Parent and Baby

Written on May 2, 2008 – 2:50 pm | by Staff |

Week 13 - How Big Is Your Baby This 13th Week?

Baby weighs 12-1/2 pounds and is 23-1/2 inches long this week.

Humidifiers

When baby suffers from a cold or other respiratory problem, your pediatrician may recommend a humidifier to increase the moisture in the air. A humidifier is used most often when it is dry outside and when your home heating system is running, usually during thg winter months. Choose from two types: A cool-mist humidifierfi cool mist into the air. A warm-mist humidifier heats water before sending the warm mist into the air.

Dry air dries out baby’s nasal passages and causes dehydration. When the delicate layers of the mucous membranes dry out and become thicker, mucus stops functioning the way it should. This condition can weaken the respiratory-defense system. Moisture helps to prevent mucus from crusting inside and outside the nose, and it relieves itchy skin and dry throats.

Clean humidifier regularly. To prevent mold and bacterial growth in the appliance, clean and thoroughly disinfect a humidifier on a regular basis. Use fresh water each time  you fill the humidifier. Empty the humidifier when you aren’t using it. Always check the humidifier before you turn it on to be sure it contains enough water.

Don’t leave a humidifier too close to baby’s crib or bed when it is running. It might chill her. Run it only when necessary. When baby gets older and is more mobile, place the humidifier completely out of her reach on a high, stable surface.

Caution!

Because a humidifier is an electrical device that also contains water, exercise extreme caution when using it prevent electrical accidents.

If you notice bumps on baby’s gums and the roof of her mouth and she seems OK, don’t worry. The bumps are immature oil glands that should disappear very soon.

When Baby Gets Excited

Sometimes baby becomes overstimulated. When it’s time to go to sleep, she has a hard time settling down. You can help her calm down so she can get the rest she needs. Offer a pacifier or her thumb. Hold your baby close, and rock her fairly quickly — about one rock per second. Or walk her around, but don’t bounce.

As you get to know your baby better, you’ll know what works foi her. You may need to make some changes in these techniques as she gets older. What may work with her when she is very small may not work as she grows up.

What Babies Don’t Like

Here is a list of things that most babies don’t like. Keep them in mind as you interact with your little one.

Bitter or very sour tastes are unpleasant to your baby. If you give her anything bitter or sour, she’ll probably scrunch her face and turn her head away from it.

Irregular movements and sounds can distress baby. A baby prefers regularity in sound and motion. Unusual patterns can upset her,

Sudden changes around her may unsettle your baby. Let her know what you’re going to do before you do it.

Don’t overstimulate baby if you can avoid it. She reacts to stress in many of the ways you do.

Abrupt volume changes can disturb your baby. She likes gradual change, so keep this in mind as you deal with her. Avoid sudden changes from soft to very loud sounds.

Milestones This 13th Week

Tonic Neck Reflex Disappears

The tonic neck reflex, which kept baby’s head turned to one side most of the time, has just about disappeared by now. Baby can turn her head to either side, which makes it easier for her to turn toward a sound.

Her Visual World

Baby may be able to follow a moving object with her eyes. She can follow something as it moves vertically or in a circular pattern. She can also see things as far away as 15 to 20 feet. Her view of the world is vastly different from yours. Get down on the floor to see what she sees: chair and table legs and whatever was left under the coffee table! You’ll understand her better when you look at the world fn her perspective occasionally.

She Sits when Supported

She sits up when supported at her hips and enjoys sitting in a semi-upright position. This position is best for learning and play.

She Uses Her Hands

Her hands are now open most of the time. She holds and shakes a rattle. She may grab at your hair, your jewelry or your clothes. She may swipe at a toy with her closed fist.

When She Vocalizes

It’s a thrill to hear your baby laugh and chuckle, which she may be doing now. She is also vocalizing more—cooing, squealing, whimpering and gurgling. Because you talk to her, she is beginning to understand a message is made up of syllables. Soon she will start making vowel sounds, such as “ooh” and “aah.”

What’s Happening This 13th Week?

If Baby Has Difficulty Getting to Sleep

Baby sleeps about 10 hours at night, although she may wake for short periods in that time. If your baby has trouble going to sleep when you put her down, she may not have been awake long enough during the day. Don’t leave her in her crib too long when she wakes up from a nap. She needs to associate being in her crib with sleeping. Avoid overstimulation of your baby, especially just before bedtime. These situations could contribute to baby’s sleep problems.

