collaborative post // Having your first child is an emotional time, with most of these emotions being positive. Happiness and excitement will be the most notable. It’s not uncommon to be a little worried, however. You’ll be unsure about what you need to do, and could even worry if you’re taking care of your baby right.
From when they’re a few weeks old, to 1 year old baby development milestones and beyond, there’ll be a lot to consider. You shouldn’t have to be worried about it, though. By knowing what you can expect in the weeks and months after your baby is born, you can relax much more.
If you’re about to have a baby, it’s worth looking into seven of the more notable.
Milestones & Other Things To Expect With Your Newborn: 7 Top Options
1. They’ll Learn To Be Soothed
It can take a decent bit of effort to soothe and calm your baby in the days after their birth. They’ll still be used to the womb, so it’ll take a bit of an adjustment for them to get comfortable and calm anywhere else. This is quite common.
They’ll learn to be soothed relatively quickly, though, and you shouldn’t have a problem calming them down and getting them to sleep by swaddling them. It’ll end up being easier than you’d think.
2. Their Brains Explode In Development
You could be surprised by how active your baby’s brain will be in the weeks and months after their birth. They’re like sponges soaking up the information around them. The more information they can get, the better. They’ll take in more and more information as the days go on.
Go out of your way to talk to them as much as you can. While it mightn’t seem like they’re understanding it, they’re taking it in, and it’ll help their brain development.
3. They’ll Make Little Noises
Many people think of the crying in the weeks after their baby is born when they imagine what their newborn will sound like. That’s far from the only noises they’ll make, even in the first few weeks after their birth. They’ll be learning to communicate from the day they’re born, and will often try to get your attention this way.
Expect them to make cooing noises and other sounds as a way to try to talk to you. With a little time, they’ll get better and better at this, eventually resulting in them saying their first word. It’ll be much more exciting than you’d think.
4. They’ll Lose & Regain Their Birth Weight
Every parent knows what their child’s birth weight is. What can be surprising, though, is they’ll lose some of this in the days after their birth. Any excess fluid in their body will be excreted, and they’ll learn to take in food for the first time. It’s not uncommon for them to weigh a little less because of that, so don’t be worried if it does.
They’ll start putting this weight back on after a few weeks, especially as they get taller and taller. You shouldn’t be worried about any weight loss right after your baby’s birth. In time, you could end up being surprised by just how much they’ll end up putting on.
5. They’ll Start Lifting Their Head
In the first few weeks of your child’s life, they won’t be able to support their head. It’s why you’ll have to hold them in a way to do this for quite some time. While you’ll have to do this for a few weeks, you’ll start seeing the signs they’re getting better at it relatively quickly.
A lot of this starts with them lying on their stomach, especially when they’re on your chest. They’ll start lifting their head a little, but this will get more and more in time. They’ll be building up their muscle tone during this time, and they could end up being able to properly lift and support their head faster than you’d think.
6. They’ll Open Their Eyes More
Babies can seem relatively sleepy in the first few weeks of their lives, even after they’ve had a nap. Their eyes will be closed for much of this, but it shouldn’t be surprising if their eyes are slightly open. That all changes after a few weeks when they’ll seem much more awake.
Their eyes will open much wider, and they’ll seem more alert. While their eyesight will still be relatively blurry, they’ll pay much more attention to what’s going on around them. Expect them to look around them much more, as well as paying more attention to your face. It’ll be as exciting for them as it should be for you.
7. The Day/Night Cycle Could Reverse
When babies are first born, they have a tendency to sleep more during the day than they do during the night. It’s why quite a few parents end up having sleepless nights a lot of the time. Your sleep schedule will be disrupted quite significantly, so you’ll need to be prepared for that.
It doesn’t mean you’ll have to settle for that for too long. After a few weeks, you should see them start to sleep more during the night than they do during the day. It’ll end up completely reversed, and you’ll be back to having a relatively restful night with your baby. You can encourage this by showing them the signs of the day/night cycle.
Letting sunlight in during the day and keeping things relatively dark at night time helps.
Milestones & Other Things To Expect With Your Newborn: Wrapping Up
You’ll go through countless milestones with your baby as they grow up. By knowing as much as possible about them, you shouldn’t have to worry about any changes you’ll see. The more informed you are about everything, the better.
Instead of stressing out about anything that’s supposed to happen, you’ll be filled with wonder and joy. Losing and regaining their birth weight, brains developing much faster, reversing the day/night cycle, and other newborn milestones are all notable. You’ll be filled with wonder as your baby grows.
