Congratulation! Your baby is 1 Month old!

The confusion of the first month has more or less diminished. Baby's own temperament and personal style are emerging this month. You are probably developing an individualistic style of relating to your baby. However many a time your baby can make you feel inadequate. But experience brings confidence. During this month your baby settles into a more predictable routine and enjoys longer periods of alertness.

Bonding is an ongoing process, not a one-shot deal. It refers to the emotional attachment formed between baby and its caregiver. Some people are of the opinion that bonding begins even before birth.

Ways to bond with Baby
Spending time with baby, meeting and responding to all her needs strengthens your bond.

• Lie on your side on the bed with baby facing you. Hold your baby close so he can feel your breath on his face. Sing or talk to baby as you gently stroke or massage his skin.

• Hold your baby so his head snuggles under your chin. Sway together or rock him.

• Lie on the floor or bed with baby on your chest, bare skin to bare skin. Turn his head to the side so he can hear your heartbeat. Enjoy this closeness with your baby.

Daily care strengthens the bond:

Bonding in the delivery room is wonderful and helps parents connect with baby but if delivery complications delays this experience, don't panic. The process can begin even days after birth and it will continue for a long while, through the daily care you give.

Bonding has a physical aspect:

Bonding goes beyond emotional attachment to include physical bonding. It is good for you because it stimulates the production of prolactin and oxytocin, two hormones that bring out the maternal instincts in you. Bonding also keeps your baby's hormones in balance.

Feeding and bonding:

If you breast-feed, your bond develops through the feeding process. If you bottle-feed, let the father feed to strengthen their bond. Bottle feeding can build closer bonds if you:

• snuggle baby close to you during feeding and look into her eyes while you talk or sing to baby
• feed in a comfortable position or place e.g. a rocking chair
• heat formula to body temperature
• hold the bottle for baby and never leave baby alone with bottle

Point of concern:

When your baby lies on his side, the side he was lying on is red while the other side is a paler shade. This difference is caused by immature blood vessels and will soon disappear.



Baby cries to Communicate

Crying is the only means of communication baby has with you. Answer her cries as soon as you can. Responding to her cries with immediacy during the first 6 months won't spoil her. On the contrary, you are teaching her to trust you, which in turn creates a positive, confident and happy baby. Each and every baby cries in various ways to express what they feel and sense. Every infant has a few distinct cries that form their first language.

Cry of pain:

This cry begins as a shrill scream, accompanied by a silent phase and a series of short gasps; then the cycle repeats. It is an urgent cry for help. Maybe your baby has bumped her head or she has been accidentally brushed against something hot. But the message is your baby has sustained some physical hurt and she needs you to make it all right. It may take you a while to pacify baby who has been hurt. Of course if the injury is serious or she simply won't stop her wails, call her pediatrician.

Cry of hunger:

Cries that start slowly and build into a loud demanding wail is usually a signal of hunger. Babies take a while to settle into a feeding routine and will therefore get hungry at various times during the day. Just after being nursed she may want some more. Sometimes all she wants is your company. Baby 'hungers' for attention and stimulation, apart from food. If baby refuses food, then she may be saying 'I want you to be with me'. Whether you are breast-feeding or bottle-feeding, cuddle your baby close; your baby thrives on this.

Cry of discontentment:

When tired or moody, your baby may cry in a mild or fussy way. The longer you ignore the fussing, the louder the cries become. It sounds even more forceful than the hunger cry. Babies also cry when expressing discomfort, anger and other physical or emotional distress.

The quality of cry will help you determine what is ailing your baby but you should also check for other signs such as what is happening to her and around her. For example if she repeatedly draws her legs up and straightens them, she is conveying that her tummy hurts. Burping may help. She may also cry in response to some sound in her environment. For example, another baby's squalling can cause her to follow suit.

Babies this age are too young to understand intention and consequence but will understand that you can be relied on. You are not going to create a brat if your baby receives immediate attention each time he cries. On the same token you should not feel pressured to answer every cry pronto. Sometimes it is just not possible because of an insistent doorbell or food you left on the hot stove or you are plain fatigued to offer comfort to your baby. There is no harm done if you keep such delays to a minimum.

Some measures to help calm your crying infant.

• Make sure she is not hungry, wet, cold, hot or hurt.
• Hold her close in your arms and look into her eyes. Gently rock her.
• Talk to her in a quiet voice; assure her she is safe with you.
• Gently touch her. Hold her till her crying ebbs.

Try these if none of those worked.

• Take shower with baby. The sound of running water has a soothing effect.
• Put her in swing, crank it up and let it go.
• Go for a walk with baby in an infant sling or stroller.
• Massage your baby.

If baby is inconsolable despite your efforts, schedule a visit to the doctor to rule out possible ear infection or strep throat.

BABY WATCH

Baby's gum

It is never too early to help baby develop strong, healthy gums for teeth that will soon emerge. Wipe baby's gums with clean damp washcloth or gauze several times during the day and before bedtime. This cleans and stimulates gums, keeping them healthy and bacteria-free. Starting early will also get your baby accustomed to a cleaning routine so when its time to start brushing her teeth, she wont fuss.

Baby's head

A small baby loses a great deal of heat through his head, hands and feet. Before you go in a cool or cold weather, ensure baby's head is covered with a cap or bonnet. Add blanket for added warmth over stroller / carrier. In warm interiors such as house or car, remove extra layer covering baby. Baby gets just as uncomfortable when overheated as when cold.

