Well Kids — 2 Weeks

Development:

At two to four weeks your child should be able to lift the head slightly when lying prone. When lying on his back, he should fix his gaze on your face briefly, and will soon follow your movements with his eyes. In the next few weeks, you will find that he will become either excited or calm and quiet when he hears your voice. He may also smile back at you when you smile.

Behavior:

You will find that your baby spends more and more time each day crying. This does not mean that anything is wrong with you or your baby. It is merely a reflection of changes in his sleeping patterns and activity level. Most babies peak at about six weeks of age, and then get better. Remember that at this age he has only one way to communicate, and that is crying. You will quickly learn to tell his hungry cry from his tired, fussy, painful, bored and other cries.

Remember that your baby does not always need something when he cries. Many times your baby will cry because of hunger or discomfort. However, he may also cry because he needs to sleep. Passing him back and forth, bouncing him, repeatedly trying to feed him, etc. will only get him more worked up. If you feel certain that your baby is not hungry, dirty, or in pain, then there is nothing wrong with putting him down in his crib, where you know he will be safe, and walking away. Close the door, turn on some quiet music, and relax for a few minutes. If he is still crying after 15 to 20 minutes, go back in and wrap him up snugly, and hold him again. Sometimes, after letting off some steam this way, babies will go right to sleep.

Feeding:

If you are breast feeding, your baby should be getting all he needs from your milk. Some doctors like to start vitamin drops, depending on particular circumstances. Ask your doctor about this if you have any questions. Other than this, your baby does not need anything but your breast milk.

In general we believe that bottle-fed babies should be fed the same as those at the breast: as much as they want, and as often as they want it. It is possible to overfeed a baby if you stick a bottle in his mouth every time he cries, but you usually have to work at it. As long as you look for other ways to calm him when he is not really hungry, then you should do just fine.

Whether breast-or bottle-feeding, your healthcare provider will watch your baby's growth, and will discuss any problems with you. Please ask your health care provider about any questions you may have. It is often helpful to write them down, so that you can remember them when you go in to their office.

The question of iron in formula causes much needless concern for parents. Formulas do tend to make the stools darker, and can make the stools hard, especially when switching from breast milk. However, they do not cause colic. Despite repeated attempts to prove a link between iron and colic, none has been shown. The iron does prevent anemia in babies. The low-iron formulas do not have enough iron to prevent anemia. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that there is no place for the routine use of these formulas.

Please note that breast milk does contain iron. If you are breast-feeding, your baby will be getting all the iron he needs from your breast milk.

Many parents are also concerned about spitting up. Most babies do this to some extent, and some much more than others. Only rarely does it indicate any problem for the baby. As long as your baby is growing well, then he is probably doing fine. However, be sure to talk to your health care provider about any concerns you have.

As your baby gets older (around 2 months) you might want to give your baby some small sips of water. This should help your baby develop a taste for plain water. We don't recommend putting any sugar, pop, juice or any other sweetener in the water. Never put honey in anything your baby eats for the first year. Honey is not safe for infants less than one year old. Your baby can safely have honey on his peanut-butter sandwiches when he goes to school, but not now.

Stooling:

Stools are a very large source of concern for parents. Notice that we say "parents" and not "babies." Breast-fed infants might have more than four dirty diapers a day, or might have one every two or three days. Formula-fed infants tend to have less frequent stools than breast-fed infants. One normal baby may stool every time he eats, and another normal baby might have only one stool every three or four days.

Probably the most common concern is when your baby grunts, strains, turns red in the face and really works at it, but only passes some soft stool, and not the Volkswagen you were expecting. This is normal, common, and is not constipation. However, if your child passes small, hard, dry pellets, this might be true constipation. Contact your health care provider if you feel your baby has constipation. 

Colic:

Your baby is nearing prime time to develop colic. Most babies do not develop colic, but those who do are very vocal about it. Colic is defined as periods of crying usually seen in the evening that last about three hours. Babies can be comforted only briefly, by rocking, walking with the baby on your shoulder, a warm water bottle on the stomach, or going for a ride in the car. You might try leaving the baby with Grandma and going for a ride yourself. Whatever you do, don't lose your temper. Colic is a very difficult thing for parents to deal with, but it does not go on forever. Most babies grow out of it after about six to ten weeks. Just keep telling yourself that it will end sometime. Our magic wand is in the shop, and the wand repairman is on vacation, so we have no fool-proof cure for colic. However, sometimes anti-gas drops (such as Mylicon™ or Phazyme™) seem to help. Give one-half dropper with every feeding, and see if it helps your baby. As with anything else, please feel free to call your provider with any concerns about your baby.

Skin Care:

Occasionally, a baby will have some dry skin. This can be treated with an emollient (cream or ointment that keeps the skin moisturized) such as Eucerin™ or Vaseline™.

Accident Prevention:

• We recommend you place your child face-up to sleep, never face-down.
• Always use a car seat for your children, and a seat belt for yourselves.
• Unless he is in his crib or playpen, never leave your baby alone, even for a moment.
• Never place any necklace or tie a pacifier on a string around your baby's neck.
• Be careful when leaving your baby alone around young siblings.
• Use smoke detectors in your home.
• Keep your water heater set at no more than 120º F.
• If you smoke, please try (again) to quit. It isn't easy, but you now have a brand new reason to stay healthy.

Fever:

The only reliable way to take your baby's temperature is rectally. Put a small amount of Vaseline™ on the end of the thermometer. Lay your baby on his stomach, with one hand on his bottom and your arm resting lightly on his back to keep him from rolling. Holding the thermometer in the other hand, gently insert the bulb (the silver part) into your child's rectum. You only need to insert it far enough to cover the bulb. As the thermometer registers your baby's temperature, you will see the column of mercury rise in the thermometer. After it stops, remove the thermometer and read the temperature. Make sure you clean the thermometer well after each use.

If your baby's temperature is over 100.4º F (38º C) rectally, please call your doctor.

If you have any concerns about your baby's health, please call your doctor. Please do not give any medicines without talking to your doctor first. We are happy to help you in any way we can.

For now enjoy your baby, but make time for yourselves and any other children. Let them help take care of the baby, and also set aside special time to read books or play games with them. And don't forget to go out once in a while. It will do you good, and baby sitters need the employment.