Friday, May 20, 2011

Some baby wisdom: 0-3 months

Peanut is 4 months on Sunday.  I thought I’d let you guys know all the stuff we’ve learned so far from our friends, pediatrician, books, bloggers, and anyone else that was willing to give us a hand in this whole baby-raising.
Just born

  • There are some totally awesome ways to burp your baby that aren’t written down in the baby handbook.  One that we absolutely love/works every time is putting the baby over your shoulder (as usual), then walking/bouncing up and down while patting the baby’s back.  It gets the burp out every   single   time.  (Thanks Michael!)
  • Raising one end of the baby’s crib helps congestion and reflux.  Peanut got her first cold around 8 weeks and our friend and pediatrician told us to put the bed at a slight angle to help things drain down.  We have had it raised ever since and it works wonders.
1 week old


  • One of the reasons that the baby wakes up a lot at night is because s/he is cold.  Try adding a layer if the nose/hands/feet seem too cold.  But be careful not to overheat the baby!
  • Schedules are great in theory, but babies know best.  One of the biggest things that I’ve learned so far is to be flexible.  My extreme-type-A personality doesn’t let me lean back and let things just happen.  I’m a planner.  And a scheduler.  But Peanut knows what she wants and when she wants it.  So I just gotta learn how to go along with it.
3 weeks old

  • Routines are important; but so is flexibility when things change.  Every single week Peanut has a new habit/routine/something different.  So as much as we stick to our routines (eat every 2.5-3 hours, eat after a nap not before, bath swaddle eat before bed), we’re flexible when things have to change.
  • There are a lot of growth spurts that throw the whole schedule/routine/everything-you-know-about-your-baby off.  Peanut went through the following: 2 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 10 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months.  Hers usually last between 1-3 days.  We know it’s a growth spurt when Peanut wants to eat small quantities almost hourly; she wakes hourly during the night; 2 days of crazy eating is usually followed by a day or two of constant sleeping.  But after each growth spurt Peanut changes into a whole new little person – learning to “talk,” reach for things, finding her feet, etc. 
4 weeks old

  • Breastfeeding is not what I expected.  Sure there is a connection and I love it, but it’s hard and stressful too.  But if you can get through the first month, things will get 150% easier.
  • Each parent has a certain way of doing things.  And learning those differences is important to the baby.  Babies need to learn that there is more than one way someone can hold them, sooth them, play with them.  This is how they learn that there is more than one person in this world.  (But we all know that my way is the right way).
9 weeks old

  • Babies have to learn the difference between day and night.  To teach them, it’s important to be as quiet as possible at night, keeping interactions to a minimum.  Keep the lights dimmed or off, don’t talk to the baby, try to ignore the extreme cuteness/smiling faces/gurgling awesomeness.  During the day, keep the baby engaged and awake when they’re comfortable.  It’s not easy but you’ll be super thankful when they know the difference.
  • Don’t get too caught up with baby milestones – every baby is different.
11 weeks old

  • Keeping the baby awake during the first couple of weeks is as hard as getting them to go to sleep later on.
  • Babies will cry almost as much during the 6-7th week as they will the rest of their lives.  Not only are babies affected by colic the most during this time, they’re also at their gassiest.  These two weeks might feel like 2 of the longest weeks of your life, but that, too, passes.  Starting around week 8, Peanut started changing almost daily – smiling a little more each day, cooing instead of crying, and sleeping in longer stretches as her belly adjusted.
3 months

  • Life will never be the same for us.  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Do you have any advice for the new moms?

Do you have any advice for us for the 4-6 months?

6 comments:

  1. 4-6 months is when you start worrying about solids and new things - but here's my advice - just keep doing what you're doing and don't feel the need to rush into these new milestones. She doesn't NEED food at 4 months, and you don't need to stress about it. =) Just keep enjoying that baby - in a blink she'll be walking and you won't even remember the baby stage. My advice: enjoy her! =)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ditto on the not stressing about solids. It was hard for me not to. I was so excited to give him different things. I think I rushed it and ended up giving him too much too soon and he got constipated. And keep in mind that you know what's best. I just recently learned that. You may not be a baby expert but you are the expert when it comes to YOUR baby.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Girl! I love Peanut :) I wish she could come tonight!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ditto on the above folks. You know when your Peanut is hungry - eventually a complete bottle will leave her feeling hungry and unhappy about it and then you'll know she needs something else - solids! I didn't start until a week before my son turned 6 mths.

    The best thing about 4-6 mths is everything. That is when you can really see the little person they're becoming. I say that's when they "turn on" - it's like someone flips a switch and all of a sudden they're electric - new expressions, new sounds, sitting up on their own. Every stage is precious and wonderful in its own way, but 4-6 weeks has a special place in my heart. Enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. 4-6 months: Getting ready for drool. Lots and lots of drool. And then teething! And the solid food thing is fun too :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great list! Not all of that was true for us but a bunch of it did ring true! Especially the part about being Type A and baby's not wanting to be on schedules. Katie also has a loose routine of her own (feeds every 3-3 1/2 hours, plays a little, then naps, wakes up 1-2 times at night around 4-5am) which is comforting. But it changes up every now and then and I have to learn to go with the flow.

    Since Katie is turning 5 months in 2 days I don't really have any advice. But she just gets more and more. Her smiles and laughs are bigger but so are her fits. Also, we have decided to exclusively feed breastmilk until 6 months so I'll be watching as your Peanut learns about solids!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Button

Current Giveaway

Current Giveaway
$25 Amazon.com Gift Card

My Peeps

Tweet tweet

Facebook

Blogs I follow

I-was-featured-button Photobucket
Thoughts from an Evil Overlord
 
Designs by Munchkin Land Designs. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.