Congratulations to the new mom and dad. After a nine-month pregnancy, your baby is now home and in your care. The better part of her first week of life may have been spent in a hospital, but if she doesn't have any complications or didn't stay inside an incubator, she should be home with her family on her second week. This is just the beginning of a long dynamic relationship with the parents seemingly always second-guessing themselves. Don't be. Enjoy the time that you have your small baby in your arms, this is the start of a marvelous journey.
How Is a 2 Week Old Baby Developing?
A 2 week old baby really does not do anything. She spends as much as twenty hours a day sleeping. She eats, suckles, moves her fingers, clutches at objects, rolls around, and stretches, all while sleeping. The few hours she is awake is often spent in slowly moving her eyes and her muscles. It seems that she is always sucking, even when she's away from a nipple. On the rare occasion that she cries, it seems her cries are too loud for someone her size.
One common condition for babies is colic. Around one in five babies have colic, and the only thing to do is to be patient. The colic stage will pass. Meantime, you can talk to your health professional about ways to alleviate or prevent colic.
How to Take Care of a 2 Week Old Baby
1. Feed Your Baby Properly
Breastfeeding is better for a 2 week old baby. There really is no substitute to mother's milk, and it also helps bond the mother with her baby. However, the mother has to learn how to feed her baby properly. Improper feeding can lead to sore nipples, painful feeding, and even bleeding nipples.
Breastfeeding will naturally desensitize the natural sensitivity of nipples. But it may take some time before a new mom can get comfortable feeding her baby. Breastfeed your baby when she demands it, she knows when she's hungry and will tell you. It is useless to force her into your schedule for feeding. If you have any problems with breastfeeding, consult your medical professional.
2. Sleep Pattern and How to Cope with It
2 week old babies may sleep and toss in their sleep because they are still adjusting to their cot. Some mothers opt to have their babies beside them when the babies sleep. Due to health reasons, as well as a comfortable and worry-free sleep for the mom, it would be better for the baby to sleep on her cot. You can place the cot beside the bed or anywhere near the mom. This also gives the mom (and dad) some peace of mind with the knowledge that they are near the baby at all times.
Babies have fitful sleep cycles and expect them to move about in their sleep. Have pillows placed around the baby to prevent her from turning towards the bassinet's or cot's walls. There would be times when the baby would wake up crying. This is perfectly normal. It might take a bit of cuddling, walking, rocking, singing lullabies, or just holding the baby close in order for her to calm down and go back to sleep.
For babies born prematurely, the doctor might recommend that they sleep under an incandescent lamp. This can help warm her up and it would also help with pale skin, and against jaundice.
3. Understand Their Behavior
Babies start to develop their personalities even while in the womb. This behavioral development continues till she becomes an adult. There are a lot of factors which determine a baby's behavior. At this point, there is no external factor to consider, which leaves everything about her to be genetically triggered. This means that some of the traits that a 2 week old baby will have come straight from the mom or the dad. It is natural for a mom, a dad, and every other member of the family to check out and study the baby to compare her with the other family members. This too and is normal behavior for any family member. However, at two weeks old, there is no assurance that any trait or behavior the baby has will be with her to maturity.
4. Spend Some Tummy Time
Infants will spend their time lying on their back. Allowing them to have some tummy time will strengthen back and neck. Some studies show that babies without tummy time have delayed motor skill development.
Some babies do not like this position due to the feeling of abandonment by making it difficult for them to see their parents. Keeping the infants company to know your presence will make tummy time more pleasurable.
5. Change Their Nappies
For reasons of hygiene, try to change diapers regularly. A wet diaper can cause rashes. In case of a soiled diaper, change the diaper immediately. Special care should be taken in cleaning the baby after changing the diaper.
6. Take Care of the Belly Button
The navel may still be raw even after the umbilical cord stump has fallen off. Clean this area with extra care.
7. Always Stay Clean
Bath time is a challenging ordeal for the parents and a 2 week old baby, but it is also a good opportunity for both to communicate. Parents can take bath with their babies as long as precautionary measures are taken properly. Wash hands after changing the diapers and use antiseptic hand wash then apply hand lotion to protect skin from drying out.
8. Take Your Baby for a Walk
A baby needs Vitamin D, and the best way to do this is for her to stay under the sun during early mornings. If the weather is too cold, you can stay indoors, with the baby by the window catching the sun's rays.
