Tools for Life Outside the Womb
Most of the learning that takes place in a baby's first month occurs with you – the mother or the primary caretaker. Baby is born with the basic cognitive tools that will help her survive outside the womb: the ability to remember your unique scent and voice and a set of reflexes that will help her thrive.Interaction
When your newborn looks at you, she quiets down, is more relaxed, listens intently to your voice and watches the movements of your lips. This simple interaction stimulates her brain to develop and grow.Reflexes
Your newborn baby expands the use of her basic reflexes, the most obvious of which is the sucking reflex, and learns to adapt them to different situations to make them more efficient. For example, she adapts her sucking reflex depending on whether the nipple is a breast, bottle or pacifier.
Milestones
- Memory is focused on identifying the mother's unique scent and voice.
- Learns to make his reflexes more efficient.
- Learns to imitate simple facial movements.
- Remembers recently heard sounds.
Tiny Tips
- Your newborn is just discovering the world outside the womb. Stimulate his sense of sight, hearing and touch gently, taking care not to over-stimulate him.
- Remember, your face is the most interesting, appealing stimulation there is for him.
- A baby's concentration span at this age is very short.