Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby's Growth and Development

Prenatal Care

Becoming a mother is one of life’s most important journeys. While it may seem like your baby will come into the world in a flash, there are many ways to prepare yourself for your new arrival before his or her birth. Prenatal care is at least one major part of preparing yourself for childbirth, even if you aren’t planning a natural home birth without medical intervention. Here are a few tips that can help you get started on prenatal care.

Labor, Delivery, and Birth

Labor is a term used for when you and your baby start preparing for birth. The cervix (the opening between your vagina and uterus) will get soft, thin, wet, and open up as it prepares for delivery. There are many ways to help soften your cervix before labor begins. If you’re in pain with contractions or even bleeding, talk with your doctor or midwife right away. This can be a sign of infection, which can become dangerous if not treated promptly during pregnancy. Be sure to watch out for warning signs of labor when they first happen.

The first weeks

While you may have heard that newborns should be left alone, and that they will cry themselves to sleep, believe me when I say it’s important not to take your eyes off your baby for longer than a few minutes. Newborns are learning how to breathe, nurse or bottle-feed, regulate their body temperature (aka keep warm), wake up and go back to sleep, vocalize their needs, comfort themselves with hands or mouth, pull off blankets (especially ones covering their face), etc. They are also learning about you! All of these things require human touch—and lots of it.

During baby’s first year

The first few months of your baby’s life are critical for establishing her emotional, social, physical, and cognitive development. The foundation you lay in these early months has a lasting impact on her growth and development over time. It is therefore extremely important that you pay close attention to your baby’s cues so that you can understand what she needs at any given stage of her development. Since babies develop at different rates, it is difficult to predict exactly when each milestone will occur—but one thing is certain: with careful nurturing and an active role in your baby’s life, she will develop into a healthy toddler by her first birthday. Here are some tips for making sure your baby grows up happy, confident, and ready for whatever life throws at her.

Bathing, Dressing, Diapering, Feeding

Babies can't do much for themselves, but dressing them and diapering them is a simple task that most new parents master fairly quickly. However, don't feel as though you need to keep up with every trend. While all babies are different, there are some basics that apply to all: bathe regularly; dress your baby in layers so they can regulate their body temperature; and make sure they're fed on demand. If you're breastfeeding, be aware of how many calories you're taking in—mothers' diets heavily influence their breast milk. They'll often have less energy if they aren't eating enough protein or drinking enough fluids. It's also important for mothers (and fathers) not to let exhaustion get in the way of their children's care.

A new baby brings change

New parents typically have an overwhelming amount of information thrown at them, both before their baby is born and in their first few months with a newborn. This abundance of information can be scary, but a little knowledge goes a long way. Parents don't have to be experts; just having some general understanding of your baby's development is helpful. Luckily, there are many excellent resources that make it easier than ever for new parents to learn what they need in order to properly care for their child. It all starts with learning about your newborn's growth and development timeline, as every baby develops at his or her own pace. Check out our infographic for more details!

What your child says and does

No two babies are alike, so no two development experiences will be identical. But a general timeline can give you an idea of what your child should be doing at each age. Most pediatricians suggest having your child screened for developmental delays between 9 months and 15 months of age, but individual state guidelines may vary on when a child should be checked for such delays. If you have any concerns about your child’s growth or development, discuss them with your doctor as soon as possible. It’s important to note that problems can often be addressed early on—or even prevented completely—when parents work with their children’s doctors early in life.

Development milestones in children one to two years old

Some of your child’s normal development in their first two years is outlined below. Remember that every child develops at their own pace, so don’t be concerned if your baby doesn’t reach these milestones on time. In fact, there is no need for any special intervention unless advised by a health professional. Most babies will do all of these things eventually but some may take longer than others; it’s just part of being a human being.

What are typical behaviors?

Babies develop at different rates. By your baby’s third month, she should be able to hold her head steady while looking around. She can track you with her eyes and make eye contact, too. At six months, she’ll smile when you talk or make a funny face at her, indicating that she recognizes your voice and knows who you are (and also that she likes being a cute little goofball). Her sleep cycles also become more regular during these months as well: Three-month-olds often wake up every two hours for feedings, but by six months old they can sleep for about five hours at a time. That said, most babies continue waking up throughout the night until they are about one year old—and some even later than that.

When Is My Child Learning?

The first year of life is a whirlwind of growth. From eating, sleeping, crying, smiling, crawling and more, there is an incredible amount going on. The chart below gives you an overview of when your child can learn these things; however it is important to note that all children develop at their own pace so don't be concerned if your baby isn't meeting these benchmarks at exactly that time!

How Can I Best Support My Child's Learning?

Before you begin planning how you will help your child learn, it is important that you understand how children learn best. There are two primary ways that children learn: actively and passively. Active learning involves hands-on experience with an object or person in a given situation; passive learning is when a person watches someone else or experiences something. As your child grows older, active learning will become more prominent as he builds upon basic concepts by engaging with them more deeply. Therefore, as his abilities improve, so should his level of involvement in classroom activities. This may require shifting from watching videos at home to doing hands-on activities at school.

Conclusion

While you're growing a baby, your body is also changing. Whether it be your skin, weight, digestion or overall health; it's important to learn how these changes will affect you and your growing baby. The best thing you can do is monitor these changes closely. If you feel something isn't right - don't hesitate to talk with your doctor. There are many things that can go wrong in pregnancy but most cases it won't affect either one of you if caught early enough. So remember to take care of yourself so you can take care of your baby!