As a new or soon-to-be parent, you’re probably experiencing a wide range of emotions — joy, gratitude, fear, uncertainty and excitement. You’d be hard-pressed to find another life event that stirs up so many emotions at the same time. It’s completely natural to feel all of these things while you’re expecting a baby. After all, raising a child is challenging work. And you are a superhero for taking on the challenge.
Over time, you’ll discover that parenting takes a lot of work. And, although you can’t possibly learn all there is to know about children, it also helps to understand the developmental milestones your baby will be working toward throughout their first year of life.
One thing many parents don’t realize is that their child’s brain development takes place at an unparalleled rate between the third trimester of pregnancy and their child’s second birthday. This means no phase of life is more critical than this one.
So, what important newborn milestones should you be looking out for as a new parent? And how can you set your child — and ultimately yourself — up for success?
The First Months of Your Baby’s Life
During the first year of your new baby’s life, nearly every week will reveal a new baby milestone. It would be impossible to list every single one. But, there are a few big ones that occur during the first year of a baby’s life that are important. Why? Because you can help to nourish and nurture your baby as their brains and bodies develop to meet these milestones.
Baby’s brain development relies on certain essential vitamins and nutrients to aid in each milestone — physical and cognitive — it achieves. Vitamins such as iron, zinc, folic acid, and Vitamins A, B6, B12 and D are needed to help the brain and body’s progression each day.
Whether you’re in the first week of your baby’s life or simply looking ahead, it’s important to understand your baby’s development and the milestones you’ll encounter along the way. Everyone knows about crawling, smiling and, eventually, walking. But what about the other less obvious baby milestones?
1. Weight Gain
During the first weeks of your baby’s life, your goal is simply to help them adjust to the world around them while they gain weight. Whether you’ve chosen to breastfeed or you’re sticking to formula, you’ll spend most of your time feeding your little one or preparing for their next feeding. This is normal and healthy. On average, babies should double their birth weight by the time they’re five months old. By their first birthday, most babies triple their birth weight.
This doesn’t mean you need to weigh your baby every day. Your pediatrician can help track the baby’s weight with regular visits. If your child isn’t gaining weight as quickly as expected, your pediatrician can also help you figure out how to help.
It will seem like all you’re doing is feeding your baby. And that’s okay. As the months go by, you’ll gradually change from wanting them to eat as much as possible to teach them to enjoy a well-rounded diet of healthy foods. The first weeks of your baby’s life aren’t about developing a schedule or feeding them a set amount of food. All of that can come later. For now, simply enjoy the cuddles during feeding times and work with your pediatrician to make sure your newborn is gaining weight at an appropriate speed.
2. Fortifying Baby’s Immune System
During the first few months of your baby’s life, their brain is developing like crazy. At this stage, their immune system is still developing, which means that it’s incredibly important to protect your little one from viruses or bacteria that could make them sick.
When a baby is solely breastfed, they receive the protection their immune system needs from the breastmilk they consume, whether they consume it from their mothers’ breast or from a bottle after it’s been pumped. When babies exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of their life, they receive antibodies, enzymes, white blood cells and immune factors. These are so strong that they have been shown to protect children from an illness during — and even after — breastfeeding. Breastfeeding has also been shown to protect against a variety of illnesses, including respiratory illness, diarrheal illness and even allergies later on.
Although breastfeeding is a noble feat, and ideal when possible, there are times when it is not an option for a newborn. Although there is no way to replicate the immune system protection that comes from breastmilk, this doesn’t mean your child is bound to fall ill or lag behind developmentally. In fact, today’s formulas are all fortified with nutrients this needed to encourage baby’s development. During the first few months of a formula-fed baby’s life, it’s also a good idea to limit encounters with germs. Your pediatrician can also provide guidance on which formula to choose and other ways to protect your baby’s fragile immune system.
3. Motor Skills
When your baby is born, they won’t even be able to hold up their head without assistance. When they do attempt to hold up their head, it will wobble around and any movements they make will appear jerky and uncoordinated. Over the first month of your baby’s life, you’ll notice their muscles get stronger. They may be able to push up while they’re on their stomach and hold their head up — first for a few seconds at a time, then gradually for longer periods. They may begin to grab for an object when you place it near them, and you’ll likely notice them kicking or stretching more regularly.
4. Hearing and Vision
Babies are born with sensitive hearing, which means loud or sudden noises may startle them. Over the first few months, you’ll notice that they gradually become more accustomed to the sounds of your household — especially if you have other children or pets in the home. And, you’ll also notice that your baby responds to the sound of your voice when you talk to them. They may turn their heads in the direction of your voice or even smile when they hear you.
Initially, babies can’t focus on objects that aren’t directly in front of them. But, this changes rapidly over the first couple of months after birth. First, you’ll notice that they gaze into your face during feedings. Then, they may show an ability to look at simple, but bold, patterns around them. By three months of age, most children will be able to track their parent or loved ones’ movements around a small room.
5. Communication
Your baby won’t start forming words for a while, but around two months of age, you’ll likely notice them cooing or making gurgling sounds while you’re interacting with them. Sometimes you may even catch them talking to a toy or to themselves. While this has often been referred to as “babble,” make no mistake — this is a huge developmental milestone for babies! Babbling signals the brain’s continued development and that it’s already preparing to communicate more effectively later on. Encourage it and enjoy it!
First 1,000 Days of Parenting
Parenting magazines and websites often refer to the first 1,000 days of parenting or child development — basically their first two years of life. These days are intensely important when it comes to a baby’s brain development. But, in the first weeks and months of your baby’s life, you’re exhausted. Sleep is broken and hard to come by, and there’s a lot to do when you’re awake. You’re not exactly thinking about cognitive development and motor skills.
Resist the urge to put pressure on yourself to figure everything out. Trust us — there’s not a parent out there who’s figured everything out! Take a step back. Enjoy those coos and gurgles. Rejoice when your little one pushes up on their forearms or meets a weight expectation at the pediatrician. And ask for help. Your pediatrician is a great resource when it comes to understanding and achieving developmental milestones in the first two years of your baby’s life.
At the Los Angeles-based Western Fertility Institute (WFI) we are committed to supporting families every step of the way. There is no greater honor than coming alongside someone who desires to add a child to their family. We assist couples who have received a diagnosis of infertility, as well as same-sex couples and single women who are looking to start their family.
Contact us today, and take the first step toward starting your family.
This content was medically reviewed by the Western Fertility Institute medical team on November 11, 2019.
Sources
https://www.westernfertility.com/ivf-fertility-success-rates/
https://www.westernfertility.com/make-an-appointment/
https://www.healthgrades.com/explore/7-nutrition-milestones-for-your-childs-first-1-000-days