life, one can already make a prediction of what the character of this man will be in the future. But do not forget that upbringing also makes certain adjustments. Therefore, while it is possible to draw conclusions only with a certain degree of probability.
Apgar Scale
This is the first assessment of the body of a newborn, which is done immediately after birth. The development of the child in the first month of life strongly depends on these indicators. What is the doctor based on when he scores?
- The first step is to suck the mucus from the upper respiratory tract. If the baby coughed, screamed and began to breathe - 2 points. If you only moaned slightly or made an unhappy face - 1 point.
- Count the number of heartbeats per minute. For a newborn, normally it is more than 100 beats per minute. If less, then put 1 point.
- Active movements with arms and legs - 2 points, sluggish are estimated at 1 point.
- Reflexes are evaluated.
- Color of the skin. With pale and blue, 0 points are put, if blue only legs or handles - 1 point. All pink - 2 points.
So the mark is set. The maximum 10 points immediately after childbirth does not gain almost anyone. But doctors wait 10 minutes and repeat the measurements. Usually, the crumbs in the eyes are restored and turn pink. Now the baby is swaddled and given to the mother.
Breast-feeding
This is the best thing a woman can give her baby. It is more than just food. The development of the child in the first month of life depends entirely on the quality of food. And the mother’s milk is beyond competition. It contains hormones and antibodies, as well as biologically active substances. Recently, studies have been conducted that show that antibodies against the pathogens that caused the baby's disease appear in breast milk.
Breastfeeding is also very important because it is of great psychological importance. Mother and child after cutting the umbilical cord again become one. Feeding during the first month of life is carried out on demand. A young mother now needs a lot of rest, so a joint dream would be an ideal option. The baby sleeps well under the breast, and the mother regains strength.
Feeding rules
The digestive process is still imperfect. Until now, the baby received nutrients through the umbilical cord. Now you have to rebuild and produce your own digestive enzymes. Therefore, mom needs to adhere to a diet and introduce new foods gradually, one at a time. This will avoid problems such as allergies in the near future.
What does a child need in the first month of life? In addition to love and care, he needs help after each feeding. To do this, you need to wear it with a “column” for about 15 minutes so that it can successfully burp air. So you can avoid problems with the tummy.
So far, the baby’s stomach resembles a tank without a lid. Excess pressure, and all the contents of the fountain spills out. Belching can be frequent and very plentiful. Therefore, it is important to treat the baby very carefully, do not lift it under the tummy.
Weight changes
In the first month of life, the infant quickly eats and gets better. Immediately after birth, he loses a little weight. This is due to the natural processes of purification. Newborns are born with some excess fluid, as well as meconium in the intestines. These are fecal masses that are collected during fetal development. Immediately after birth, this black-green mass begins to leave the intestines. In this regard, the baby loses up to 10% of its mass.
Further, the weight of the child begins to grow rapidly. In the first month of life, babies add a kilogram or more. This is considered the norm. But if he added 500 g or less, this is an occasion to conduct a thorough examination. If there are no health problems, then it may be necessary to feed mixtures.
Mom's Nutrition
This is a very important issue. On the one hand, it should receive all the necessary nutrients and trace elements. On the other hand, the baby’s body is not yet able to cope with a large load. Therefore, he can respond to any product in his mother’s diet with severe colic, nausea and frequent regurgitation, constipation and diarrhea. So, you are provided with sleepless nights.
The basis is to take a sparing, low-calorie diet. Everything that is fatty and fried, sweet and spicy will have to be excluded. At first, we remove red and yellow vegetables and fruits, as well as products that contribute to increased gas formation (legumes, cabbage, apples). Whole milk, wheat yeast, fish and chicken eggs are banned. These products are strong allergens, and it is better to postpone acquaintance with them a little. Do not forget that the menu should remain full. Feeding a baby the first month of life is an energy-consuming process, and mom needs to replenish the calories spent.
