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

Baby's First Year Kidspot Welcome to week 41! This Week Your Baby Is: Waving good-bye At this age, your baby will be learning to wave good-bye and with this wave comes an enormous social leap. By learning when it's appropriate to wave (probably with much prompting from you at the start), your baby is beginning to read social cues and to understand the notion of simple social interaction - that, in this case, when you leave someone's company, you acknowledge them with a wave and perhaps a kiss as well. Once she starts waving, you can continue to encourage her efforts by prompting her to wave to you whenever you leave her - even if it's just for the two minutes you take to go to the loo and wash your hands! Learn more about your baby's social development Hot Topic: Drinking water When you begin to introduce solid food, you must also begin to offer your baby fluids additional to the breast milk or formula he's already receiving. And while it may be tempting to give your baby the sure-fire winner of sweetened drinks such as fruit juice, these have few nutritional benefits and are full of sugars your baby doesn't need. Water is the best drink for your baby - it's thirst-quenching, has no sugars or salts (plenty of juices can actually make you feel thirsty due to the added salt) and no empty calories to fill up your baby. Try to stick to water as your baby's first drink and persist with it even if he screws up his nose and splutters when he takes his first sips. Water does have a taste of its own - and it's quite different from the milk he's so accustomed to - so don't be surprised if he resists it at first. Find out more about what your baby should be drinking Kidspot Tip: Sippy cups and straws There are a million junior cups on the market - some with straws, some with spouts, some with protective lids - and you'll only know what's the best arrangement for your baby through trial and error. However, there are a couple of things you should look out for: Whatever style of cup you go for, ensure that it's spill-proof - you should be able to turn it upside down when it's full and not have the contents end up on the floor You should be able to completely pull it apart for easy cleaning - some cups with a straw built in can't be thoroughly cleaned and so quickly become unusable Look for cups with good-sized handles as these are much easier for young children to control while they learn to feed themselves Get our best tips to encourage your baby to drink water Join the Kidspot Baby Club for access to the best prizes and giveaways, real advice from real mums and access to a supportive, friendly Easy Recipes Healthy dinner ideas Easy entertaining Salads Snacks Quick breakfast ideas Search all recipes Your Baby Breast or bottle? Baby care advice Best baby sleep info Baby names finder Your newborn Baby activities Just for Mums Enjoy MySpot today Join Kidspot Social Browse Kidspot Market Win daily prizes Get Kidspot Daily Unsubscribe from the mailing list? Click here If this is not your correct week, please click here to change your baby's birth date. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL Use only as directed. Incorrect use could be harmful. For the temporary relief of pain and fever. Consult your healthcare professional if symptoms persist.