Having spent a few weeks with your baby may lead you to believe that you know each other quite well. But it can surprise you again every week because it grows and changes so fast. By week 3, your baby will start interacting with you more often. This creates fun filled moments for you. Also, try to share babysitting activities with your partner or another caregiver because you need plenty of rest too.
Baby Development
Every baby grows at a different rate. Therefore, there is no definite rule or criterion that defines the healthy growth of a child. A 3rd week growth spurt may occur, which can make your baby look very different in a short time.
Your baby will start making more noises than before and will gradually turn its head and make an effort to look around. The eyes will begin to stabilize a bit and will be able to look in one direction. It may turn eyes sideways when looking at light or any object. In this week, the baby tries to raise its head and balance while lying on its face. Extends arms and legs for play.
Growth Spurt Tips
During the attack weeks, called "The Wonder Weeks", babies go through various leaps and developmental advances. Usually "My baby has changed its temper." It`s time to say. Well, what are the symptoms? Let`s list for you.
- Increase or decrease in appetite
- Restlessness while feeding
- Changes in sleep routine
- Variation in behavior (wanting more hugs, crying more, whining, etc.)
- Fondness for mother
According to experts, growth spurts in babies occur at 3-5-8-12-19-26-37-46-55-64 and 75. weeks. Growth attacks, which usually last 2-3 days in small babies, can last up to 1 week in older babies.
The best thing you can do in growth spurts is to observe your little one, to meet those needed and to make him feel safe by hugging it abundantly. More hugs, milk, food and sleep can also be your other helpers.
- First of all, read so much to get to know its mind better during these periods when your baby can develop and acquire new skills. Choose activities, games and toys appropriate for your baby`s age to find out what can keep it busy at what age.
- On the first day of attacks, you may feel like you cannot meet your baby`s milk needs. However, if you continue to breastfeed without worry, your body will adapt to this situation in a short time. It is possible to increase milk production with a balanced diet and fluid consumption.
- If you are worried that your baby has another problem during the attack weeks, it is useful to follow the number of diapers and weight gain. You can also take its temperature. If you still have concerns, contact your doctor.
- Mothers need calm and peace at least as much as babies in their spurt weeks. It`s important to constantly remind yourself that this is a temporary situation. If you need help, don`t be afraid to say it. Remember that stress and fatigue reduce milk production.
- To suppress your baby`s crisis, hug, caress, massage its body. Swing it lightly in your arms or sit with it in the rocking chair. Walk slowly around the room together. Talk or sing to your baby. Gently pat its butt, these will calm it down.
Let`s say right now; Growth attacks after the age of 2 are among the topics that mothers wonder. Growth attacks in babies are over by the age of 2, the psychological changes you see in your child during this period are entirely due to the 2-year-old syndrome.
Milestones
Around this week, babies will try to move their mouths in countless ways, and may even smile a little at certain sounds or when they see your face. Your baby will start to stick out its tongue more often and gradually make other sounds as well.
As your baby starts to develop upper body strength, it`s good to lie on its stomach under your supervision and try to lift its head or try to use its arms to support itself. With these attempts, babies can develop the strength needed to hold themselves upright.
It will also begin to understand the small differences between you and other people, even their parents. If you interact with other parents and their children, your baby can understand the social side of life and explore the variety of people around it.
Nutrition
A 3-week-old baby`s feeding amount increases compared to before and tends to take a lot more effort to suckle more milk, which can cause fatigue. This results in longer sleep cycles or sleep as soon as feeding is complete.
Because its stomach is still small, it will not be able to hold large volumes of milk, resulting in frequent feeding cycles. It could be every two hours. If your baby has trouble breastfeeding and you resort to bottle feeding, it may be every four hours. It`s too early to implement any routine as the growth cycle is still pretty fast.
Sleep
A full stomach will satisfy and calm your baby. Its body automatically sends the message that it`s great to fall asleep at that moment! Then it gets hungry again, during these weeks babies are constantly hungry. Because of these hunger cycles, a 3-week-old baby`s sleep pattern does not fall into a set routine. But even after feedings, it`s important to let your doctor know if your baby isn`t able to fall asleep right away. First, it checks whether the weight gain is as expected. In the case of birth complications or a premature baby, it may take your little one a little longer than other babies to reach the appropriate weight.
You can swaddle your baby to make it easier to sleep by feeling in the mother`s womb and to prevent waking up recoiling. You can get support from white noise sounds. However, you should know that some experts do not find it healthy for a baby to sleep with sound. As always, make sure your baby is lying on its back while it sleeps. If you are only going to stay and watch your baby at all times, you can put your baby in other positions for a short time and in turns.
Behavior
All humans are born with some built-in reflexes and these become very evident during these weeks. Searching for the breast, grasping objects, grasping the breast firmly, moving the legs, startle at sound or during sleep are among these reflexes. These often last for months.
Babies look more lively than before when they are awake, as their voice and facial recognition responses increase. They can focus on details as on your mouth while talking or on earrings if you have. Making various sounds and using its tongue to show that it is hungry are signs of your baby`s development. Sometimes, they can develop very interesting sounds and movements. Rest assured, these are just your baby`s IDs!
