For much of the last 4 or 5 weeks, you have watched your infant grow rapidly. You have become acquainted with each other, and you have learned all of his little ways. His world at this time is hard for adults to imagine. It's in soft focus and its qualities are undefined—in some ways it has not been so different from his life in your womb.
Now, before the mists that envelop his infant world part and allow him to start making sense of all the impressions that he has been busy absorbing in the last few weeks, he will need to go through his first major developmental leap. At about 5 weeks, and sometimes as early as 4, your baby will begin to take the first leap forward in his development.
New sensations bombard your baby inside and out, and he is usually bewildered by them. Some of these new things have to do with the development of his internal organs and his metabolism. Others are a result of his increased alertness—his senses are more sensitive than they were immediately after birth. So it is not so much the sensations themselves that are changing, but rather the baby's perceptions of them.
This rapidly changing world is very disturbing at first. Your baby's first reaction will be to want to return to the safe, warm, familiar world he so recently left, a world with mommy at its center. Suddenly, your infant may seem to need more cuddles and attention than he did before. While eating and sleeping and being well-looked after physically were enough to lull him with a sense of well-being before, he now seems to need something more from you. Although your baby has been very close to you since his birth, this may be the first time you think of him as fussy or demanding. This period may last only a day, but with some babies it lasts a whole week.
As this clinginess begins to ease, you will notice that your baby is just a little more grown-up in some way that you find it hard to put your finger on. He seems more alert and aware of the world around him.
Even very young babies of 5 weeks can sense the changes occurring inside their tiny bodies. Having so newly gotten used to a world outside the warm embrace of your body, your baby is now finding her world changing for a second time. It's important to understand that although everything seems the same to you, to her everything she sees, feels, hears, smells, or tastes is different somehow. She may like some of these changes, but she may dislike others because she doesn't yet know how to cope with them. She is still too young to turn to you for help, and she certainly can't ask you what is going on.
Even though your baby can't form the words to tell you what's going on, she is able to communicate quite a bit. Here are some signs that she is preparing to make her first leap.
She May Be Highly Upset
At this time, it's very likely your baby will yell, cry, scream, and refuse to go to sleep in her crib until she has driven the entire household crazy. These are the clues that your baby is about to make her first leap! With a bit of luck, her distress will make you run toward her, pick her up, hold her tight, and let her snuggle up.
She May Crave Closeness with You
If she's even luckier, after you pick her up, you may also let her nurse. Sometimes she will drift off to sleep only if she's snuggled up to mommy in the closest way possible—latched onto the breast. Providing this sort of physical comfort with breast or bottle may be the only way to create the safe world she is so desperate for at this time.
"Normally, my baby is very easy, but she suddenly started crying nonstop for almost 2 days. At first I thought it was just stomach cramps. But then I noticed she stopped whenever I had her on my lap, or when I let her lie in between us. She fell asleep right away then. I kept asking myself if I was spoiling her too much by allowing it. But the crying period stopped just as suddenly as it started, and now she's as easygoing as she was before."
Eve's mom, 5th week
As these major changes in your baby affect her, they're bound to have an affect on you as well. Here are some emotions you may feel.
You May Feel Insecure
All mothers want to find out why their babies are being troublesome and restless so that they can make it better for them. Usually, they will first try to see if the baby is hungry. Then they check if the diaper has come loose. They change her diaper. They try to comfort her with all the love and soothing they can muster in those trying moments. But it isn't easy. Pretty soon they discover that all the best care and comfort doesn't really stop the little bundle from resuming her relentless crying.
Most mothers find a sudden change in their babies' behavior to be a miserable experience. It undermines their confidence and is very distressing.
"My son wanted to be with me all of the time, and I either held him against my chest or on my lap, even when we had company. I was terribly concerned. One night I hardly slept at all. I just spent the whole night holding and cuddling him. Then my sister came and took over for a night. I went in the other bedroom and slept like a log the whole night. I felt reborn when I woke up the next day."
Bob's mom, 5th week
You May Feel Very Concerned
Often, mothers are afraid that something is wrong with their tiny screamers. They think that she's in pain, or that she may be suffering from some abnormality or disorder that has gone undetected until now. Others worry that the milk supply from breastfeeding alone is not sufficient. This is because the baby seems to crave the breast constantly and is always hungry. Some mothers take their babies to doctors for checkups. Of course, most babies are pronounced perfectly healthy and the mothers are sent home to worry alone. (When in doubt, always consult your family doctor or go to the childcare clinic.)
