The first week after birth: Getting to know your baby

The first week of a baby's life can be a special and confusing time for a mother. The mother may not be able to imagine life without her baby and is also surprised how much her life changes overnight. Even though babies have just been born, there is a lot that can happen in their growth and development during the first week.

At birth, a newborn baby is classified in one of three ways: small for gestational age (SGA), medium for expected age, or large for gestational age (LGA). Your baby's exact height and weight will vary depending on whether he was born full-term or premature, so at birth the healthcare provider will rate your baby based on an average for that age. .
Baby may lose physiological weight in the first week but this is normal in most babies.
According to experts, most babies lose about 10% of their initial weight in the first three to four days after birth and usually regain their original weight after 7 days. After gaining weight again, 1-week-old babies gain weight very quickly, about 0.1 to 0.2 kg per week for the first few months.
1-week-old babies also need their first follow-up visit with their doctor, usually a few days after being discharged from the hospital. When visiting, the doctor will measure the circumference of the baby's head, this is a very important technique to help the doctor know what is happening with the development of the baby's brain.
At 1 week old, the baby's skull is still developing and the skull joints are fused together. On average, the head circumference of a 1-week-old girl will be about 35cm and for boys about 1cm more than girls.

At 1 week old, the baby must try to adjust to life outside the womb. So what is the top priority? Breastfeeding, digesting, and adapting their immune and digestive systems to a different gut microbiome from the mother's microbiome.
Right now, babies rely heavily on their sense of smell and touch, so it's important to get as much skin contact as possible this week. The mother may also notice a lot of reflexes very early on in the baby, such as appearing startled or looking like the baby is shaking, both of which are normal reflexes.
A very important thing in newborns is breathing pattern, by 1 week of age, the baby's breathing will be irregular, with normal apnea episodes. This can be scary to witness for the first time, but irregular breathing in babies is a normal symptom, especially during sleep. Of course, parents must also always monitor their baby's breathing and follow safe sleep guidelines.
This week your baby will have movements such as moving both arms and legs at the same time, raising his head when lying on his stomach. Stare at objects that are close to the face and about 12 to 15 inches away, which is the distance of a breastfed baby looking at its mother's face. Babies can also see simple, high-contrast patterns at this point, but their vision will rapidly expand over the next few months. In addition, babies can also respond to loud noises and look and follow objects in front of them.

For 1-week-old babies, mothers can choose to feed their babies directly with breast milk, express breast milk in a bottle, formula from a bottle, or a mixture of breast milk and formula.
During the first 24 hours after the baby is born, the mother may notice that they seem very sleepy and not interested in eating. This can be normal as the baby recovers from birth (especially when the mother has to push a lot), so just check that your baby has had enough by counting how many wet diapers and dirty, sleep enough 2-3 hours.
3.1. Mother milk

Breast milk provides optimal nutrition for your baby, but every family situation is different, so there are many factors that determine what is best for mother and baby. If a mother is interested in breastfeeding, there are many options from feeding her baby exclusively or semi-completely with a mixture of breast milk and formula, or using donated breast milk. if any.
If the mother wants to have enough breast milk to breastfeed, it is very important for the mother to try to provide breast milk within this first week, by breastfeeding regularly to stimulate the mother to start breast milk production, breastfeeding on demand and mothers need to drink plenty of water and rest. Transitional breast milk usually arrives 3 to 5 days after birth and gradually transitions to mature milk over a few days or a week.

Breastfeeding can be uncomfortable at first, especially when the milk comes in heavily and the breasts are full, but it should never cause pain or bleeding. If the mother has a fever or any red, hard spots on the breast, it could signal an infection, so call the doctor immediately.
3.2. Baby formula If the mother is not breast-feeding, a 1-week-old baby may be given an iron-fortified milk-based formula. Your baby will probably only drink about 30-60ml at a time, every two to three hours, for the first few days. This number will slowly increase to two to 60-80ml by the end of the first week.

1 week old baby will sleep a lot but not necessarily at night. While you can try sleep training, your 1-week-old baby is still learning to adjust to life outside of the womb, so this week all will happen naturally. Let your baby sleep at any time and sleep when they are sleepy.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) recommends the following for baby sleep:
No co-sleeping. on the same parent in bed Always place baby to sleep on his or her back (never on his side or stomach) on a flat surface, such as a sturdy crib mattress covered with a sturdy protector sure. There should be nothing in the crib, including soft objects like pillows and toys. The AAP also recommends against using any nets, including those that are breathable, as they have not been proven safe for sleep.

If parents are having trouble getting their baby to sleep in a crib, consider using a bassinet instead. A regular-sized crib is sometimes too big for a newborn. Swaddling helps babies fall asleep, sleep well, and be comforted quickly, especially as a newborn. To help everyone in the family get enough sleep, parents can try to take turns caring for the baby at night, napping during the day when the baby sleeps, and getting help from family and friends when possible. . A husband or wife can help at night by changing the baby's diaper, feeding the baby, and putting it back in bed.

Parents need to take their baby to see a doctor when there are signs in the first week after birth:
If the baby's skin or eye color is getting yellower If the baby does not breastfeed or does not take a bottle well If the baby has difficulty wakes up or doesn't sleep at all If the baby is fussy a lot. As a key area of ​​Vinmec Medical system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of leading pediatricians: including leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All are well-trained, professional, with a mind - range, understanding young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

Article reference source: Whattoexpect.com; verywellfamily.com; mayoclinic.org