step & stages (1 month - 6 months)

[CanadianGirl]

Month One

Baby Wants You To Know
- I like to look at your face the most, also bright colors, mirrors and patterns.
- I feel comforted when you hold me and talk to me.
- I stare at things, but I don't grab for them yet.
- Loud noise, bright light and rough handling scare me. Handle me gently.
- I may quiet when someone picks me up and cuddles me.
- Please change my position sometimes so I can look at different things.
- I like your hand behind my neck when you move me, so my head doesn't flop over.

Time With Baby
Your amazing newborn has all the same senses you do. Even at birth, babies can see, hear, smell, taste and touch.

Vision
Babies prefer to look at faces. For the first few weeks of life, they see best at a distance of 8 to 12 inches, about the distance between your face and theirs when you hold them close to feed or to talk to them.

Bright colors, high-contrast patterns and shiny things are more interesting to babies than pale colors. Babies may follow moving objects with their eyes for a few seconds. During the first weeks, their heads turn to the side when they lie down. So hang mobiles from the side of the crib, not from the top.

Hearing
Infants may turn their heads toward the source of an interesting noise. They prefer gentle voices. By the time babies are three weeks old, they may recognize their mom's and dad's voices. When your baby is upset, soft music may help calm him.

Smell
Young babies react to smells. Strong, harsh smells make baby turn his head away and cry. By one week of age, babies know the smell of their own mothers.

Touch
Touching is very important to babies. Being held close and cuddled helps babies know that their world is a friendly place. In fact, studies have shown that holding babies for more hours each day causes them to cry less. Hold your baby, or use a frontpack. Being in your arms and hearing your heart beat make baby feel safe.

Cuddle and hold your baby whenever you want to. Don't worry about spoiling him. Babies are supposed to be babied! While you're at it, share a hug with the rest of your family. You'll all feel better for it.

Babies can also sense movement from very early on. Motion, like rocking and walking, helps calm a crying baby. Remember, he spent nine months floating inside the uterus; he's used to rocking and moving around. Holding him upright also lets him look around, so he may cry less.

Feeding Baby
Feeding is an important learning time for a new baby. Baby learns to know and trust you.

Schedule or On-demand?
When a tiny baby needs to eat every two or three hours, it's hard to believe you'll ever get sleep again! As she gets bigger, she won't need feeding so often.

When should you feed your baby? Watch the clock, but also watch your baby! Babies usually cry when they are hungry.

If fed when they're hungry, many babies will start to get on a regular schedule by themselves in about a month. It may take a little time to work out the details. If you try to establish a rigid feeding schedule, you and your baby may both be frustrated and unhappy. So be as flexible as possible, especially during these first few weeks.

Your baby will stop eating when she is full. Don't try to get baby to take more than she wants.

Breast Feeding Tip
Breast-fed babies usually need to eat more often than bottle-fed babies, especially during the first months. It is common to nurse a baby every hour or so during the part of the day when baby is most active.

Baby will take in more milk during each feeding, and the breasts will produce more milk to meet that demand. That is why it's best to stick with breast milk as the baby's only food for the first two or three weeks. After that, you can let baby have a bottle of iron-fortified infant formula now and then.

One way to know your baby is getting enough milk is to count wet diapers, there should be at least six a day.

If you have nursing problems such as sore nipples, call your doctor or local health unit for advice. Many of the concerns you may have can be addressed by someone with experience.

Bottle Feeding Tip
Don't heat bottles in a microwave oven. The bottle may feel cool on the outside, but still have hot spots inside that could burn baby's tender mouth. Instead, heat the bottle in a pan of warm water off the burner, or hold it under hot tap water for a minute or two. Shake the bottle well to mix the formula. Test the temperature by sprinkling some on the back of your hand. If it feels luke warm, it's OK for baby.

