Congratulations! Your baby is now a week old! During this week, your baby is still sleeping most of the time as he needs it for his growth and development. As for you, you will spend most of your time with him by feeding him, changing his diapers, etc. You might also become anxious to play with your baby, but he’s still very small and fragile yet. Though your baby is just quietly observing, he might be startled with loud noises. What else is going on during this first week?  Continue to read below to find out!

Progress made in a one week old:

• Your baby is very small yet, and still not able to do much else other than sleep.
• As compared to when he was newly born, he may now be able to focus on your face.
• Your baby might also be trying to lift his head when you feed him.

TIP:  Encourage your baby to look at things and try to hold onto them. Small items like a rattle and colorful objects may be found interesting!  They enjoy watching you play with them, but more than likely, their little fists are still clenched tightly. There are several great baby toys out there for newborns!

Also, Boppy Pillows are great for giving them that extra support.  Whether they’re laying on their tummy, or you need some support while breastfeeding, a Boppy is a great way to add that extra boost!  This would probably be one of the top things that was the biggest help to me as a new mom!

Other things that occur during this time:

During this time, your baby’s umbilical cord is still present and it has become one of your tasks to take care of it during diaper changing. It is suggested by doctors to pat it dry or use alcohol swabs to keep it germ-free. You may notice that as you keep it clean and dry, it has also started to dry up and slowly become smaller. When it has fallen off, don’t worry if you’d see tiny spots of blood. It is a natural process and in time, it will be healed.

Your baby’s bowel movements

You will notice that your baby’s stool is more likely black in color, referred to as meconium. But still, babies’ stools differ depending on the type of milk you are feeding. If you are breastfeeding your baby, his stool will most likely be yellowish and very loose. However, if you’re feeding him with formula, his stool will be brown and much firmer. Bowel movements also vary from a few times a week to once a day.

Jaundice in babies

If you are breastfeeding your baby, you may notice that your baby’s skin is yellowing, also known as jaundice. If you notice that your baby has become too yellow to you, you should immediately call his doctor.

Spitting up in babies

Babies at this age usually spit up and this is pretty normal, but if you notice that he’s spitting up more than what you think is normal, you should contact his doctor immediately.

Your baby is growing more and more each day.  At this time, make sure you spend lots of time with them, take lots of pictures and even videos to remember these precious moments.