"My daughter was crying so much that I was afraid something was terribly wrong. She wanted to breastfeed constantly. I took her to see the pediatrician, but he couldn't find anything wrong with her. He said she just needed time to get used to my milk and that many infants went through a similar crying phase at 5 weeks. I thought that it was a strange thing to say, because she hadn't had any problems with my milk until then. Her cousin, who was the same age, kept crying, too, but he was being bottle-fed. When I told the doctor that, he pretended he hadn't heard. I didn't push the subject, though. I was happy enough just knowing it wasn't anything serious."
Juliette's mom, 5th week
Because your baby senses something changing, she feels insecure and has a greater need for close skin-to-skin contact. This close embrace seems to be the most powerfully calming type of physical contact when she is upset. Give her all the cuddling she needs and all the contact you feel you can handle at times like these. She needs time to adjust to these new changes and grow into her new world. She's accustomed to your body scent, warmth, voice, and touch. With you, she will relax a little and feel contented again. You can provide the tender loving care she really needs during this trying period.
"Sometimes my daughter will nurse for half an hour and refuse to come off the breast. 'Just take her off after 20 minutes, and let her scream. She'll soon learn,' is the advice people give me. But secretly I think, 'They can say what they like; I decide what's best.'"
Nina's mom, 5th week
You may notice that close physical contact will help during these crying fits, and that a noisy little creature will respond better and quicker when she is with you. Try carrying your baby around in a sling if you can while you go about your chores, or keep her on your lap while you read or do other sedentary activities. A gentle massage or stroking can be helpful, too.
"When my baby was crying all the time, she seemed so lost. I had to massage her for a long time before she calmed down a bit. I felt exhausted but extremely satisfied. Something changed after that. It doesn't seem to take as long to soothe her now. When she cries now, I don't find it such an effort to put her world to rights again."
Nina's mom, 4th week
Mothers who carry their babies around whenever they are in a fussy mood may label them "extremely dependent." These babies like nothing better than lying quietly against their mothers and being stroked, rocked, or cuddled. They may fall asleep on their mothers' laps, but start to cry again as soon as furtive attempts are made to sneak them back into their cribs.
When you want to comfort a tiny baby, a gentle rhythm can play a very important role. Hold your baby close to you, with his bottom resting on one arm while your other arm supports his head resting against your shoulder. When he's in this position, he can feel the soothing beat of your heart
Here are a few other mom-recommended methods to soothe a tiny screamer.
Not all of these ideas will suit your baby personally, so if you don't succeed at first, keep trying until you find out what works for him. The most successful way of comforting a crying baby is to do the things he enjoys most when he's in a cheerful mood.
Mothers who stick to feeding and sleeping schedules often notice that their babies fall asleep during feeding. Some wonder if this is because the babies are so exhausted from crying and lack of sleep that they have no energy left to nurse. This may seem logical, but it may not be the whole story. It's more likely that the baby falls asleep because she's where she wants to be. She's finally with mommy, and she's content, so she is able to fall asleep.
Slings are extremely easy to make and cozy for you and your new baby. A sling will help to give your arms a break by supporting your baby's weight and make your baby feel safe and secure. Plus, they cost only a few dollars to make. Your baby can use a sling almost immediately after birth since it allows him to lie flat. Here's how to make one.
Use a sturdy piece of material, 1 yard by 3 1/2 yards. Drape the cloth over your left shoulder if you are right-handed, or over your right shoulder if you are left-handed, and knot the ends together at the opposite hip. Turn the knot toward your back. Check to see if the length of the sling feels right. If it does, the sling is ready for use. Pop your baby inside and support her with your hands. It's that easy!
"The first 2 days my son cried so much. I was doing my best to stick to the proper bedtimes, but it turned out to be a total disaster. It drove us both up the wall. Now I keep him on my lap for as long as he wants without feeling guilty. I feel good about it. It's nice and warm and cozy. It's obvious he loves it. The feeding schedule's gone out the window, too. I didn't stick to it. Now he just lets me know when he's hungry. Sometimes he nurses for a long time, but sometimes he doesn't. He's much more contented now, and I am, too."
