7-Week-Old Baby

7-Weeks-Old Baby

7-Week-Old Baby

Smiles and sounds abound as your baby soaks up stimuli

and lets you know she loves the world.

Main Topics

Highlights

My, how time has flown! Your baby doesn’t feel like such a newborn anymore — and you don’t feel like such a newbie parent anymore.

Finding time for yourself and your partner is becoming more of a reality now, as you learn to navigate life with a baby. Here’s what else may be happening this week.

Your 7-week-old baby's development

Week 7
Baby’s Development

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Your cutie is growing up fast and definitely finding lots to smile and be happy about. She still loves hearing you talk (so keep the commentary coming), listening to soft music in the background (which may help with baby’s development), and tuning in to other sights and sounds. So keep showing your baby the world — and talking about it too!

To make sure your baby continues to meet the appropriate developmental milestones, be sure to incorporate plenty of supervised tummy time practice so she gets the opportunity to flex the muscles she’ll eventually need for a variety of skills, including sitting up.

But what if tummy time feels more like torture than fun? Find ways to make it more enjoyable, including:

  • Put your baby tummy-down on your chest while you do your sit-ups and add some funny faces and silly noises with each rep.
  • Get down on the floor face-to-face with your baby and step up the entertainment with a special toy or mirror.
  • Vary the view from baby’s tummy by setting your little one up in the living room for a minute or two in the morning and in your bedroom in the afternoon.
  • Try using a tummy-time pillow or playmat for a more interesting perspective. Try to give your baby a massage while she’s doing tummy time.
  • Give your little one a belly break if she’s fussy and try again when she’s in a better mood.

In between those exercise sessions, make sure your sweetie gets lots of other chances to flex those little muscles by mixing up baby’s positions often. Too much time spent sitting it out in a swing or bouncy seat can make it harder to get a move on and might also affect the shape of your baby’s head, making it too flat in the back or on one side.

At a Glance

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Sleeping basics

Newborns up to 3 or 4 months old need 14 to 17 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, usually waking every two to four hours to eat.

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Feeding basics

Breastfed babies should eat as much as they want at this age, but a general rule of thumb is roughly 24 to 32 ounces of pumped breast milk or formula.

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Did you know?

Babies are acutely aware of sounds now, including those made by music, bells, barking dogs, vacuum cleaners and whistles.

Your 7-week-old baby's growth

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How much does your baby grow? From about month 2 through month 6, babies will add on an average of 1 inch a month and gain about 4 to 8 ounces a week. 

What happens if your baby is falling behind on the growth charts? And what steps can you take to get your little one’s growth back on track?

If you’re breastfeeding and your baby doesn’t seem to be gaining enough inches and pounds, talk to your pediatrician and enlist the help of a lactation consultant. Sometimes moms don’t make enough milk to support the growth of their babies, perhaps because of a hormonal imbalance.

If the doctor has recommended supplementary formula because your baby isn’t doing well on breast milk alone, following that advice will most likely get your little one back on the growth track soon.

If you’re formula-feeding and baby isn’t thriving, perhaps a change in formula (such as to a hydrolysate or elemental formula) can help keep your baby growing the way she should be. Ask your pediatrician whether switching formulas may be in order.

Your 7-week-old baby's health

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Flu in babies

The influenza virus is a contagious — and common — viral infection of the throat, nose and lungs, and usually rears its ugly head between the months of October and April. Babies under 6 months are especially vulnerable to flu and too young to get a flu shot, so keep your baby away from anyone who might be sick. And everyone who is around your little one should be vaccinated against the flu.

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Got cradle cap?

It might not be too pretty, but cradle cap — tiny, greasy scales that commonly appear on the scalp of young infants — isn't something to worry about either. It’ll usually run its course by 6 months, and there are easy remedies to try in the meantime.

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Is it okay to delay baby's vaccines?

Vaccine schedules are put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and by following the recommendations, you’ll ensure your little one will get the best protection possible at just the right times.

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Signs of GERD

Spitting up is pretty common in babies (and usually no big deal). But occasionally, frequent and persistent spitting up that’s accompanied by other symptoms can be a sign of acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

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Are cold medicines safe for baby?

As heartbreaking as it is to see your baby sick, those over-the-counter cough and cold medicines can be harmful to babies. OTC cold and cough meds are only approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for use in children who are at least 4 years old, and only then with your paediatrician's approval.

