1 Week Old Baby – Milestones, Development & Care Tips

After months and months of a seemingly unending pregnancy, your delivery has been successful, and your baby is finally here! Now, there are additional responsibilities on you as a parent since the external world is not as safe as your inner womb. All the new emotions and feelings that a baby experiences will be new for him and you. It’s a new life for both of you- a life filled with learning, love, and growing together. The following days, weeks, and months will be daunting, challenging, and sleepless but also full of memories. As new parents, if you have questions about how to care for your 1-week-old baby, we suggest reading this article.

1 Week Old Baby Development

1-week-old milestones of your baby are going to be surprising and exciting. While their prime task would be feeding, pooping, and sleeping, they will be undergoing several developments in their first week into the world.

If you’ve had a natural vaginal birth, the shape of your baby’s head might be slightly elongated. This is because his head ends up squeezing a bit as he passes down your birth canal. It is absolutely fine and his head will return back to its natural shape within a few days.

Along with the shape, there are primarily two soft areas situated on the head, one at the top and one behind. These are termed fontanelles. They do have a protective covering. However, these areas are where the skull starts growing and filling up over the next couple of years.

At times, in the initial week, his skin might have small red patches or rashes of sorts. This usually is due to the skin’s extreme sensitivity to the outside world and returns back to normal soon. The palms and soles might undergo some peeling of the skin at this time, too.

Having severed the umbilical cord during delivery, the doctors would have tied a knot, and all that’s remaining would be a small stump of it. It usually dries and falls off in a week or two. During that period, it is important to be gentle around the area and uses sponges to bathe the baby if necessary.

Certain parents worry a lot when they see their little one’s genitals to be swollen and even inflamed at times. There’s no reason to worry since this is primarily the effect of the mother’s hormones being present with the baby.

Around this period, babies tend to breathe erratically, with some short breaths or long breaths and small periods when they don’t seem to be breathing. Your child might even make certain sounds while breathing, too. This is just them getting to terms with the new activity and it usually normalises in 4-6 weeks.

[Also Read: Newborn Baby Development]

One Week Old Baby Milestones

One of the major checks that a baby undergoes is the APGAR test. APGAR is an acronym formed by the initials of Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration. These 5 parameters are checked immediately after the delivery of the baby. By understanding if the skin colour is fine, heart rate is normal, reflexes and muscle tone are good, and breathing is fine under normal circumstances, doctors can continue ahead with the process or undertake medical intervention to help the baby.

Most babies stay curled up like they were inside the womb. Your child would not be able to see around much, glancing only for some seconds and barely being able to see anything that’s beyond 15 cm or so (1). When you take your baby in your arms, he will feel your presence and, after seeing your face, will continue to stare at it for a long time.

A cumulative sleep duration of about 14-17 hours is considered normal since all the tiny naps are broken by incessant hunger and the need to feed (2). Nearly once every couple of hours, your baby would want to eat, then sleep, and poop. The initial poop will be thick and green in colour. This is due to the presence of a substance in the baby’s intestine while he was a foetus, called meconium. Over time, with feedings, the poop will become yellow.

On sensing your finger on his palm, he will grab it and not let go. If you touch his cheeks or lips, he will immediately turn in that direction and start making sucking movements with his mouth. This is an inherent reflex in all babies, called as rooting reflex, which helps them discover a breast and drink milk to sustain themselves (3).

[Also Read: Newborn Baby Milestones]

Feeding

Hunger and food are what the baby feels and needs right off the bat. A 1-week-old baby’s feeding amount varies depending on whether he is breastfed or bottle-fed, though 8-12 times in 24 hours (4).

The little one will be hungry and will reflexively start sucking in any way possible to get whatever he can. He will look around for your breast, find the nipple, latch on successfully and drink milk till he’s full. At other times, it may not be as easy as it seems. If you are facing any breast milk production issues, offering your breast to the baby and having the suckling sensation on the nipples can trigger the body to start producing milk as well.

During the first few weeks after childbirth, you will produce colostrum, which is usually yellow or orange-coloured milk that is loaded with several nutrients and fluids your little one needs for their growth and development in the early days (5).

If resorting to formula feeds, the quantity needs to be precise as recommended by the doctor, and the formula should be prepared just as the package mentions. The baby’s age and weight play an important governing factor in deciding that.