[CanadianGirl]

Month Two

How I Grow
- I can hold my head up for a short time when I'm on my tummy. But it still wobbles a little when I'm propped up.
- I wave my arms and "bicycle" with my legs when I am excited.
- I can hold onto things you give me for a little while. Did you notice that my hands are open most of the time now?
- I'm more interested in things.
- I like to look around and to listen.
- I might stay awake as long as 10 hours a day, and sleep as long as seven hours a night. But don't count on it! Please be patient with me when I wake up during the night.

How I Talk
- I gurgle and smile when I'm happy.
- I try cooing sounds. Say them back to me!
- I cry to let you know when I need something.

How I Respond
- I'm fascinated by my hands, and can bring them together.
- I like to follow you with my eyes when you move around. I watch objects, too.
- I smile at people.
- Sucking on my hand or a pacifier helps me calm down.
- I perform to get your attention. I love it when you get excited about what I can do.

How I Feel
- I feel happy, sad or uncomfortable at times.
- I need lots of cuddling and holding.

How I Understand
- I recognize some people by their voices.
- I recognize a few things, like my favorite rattle or a bottle.

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Keep me close to you when you move around the house. Talk to me about what you're doing. I like to listen!
- Put me in my infant seat and change my position often, so I can see different things. Support my head when you move me around.
- On a nice day, lay me on my back under a shady tree so I can watch the leaves blow. Remember my sunscreen lotion, so I don't get sunburned.
- Take me for a walk or out to the store. I like to see and hear what's happening.
- Give me a massage after my bath. I like your touch. I like the feel of soft fabric and different textures on my skin.
- Give me easy-to-hold toys that make sounds when I move them. Then I can make the connection between what my hands do and what happens.

Fun Activities
Your baby is beginning to know your voice, and likes to look into your eyes when you talk. Why not make a game out of it?
- Put baby on your lap, facing you, with her face about 8 to 12 inches away from yours. Lean toward her and talk happily. Pause, and give her a chance to smile, gurgle, wriggle or move her mouth back at you!
- Try doing these things one at a time: smile, stick out your tongue, open and close your mouth or eyes widely, or shake your head back and forth while you talk. Watch closely. What does your baby do? Does she smile, gurgle, wiggle?
- Give her time to respond. She doesn't have full control of her body yet. If she turns away, give her time to turn back to you. She just needs to take a break. If she makes a sound, repeat it. She will be thrilled. In a few months, she will babble back when you talk to her, just like a real conversation. Taking turns like this helps your baby learn to talk.
- Music played regularly, but not all the time or too loud.
- A bell sewn securely to baby's sock.
- Singing to baby, and telling her nursery rhymes.
- Wind chimes or a mobile hung in baby's room.

Feeding Baby
By now, someone has probably told you that feeding your baby solid foods -- like cereal -- will help him sleep through the night. While you may want to try anything to get a full night's sleep, solid foods probably aren't the answer.

Most babies are not ready for solids before 4 to 6 months of age. Younger babies are not good at moving food to the back of their mouths and swallowing it. So they tend to push food out of their mouths. You'll know baby is old enough for solid foods when he can sit well with support, has good head and neck control, and can turn his head away on purpose if he doesn't like a food or has had enough. This usually happens around 4-6 months.

Babies don't need solids until 4 to 6 months. Breast milk and iron-fortified infant formula have all the nutrients babies need. Sometimes, solids given too early can cause food allergies. The foods are not digested properly, and the body treats them as "foreign substances."

[CanadianGirl]

Month Three

How I Grow
- I hold my head and back pretty straight when you support my body.
- When I'm on my tummy, I can lift my head, lean on my elbows, arch my back, and rock.
- When I'm on my back, I wave my arms and kick my legs.
- When you hold me, I push with my arms and legs.
- With support, I can be pulled from lying down to sitting up.
- I touch my face with my hands.
- I grab for things with both hands, but sometimes I miss.

How I Talk
- I coo simple sounds like ooh, ah, ee.
- I answer sounds I hear by gurgling, cooing and squealing.
- I don't cry as much as before. Have you noticed?