Steven's mom, 5th week
A number of indications in babies of approximately 4 to 5 weeks show that they are undergoing enormous changes that affect their senses, metabolism, and internal organs. This is when the first leap occurs—the baby's alertness in the world of sensations increases dramatically. At this point your baby is losing some of his newborn skills. He will no longer follow a face with his eyes or turn toward a sound. There are signs that these early skills were controlled by primitive centers in the lower brain, and that they disappear to make way for developments in the higher levels of the brain. Soon you will see similar behaviors emerge, but this time they will seem to be much more under your baby's control. At this age, your baby is also likely to outgrow problems that he may have had initially with his digestive system.
A baby with sleeping problems will often fall asleep more quickly when he is with you. The warmth of your body, your gentle movements, and your soft sounds will help to soothe him. Here are some tips on the best ways to get him to sleep.
Between 4 and 5 weeks old, your baby goes through a whole set of changes that affect his senses—the way he experiences the world, the way he feels, even the way he digests his food. His whole world feels, looks, smells, and sounds different. Some of these changes have direct consequences that you can see. For example, this may be the first time that you notice him crying real tears. He may stay awake for longer periods and seem more interested in the world around him. Just after birth, he was only able to focus on objects that were up to a foot away, but now he can focus at a longer distance. It's not surprising, therefore, that a baby feels it's time for some action.
Five to six-week-old babies are even prepared to work in order to experience interesting sensations. In a laboratory experiment, babies showed that they could adjust the focus of a color movie by sucking harder on a pacifier. As soon as the baby stopped sucking, the picture blurred. Babies at this age have difficulty sucking and watching at the same time, so they could keep this up only for a few seconds. To check that this was really what they were trying to do, the babies were then required to stop sucking in order to bring the picture into focus. They could do this, too!
Babies can also start using their smile in social contact to influence their experiences. Your baby's smiles change from something superficial, almost robot-like, into social smiles around this age. Mothers and fathers become very excited when they see a smile at an earlier age, but once they have seen the "social smile," they will admit noticing a difference.
Brain Changes
At approximately 3 to 4 weeks, there is a dramatic increase in a baby's head circumference. His glucose metabolism, in the brain, also changes.
How My Baby Explores the New World of Changing Sensations
Check off the boxes below as your baby changes. Stop filling this out once the next stormy period begins, heralding the next leap.
HIS INTEREST IN HIS SURROUNDINGS
HIS PHYSICAL CHANGES
OTHER CHANGES YOU NOTICE
The senses of all babies develop rapidly at this time, and they will all become clearly more interested in their surroundings. It may or may not seem obvious at first, but every baby will have his own preferences. Some bright-eyed infants really enjoy looking at and watching everything and everyone around them. Others will listen keenly to music and sounds around them and will find sound-producing objects such as rattles more appealing than anything else. Another group of babies will love to be touched, and they would like nothing better than to play games that involve being touched and caressed by someone. Some babies don't have any clear preference. Even at this very young age, you will find that every baby is different.
As you go through the "My Diary" list on page 47, you may want to mark or highlight the items that apply now to your baby. He may display only a few of the behaviors, and others may not appear for several weeks. An infant who is more interested in certain sensory experiences in his world than others is showing you that he is already an individual.
"I take my daughter along to my singing classes every day. During the first few weeks, she hardly reacted to sounds at all, and I felt quite concerned, to be honest. Now suddenly, she's totally preoccupied by noises of any kind when she is awake. If she wakes up in a bad mood and I sing to her, she stops crying immediately. She doesn't stop when my friends sing, though!"
Hannah's mom, 6th week
The very best way to help your baby is to give her tender loving care and support. It is impossible to spoil her at this age, so never feel guilty about comforting her, especially when she cries.
Help your baby on her voyage of discovery. You'll find that she is usually more interested in the world around her now. She is more perceptive, and she is often awake for a longer time to enjoy her surroundings. Try to find out what activities she likes best by watching her reactions carefully. As small as she is, she is still able to let you know what pleases or displeases her. Once you know what your baby likes, you'll be able to introduce new activities, games, and toys gently.
Your baby will smile when given the things that she enjoys most. It can be something she sees, hears, smells, tastes, or feels. Because her senses have developed and she is now able to perceive a little more of her world, she will also smile more often. It will be very rewarding to experiment and discover which activities produce these wonderful smiles.
"I dance around with my baby, and when I stop, he smiles."
John's mom, 6th week
"When I put my face close to my daughter's and smile and talk to her, she makes eye contact and grins. It's wonderful."
Laura's mom, 5th week
"My daughter smiles at her dolls and teddy bears."
