Baby Care Encyclopedia

After birth, different regions of the brain mature at different rates. As a result, motor activity (movement) develops first in the head and neck, then progresses down the body. A newborn can lie on his back or stomach with the head turned to the side. Many babies can raise their heads briefly while lying on their stomachs as early as the end of the first month of life. In the second month, they can raise their heads for longer periods, and when held upright, they show the first wobbly traces of head control. By three months, they can sit supported in a lap, head upright, for several minutes at a time. Hand control comes more slowly. Your baby will probably mouth and suck his fists and -fingers right from birth. Newborns typically keep their fists curled during sleep. By about four weeks, though, your baby's sleeping and waking postures will start to look a little more grown-up, with hands held loosely closed or open. By the second month, the strong reflexive grasp of the newborn ...

To say that my boyfriend was being neurotic about the impending birth of our child would be an understatement. By the time I was 28 weeks pregnant he had built a cot, painted and decorated the spare room in the house, bought a boys and girls new born outfit and planned the route to the hospital! To be honest I didn't mind so much and it was nice to see him taking such an active interest in the planning of the whole thing. There seemed no end to his enthusiasm for the birth of the child. He had bought books for the baby to look at from a young age, and he had devoured three different baby manuals himself in preparation for the big day. There seemed nothing I could do to stop him going slightly over board, and I was lost for words when he walked into the living room one day with a big bag that turned out to be my overnight bag for my hospital stay for the birth. It had everything in it that I would possibly need for the birth and more! I tried to pick it up and I couldn't! He told me...