How I Respond
- I stare at the place things drop from, but I don't watch where they go when they fall.
- I get excited when I see people or things I know.
- I stop sucking to listen to sounds or to look at things. Then I look and suck.
- I like to listen. Talk to me in simple sentences.

How I Feel
- I usually love to be cuddled.
- I don't like to be left alone. Let me sit where I can watch you!

How I Understand
- I'm starting to have a memory. I like some toys better than others.

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Give me safe squeaky toys and rattles to grab or kick.
- Play pat-a-cake with me.
- Look into my eyes when you talk to me.
- Let me see myself in the mirror. Or, get me a safe mirror of my own for my crib or changing table.

Fun Activities
Babies love to be with people, and games are a good way to have fun and learn at the same time. Brothers and sisters can play these games, too.
- Show baby you're really interested in the game. Open your eyes wide, look surprised, smile, talk excitedly.
- Move baby's arms and legs in rhythm with the game, fast to get her excited, slow if she gets too overworked.
- Reward her with lots of praise, smiles, and gentle touching.
- Talk while you play. Baby understands your tone, even though she doesn't understand words. Naming things baby sees helps her learn that words stand for things.
- If baby can't see something, she doesn't know it's still there! For example, hide your face behind your hands and say, "Where's Mama (or Papa)?" Then take your hands away and say, "Peek-a-boo!"
- Play peek-a-boo by hiding baby's face very briefly with a washcloth, or with a shirt when you're dressing her.
- You can play this game with a rattle or any baby toy. Hold the toy in front of her, and move it gently to get her attention. Then, try to keep her eyes on it while you slowly move it from side to side, up and down, and in circles.
- Try holding the rattle off to one side and shaking it. Does she look to find where the sound comes from? She soon will.
- If baby's attention starts to wander, it's time to stop.

Feeding Baby
Breast feeding mothers do not have to give up nursing if they go back to work, but they do need to plan ahead. If you can, take Wednesdays off for the first few weeks, so that you have every third day to catch up on your rest and be with your baby.

Start building up a supply of frozen breast milk for your child care provider to give baby while you're at work. Pumping twice a day in addition to nursing will build up your milk supply. Refrigerate expressed (pumped) milk and use it the next day, or freeze it right away -- just enough for a feeding in each container, about 3 ounces.

If you want your child care provider to use infant formula, introduce bottles to baby once or twice a day several days before you go back to work. That way, baby will get used to formula.

If you are bottle feeding, don't prop the bottle and leave your baby alone. A baby left alone with a bottle could spit up and choke.

It is important for your baby to have the closeness of being held in someone's arms at every feeding. If feeding takes a long time because baby gets distracted, feed her in a dimly lit, quiet room to help speed things up. Other family members, even older children, may be able to give the baby a bottle.

When your baby drinks while lying on her back, formula can back up into the tubes between her throat and ear, called Eustachian tubes. This formula can grow bacteria and cause painful ear infections that could hurt your baby's hearing.

Avoid baby bottle mouth. If baby has a bottle in her mouth all night, the juice or milk sugars can decay her new teeth! Children lose their baby teeth later, but they are important for keeping space in the mouth for permanent teeth. Decayed baby teeth can be painful, and may need to be pulled

[CanadianGirl]

Month Four

How I Grow
- I turn my head in all directions.
- I lift my head forward when I'm on my back, and grab my feet with my hands.
- I sit up for about 15 minutes with my head and back straight if you support my body.
- I prefer sitting, instead of lying down; it's more interesting!
- I roll from my back to my side, but sometimes I get my hand caught under my stomach.
- I put things in my mouth.
- I splash and kick with my hands and feet in the bath.

How I Talk
- I babble and imitate sounds, coughing and clicking my tongue for long periods of time.
- I coo, grin or squeal with joy when you talk to me.

How I Understand
- I love to see myself in the mirror.
- I'm fascinated by my hands.
- I like some people, and am shy or scared of others.
- I can remember things for about five seconds.
- I remember important people, like my parents, from night to morning or even longer.
- I know if something is near or far.

