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Home › Articles › Guiding Baby's Development › The First Year

The First Year

Birth to 3 Months

By Kelly Burgess

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

They eat, sleep and cry -- pretty simple, right? If only. As new parents find out very quickly, there's more to taking care of a newborn than just feeding him, changing his diaper and picking him up when he cries. Not that those things aren't important, but often even well-informed parents can be unprepared for how much care a new baby needs.

Amy Jordan, psychologist and mother of 11-week-old Jillian in Chicago, Ill., describes it as culture shock. "I read a few books, and my mom is even an OB nurse, but no matter how much people tell you, there's no way to be prepared," says Jordan. "I still wondered what noises were normal and why she was fussy. The biggest shock was how much time a baby takes. I mean, I already knew that to some extent, but it's still a surprise to realize what a complete turnaround it is in your life." The rewards, however, are amazing. Jillian is smiling, pushing herself up on her arms and has rolled over once. Jordan has no doubt that Jillian can already recognize Mom and Dad.

Communication and Interaction
A baby will begin to make eye contact soon after birth, but, according to Dr. A. Caroline Harris of Sacramento, Calif., a newborn's sense of smell and touch are also important bonding senses. Harris, a professor of psychology at Consumnes River College and author of Baby's First Year Journal: A Day-to-Day Guide to Your Baby's Development during the First Twelve Months, says getting to know your new baby and building an attachment to him is the most important goal of the first few weeks.

"Babies can focus early on from about 10 inches away for a few seconds, and the time gradually builds," says Harris. "What they actually do, at first, is study the parts of the face with the most contrast -- like the hairline and jawline. It's almost as if they're getting an impression of the face." Cuddling your baby, making eye contact during feedings and skin-to-skin contact will allow the two of you to learn about each other together."


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