Having a baby for the first time is one of the happiest moments in a person’s life. Growing a family and creating a life with new family members allows a person to have lifelong memories.
With time, new parents start to find their way around taking care of their little ones and become more confident in their parenting skills. Soon they can differentiate between their infant’s needs and assist them accordingly.
However, parents can also feel anxious from time to time and question their care and their baby’s health. Most parents will think about whether they’re feeding their child enough, if their crying is normal or if they’re sleeping too less or too much.
These concerns are normal. However, instead of worrying, there are a few ways to know if the baby’s perfectly healthy. Here are the signs parents should look for to see if their child is doing well and active.
Attentive toward new sounds
Newborns can hear sounds the moment they are born. At 18 weeks of pregnancy, babies develop hearing abilities and can listen to the sounds inside the mother’s body, such as their heartbeat. Moreover, when babies are out of the womb, it takes them a while, around a few weeks, to cancel out white noise and get used to the sounds outside the womb.
However, a child who suffers an injury to the brain, such as cerebral palsy, might also experience related conditions, such as hearing and speech impairments. Children with cerebral palsy will begin to exhibit hearing and speaking disabilities, which include not being startled by loud noises and focusing more on a person’s face than their voice. By visiting www.childbirthinjuries.com, parents can learn more about cerebral palsy and the resources, support groups, and legal assistance that are available to help them.
Recognizing voices and listening to sounds are among the few milestones children reach during the first year of their lives. Most babies will be able to identify sounds they usually hear, such as their parent’s voice, and by the time they are six months old, their head and eyes will move in response. In addition, they will also start imitating sounds they hear often.
Babies will start finding some sounds more interesting than the others, such as their favorite songs or poems, their sibling’s voice, or the noise of their favorite toy. They will respond to these sounds by jumping, shrieking, or facial reactions, which is a sign that the child is curious about their surroundings.
Observing colors and movements
A baby that is observing their surroundings is showing a sign of health. Babies can notice their environment, and newborns can focus on things that are eight to ten centimeters away. Their observing skills start to get sharp when they turn three months old. A child’s eyes will follow any movement that comes into their sight. For example, parents can wiggle bright-colored toys in front of them, and their baby will most likely follow its direction.
In the baby’s fifth month, their vision will improve dramatically. They will develop visual skills such as depth perception. This ability helps the baby determine how far or close an object is and will begin looking at its surroundings from a 3-D view.
It is also when a child will start seeing colors clearly as their color vision improves. Parents should surround children with bright-colored toys or put colorful mobiles on their crib, and the baby will start noticing it. If a child notices their environment and identifies colors, it is a sign that your baby’s vision is enhancing and they are growing well.
Make facial expressions and respond to people.
When babies are born, they usually cry or show expressions of distress when hungry, sleepy, or irritated. They respond little to people’s interactions or make eye contact with them as their vision is still developing. Yet, by the time they are one month old, babies will start to make eye contact with familiar faces, such as their parents.
At two months, they will start to see different facial expressions, such as smiling or making a curious face when observing something. When a child turns three months old, they start cooing when they see something delightful or meet a familiar face. Finally, at four months, the baby will start laughing at anything they like, such as silly expressions, light tickling, or hearing their favorite poem.
These actions sign that the child is aware and responding well to their surroundings. It shows that baby is social and enjoys being in the company of others. In addition, They will start to smile back at others when someone smiles at them as a reflex. All these are signs of social and speech development, showing that the baby might start speaking soon or at the right time.
Support their body weight
When babies are born, they cannot support themselves as their muscles are not strong enough and are still developing. That’s why they are kept lying down on their back and have to hold them, supporting their head and placing a hand behind their neck.
In their first month, babies will be very slightly managing to hold their head up, and by three months, babies have developed more skills and are now shifting more in their parent’s embrace, meaning their muscles are going, and now they can flex them. Children’s muscles get firmer in their fourth month, and now babies can support their heads with assistance. Finally, when babies turn six months old, they can support most of their weight and sit with their parents’ help.
If a baby is doing such actions and is moving more as they get older, their muscles are growing and getting stronger. Parents can speed up this process by letting babies be on their tummies; it allows them to move their bodies and is the perfect exercise for them. Also, children with regular tummy time can sit, roll and crawl faster than children without.
Conclusion
Caring for a baby brings out emotions such as joy, anxiousness, and happiness. One moment parents can feel themselves at the top with their baby, and the next, they will second-guess their decisions. However, parents need to know that feeling all these emotions are normal and part of their parenting journey.
Moms and dads must trust their instinct and act on them. Yet a few things in your knowledge can help you reduce your anxiety regarding your child, such as knowing when a child is supposed to observe their surroundings and when they will start reacting to them. Moreover, keeping in mind when a child is supposed to support their body weight on their own will help you feel more relaxed. In the end, parents should put aside all their worries and value this journey, as they will never get these moments back again.