How I Feel
- I get excited when I have fun. Everything is a game to me.
- I cry and get mad when you stop paying attention to me or take a toy away.

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Put me on my tummy and hold up a toy for me to follow. This helps me learn to roll over.
- Blow soap bubbles for me to follow with my eyes.
- Read nursery rhymes to me. I like to listen to your voice.
- Play "This little piggy..." with my toes or fingers.

Fun Activities
One way to have fun together is to have a daily exercise time. There may be books on exercises for baby in your public library. Here are a couple of examples to try.
- Pull to sitting ~ Lay baby on her back on a blanket or rug, and hold both of her hands. Slowly pull baby up until she is sitting. To encourage her, you can say things like, "Up we go!"
- At first, you may do more of the work. But baby will get the idea, and may soon work hard to help herself up.
- Rolling over ~ Lay baby on her back on a blanket and sit behind her head, holding a toy. Squeaky toys work well for this. Hold the toy where baby can see it. Slowly move it so baby has to turn her head to follow it.
- Praise baby if she arches her back and starts to turn. If she turns with her shoulders but her legs aren't following, gently push on her bottom to help her over. Save this game for a later time if baby doesn't try at all.
- Later, you'll be able to help baby practice crawling.

Feeding Baby
Starting Solid Foods (4-6 months)

Does your baby sit well with support? Hold his head up without wobbling? Put things into his mouth and chew on them? These are some signs that your baby is ready to start eating solid foods.

Many doctors recommend starting with rice cereal. This is fortified with iron and not likely to cause food allergies. Mix a tablespoon of cereal with breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula until the mixture is smooth and about as thick as cream.

Pick a time when baby is hungry, but not starving. It may help to give him some breast milk or infant formula, then try cereal, and finish with more milk or formula. Hold him on your lap.

Use a small, narrow spoon. Put cereal, a little at a time, toward the middle of baby's tongue. Baby's tongue may push the food back out. Be patient -- it takes time to learn how to chew and to swallow. Using a bib will cut down on the mess. Start with small amounts.

Do not use an infant feeder, syringe or bottle to feed solid foods. These can cause choking. They don't help baby learn to eat from a spoon, and they can cause overeating.

Fruits and vegetables are probably the next things to try. Try each single new food for three or four days before adding another new food. This gives you a chance to see if the new food causes an allergy or tummy upset. For the same reason, give single foods, like pears, before trying mixed foods, like peaches and pears together.

If you feed your baby food from the jar, you'll need to throw the uneaten food away. Baby's saliva on the spoon causes food to spoil quickly. To prevent this, put a small amount of food into a small dish to feed baby.

Even with solid foods, baby still needs breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula. Baby should drink either breast milk or formula -- not cow's milk -- until he is a year old. Cow's milk is not as nutritionally complete as formula and breast milk. And if given too early, cow's milk can cause allergies.

Baby's doctor may have other suggestions.

[CanadianGirl]

Month Five

How I Grow
- I rock, roll and twist my body.
- I kick my feet and suck on my toes.
- I stand up if you hold me under my arms, I jump up and down and stamp my feet.
- I have pretty good aim when I grab something.
- I can roll over.

How I Talk
- I watch your mouth, and try to imitate you when you talk to me.
- I make sounds like ee, ah, ooh, dada, bye-bye, mama.
- I babble to myself, to my toys and to people -- I get attention that way!

How I Respond
- I may cry when I see strangers.
- I smile at faces and voices that I know.
- I look around when I hear sounds.
- I make sounds and interrupt your conversations, because I want attention.
- I want to touch, hold, turn, shake and taste everything.
- I put a lot of energy into everything I do.

How I Understand
- I recognize my name.
- I can tell the difference between myself and others in the mirror.
- I remember what I just did.

How I Feel
- I usually cling to you when you hold me.
- I stop crying when you talk to me.
- I show fear, anger and disgust.

