2nd week after the baby is born

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Dang Thi Ngoc Chuong - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital. He used to work at Children's Hospital I, Thu Duc Hospital and University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, with strengths in neonatal diagnosis and examination - neonatal resuscitation.
With a 2-week-old baby, it's likely that the mother is still adjusting to motherhood. But a mother can tune in to the rhythm with her little one and learn everything from her baby's hunger cues to what different crying patterns mean.

1. Child development in the 2nd week after birth

1.1 Weight Usually around day 10, a newborn baby is back to birth weight, even with a slight loss of weight during the first week of life. Some babies may also weigh more than their birth weight at this age.
Babies have also reached a major milestone at this age, with the first growth starting around day seven. You may notice some differences in your baby during this period. For example, they may be a little more fussy than usual, eating more and taking longer naps.
Your baby will continue to grow a lot this month, at a rate of about 20 - 30 grams per week and reach about 4.5-5cm by the end of the first month.
1.2 Body At birth, a baby may also have minor scratches or bruises on the eyelids, which should disappear by week 2. Some babies may also have broken blood vessels in their eyes at birth. due to the force of giving birth and these red spots should clear up within this week.
Be aware of any new birthmarks that appear this week called hemangiomas, which are not present at birth but can suddenly appear several weeks later. Parents may also notice that lighter-colored birthmarks turn darker as the baby gets older. If you see an unusual birthmark on your baby, see your pediatrician in the hospital, as some conditions may require treatment, especially if they are on or very close to the eyes or mouth.

1.3 Brain Your 2 week old baby will be able to:
Cry when he is upset, hungry or fussy Hear loud noises Moro reflex: When a baby is startled, he usually raises two arms arms and legs up and open palms. Then bring the arms and legs together, some babies may cry. This reflex is of great medical value because the doctor can check if the baby's foot and arm movements are even between the sides. Raise the head. Look at the mother's face from a short distance. Usually, babies have the best vision in a range that is roughly equivalent to breastfeeding distances.

2. Caring for a 2-week-old newborn

2.1 Bathing your baby One of the most exciting milestones that can happen this second week is once the umbilical cord falls off is bath time. When giving children a tub or tub bath, they feel very comfortable being immersed in the splashing bath water. There are newborn babies who are very angry, but just put them in a basin of water to stop crying and laughing. Whether it's winter or summer, children will feel comfortable after bathing, so they are quite excited about it.
It can be helpful to get in the habit of bathing your baby, as having a bath at night can help an infant who thinks it's time to go to sleep. Parents should try bathing and massaging their babies before putting them to sleep. Remember that babies do not need to be bathed every day. At this age, once a week or several times a week is enough.
Reasons to delay your baby's first bath
Care of the umbilical cord
If the baby's umbilical cord has not fallen off at 2 weeks, parents need to take the baby to see a doctor for help drying the umbilical cord, avoiding condition where it is excessively wet. Keep the skin folds around the umbilical cord from getting too wet and never try to pull the umbilical cord or try to loosen it, the cord will fall off on its own when it's ready.
2.2 Changing diapers Changing a baby's diaper when the diaper is covered with meconium has a blue-black color that occurs during the first few days of life. After this stage, your baby's poop will be lighter in color, changing from green-brown to yellow. This yellow stool can have a slightly sweet smell.
2 week old babies usually need about 6 or more diaper changes per day. If the mother has trouble knowing exactly if the baby has a wet diaper, use disposable diapers with indicator lines or patterns on them to help the mother know the diaper is wet.
2.3 Nutrition If the mother is breastfeeding, the infant should wake up every 2-3 hours to feed, with feedings that can take place anywhere from 15 minutes to almost an hour. Remember, the next feeding will be counted from the beginning of the last feeding time, for example, if the mother started feeding the baby at 2am within an hour and stopped breastfeeding at 3am , then the next meal will be at 4 am.
At this stage, a nursing mother may feel busy all the time having to feed her baby, but rest assured, the frequency of feeding will decrease as the baby grows older over time. If an infant is formula-fed or formula-fed in combination with breast milk, he or she may sleep longer at a time but still need to eat at least every four or five hours.
A 2 week old baby will need a lot to grow and develop, so moms need to learn to recognize the signs when the baby is hungry. If parents wait until the baby cries, the baby may be fussy, irritable for a long time, and may be very tired from being fed. Here are some signs a 2 week old baby is hungry:
Wakes up Moves arms and legs around Putting fingers or fists in mouth Sucks lips or tongue. Move head from side to side of bed or crib Turn toward mother's breast when held Sigh, whimper, or make other soft sounds. Naughty, fussy, or wiggly. Learning these hunger cues can also help a mother see that a 2-week-old baby necessarily eats on a schedule.

2.4 Sleep Your 2-week-old baby will sleep a lot, up to 18 hours a day. If your baby doesn't have jaundice and has at least six wet and three dirty diapers a day, he or she can sleep five hours or more at a time.
Mothers may have a desire for their baby to sleep more this week, but please note that the American Academy of Pediatrics' safe sleep guidelines recommend having your baby sleep alone in bed. crib or bassinet. This means parents should avoid putting their baby to sleep or in:
Car seat Hammock Crib or other baby seat Lying in the parent's arms After two weeks of parenthood, after the excitement of welcoming the baby Your baby may be starting to get tired and in fact lack the sleep and stress to be able to take care of the baby. Parents should seek help especially in possible problems, such as:
Lactation problems : When the milk comes in a lot, the mother may have some problems such as not feeding the baby. At the end of the day, it can cause sore breasts, cracked or bleeding nipples, or even babies don't want to breastfeed due to problems with the mother's breasts. If you are experiencing any of these problems, consult a lactation consultant or talk to your doctor. Mastitis: Mastitis is a possible complication of breastfeeding, especially if breast milk is abundant or an infant is having difficulty breastfeeding. Milk can become blocked in the milk ducts and eventually lead to an infection, so it should be treated with antibiotics. Take Ibuprofen if recommended by your doctor, massage your breasts with a warm towel or in the shower and feed your baby often, even if it hurts when trying to breastfeed. Postpartum Complications: Incisional infection is a common postoperative complication and causes significant postoperative mortality, caesarean section is not the first choice of physicians, and is indicated only when mother or unborn baby poses a health risk. The signs of wound infection need to know are pain, swelling of the incision, the incision may have pus, accompanied by a high fever, the discharge has an unpleasant odor, pain in the lower abdomen... C-section mothers need to be more careful in taking care of their body, living or choosing foods to recover quickly, especially when they are both in pain with the incision and have to take care of their children. When detecting signs of infection, pregnant women need to quickly go to a medical facility for timely treatment. 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.

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Article reference source: Whattoexpect.com; Mayoclinic.com; Verywellfamily.com