“Baby” - this phrase itself suggests that children at this age are breast-fed. For many centuries, there was no alternative to this method of feeding. Wealthy families found breadwinners.
Artificial feeding became possible only thanks to the achievements of civilization. Out of habit, babies on artificial feeding are also sometimes called babies.
Changes in height and weight
In the first year of life, the largest relative increase in height and weight is observed. The weight of the baby can grow more than 3 times. The increase in growth is not so striking - from 50 cm to 80. Therefore, the appearance of the child, the proportion of his body. A newborn resembles a frog with thin and weak limbs and large torso and head against their background. A year later, a chubby baby walks on strong legs.
The increase in height and weight of the infant is reflected in special tables. It is important to understand that small deviations in one direction or another can be the norm. After all, adults vary greatly in height and weight, why should babies be the same up to hundreds of grams!
It is important to know that not all the time the weight indicator steadily creeps up. In the first week after birth, many babies lose weight. This is due to the loss of fluid, getting rid of meconium accumulated in the intestine, and adaptation to new living conditions.
Psychomotor development
In the psychomotor development of the baby, huge changes are taking place. A baby, both in a month and in a year, may seem like an adult to an equally unintelligent baby. Meanwhile, the path he has traveled is comparable to millions of years of evolution. Someone a little earlier, some a little later, but absolutely all children master typical human skills - speech and upright posture. If, by coincidence, a child grows up with animals, this Mowgli will crawl on all fours and make inarticulate sounds. Walking and talking can only be learned among people. Society is necessary, no doubt. But the physiological readiness of the nervous system and muscles for new actions is no less necessary. Therefore, the child is replaced by many stages of development.
Motor development
The baby is born with a set of innate unconditioned reflexes, such as sucking, grasping, Moro's reflex . From one and a half to three months, children usually learn to hold their heads. At about 6 months they begin to sit. In no case should you try to get ahead of nature and seat a child who is not ready for this. Since he is not trying to sit down, his muscles and skeleton are not prepared for this pose, and then the rush of his parents can then negatively affect the child’s posture.
Around the same time, children begin to crawl. It is important that the baby has at his disposal an open and safe space where he can train in such a useful skill. Crawling develops all the muscles of the limbs and trunk. At about 8 months, the baby can stand, cross its legs, holding onto the edge of the crib or playpen. But most children begin to walk somewhere in the year, although some take control of walking for 1-2 months earlier.
Speech Development
For the first time, a baby informs the world of its existence with a loud cry. The baby cried immediately or after stimulation, loudly or quietly - these are very important criteria, they characterize his condition at birth. The cries of infants over time become more diverse, enriched with different intonations. According to them, the mother distinguishes whether the baby is hungry, has become wet or is in pain. From 2 to 4 months, the next stage may begin - walking. The sounds made by the baby become quiet and vaguely resemble a combination of vowels and consonants - g, k, x. Hence the famous "agu." The baby lying on the back is not difficult to pronounce these sounds, because they sound when the root of the tongue touches the sky. Walking can include grunting or reminiscent of a gargle. The child trains his tongue and he himself likes that his mouth makes new sounds. From 4 to 6 months, according to various authors, babble appears. These floating dates should not be confusing. Firstly, all children are individual. Secondly, the transition of a quiet, soft screaming into a walk and walking into babble can be smooth. What is the difference between babble? The kid managed to catch that the speech of adults consists of syllables. And now he is uttering still meaningless syllables. In his "pa-pa-pa-pa", "ma-ma-ma-ma" there may still be no indication of dad or mom. The first word usually appears closer to the year.
Breast Age in Psychology: Formation of Attachment
From the point of view of psychology, infancy largely continues intrauterine development. The birth of a child is a great stress not only for the mother, but also for himself. The fact is that stress does not always mean a negative event, but any strong shock. When passing through the birth canal, the infant makes no less effort than the mother. He pushes off his legs and tends to exit. After that, a sharp change in living conditions awaits him. It can be said that this is the first step towards independence. His body has to completely switch to autonomous life. Oxygen and nutrients no longer enter through the umbilical cord, and no waste is discharged through it.
True, even in the womb, the fetus trains the respiratory, digestive, excretory systems. He makes breathing movements, drinks and digests amniotic fluid, excretes urine. But nevertheless, the vital activity of the fetus and the infant differs radically. Therefore, a close relationship with the mother, which manifests itself through bodily contact, is important for the baby. Breastfeeding resembles the condition of the baby in the womb - he is surrounded by a warm embrace and again feeds through the mother's body. If the baby is bottle-fed, doctors and psychologists advise holding him tightly and maintaining eye contact. The baby should get his portion of affection and maternal warmth. The relationship between mother and baby is attachment. To form a healthy psyche, all children need it. And not only in infancy. Each child needs an adult who is ready to pay attention to him, take care of his physiological needs and give warmth. Not always this adult becomes a mother. Sometimes, when mom is busy, her grandmother or nanny may be in her place. In this case, the child can become attached to the nanny much more than to the mother. But a busy mother will have to come to terms with this. In no case should you change your nannies like gloves because the child has too warm feelings for them. He needs it. If you want him to love you, try to be with him at least in those moments when he especially needs warmth and affection: at bedtime, during illness, when he is upset.