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Talk to me in complete sentences about what you're doing.
- Face me, so I can watch your lips when you talk. Then I can try to imitate you.
- Play peek-a-boo with me.
- Let me listen to the radio for short periods of time.
- Let me have quiet times, too.

Fun Activities
As your baby reaches 5 and 6 months, watch how he reacts when things disappear from view. Does baby lean over to look for things he dropped? Does baby put a toy down and go right back to it later? These are signs that baby's memory is growing. When he was younger, things were "out of sight, out of mind." Now, he is learning that things exist even when not in sight. You can have fun with your baby, and help his memory:

Show baby a toy, then cover it -- slowly at first -- with a cloth or cup. Does your infant try to pull the cover off? What if you cover only part of the toy? Try different toys, and different covers. Play peek-a-boo to help baby learn that you come back when you go away. Sometimes cover your face, and sometimes cover his. If your baby doesn't play these games now, wait a few weeks and try again

Feeding Baby
Breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula is still your baby's main food.

But you can now start adding some semi-solid foods to the baby's diet. Most parents start with a thin mixture of baby rice cereal and breast milk or formula. Check with your doctor or clinic. Ask for specific advice for starting new foods.

Give each new food for 3 or 4 days in a row before starting another new food.

That way, you will know which food is suspect if your baby gets a rash, diarrhea or a stomach ache. Check with your baby's doctor if your baby seems to have a reaction to a new food. Don't worry, though, if your baby's stool changes color with each new food.

Use a small spoon that comfortably fits your baby's mouth.

Your baby may take some time to get used to the spoon, so a few spoons of cereal is enough for these early feedings. Be ready to give the baby his usual formula or breast milk after a few minutes.

Once your baby has become skilled at eating cereals, you can add other new foods.

Try one or two spoons of pureed skilled at eating cereals, you can add other new foods to his diet. Try one or two spoons of pureed vegetable. Squash, carrots or sweet potatoes are good for starters. A few days later, try a green vegetable like peas or beans. You can use baby food from the store or make your own by mashing cooked vegetables with a fork, baby food grinder, or blender.

Safety Tips
Honey is dangerous for babies; avoid it (Honey is harmful for babies. Babies under one year old should not be fed honey. Honey has spores that can cause a disease called "Infant Botulism." Older children have more well-developed intestinal tracts, so honey is safe for them). Don't add salt or seasonings to foods for your baby. Make sure your hands, dishes, and kitchen equipment and surfaces are as clean as possible whenever you prepare food for the baby. If you use commercial baby food, be sure the safety button on top is down when you buy the little jars. Listen for the "pop" when you open the jar so you know the jar was not opened before. If you find a jar is not sealed, throw it away or return it to the store. Don't feed baby straight from the jar -- put a small amount in a dish instead. If food is left over from the dish, throw it out. Refrigerate the rest of the jar, and use it within the next day or two. For more information about nutrition, food preparation and food safety, contact your doctor or county or area extension office

Introducing The Cup
Many 5-month-old babies are ready to start learning how to drink from a cup, although they still need to use a bottle most of the time. Choose a non-breakable cup with handles to hold. A small cup is best. A large cup could cover her eyes when she drinks from it, and scare her. Try these steps:
- Give baby the empty cup to hold and to look at.
- Let baby watch you and her brothers or sisters drinking from a cup.
- Put a spoonful of water or juice in the cup, and let baby help you tip it so she can drink.

As baby gets better, put more in the cup and encourage her to hold the cup. Be ready for spills and drips! If baby rejects the cup, do not force her. She will have lots of time to learn later.

[CanadianGirl]

Month Six

How I Grow
- I turn and twist in all directions.
- I sometimes sit up for several minutes.
- I creep backwards and forwards, with my stomach on the floor.
- I hold onto an object with one hand, and then put it in the other hand.
- I hold one building block, reach for a second one, and look for a third one right away.
- I grab for an object when it drops.