Jenny's mom, 6th week
That's Just How Babies Are
Babies love anything new, and it is important that you acknowledge your baby's new skills and interests He will enjoy it if you share these new discoveries, and his learning will progress more quickly with your encouragement.
Your baby looks longer at objects that interest her now. The brighter the colors, the more fascinating she will find them. She also likes striped and angular objects. And your face, of course.
If you walk around with your baby, you'll automatically discover what she likes looking at best. Give her enough time to have a good look at things—and don't forget that her range of focus is not much more than a foot. Some babies like looking at the same objects time and time again, while others get bored if they are not shown something different each time. If you notice that your baby is getting bored, show her objects that are similar to the ones she likes but slightly different.
"My baby is much more aware of everything she sees now. Her favorites are the bars of her crib, which contrast with the white walls; books on the bookshelf; our ceiling, which has long wooden slats with a dark stripe in between; and a black-and-white ink drawing on the wall. At night, lights seem to interest her the most."
Emily's mom, 5th week
"My son stares right into my face and gazes at me for quite some time. He thinks it's funny when I eat. He looks at my mouth and watches me chew. He seems to think it's fascinating."
Kevin's mom, 6th week
"When I move a green and yellow ball slowly from left to right, my daughter turns her head to follow it. She seems to think it's great fun, although this proud mom probably enjoys it more than she does."
Ashley's mom, 5th week
Sounds usually fascinate babies. Buzzing, squeaking, ringing, rustling, or whizzing sounds are all interesting. Babies find human voices very intriguing, too. High-pitched voices are extremely interesting, although nothing can beat the sound of mother's voice, even if she's not a natural soprano.
Even at 5 weeks old, you can have cozy little chats with your baby. Pick a comfortable place to sit and put your face close to hers. Chat to her about how beautiful she is, everyday events, or whatever comes to mind. Stop talking once in a while to give her a chance to "reply."
"I really think my son is listening to me now. It's remarkable."
Matt's mom, 5th week
"Sometimes my baby chats back to me when I'm talking to her. She talks longer now, and sometimes it seems as if she's really trying to tell me something. It's adorable. Yesterday, she chatted to her rabbit in her crib."
Hannah's mom, 5th week
All babies become more aware of being touched at this age. Too many cuddling visitors may suddenly become "too much" for one baby, whereas another one may enjoy the attention tremendously. Every baby is different! You may hear your baby laughing out loud for the very first time now, perhaps when she is being tickled. But for most babies of this age, tickling is something that they will not yet particularly appreciate.
"My daughter laughed out loud, really roared, when her brother started tickling her. Everyone was startled, and it went dead quiet."
Emily's mom, 5th week
Let your baby's responses guide you. Your baby has become more sensitive, so you need to be careful not to overstimuate him. Bear this in mind when you play with him, cuddle him, show him things, or let him listen to things. You have to adapt to him. Stop as soon as you notice something is getting to be too much for him
Your baby is still unable to concentrate for a long period of time, so he'll need short rest breaks. You may think he's lost interest, but he hasn't. Be patient. Usually he'll be raring to go again if you let him rest for a short while.
Your baby may use a greater range of crying and gurgling sounds than before, and she may produce these sounds more frequently at this age. She may have different sounds for different situations. Babies will often make a whimpering sound before falling asleep. If a baby is really upset, you'll be able to tell by the way she cries, because it's a totally different sound. It's telling you that something is wrong. Your baby may also make other noises, such as gurgling sounds to show she is happy, especially when she is looking at or listening to something. These sounds will help you to understand her better. If you understand what your baby is trying to tell you, let her know. Babies adore interaction.
"I know exactly when my baby is gurgling with pleasure or grumbling because she's angry. Sometimes she gurgles with pleasure when she sees her mobile, and she loves it when I imitate the sounds she makes."
Hannah's mom, 6th week
At around 6 weeks, the leap has ended, and a period of comparative peace dawns. Babies are more cheerful, more alert, and more preoccupied with looking and listening at this time. Many mothers claim that their eyes seem brighter. Babies are also capable of expressing their likes and dislikes at this age. In short, life seems a little less complicated than before.
"We communicate more now. Suddenly, the hours that my son is awake seem more interesting."
Frankie's mom, 6th week
I feel closer to my baby. Our bond is stronger.
Bob's mom, 6th week
Do Remember
My Diary
Baby Care