Baby's nails

Baby's nails grow very fast. Sometimes they need trimming soon after birth. Cutting nails that are so tiny can be scary but practice makes perfect. With nails that are soft and thin, babies can still scratch, in particular, themselves. It is best to keep them trimmed. Use a nail clipper or scissors designed especially for babies. The right time for manicure is when they are asleep. Take one finger at a time in your hand; hold fingertip down and away from you. Snip it straight across. Be deliberate to avoid cutting into the flesh under the nail. An alternative is to file baby's nails with a baby nail filer. Use mittens. You will probably need to trim nails once every fortnight. Thumb rule is the bigger the finger, the faster the nail growth so thumbs need to be trimmed more often. As baby starts to use his hands more, some of his nails will wear down resulting in ragged nails that can scratch him. So check nails often. Toenails should not be ignored. They wear down more than fingernails because of contact with socks, booties. Toenails need less trimming than fingernails, maybe once a month. This changes by the time baby begins walking.

Baby's sweat glands

This early in life, baby's sweat glands are not very active. She doesn't perspire even in hot humid conditions. However this changes when baby turns 2 months old, when she develops sweat glands. You will also notice the oil glands in her skin don't produce as much oil as an adult's skin.

Baby's hair

Almost all babies are born with dark hair. All babies shed their initial or birth hair after a while regardless of the hair color. In dark-haired babies the shedding phase happens later than in lighter color hair babies. This is replaced with a new lot of hair soon after.

Diaper Bag Essentials

Diaper bag is an important accessory to take with you when you take your baby out. Take your diaper bag along wherever you go, even if your trip is just a visit to the grocer. Make sure your bag is stocked with clean diapers, baby wipes, a changing pad, diaper cream, extra clothes, a light blanket. For bottle fed babies pack formula and bottle, the number depends on the length of the outing. When traveling with an older infant, your outings get more frequent and longer, especially visit to grandparents and other relatives. You would need to cart around more stuff; experience has proven if you do not pack it, you would most probably need it. For longer outings and trips your diaper bag should contain:

• 2 changes of clothes, including socks
• 10 disposable diapers at least
• Baby wipes, washcloths
• Large plastic bags for soiled things
• 2-3 bottles with teats
• Baby's favorite toys
• Objects that comfort baby e.g. blanket, soft toy
• First aid kit, which contains infant pain reliever, diaper cream, decongestant, bulb syringe, any prescription medicines your baby uses
• Formula milk in sectional containers
• Warm water in thermos

At the end of the first month, your baby would have accomplished even more.

Baby's memory is growing:

Your baby is beginning to store memories and is able to form associations between certain events and its consequences. When given a clue, you can expect a reaction. For example when shown the bottle baby shows excitement because he knows his meal is on the way. More of such associations are made, as baby grows older.

She is smiling more now:

By now she smiles when you smile at her. She may even smile on her own and produce different noises like gurgles, grunts and hums as an expression of emotions. Your baby may attempt at imitating your exaggerated facial expressions. She still enjoys looking at her own face in the mirror you placed on her crib.

Physical control increases:

He is able to lift his head up at 45 degrees. When held in a sitting position, baby can keep head up most of the time although in a wobbly manner. His eyes will follow you when you move away from him. He likes bright colors. He may turn his head in the direction of his favorite sound.

Increased activity:

When on his back, he may make cycling motions with his legs. When sitting baby may circle his arms above his head. When on his tummy he may rock back and forth with his arms and legs stretched out and back arched.

Fascination with own hands:

She may examine her hands closely now that she has discovered them. She will most likely bring them to her face and touch parts of her face. She will suck toys or own fingers. Sucking fingers creates double sensation, in both fingers and mouth. Through sucking she is beginning to realize what is a part of her and what is not e.g. her fingers are a part of her and the toy is not. She will also open and close her hand, bring them together, wave them around. She may hold a toy for a while if you put it in her hand.

Uses mouth to explore:

Your baby may now begin to explore the environment by putting many objects in mouth including your hands and her hands, her toys, pillow edges, and everything else she can lay her hands on. This is not out of hunger, but curiosity. All her senses are at work - touch, smell, and taste - to help her make sense of her world.

Establishing bedtime routines:

Now is a good time to introduce bedtime ritual since his physical development is stabilizing somewhat. It's a good time to teach baby to go to sleep at a certain hour every night. Include bathing, dressing into nightclothes, feeding and lullabies in his daily ritual.

Toys and Play

House tour:

Tour your baby around the house while you are holding him. Watch his reaction to objects. Point things out and talk about them. Keep baby close by while you go about your daily chores; describe the activity you are doing. For example, when you are chopping vegetables, mention the vegetable's names and why you are doing it. Describe what you are doing to include baby into your daily routine as well as let your conversations stimulate him.

Act like baby's mirror:

Imitate his facial expressions while doing stuffs with him i.e. when you are bathing him or changing his diaper. For instance when he smiles, you smile. When he coos, you coo. Do it in an exaggerated manner to add more fun. This reinforces his self-awareness when he watches his expression reflect on your face.

Tell stories:

Make up stories about what you are doing or show him picture books and concoct some tale. They don't have to make sense. Your tone, pitch and expression carries the story forward and makes it enjoyable for both your baby and you.

The bell game:

Tinkle bell on one side of his head and then still tinkling, bring it to the other side. Bring it within his vision and let him reach for it. It not only helps him develop eye-hand coordination but also strengthens his ability to detect the source of sound while it is moving.