The 5th week after the baby is born

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Dang Huy Toan - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.
No matter how the first few weeks have passed, every parent should remind themselves that each day goes by so quickly. Entering the first week of the 2nd month, the baby is growing very fast, even while sleeping. The baby will be longer, fatter, and at the same time, the brain will also develop rapidly.

1. Development of a 5-week-old infant

Parents can expect their 5 week old baby to continue to grow on an individual growth chart and show the following growth milestones:
Gaining about 0.7 to 1kg per month Grows about 25cm from at birth to 12 months Head circumference increases by about 2cm per month Developmental Milestones
Although every baby is different, a 5-week-old baby should achieve the following developmental milestones to match ages:
1.1 Body By 5 weeks of age, your baby should be able to:
Raise his head to a 45 degree angle when lying on his stomach or face down. This means that while holding their little one to their chest, they can turn their head back to look at their parents. Be careful when your baby still doesn't have the strength needed to keep his head in that position, so continue to support his or her neck. Shake the toy when placed in the child's hand. You will see your baby start to smile more. The baby's "smug smile" appears more when the baby wakes up in the morning and when the breast is finished. Baby communicates with mother and relatives more, this will make the baby's brain develop well. However, this time the baby started to cry more. Therefore, the mother can comfort and hug the baby to reduce crying.

1.2 The Brain As babies reach the end of their infancy, there are some major changes happening in their brains this week. The main difference parents can immediately notice is that your baby will be a lot happier. Parents will have the opportunity to see more of their baby's personality and fun milestones starting to appear this week, including:
Children try to imitate your parents' words with small hums and sounds. mouth movement Tracks parent's side-to-side movement, so it can feel like a baby is watching you as you move across another room or watch a toy as you move moving from side to side Focuses on looking at something, like a parent's face or a cell phone, for a longer time Uses voluntary actions, like wiggling more when parent approaches or cry to get other people's attention.

2. Caring for a 5-week-old newborn

Babies tend to be very fussy at night, maybe this is just a normal part of a baby's development during this stage known as colic. A study in the journal Paediatrics Child Health found that some babies between 2 and 16 weeks of age experience irritability and fussiness at night as the central nervous system continues to develop. Because the baby's central nervous system is still learning how to process stimuli from his or her environment, babies are often irritable and fussy at the end of the day.
Parents can actively create a calmer, quieter environment in the evening, avoiding noise and using soft light to avoid stimulating the baby. Your baby may still enjoy being swaddled at this age, which can also help relieve discomfort.
2.1 Nutrition When the baby is 5 weeks old, if the mother is not entitled to maternity benefits, the mother may have to plan to return to work next week. For moms who have exclusively breastfed their babies up to this point, the fifth week of their baby's life can be a great time to start teaching others to bottle-feed.
Using a bottle for the first time can be a challenge for some babies, but parents can make the transition a little easier with these tips:
Let caregivers practice bottle-feeding: If the grandmother is the caregiver when the mother returns to work, she should let her practice bottle-feeding. At this time, the grandmother can hold the baby, sing lullabies, and rock her to make the baby feel comfortable and cooperate with bottle feeding. The person who practices bottle feeding who is not the mother will also be more effective because the child will see that the mother will whine and ask for the milk directly at that moment. In addition, another way to practice bottle feeding is to cover the bottle with a towel smelling of breast milk. This will make them more appealing and easier to accept.

Avoid bedtime: Don't wait until your baby is drowsy or asleep to practice bottle-feeding because your baby is now very irritable and irritable or too tired to practice bottle-feeding well. Instead, do it early in the morning, when your child is most alert and receptive. Don't give up: According to the experience of many mothers, practicing bottle-feeding can be difficult at first. Your baby may refuse to take a bottle or get a very small amount of milk, but you don't need to worry. Be patient, because babies need time to forget the breast and get used to and adapt to the nipple of the bottle. By 5 weeks of age, your baby may also need to adjust his feeding schedule. For exclusively breastfed babies, mothers may notice longer feeding times than in the days of birth.
Formula-fed babies may also need an increase in milk intake. Normally, a baby in the second month will drink about 115 to 145ml of formula with each feeding, after 3-4 hours they will eat again. At night, feedings can be longer, from four to six hours at a time. Overall, the average baby will eat between 680 and 910ml per day.
There is no one-size-fits-all formula for baby's milk intake that has been proven necessary for every baby at this age, as every baby is different, so pay attention to your baby's hunger cues and ask for advice. pediatrician to determine exactly how much your baby needs. Parents may consider increasing the amount of formula if:
The child has finished the bottle but is still not full and is looking for more milk The child wants to eat more often, such as asking for food every two hours Wakes up more often to eat at night No weight gain or slow gain On the other hand, if your baby constantly wants to eat and doesn't like the formula he is eating, parents should seek advice from their pediatrician to make sure the baby is getting the right formula and no underlying medical condition.
2.2 Sleep Your baby probably won't sleep through the night until at least two months old. But this week, your baby will likely have more awake time during the day and start sleeping longer at night. Children still sleep an average of 16 hours a day.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about 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. Doctor Dang Huy Toan has many years of experience in Pediatrics and Neonatology, especially in pediatric respiratory diseases. Doctor Dang Huy Toan was the former head of the pediatric department at 22.12 hospital and the head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Tam Tri Nha Trang hospital. Currently, he is a Doctor at the Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

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