How I Talk
- I still babble a lot, but I have more control of sounds.
- I may begin to understand some words by your tone of voice.

How I Respond
- I pick up things, shake them, and then listen to the sound they make when I drop them.
- I play games with people I know.
- I get upset when I'm around grown-up strangers, but I'm friendly to children I don't know.
- I coo, hum or stop crying sometimes when I hear music.
- I keep very busy doing something all the time.

How I Understand
- I know that I have to use my hands to pick up something.
- I look at and study things for a long time.
- I turn objects upside down just to get another view of them.
- I turn when I hear my name. I may have one favorite toy or blanket.

How I Feel
- I haven't learned how to control my feelings yet.
- I complain and howl when I don't get my way.
- I giggle, coo and squeal with joy when I'm happy.
- I may have very strong likes and dislikes about food.

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Take me to see other babies.
- Blow soap bubbles for me to watch on a sunny day.
- Give me things that make noise to play with. A crinkly paper bag or some blocks I can bang together are great.
- Float a toy in my bathtub for me to play with. I'd like something to pour water out of, too.
- Read nursery rhymes and stories to me.
- Sing me lullabies.

Fun Activities
When you are around town, you will meet other parents with their babies. Notice how much the babies like to look at each other? Babies really like other babies. Make a date to meet another parent and baby at the park or at your home. Make it a fun time. See what the babies will do with each other. It's great to watch another parent and baby together. You can learn a lot just by watching, and they learn from you. Sometimes it's just fun to laugh together about the good times and the hard times with a baby!

Feeding Baby
Most babies are ready for three meals a day plus snacks sometime after 6 months of age. If your baby has been introduced to eating baby cereal and purA snacks sometime after 6 months of age. If your baby has been introduced to eating baby cereal and pureed vegetables, you can start giving him some soft mashed fruits such as bananas, peaches, apricots, prunes, plums or pears, or apple sauce. You may also mash canned fruits packed in juice or light syrup. Start out slowly, one new mashed fruit at a time -- as you did for cereals and vegetables.

Finger Foods ( Give just a few bits at a time -- no more than you're willing to pick up off the floor.)
- Try crackers
- pieces of soft flour tortilla
- mild cheese cubes or strips
- cooked noodles or rice
- pieces of soft-cooked vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas or zucchini
- pieces of soft peeled fruit such as bananas, peaches, pears, melon (no seeds), or chopped mandarin orange segments.

Prevent Choking
Some foods can easily slip into a child's throat and cause choking. Do not give foods that are hard, round and slippery. These include peanuts, raisins, whole grapes, hard candies, popcorn, raw carrots, and circles of hot dog. Cut hot dogs the long way for children under 4 years old. Never let a child walk or run with food in his mouth. Don't let your baby lie on his back with food in his mouth.

Building Good Food Habits
Did you ever stop to think why you don't like some foods? Food habits are usually formed during childhood. If a variety of foods is offered in the early years, most children will eat a variety of foods throughout life. Children copy their parents, brothers and sisters. If your baby sees her family eating healthy foods, she probably will, too.

Ways To Help Your Baby Develop Good Eating Habits
- Provide a pleasant, relaxed mealtime.
- Feed her with the rest of the family.
- Baby will feel like she belongs, and can see family members eating different foods.
- Feed her only as much as she wants to eat.

Your Baby's Appetite Will Vary From Day To Day.
Avoid making meals a battleground. Give her a variety of foods as you introduce them. She may only be eating baby cereal and soft vegetables by now, and may be ready for soft fruits, apple or pear juice, and cheese. But by the time she is 2, she should be eating some foods from the food groups of the Canada Food Guide: grains; vegetables; fruits; milk, yogurt and cheese; and meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and eggs. Note: Plain fruits are more nutritious than cobblers or combinations.

Read Baby Food Labels.
- Wait until your baby is about a year old to try orange or tomato juices.
- Use colorful foods to make eating more interesting.
- Give different textures to help develop chewing skills.