{"id":100843,"date":"2016-10-03T09:50:59","date_gmt":"2016-10-03T13:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.oviahealth.com\/guide\/100843\/week-1-baby\/"},"modified":"2021-12-08T16:24:15","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T21:24:15","slug":"week-1-baby","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/100843\/week-1-baby\/","title":{"rendered":"1 week old"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Now that Baby<\/span> is out and about, breathing air instead of amniotic fluid, everything they does<\/span> is a first. First sponge-bath, first yawn, first you-think-it\u2019s-a-burp-but-really-it\u2019s-spit-up – everything Baby<\/span> does is a new and exciting adventure. Which is nice, because the actual things they does<\/span> – eating, sleeping, pooping, crying – wouldn\u2019t be all that exciting on their own. It\u2019s Baby<\/span> that\u2019s doing them, though, and they is<\/span> doing it all for the first time.<\/p>\n

In a lot of ways, they is<\/span> still adjusting to being born. For example, their<\/span> arms and legs are probably still a little curled in on themselves, instead of starfishing out. This is because when Baby<\/span> was in the womb, they<\/span> didn\u2019t have the space to stretch out, and they is<\/span> only just getting used to having the option now. This is part of why many babies this age are so calmed and soothed by swaddling. The swaddle reminds them of the way their movements were restricted in the womb, which makes them feel safe and secure.<\/p>\n

They is<\/span> probably also not quite adjusted to the rhythm of a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle yet. This is partially because Baby<\/span> didn\u2019t really have any sense of day and night before they was<\/span> born, and partially because their<\/span> tummy is so tiny that they can\u2019t<\/span> make it all the way through the night without waking up hungry a few times. Even with the frequent feeding, Baby<\/span> still might lose a little weight this week, before starting to gain it back with a vengeance as they enters<\/span> the marathon of growth spurts that is their<\/span> first year of life.<\/p>\n

And although Baby<\/span> doesn\u2019t quite know their<\/span> times tables yet, they does<\/span> probably have some special skills that you, and other adults, don\u2019t. Newborn reflexes include the startle, rooting, sucking, tonic neck, grasping, Babinski, and stepping reflexes. Infants tend to grow out of these as they grow into bigger babies and toddlers – for instance, you probably don\u2019t turn in the direction of a finger that gently strokes your cheek, or try to take steps when somebody holds you upright against a flat surface. To be fair, it\u2019s unlikely that people hold you upright against a flat surface too often, but hey, the perks of being a newborn.<\/p>\n

Baby<\/span> has quite a journey ahead of them<\/span>, and you\u2019re going to be there every step of the way.<\/p>\n

Milestones  <\/strong><\/h4>\n