Every new mother worries about her baby. Are there any defects? Is he/she 100% normal? Is he developing the way he/she should? Is he/she reaching their milestones?
Birth to two months
At times it can seem like all your new born does is eat, poop, sleep and cry, but from the moment babies are born they develop new skills at an incredible speed. Key milestones include: lifting head for few seconds, Stretches out and uncurls from foetal position, first smiling around six weeks and starts to imitate mommy’s mouth movements when being talked to. Once your baby starts to smile there is no stopping him/her!
Emotional development
Your little bundle of love is full of emotions. From the first few moments of life they are very sensitive to emotions and moods of the people close to them. You may notice that when you are feeling upset or angry that your little one may feel agitated, or when you feel calm and relaxed your baby feels calm. This is an important characteristic of a new baby. This is the first stage to developing social skills that will help them later interact with people.
Learning through play
The best way children learn new skill is through play! At this time of his/ her life you are your baby’s favourite plaything. Babies love it when you talk to them, rock them, sing to them or even dace around with them in the house.
Sensory Stimulation
When it’s time to bath your little bundle splash a bit of water with his/ her feet while being held and supported. To encourage his/her toes and finger to relax try playing “This Little Piggy”. Opening fingers and toes as you say the rhyme. This is also a new way for baby to experience joy and interaction. Stroking your babies feel and palm with something soft in texture will also assist in stimulate the “feeling” sensation. It will also put a smile on your face to see how they react to this “new” feeling. You can also prop your baby in a baby swing, bouncer or car seat so he/she gets a good view of what is going on around them. Talk to the from different places in the house while he/she tries to locate the sound your making. - Annelien van Schoor
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