Postpartum & new baby tips

Did baby pass the newborn hearing test?

Shortly after you gave birth, it’s likely that your baby was given a newborn hearing test. While most babies do pass, it’s vital that this test be done as soon as possible since babies start learning language from the get-go (long before they utter that first word). 

It’s especially important to follow up on a “failed test” (as some infants don’t pass that first screening) so you can address any auditory issues quickly. If your baby failed this screening, check in with your pediatrician, and check out these resources from Hearing First.

Super senses

Do you learn something new every day? Your 7-week-old baby does — and then some!

Around the 7-week mark, baby is awake and alert more often during the day, so pencil in more playtime.

Best ways to stimulate those senses? Provide plenty of opportunities for your baby to experience those surroundings through sound, sight and touch. Small doses are best (if she’s fussing or squirming, she’s had enough), and simple toys are all you need.

Play games with baby

Now that your baby can track moving objects with those beautiful eyes, try slowly shifting a ball, rattle or cloth from one side to the other as she faces you. Watch as baby plays along by moving the eyes back and forth (tennis, anyone?).

Those baby blues, greens or browns are becoming more discriminating these days too. While she could once make out only bright colors and basic, two-toned patterns, she’s now beginning to discern — and delight in! — more complex designs and a whole rainbow of colors.

Introduce board books

Now’s the time to break out some vibrantly colored board books or give your baby a narrated tour of your fascinating backyard.

Not only does she love the sound of your words — after all, she’s been hearing them since well before she was born! — but she’s also starting to be able to put your face to your voice, and those of other familiar folks.

While it may not seem like it, your baby is listening carefully and may soon try to respond with some sounds. Encourage your little talker by chatting and cooing along in a conversational pattern. No, you won’t sound silly — you’ll sound like a parent!

Baby’s first shots

Around 8 weeks, it’s time for another well-baby checkup.

At this 2-month doctor’s visit, your child will be vaccinated against DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, aka whooping cough), Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), IPV (polio), pneumococcal disease, Hep B (hepatitis B — the second of three doses, unless she got it at the 1-month appointment) and RV (rotavirus).

Chances are you’re much more nervous than your baby, so remember: The pain of a vaccine is very temporary (feels like a pinch) and insignificant compared with the pain of the diseases the immunization is protecting against.

You can minimize the discomfort by holding and distracting your baby (studies show babies cry less this way),  breastfeeding immediately before or during the immunization, and/or using an anesthetic cream an hour earlier. Ask your pediatrician about that last remedy — it needs a prescription.

When to call the pediatrician

Not sure whether or not you should contact your baby’s pediatrician? Follow these tips:

  • For coughs and colds, check in with your doctor if your baby has a dry cough that’s been hanging around for more than a week, the cough becomes wheezy or productive (meaning, she’s coughing up mucus), or it seems like she’s having trouble breathing. Also call if a runny nose lasts more than about 10 days, there’s green mucus from both sides of the nose for more than 10 days, or the mucus is streaked with blood.
  • For constipation, call for help if your baby passes hard small balls of poop regularly or if you notice blood in the stool.
  • Does your baby have diarrhea or is she vomiting? A few episodes are usually not a big deal. Seek your doctor’s help if either vomiting or diarrhea (very watery, sometimes mucus-tinged stools, occurring more frequently than your child’s normal pattern) lasts for more than 24 hours or is accompanied by a fever, or if the stools contain blood. Call right away if you see signs of dehydration: few or no wet diapers, urine that is dark yellow instead of clear, dry skin, lack of saliva or tears, dry lips, or sunken eyes or fontanelle (the soft spot on your baby’s head).
  • For babies under 2 months, call right away if a fever is 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and go to the emergency room if you can’t reach your doctor.

Baby baths

Unless your little one loves the water, there’s no need to bathe your baby every day — especially if she’s prone to dryness (too much tub time could dry out that tender skin).

Besides, babies don’t get dirty enough to need daily baths until they’re crawling around and eating solid (messy!) foods.

If that’s the case for your cutie, a couple of baths a week with mild soap and shampoo are plenty.

In between those rub-a-dub-dubs, you can always practice daily spot checks with a warm, wet washcloth.

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