When a baby first appears in the house after birth, this becomes the beginning of a new life not only for him, but also for young parents, who often do not know at all what to do with such a baby. The first month is always the most difficult, because new responsibilities and excitement await the young mother - it is at the age of 0-28 days that the baby is called a newborn.

Weight gain and height

A newborn baby of the first month gains 20 g daily, i.e. at the end of the month child recovers by about 600 g. Such an increase is less than those that await the baby in the coming months - this is due to the fact that in the first week the newborn loses up to 8% of its original weight. This phenomenon is observed in almost all 1-month-old babies and is quite understandable from a medical point of view:

• the child excretes a lot of original feces, which is called meconium;
• Mom doesn’t have much milk yet;
• a large amount of energy wasted.

There is an opinion that full-term babies who were born on time, but at the same time with a small weight, gain it more intensively than chubby peers. If the baby was born prematurely, then it will be much slower to gain the desired weight. Average 1 month old baby grows 3 cm.

inborn reflexes

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All newborns of the first month have congenital reflexes, which are acquired regardless of any reasons and are unconditional. On examination, the pediatrician must check whether the repulsion reflex from the adult palm is well developed, how the grasping reflex is developed, whether the baby holds on to the finger placed in his palm, whether he leans on the foot when he is lifted to a vertical position, studies other reflexes. The general coordination of movements in the newborn is still absent.

With regular training, by the end of 1 month, the baby can raise his head for a while from a prone position on his tummy (we recommend reading:). This period is also characterized by fixation of the gaze on a bright object, even a short observation of the toy indicates the progression of development.

Also, the newborn begins to be active and even smile if they begin to talk to him in an affectionate voice (we recommend reading:).

The neonatal stage is the very first crisis period in the development of the baby. It is a transition from a dependent type of existence to an individual form of life, from darkness to light, from heat to cold, from one type of breathing and nourishment to completely different ones. Other types of physiological regulation of behavior come into play, and most systems actually begin to function anew. The appearance of the "revitalization complex" is the psychological criterion for the end of the neonatal crisis.

How to care for a newborn?

Proper care of a 1-month-old baby is vital:

• Carefully handle the umbilical cord. The time when the navel heals is closer to the second week. Make sure there is no swelling or redness.
• Look after your relatives. They should be washed during each bath. A small fontanel is delayed by 3 months, and a large one only by 18.
• If you have a boy, watch the body's reaction while crying. See a doctor if you notice a bulge in your scrotum, groin, or belly button. This may indicate that the child has.
• Do massage to strengthen the child's muscles and promote physical development. Massage should be performed for about 10 minutes, the ideal time is at least half an hour after eating.
• Take care of sensitive baby skin, she is very vulnerable in the first months of life. Urine, feces and other irritants can lead to redness, so choose soft diapers and supplement your care with baby oil on sensitive skin.
• Don't Forget About Hygiene: girls need to be washed only from front to back and do this after each diaper or diaper change, boys should be washed in the same way, only you need to pay special attention to the foreskin - it should be washed with running water without soap every 7 days. Babies should be bathed daily.

How often does the child poop and pee?

Infants urinate approximately with the following frequency: on the first day - 1-2 times, by 5 days the amount increases to 15 times a day. By the end of the newborn period, the number of urination is 20-25 times a day. A small amount of urination after birth is associated with a small amount of fluid intake and immature kidneys.

The chair in 1-month-old babies is not the same and changes almost every day. In the first 2 days, the discharge of thick greenish-brown meconium is characteristic, followed by frequent stools that differ in consistency (mucus, greenery or undigested lumps may appear) - such a stool happens 8 times a day and is called transitional. A week after birth, the child begins to poop 3-8 times a day, while the stool has a sour smell, the color is yellow, and the consistency is mushy. Formula-fed babies poop less often. The frequency of bowel movements is 3-4 times a day.

If the baby is fed well-digestible breast milk, there may be a 2-day delay in stools, but there will be completely normal behavior. The baby does not experience discomfort, does not suffer from bloating or regurgitation.

baby sleep

Most of the time newborns spend in a dream, the total sleep time per day is about 18 hours. Waking time is spent mainly on food and hygiene. The periods of "festivities" are relatively short - about 15-20 minutes.

With age, the child will become more active, and now children often fall asleep immediately after feeding or even during it. If there are other reasons, awakening between feedings is also possible - such reasons include a diaper not changed on time, a sharp loud sound, or an uncomfortable position.

Child nutrition

1 month of life is an adaptation period, when the whole body of the baby gets used to the new living conditions. The same applies to nutrition. Infants who receive only mother's milk, as a rule, do not have clear time limits between meals. Mom feeds the baby on demand - a similar method is called free feeding. In 1 month of life, the baby is often applied to the breast - about 12 times, but there is also a more frequent desire to suck on mother's breast. Do not worry, the child has not yet established his own feeding regimen, after a while the schedule will change. The frequent requirement of the breast is associated not only with the satisfaction of hunger, but also with the satisfaction of the sucking reflex, which favorably affects the psychological state of the baby.

Artificer babies receive adapted formula about 8 times a day for two weeks after birth. Formula-fed babies should be fed strictly according to the schedule, and when the baby is already more than 2 weeks old, you can try to take a night break and sleep, so it will last about 6 hours, and the number of feedings per day will be 7. Babies who eat the mixture should supplement with water, which can be offered between feedings.

Calculating the required dose of the adapted mixture is quite simple: 80xY or 70xY, where Y is the day of the baby's life. This formula is valid for children in the first 10 days of life. Birth weight affects the choice of the first or second formula option. Babies with a body weight of more than 3200 g at birth receive a mixture according to the first part of the formula, if the weight was below this indicator, according to the second. The one-time volume of the adapted mixture is calculated as follows: the resulting value should be divided by the number of feedings.

walks

How much to walk with a newborn in the first month of life depends on the season and weather. In warm summertime, you can walk with your baby almost the next day after being discharged from the hospital, but the duration of the walks should be short at first. Start with 15-30 minutes and gradually increase your outdoor time. After a week, your walks with a newborn can last almost 2 hours, i.e. practically occupy all the free time between feedings.

Dr. Komarovsky advises walking 2 times a day if the weather is good. Babies born in the cold season must first adapt a little at home. After 1-2 days, you can start the first walks in the fresh air, but keep in mind that you should not walk with a newborn if the air temperature is below -10 ° C or if there is a strong wind outside. The duration of walks is about 10 minutes at first and gradually increases to 40 minutes. If the weather permits, the walking time can be extended even up to an hour.

Examinations of the first month of life

Having reached the age of 1 month, the child goes to the first appointment with the doctor.

1. Mothers should show their child not only to a pediatrician, but also to other specialists: a neurologist, an orthopedist, a surgeon.
2. If there are indications, the list of specialists can be increased - the pediatrician gives a referral for an examination to a cardiologist or ophthalmologist.
3. A monthly baby should be checked with an ultrasound examination to identify possible pathologies in the development of the hip joint.
4. Along with this, ultrasound of the brain and internal organs is performed - such a thorough examination will help to identify diseases at an early stage.
5. At this age, the child should do an ECG (electrocardiogram), where an experienced doctor will analyze the work of your baby's heart.