Sleeping

A 1 week old baby’s sleep requirements are extremely high. The entire process of delivery is quite taxing and exhausting on the child as well, followed by coming to terms with a new world and all the sensations and emotions that haven’t been felt before.

In the initial week, let your baby sleep on his back since that’s the safest and most comfortable position for him (6). The temperature of the room should be appropriate and avoid any smoke or pollutants from entering the room. The tendency to sleep is extremely powerful and cannot be overcome by the little one. This may result in him falling asleep with your breast in his mouth, right in the middle of the feed. Feeding, too, is an energy-consuming activity for him and can get him tired and sleepy right away.

[Also Read: Newborn Baby Sleeping Basics]

Behaviour

Most of the babies around this time are usually quieter compared to the ruckus they set up later in life. The only times your child will make a sound is when he cries for food or if he has peed. The rest of the time, they are either sleeping or coming to terms with this brave new world around them (7). A 1-week-old baby sleeping through the night is quite a rarity since most of them are awake for a while, staring at their mothers or listening to voices, feeding and then dozing off.

Many parents and relatives are eager to jump to conclusions about the baby’s personality and future based on their observations in the initial week. They might deem him to be a troublemaker or a calm person, and so on. Most babies are quite satisfied if fed properly, cuddled in a skin-to-skin fashion, and allowed to have enough sleep throughout. They will simply keep looking around and listening to the new voices. If your child’s routine is disrupted and he doesn’t get what he wants, this could lead to a lot of crying and be exhausting for him, too.

Essential Products for a 1-Week-Old Baby

To ensure a seamless baby care and breastfeeding experience, you may use the following products:

• Swaddling babies is an essential part of baby care to keep them calm and secure. Swaddling your baby with a blanket might not be everyone’s cup of tea. In such cases, cotton, breathable swaddles with velcro or zipper tabs keep babies snuggled just like they were in the womb.
• Onesies are baby’s bodysuits that keep them perfectly clothed, secured, and snuggled. It is also easy for diaper change and for layering during the cold weather.
• The early phases of nursing can be painful and brutal for some, especially if you have sore or cracked breasts. A good-quality hydrating nipple cream is a godsend for breastfeeding moms to help them navigate this phase and soothe any tenderness.

1 Week Old Newborn Baby Care Tips

Here are some tips to take care of your newborn.

1. Time to Turn Nocturnal

The fear of staying up nights can make you worry a lot. There will be a time when your child will sleep through the night, and you will, too. Until then, it is important to let your baby know the differences in time, by keeping the nights as quiet, calm, and dimly lit as possible.

2. A Hydrated Baby Is a Must

Sometimes, your baby might not feed as much as needed. Other times, he might be ill and have a fever, end up vomiting or have constant diarrhoea. All of these leave your child dehydrated, which can be quite harmful to him. Bring this to your doctor’s notice.

3. No Messing Around With the Umbilical Cord

Yes, it does not look pretty. But the stump needs its own time to dry and fall off by itself. Do not attempt to try and remove it yourself or even pick at its surface. Give it a couple of weeks, and the stump will turn black in colour and then fall away (8).

4. Don’t Let the Green Scare You

First-time parents are always in for a shock when they see their baby’s poop in green. These are just the final after-effects of emerging out of the womb. Initial poops are mostly green, black, and sticky. Over time, it gets yellow.

5. Let the Feet Touch the Cot

While your baby sleeps on his back, position him in such a way that his tiny feet touch the base of the cot or the crib. This will ensure that there is no room for him to slide downwards, and the blanket won’t end up covering his face.

6. Wrap Your Baby Up Comfortably

Using a light cloth to wrap the baby helps keep his limbs secure since he would usually be moving around a lot and could end up hitting himself in the face and disturbing his sleep. Swaddling also helps him feel safe and he can rest peacefully.

7. A Little Blood for a Test Is No Problem

Certain doctors might recommend conducting a few blood tests on the baby and will collect blood samples by gently pricking his heel. It could make your baby cry, and that’s fine since only a few drops of blood are collected, and there’s no harm as such.

[Also Read: Newborn Baby Care]

Tests and Vaccinations

Three major vaccines are administered within the first week of the delivery, one of them within 12 hours of birth itself. This vaccine is the hepatitis B vaccine, which is the first to be given within 24 hours to prevent any infection of the liver (9). The other vaccines are the polio OPV vaccine and the tuberculosis BCG vaccine.

