WEEK 5

YOUR BABY

Your baby will become more enjoyable as his personality starts to shine.

If you look closely, you may find that your five-week-old is gaining more control of the use of his arms, and he may crudely bat at objects when they’re held in front of him, making contact every few attempts. He may also clutch both hands together in front of his chest.

Your baby’s awake–and-aware time is gradually lengthening, and he may also be more skilled at soothing himself briefly by sucking on his fingers or a pacifier. Your baby’s eyesight has improved, and he can focus almost twice as far as when he was born. His arms and legs may begin to cycle excitedly when you get ready to pick him up.

He may be able to briefly hold up his head when he’s facedown, but then his neck and back will tire and his head will bob. Try propping up his chest with a small bolster or rolled-up towel, or rolling him gently forward and backward on an exercise ball when he’s in a face-down position to help strengthen his back and neck muscles.

When your baby’s alert and lying on his back, he may make large, jerky movements in response to your touch or gentle tickling. If you press on the soles of his feet with your hands, he may push back. And you could discover him lying on his side after you’ve put him on his back.

While your baby used to hate taking a bath, he may now enjoy the splashing, except for the headrinsing part. Some parents find it’s easier to take the baby into the shower with them, or to lift the baby out of a baby seat to join them in the tub, bracing the baby on their bent knees with his feet resting on their stomachs. If you want to try this, be sure the water isn’t too hot for your baby’s sensitive skin, and get help lifting the baby in and out, since bathtub falls are a major hazard for adults.

YOU

If you’ve decided to be a stay-at-home parent, you’re beginning to get your daily routines worked out, and you’ve fully moved into “baby time,” which is a lot slower than adult time. If you’ve agreed to return to work soon, you may feel twinges of poignancy at having to leave your baby at the very moment he’s becoming so confident and delightful. As the time to return to work draws nearer, you may find yourself pulling back from your emotional involvement with your baby, and you may start building up your reasons for being unhappy at home.

At the same time, you may have the urge to train your baby not to be so dependent on you and to help him get used to being handled and soothed by other people. Meanwhile, you’re quietly struggling with the dramatic upcoming shift in your reality. You’ll be buckling yourself up to travel from timeless “baby time” back into stricter work time.