Colic
Some mothers complain that this problem haunts them from the hospital itself. But most often, colic begins to violently make itself felt closer to the end of the first month of life. This problem will gradually fade away by 3-4 months. What does the baby need? First, mom should keep a food diary and eat less foods that her baby responds to. If you notice that you are not sleeping well after eating borsch, then you should try the vegetables that are part of the composition separately. The reaction may be to the broth.
Gradually you will find the safest products. They will become the basis, and they can already be added to all the rest, only one per day and in small portions, carefully observing the child's reaction. By the way, usually the mother’s diet doesn’t depend on how much the child gains in the first month of life. There are still reserves that the body made during pregnancy. Therefore, do not worry, gradually everything will work out.
Of course, every mom experiences painful attacks. To cope with them, you need to learn the technique of massage. Warm diapers attached to the stomach also help. Finally, you can stock up on special drugs like Espumisan or Bebynos.
Learning reflexes
The first month of life of a newborn baby usually passes measuredly, between feeding and sleeping. Mom is constantly busy nearby, and the baby is calm. Despite the fact that the nervous system is still in the process of development, the baby already knows a lot:
- The sucking reflex appears from the first minutes of life. The kid grabs the nipple and begins to get food.
- Grasping reflex. Touch the baby’s palm and it will firmly squeeze a finger.
- If the baby is frightened of something, he spreads his arms and knees, and then pushes them back. This is Moro's reflex, and by the fourth year of his life he is dying away.
The development of the child of the first month of life is evaluated including its reflexes. To do this, at the first visit to a child’s clinic, a neurologist examines. By the end of the first month of life, an instinct for walking forms. If you try to put the crumbs on a flat surface, he will rearrange the legs, simulating walking.
Now he can turn his head when he lies on his stomach. But his neck is still not so strong. Therefore, you must definitely hold the head when you pick up the baby in your arms.
Baby sleep
What does a child need in the first month of life? In addition to the mother's breast, he needs a healthy sleep. Kids spend in a dream for 16-18 hours a day. This is normal, now he needs to accumulate strength for further growth and development. But sleep and wake cycles are still irregular. The kid will wake up and fall asleep the way he wants at the moment.
Try to get help and support from relatives. She will be very needed to sleep, eat and take a walk. Of course, sometimes mothers have to rely only on themselves. Then plan the day in such a way as to have time to sleep with the baby. You can teach your child to sleep at night. To do this, do not close the curtains during the day. Keep your sleep periods shorter. And between them actively communicate and play with the crumbs. Leave only a nightlight at night, and instead of games - a soothing wiggle. Then gradually the baby will learn to stay awake during the day and sleep at night.
Sensory organs
Now the main thing for a child is to constantly see and hear his mother, to feel her warmth and smell. It is also necessary to take into account the features of the sensory organs. Newborn shortsighted. They see only what is at a distance of 20 cm. Therefore, try to communicate with the child in the immediate vicinity.
Surely you will notice that in the first month of life, the child will mow its eyes. This is normal, because the visual control apparatus has not yet developed. Hearing during the first month is also in its infancy, and only by the end of it can we say that he hears the baby quite distinctly. And most of all he is attracted by the voices of his parents, to whom he is accustomed, while still in the womb. These are not just sounds, this is something most dear and intimate. That gives confidence and peace.
First month achievements
For an outsider there are very few of them. If you were at the discharge from the hospital, and then you come to visit after a month, then it seems that the baby has only grown a little. But for parents the difference is enormous.
- Now he knows how to closely monitor his mother or father, who are leaning over him.
- Trying to parody facial expressions.
- With great pleasure, the baby listens to the speech addressed to him.
- He distinguishes bright colors. They will be happy to follow various toys.
- In the supine position, they will actively try to raise their head and turn it toward the subject of interest or relative.
Summing up, we can say that the only thing a child under one month old needs is the love of his parents. High-quality nutrition (breast milk), dry panties and a lot of affection - and your baby will grow quickly.