The first year of a baby’s life is a whirlwind of activity. Sleepless nights, exciting firsts and a whole new world of experiences for everyone. Here we look at some of the things you can expect from the tumultuous first year of baby’s life:
The newborn phase could see you feeling nervous and bewildered, especially if this is your first child. That’s all perfectly normal and part of the new reality of being a parent. Babies often lose a little of their birth weight before beginning to gain again. This is the time for getting to grips with breast or bottle feeding and finding time to relax between feeds. Get lots of help and support and look after yourself too.
After about a month, your baby will begin to coo and gurgle and you’ll probably get your first smile. You next few weeks will still focus mainly on you trying to get enough sleep, but baby is beginning to communicate now, can spend some time on her tummy and is quickly learning the power she has in her fingers! From about 4 months on, many parents feel this is the best baby time. They begin to sit up unaided by about 6 months, will giggle at games of peek-a-boo, starting to crawl and becoming very verbal.
At 6 months, baby is much more aware of everything going on around them and wants to be into everything. Anything within reach will go into the mouth so you’ll need to have eyes in the back of your head. At this stage you’ll want to introduce stimulating games and toys to aid development and help with motor and language skills.
Around this time, you might be thinking about a christening or naming ceremony. Get lots of help with the organising so you don’t take on too much responsibility, you’re a busy parent remember? A ceremony is a lovely way to welcome your little bundle of joy into the world and the family. For a stunning range of Ireland Christening Gifts, visit https://www.gifts4baby.ie/
At 9 months, you’ll begin to hear the emergence of speech patterns as well as your baby starting to respond to commands, like passing you a cup or toy. He will mimic your sounds and might start to drink independently form a cup. Starting a playgroup is a good idea for socialising around this time.
Establishing good oral hygiene is also important by this age as your little one begins to dabble in the world of solid food and snacks. Avoid sugary treats and fruit juices as much as possible.
From 11 months on, your baby will be making moves to walk after being able to pull himself up and support his weight from one piece of furniture to another. Every child is different so if you think a milestone should have been reached but it hasn’t, don’t worry. They all get there at their own pace. If you have any concerns, it doesn’t hurt to speak to a doctor about them.
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