Games and Activities

Your baby is extremely curious about this time. You can keep him engaged by using your fingers and making sounds and movements. If you have tiny finger socks, these can be used as puppets and shown to your baby with different voices and movements. Slowly and steadily, he will begin to associate movement and sound together.

Another curious thing for your baby is your face. So make sure he sees a lot of it and in every form possible. Making a variety of expressions and going from a normal one to a happy one to a sad one to a funny one will show him how the face works and how, with different expressions, the person is still the same.

[Also Read: Newborn Baby Games and Activities]

When to Consult a Doctor

If you notice the following signs in the baby, it is advised to consult a doctor.

1. Constipation

If your baby is not having as many bowel movements as he should have, or if the poop is dry and hard, these could be signs of constipation.

2. Hiccups

Hiccups are quite normal among babies. But if your child seems uncomfortable with them or has unending hiccups, contact your doctor.

3. Reflux

Spitting up a little food with a burp is normal. If that continues excessively, it could signify reflux.

4. Peeling Of Skin

This is normal and varies from baby to baby. If the peeling seems different or leaves marks on the skin, it could be a different skin condition altogether.

5. Cross Eyes

Babies struggle to focus and end up with their eyes looking cross. If this isn’t occasional and more of a default look for your kid, get your doctor’s advice.

6. Fussiness

Babies are adjusting to the new world. But if they are a lot fussier than usual throughout the day, they might be facing some problems.

7. Jaundice

Though eyes and skin might be yellow in the initial days, if they continue to be so and get stronger, let your doctor know.

8. Eye Roll

During sleep, babies do roll their eyes back in their drowsiness. If that stays even while awake, a doctor’s examination may be necessary.

9. Discharge In Eyes

Little sticky eyes are fine for the baby since tear ducts are yet to develop. But if the watery discharge is excessive and the eyes look swollen, it could signify an infection.

FAQs

1. When can I take my newborn baby outside?

Your one-week-old infant is extremely sensitive to their new environment and its factors, like air, sunlight, pollen, and more. Taking a newborn outside is really up to the parents. Once you know that your baby is healthy and has all their vaccinations, you may take them outside. However, since they are highly sensitive to environmental factors, you must take strict precautions to keep them safe and secure. Make sure not to take them out in direct sunlight, have the individual wash their hands thoroughly before they pick your baby, and avoid sick people, unhygienic places, and crowded spaces.

2. Why is my baby’s poop green?

Green poop is normal for 1-week-old babies. The black excrement (meconium) usually passes within the first two days of the baby. So, you may be left with green, yellow, brown, or combination baby poop. If you notice black, grey, white or red stools from your baby, contact your paediatrician.

A baby should wet a minimum of six diapers a day. This is a good indication that they’re getting enough milk to stimulate their bowel movements.

Having the baby in your arms is a wonderful feeling that is completely incomparable. By keeping yourself happy and positive and taking the necessary precautions, the entire journey from raising a newborn to childhood will be wonderful.

References/Resources:

1. Infant Vision Birth to One Year; Nationwide Childre’s; https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/infant-vision-birth-to-one-year

2. Newborn Development: 0-1 month; CHOC; https://choc.org/primary-care/ages-stages/newborn/

3. Newborn Reflexes; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/newborn-reflexes.aspx

4. How Often To Breastfeed; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/How-Often-to-Breastfeed.aspx

5. Colostrum: Your Baby’s First Meal; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Colostrum-Your-Babys-First-Meal.aspx

6. How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/A-Parents-Guide-to-Safe-Sleep.aspx

7. Hirshkowitz. M, et al.; National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary; Sleep Health; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721815000157?via%3Dihub; March 2015

8. Stewart. D, et al.; Umbilical Cord Care in the Newborn Infant; Pediatrics; https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/138/3/e20162149/52610/Umbilical-Cord-Care-in-the-Newborn-Infant; September 2016

9. Elimination of Perinatal Hepatitis B: Providing the First Vaccine Dose Within 24 Hours of Birth; Pediatrics; https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/140/3/e20171870/38438/Elimination-of-Perinatal-Hepatitis-B-Providing-the?autologincheck=redirected; September 2017

Next Week: 2 Weeks Old Baby

Also Read:

How to Take Care of Newborn Baby?
Your Newborn Baby’s Growth and Development

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