Breast-feeding
In modern maternity hospitals, the physiology and psychology of infants is taken into account, so breastfeeding begins almost immediately after childbirth. It is important to properly put the baby to the chest. The nipple should be deep in his mouth, and his lips should grasp the areola and turn slightly outwards. In the first days after birth, milk is not yet delivered from the mother’s breast, but colostrum - a thick and nutritious yellowish liquid. It is quite a bit, but it contains all the necessary substances, as well as antibodies that help transmit immunity from mom. Only a few days later it is replaced by transitional milk - still thick, but lighter, and then liquid and white ripe milk. It already stands out much more.
On-demand feeding
The long debate over whether to feed on demand or by the hour seems to have ended in agreement. Doctors acknowledge that if conditions permit, it is best to feed on demand. The body and psyche of the child so far work simply. He still does not understand what it is to wait and endure. If he asks, that means he urgently needs food. Then, mode and discipline will enter his life anyway, but there is no need to rush things. Breastfed babies usually instinctively know how much and at what intervals they need milk. The body is wise; you cannot fool it.
Over time, the amount of milk consumed at one time increases, and the frequency of feeding the infant decreases.
Breastfeeding per month
When the baby is one month old, breastfeeding can have a different duration - from 15 minutes to an hour and a half. Both are normal. Infants need long-term breast sucking, even if milk is already over - this helps the baby relieve stress and feel comfortable. In this case, the baby can suck languidly and even fall asleep in the process. No need to be afraid for your nipples - if there is no pain and discomfort, they will not be injured, but milk production will be stimulated. You do not need to be afraid of falling asleep with a breast in your mouth either - this is a natural need, not a bad habit, so this should pass over time.
What else is important to know about the baby in a month? The baby only comes out of the neonatal period and requires careful handling. For example, it is important to hold it in your hands. His body should have 3 points of support - the back of the head, shoulder blades, and pelvis. This means that you can not tilt your head - the muscles of the neck of the newborn are too weak. It’s also dangerous to lift it by the handles.
The introduction of complementary foods
At 6 months, the time comes for the introduction of complementary foods in the diet of the child. While breastfeeding, you should not rush into this - breast milk carries all the substances necessary for the baby. At six months, the child’s digestive system is actively working, he can sit while feeding and will not push out food or a spoon with his tongue - the so-called “gag reflex” has already died out. Now the baby can be given solid food. This is where the regime enters the life of the baby. Food becomes five times a day. One of the first products is given to children with normal or high weight vegetable puree, and babies with a lack of weight begin with more high-calorie porridge. Gradually, the child gets acquainted with cottage cheese, and with mashed meat, and with yolk.
Is it necessary to solder
Can a baby drink water? For centuries, only breast milk has served as food for babies - it was not so easy to find clean boiled water. But in recent times, a fashion for dubbing has appeared. It was believed that milk is food for the baby, but not drink, so it must be supplemented with water. Now, WHO does not recommend dosing babies with water for up to 6 months. Why? It is at this time that complementary foods usually enter their diet. Mashed potatoes are much thicker than milk, so now the baby is starting to need extra fluid. Prior to this, dubbing carries risks: children are fed from a convenient bottle, and after that the baby may lose interest in the breast. Mom’s lactation may decrease. In addition, breast milk helps maintain beneficial microflora in the intestines, and dysbacteriosis can develop if it is deficient. Breastfeeding a child with water is recommended for constipation, colic and transient fever, at which the temperature lasts 2-3 days.
Why is the baby crying?
Why is the baby crying? There are several reasons. The most common is hunger. Determine whether the baby wants to eat, you can according to his behavior. He pulls the handles to his mouth, can suck a finger. Check if the child is hungry, you can use the reflex - you need to slide a finger over his cheek. The child will turn in this direction and stretch out his lips, preparing to suck. Sometimes the baby cries because he wants to sleep, but he is waiting to be reassured. Sleepy baby can rub eyes. It’s best to soothe all the same breastfeeding.
But if the screams are sharp and loud, the baby pulls the legs to his stomach and sorted them out, he may be tormented by colic. The infant’s nutritional skills are still imperfect, so they can swallow air, which can then cause intestinal cramps. For the prevention of colic, you need to wear the baby with a column after feeding. It is also important to correctly apply it to the chest, so that when sucking does not get air, and mom - to avoid cabbage and legumes. They cause gas formation not only in adults.
Maternal Weaning
How to wean a baby from breastfeeding? This question is of interest to all mothers who breastfeed. There is no consensus on exactly when it is best to do this. The spread is great - from a year to 2.5-3 years. Therefore, mother remains to focus on herself and the child. Up to 6 months, the only possible food for the baby is milk. Only a mixture can serve as his replacement. But even after the introduction of complementary foods, you do not need to immediately stop breastfeeding. The sucking reflex is valid for up to a year. In addition, the immune system is being laid at this time. How to wean a baby from breastfeeding? There are a number of important recommendations. The process should occur gradually - in the child’s diet, adult food occupies an increasingly important place, displacing milk. No need to try to stop feeding at the time of illness or when teeth are cut. No need to expose the breast in front of the child - this can provoke him. Feeding at bedtime should be replaced by motion sickness, humming a lullaby. The child still needs physical contact and the manifestation of affection. Then weaning will occur more gradually and painlessly. Perhaps the baby after breastfeeding will need to increase the portion of food for dinner, because now the baby will need to sleep after it all night.