Acid Reflux

What it is. Acid reflux, also called gastroesophageat reflux, occurs when baby’s stomach contents bubble up into the esophagus. This can irritate baby’s throat and cause her to pull away from the bottle or breast while she’s feeding. She may refuse to feed for a bit but then want to feed again immediately.

Acid reflux can occur at any age; everyone experiences it at some time. Only the frequency and persistence of the problem make it abnormal. Acid reflux is usually a mild problem that improves by about 1 year of age. Symptoms baby may have acid reflux include

• spitting up
• vomiting (can be forceful)
• weight loss
• gagging or choking at the end of a feeding
• respiratory problems
• irritability
• hiccups
• coughing
• apnea

What to do. Fora mild case, burp baby and hold her upright for about 30 minutes after she eats to address the problem. Give small, frequent feedings. Burp baby more frequently than before. Change the position of her infant seat or the head of her crib to be more upright. Sometimes adding rice cereal to formula can help, but do not do this unless your pediatrician says it’s OK. If the problem is severe, discuss it with your pediatrician. He or she may want to treat baby with medication.

During the first 4 months of her life, baby’s skull grows faster than at any other time during her lifetime. Your baby’s doctor measures her head at well-baby checkups to see that her brain is developing normally. During the first month, baby’s head may have grown as much as 1 inch. For the remainder of her first year, average head growth is about 1/2 inch per month.

When to call the doctor. Contact baby’s doctor if she vomits excessively, loses weight or has respiratory problems. If you see blood in the vomit or she has apnea spells, contact your pediatrician. Medications may be prescribed to decrease the amount of acid in the stomach contents or to promote gastric emptying.

If the problem is serious, nasogastric feedings (putting a tube through the nose into the stomach) may be necessary for a baby who has severe reflux. Acid reflux could result in her failure to thrive. Surgery may be needed if there are severe complications, such as recurring aspiration pneumonia, apnea or severe irritation or inflammation of the esophagus or if medication doesn’t work.

Chapped Skin

What it is. Chapped skin is common, especially during the winter. Baby’s skin appears dry and flaky and often slightly reddened. It may itch. To ease baby’s discomfort, try the following measures.

• Bathe baby less frequently.
• Use warm, not hot, water in her baths.
• Use soap sparingly.
• Pat skin dry, rather than rubbing it.
• Apply lubricants to dry skin before chapped areas become inflamed.
• Use a cool-mist humidifier in rooms with very dry air.
• If you live in a very dry climate, add a humidifier to your heating system or put humidifiers in various rooms of the house.

What to do. For minor discomfort, use nonprescription skin lubricants, such as petroleum jelly, mineral oil or alcohol-free, frag ranee-free lotions. For serious discomfort, you doctor may prescribe topical cortisone creams or lotions.

When to call the doctor. Contact the doctor if your baby has severely chapped skin and home care doesn’t relieve symptoms in 1 week. If her chapped skin becomes inflamed, call your pediatrician.

Don’t be surprised when baby shows you a new trick: She can blow bubbles with her saliva! If she hasn’t already taught herself

Toys and Play This 13th Week

A baby likes to explore textures. Touching different objects gives her much pleasure. It helps her learn what the world is like. Offer a variety of safe things to touch and feel, such as soft cloth, sheepskin, a shiny leaf (from a nonpoisonous plant, of course!), a smooth plastic spoon. Stay alert when you give her various objects. She’ll probably try to put everything in her mouth!

Reach for the Rattle

Help baby develop her eye-hand coordination with a brightly colored rattle or toy. Hold it at different distances in front of her. Encourage baby to reach for it. Be sure you give it to her often, or she may become frustrated.

Pat-a-Cake

Finger-play games stimulate your baby to hold, stare at and clench her hands. One time-honored game that encourages this development is “Pat-a-Cake.”

Clasp one of baby’s hands in each of yours. As you sing, clap baby’s hands together in time to the song.

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake Baker’s man. Bake me a cake As fast as you can. Pat it, and roll it And mark it with “B.” Put it in the oven For baby and me!

Object in Motion

Baby’s eyes can now move in a circular pattern. Above her head, hold a shiny object tied securely on a string. Move it slowly in a circle as baby watches. Then hold it at her eye level. Move it around her head. She will follow it with her eyes. She may learn to anticipate it as it moves behind her head, then back into view. She is beginning to grasp the concept of motion.

Ask relatives and family members to kiss baby’s hands, not her face. The skin on her face is very sensitive and easily irritated.