Care Tips
- Feeding can be quite tiring for the baby this week, but regular feeding is important. It may fall asleep while feeding or may wake up shortly after a session is over. Make sure your baby is fed as much as it needs.
- You may want to go to sleep as soon as your baby sleeps, but you may find yourself waking up with hunger cries just a few hours later. Worse still, you may start to cuddle your baby to sleep after breastfeeding, as it has trouble falling asleep on its own. Although every method is free until a certain month, it is useful to pay attention to the method that you put it to sleep and the support you give it so that your baby will experience healthy sleep habits and a quality sleep. Make sure it gets enough sleep, albeit in irregular patterns.
- Let it spend time on the snow under your supervision. It is very important for your baby to try to hold its head or use its arms so that it can develop its body muscles. It will also try to move its eyes and head to look around. If she starts crying, put it on its back again and try again later. It is an activity that you will include in your daily routine.
- By this time, the umbilical cord in your baby`s womb will have dried and fallen off. But the area is still somewhat sensitive. Therefore, it is necessary to be gentle when bathing or dressing. Keep the area dry and airy.
- A good bath and cleaning will help your baby feel calm and comfortable and fall asleep easily.
- It is important to observe your baby`s bowel movements and check for movement after each feeding. If your baby does not poop for three days or more, it is necessary to bring this to the attention of the doctor.
- If you are breastfeeding and considering introducing a pacifier, it is best to wait to offer a pacifier until breastfeeding is well established – usually about three or four weeks after giving birth.
- Passive smoking can be extremely dangerous for your baby, eliminate all causes of exposure to the smell of cigarettes.
Colic Tips
Did your baby, who slept peacefully all day for the first two weeks, and whose voice you could hardly hear, suddenly started screaming and crying for a long time? Long-lasting and unstoppable crying crises in babies are called colic. If its crying lasts more than 3 hours a day, especially if it starts in the evening and continues until midnight, if this happens at least 3 days a week, if it pulls its legs to its stomach during crying spells, your baby is likely to have colic. Colic, which starts two or three weeks after birth, usually ends completely at the end of the 3rd-4th month. Although it is rare, it is among the results of the research that it lasts for 1 year. What you can do for a colic baby, here are a few tips:
- If it is bottle fed, use non-gas feeding bottles. These baby bottles have an air flow apparatus. This prevents newborn babies from swallowing air, hiccupping, burping, and thus suffering from gas and colic pains.
- Keep your baby`s feet and tummy warm.
- Hug it tightly and shake it lightly. Slight rhythmic movements relax babies.
- Babies feel and are affected very quickly, especially by their mothers` emotions and actions. Don`t be irritable, nervous, or fussy when you`re breastfeeding, putting it to sleep, or it is crying.
- Do not overfeed your baby. Allow at least 2 hours between each feeding. Keep your baby upright during feedings so that it does not swallow air.
- If you are breastfeeding your baby, pay attention to your own nutrition. What you eat may be bothering your baby.
- If you are using instant formula, consult your doctor and start using a formula that produces less gas. Each brand has specially produced formulas for gassy babies.
- Your baby may swallow air while breastfeeding or bottle feeding. e.g; the baby should take nipple completely into its mouth. If you`re bottle feeding, feed vertically rather than horizontally.
- Colic babies like movement. You can take your baby around the house. Also, a short car ride can distract and calm colic babies.
- You can make small and comforting touches especially to the head and face area to calm it down when it cries.
- Exercise and gas massage relieve colic babies quite a bit.
- If you swaddle your baby when you are going to put it to sleep, it can sleep longer and more peacefully.
- Some babies are relieved when placed face down on the arm. You can try this. The point you need to pay attention to is that your baby`s face should touch the palm of your hand. But don`t put your baby to sleep like this. Just calm down.
- Music is the cure for colic! To relax your baby, you can listen to calming white noises, baby lullabies and baby songs.
- Babies living in smoking houses are much more likely to have colic. Make sure there is no smoking at your home.
Tests and Vaccines
There is not any test and vaccine in this week.
Plays and Activities
As your baby starts making a variety of sounds this week, it`s good to have conversation sessions with it. When you make sounds, he will tend to observe your eyes and mouth and try to repeat them to you. Do the same and repeat the sounds it makes! This acknowledgment will make him happy and communicate with you more.
Your baby can see better now, making funny faces and using your hands are great ways to add joy to a baby`s world. Use both hands to lift your baby`s body off their feet and make sounds that gradually increase as you lift. These moves can make your baby laugh forever!
When to Apply to The Doctor?
Babies at this stage may have diarrhea due to increased feeding. If it persists for more than a week and contains blood, contact your doctor immediately. Vomiting may occur, but make sure there are no more than 10 in a day and the weight gain is sufficient. Pooping should also ideally be daily. Therefore, if it does not have a bowel movement for up to 3 days, let your doctor know.

