6 weeks - www.kidspot.com.au baby’s first year update


	Baby's First Year Kidspot

Welcome to week 6!

This Week Your Baby Is:

Smiling

By Week Six, you can finally feel confident to claim those windy 'smiles' as the real thing!

Your baby is programmed from birth to try to get your attention and to communicate - yes, there is a reason for all that crying - and one of the first and best ways he can do this is by flashing you a gummy smile.

Your baby's social smile is his way of interacting with you because, of course, you will return his smile with a smile of your own. Before long, your baby will begin to smile when he hears your voice.

After six weeks, your baby will begin to cry less and will replace all that noise with the wonderful sounds of gurgling, squealing and cooing.

Discover other ways your baby communicates with you

Hot Topic:

Growth Spurts

While your baby will experience a growth spurt that lasts several days when he is 10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 4 months and 6 months of age, it is often the 6 weeks growth spurt that new parents notice the most. It is at this time that the constant feeding and broken sleep make dealing with an unsettled baby the hardest.

During a growth spurt your baby may become more fussy and unsettled than usual. Anything remotely resembling a sleeping and feeding pattern will go out the window and you may find yourself questioning your ability to comfort him. It's no coincidence that many nursing mothers abandon breastfeeding at this time - during a growth spurt your baby will want to feed longer and more often (some seem to want to stay on the breast 24/7). This constant feeding is your baby's way of ensuring that your milk supply will build to meet his growing needs.

Growth spurts tend to last approximately 3 days, at which time your baby will reward you for your patience by sleeping well and becoming more alert during his awake time. You may even find that he develops new (and better!) patterns of sleeping and feeding.

Kidspot Tip:

Surviving growth spurts

Growth spurts are sent to try us! Try to get through these challenging days by doing whatever works for you and your baby. Don't be too ambitious about sticking to a routine - suspend normal activities and keep in mind that this is just a phase she's going through.