More Than One Baby!

Having one baby is a wonderful experience — having two or more is incredible! You’ll need more of everything — equipment, assistance, time and patience. You’ll probably get less sleep, but your rewards will be great as your babies grow.

Adjustments ahead! If you are the lucky parents of multiples, you will make many adjustments as a family. It’s in everyone’s best interest, including your babies’, to ask for help. Don’t try to do everything yourself, or you’ll be overwhelmed and exhausted. Take good care of yourself and your partner so you can both tend to babies’ needs. The following ideas can lighten your load.

• Keep diapers and supplies close at hand, around the house. It saves energy and provides you more time with your babies.
• Take care of yourself. Get out of the house when you can. Ask others to help. They’ll love the opportunity to interact with your babies. Eat well, and rest when babies rest. Keep your energy and strength levels up.
• Hire at least one mother’s helper for part of each day. A teenager may be a good choice to help around the house. If you can’t leave a helper alone with the babies, he or she can tend and entertain them while you relax or do things you’ve put off.
• Don’t do anything you don’t have to. Let some chores go for a while, if they can be ignored.
• Alternate tasks with your babies. For example, bathe one baby one day and the other the next day. As long as faces, hands and diaper areas are clean, babies don’t need a bath every day.
• Be as efficient as you can. Plan all If you bottlefeed, make up bottles 24 hours in advance and store in the refrigerator. Don’t change babies’ clothes if they’re not dirty.

The equipment equation. You’ll need more equipment with multiples, but you don’t need two of everything, You will need a crib for each baby, although a drawer or basket will work while a baby is small. You must I an approved car seat for each bat Individual infant seats and highchairs are necessary, as are diapers and clothes for each baby. One stroller with a sea for each baby is a good investment.

With some equipment, one item! enough. You probably need only orwj swing, playpen, rocking chair, diaper’. bag, changing table and infant tub. Use these items in turn.

Feeding. One of the greatest challenges for parents of multiples is| deciding how to feed them. Some mothers want to breastfeed exclusiv (It’s an added bonus for multiples because they are usually smaller than single-birth babies, and breast milk is extremely beneficial for them.) Some moms say bottle-feeding is the only way to go. Others combine the two to breastfeed and bottle-feed their babies, Breastfeeding, even for one or two feedings a day, gives your babies the; protection that breast milk provides,

Breastfeeding multiples is a challenge. Experiment with positions! find what works best. Some mothers: nurse both babies at the same time. You can purchase cushions designed to help you hold and nurse two babies at once.

Switch babies from one breast to the other at different feedings, so each baby gets visual stimulation on both sides. It also helps prevent problems for you, such as engorgement in one breast if one baby isn’t feeding as well as the other, By switching breasts, overall demand for milk remains about the same for each breast, so breasts tend to remain equal in size.

Supplementing with formula enables others to help you feed the babies. Breastfeed one while someone else bottle-feeds the other. Or nurse each one for a time, then let another person finish the feeding with formula.

Get them on the same schedule. Work toward getting both babies on the same feeding and sleeping schedules. One baby may be more interested in feeding than the other, but try to feed them at the same time when possible. It helps if babies sleep on the same schedule. You’ll gain precious free time in the process.

Spending time with the babies. You may not have as much time to spend playing and interacting with your babies as you’d like. Set aside time alone with each baby. Giving your exclusive attention to baby is an important part of the bonding process. Choose a time when she’s quiet and alert. Play with her and interact as we’ve described in previous discussions. Talk with each baby and get to know their different personalities.

Fighting favoritism? You may be shocked to find yourself feeling closer to one baby than another. One baby’s temperament may be more easy-going. Maybe you prefer the sex of one baby to another’s. Some parents harbor a little resentment toward the second, unplanned-for baby.

The first step to overcoming such feelings is to admit you have them. They are not abnormal, so be kind to yourself. Admit you have the feelings, and go from there. If one baby is more demanding than another, focus on her positive traits. Give each of your babies time and attention. As you get to know them both, the feeling will pass.

No two babies are alike. Accept each as an individual and treat them fairly. Soon you will feel loving affection for each baby.

Find moral support. Contact groups in your area for parents of multiples. Talking about your stresses and distresses with others who have been there can be a great help. These organizations are usually listed in the telephone book.

Tip: When you want to go outwhen babies are older, and you wonder if a sitter can handle more than one baby, hire a sitter for each baby!