Your baby was born just one minute ago, and he’s already taking his first test!

This test doesn’t measure intelligence or predict your baby’s long term health. This is the Apgar test, and it’s used strictly to tell you if your baby is adjusting to life in the world outside the womb.

In 1952, Dr. Virginia Apgar developed a standardized method for evaluating a newborn’s health upon birth. Babies are evaluated at one and five minutes old; some babies are also scored at 10, 15, and/or 20 minutes old. The test is designed to identify babies who may need a little extra help and care during their first few hours after the birth.

Babies are given a score of 0, 1 or 2 points in each of five attributes:

• heart rate (pulse)
• respiratory effort (respiration)
• muscle tone (activity)
• reflex response (grimace)
• skin color (appearance)

The points are added together to give an overall Apgar score:

• 8 to 10 points — baby is adjusting well to life outside the womb
• 4 to 7 points — baby requires some gentle stimulation (like massage)
• 3 or lower — baby needs active resuscitation

Generally, an Apgar score above 7 is good. And while the score itself is important, the trend between the one- and five-minute tests is equally important. If the baby’s score worsens by the five-minute test, he may have a serious problem.

Your doctor will guide you through this process. And remember: most babies are born healthy!

Visit Pregnancy & Baby for more about Apgar tests.

Your newborn baby will undergo a variety of physical changes during her first month. Here are some of the things you can expect to see:

Baby’s birth weight

• normal birth weight ranges from 5.5 pounds to 10 pounds
• 7.5 pounds is the average birth weight
• boys are usually heavier than girls
• first babies generally weigh less than later siblings
• large parents tend to have large babies, and small parents usually have small babies
• newborns lose around 8 ounces in the first few days after birth and regain it by about 10 days
• newborns typically gain about 4 to 8 ounces per week during the first month

Baby’s head and face

• average head circumference at birth is 13.5 inches
• by the end of the first month, the average head circumference is 14.8 inches
• a baby’s head and brain grow at their fastest rate during the first 4 months of life
• a baby born vaginally may have an irregularly shaped head and bruising which should correct itself by the end of week one
• babies commonly develop small pimples on the face in the first few weeks
• some babies have squinty, bloodshot eyes caused by swelling during labor and delivery
• babies’ eyes look bigger and brighter within a couple of weeks after birth
• baby — especially one born before her due date — may have downy hair on forehead and cheeks; it goes away within a few weeks
• babies may lose some or all of the hair they had at birth, creating temporary bald spots; new hair will replace it

Babies do a lot of changing and growing during the first month. Knowing what to expect can reduce the amount of stress and worry new parents have.

Source: Web MD

Read more about the exciting first month at Bringing baby home: Surviving the first month postpartum

It’s truly amazing to think about just how much babies learn between birth and their first birthday. You watch with pride as your baby surpasses one milestone after another.

While every child is unique in his or her development, there are some guidelines to help parents and doctors know whether or not a baby is progressing normally.

The following are potential warning signs of a physical delay:

By the 4th month

• cannot support her head well
• doesn’t reach for or grasp toys
• isn’t bringing objects to her mouth
• doesn’t push down with her legs when her feet are placed on a firm surface

By the 6th month

• can’t sit with help
• reaches out with only one hand; keeps the other hand fisted

By the 7th month

• has poor head control when pulled to a sitting position
• is not reaching for objects
• doesn’t bear some weight on his legs

By the 12th month

• can’t sit independently
• crawls lopsided, using one hand and leg while dragging the opposite hand and leg
• can’t stand with support

Trust your instincts, too. If you’re worried, talk to your baby’s doctor. You know your baby better than anyone, so you can spot potential problems early.
Jot down your concerns before you meet with the doctor. Your pediatrician should be checking for developmental delays at each wellness checkup, with structured development screening at 9 months, 18 months and either 24 or 30 months.

If you’re worried about your baby’s development between regular appointments, don’t wait until the next one. Call the doctor and explain your concern.

Read Babies, toddlers and exercise for more information on developmental milestones.

As you eagerly await the arrival of your new baby, use this checklist to make sure you have everything your newborn will need:

Diapers
Newborns can dirty up to 10 diapers every day, so you’ll want to have two packs of disposable diapers or enough cloth diapers for at least two days.

Wipes
You’ll need at least one pack of disposable wipes (start with unscented/sensitive skin wipes) or 10 cloth wipes. You’ll find that you use them for more than just diaper changes.

Changing pad
Whether changing your baby on a changing table or your bed, be sure to protect the surface with a waterproof changing pad.

Baby washcloths
Buy about five of these and launder them in gentle detergent. Until your baby’s umbilical cord falls off, you’ll be washing her with washcloths.

Bath supplies
Once your baby is ready for the baby tub, you’ll want to have a couple of hooded towels, some gentle baby wash (for skin and hair), baby oil or lotion, and a pair of baby nail clippers.

Clothes
This will depend on the weather — and how often you want to do laundry — but do stock up on onesies (a half-dozen or more), sleepers or nightgowns (again, about six), a cold weather sack, a pair of socks for every day of the week, and a newborn hat or two.

Bedding
Have at least four laundered fitted sheets on hand for baby’s bassinet, cradle or crib. You’ll want about 10 lightweight receiving blankets, and — depending on climate — a couple of heavier blankets, too.

Feeding
Whether feeding by breast or bottle, it’s a good idea to have a nursing pillow for comfort. Keep some burp cloths handy to protect your clothes from spit-up. If you’re bottle feeding, you’ll need about 8 washed bottles and formula, of course.

There are other things you may want — such as a digital thermometer, a baby monitor and fun clothes — but, for the most part, you’ll find that your new baby doesn’t need all that much.

What is your nursery “must-have”?

Visit Pregnancy & Baby to read Secondhand layette: Preparing for baby affordably.

Experts tell us that babies are born with feelings. As babies grow, the experiences around them combine with the feelings to form their complex emotional life.

Each feeling — there are nine in all — is expressed by a specific facial expression your baby makes. Identifying these facial expressions help parents understand what baby is feeling.

Interest and enjoyment: Curious children will seek out things they enjoy. These positive feelings help them learn — about the world and about themselves. Interest and enjoyment also help parents get to know their children.

Surprise: This feeling resets the nervous system and prepares the baby for other stimuli. The sudden bark of a dog, for example, will ignite the feeling of surprise.

Distress, anger, fear and shame: We want babies to express these negative feelings. Doing so will help them communicate that something is amiss. If we don’t permit or enable our children to express these feelings, they will get bottled up inside and lead to possible emotional and behavioral problems down the road.

Disgust and dissmell: Babies react negatively to bad tastes (disgust) and bad smells (dissmell). Parents should be on alert for these reactions in order to make adjustments.

Understanding and acknowledging a baby’s feelings and how those feelings work helps children to grow up with good emotional health.

Source: About.com

When you and your baby were discharged from the hospital, you probably left with a scheduled appointment for your baby’s first visit with the pediatrician.

In the past, most babies had their first appointment at two weeks old. Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that your new baby be seen by a nurse or doctor when the baby is between three and five days old.

This first checkup is important if your baby went home from the hospital before she was 48 hours old. The AAP advises that babies discharged early be examined by a health professional within 48 hours of going home.

The early visit covers some crucial items. Your doctor will make sure your baby is feeding well and not losing too much weight, especially if you’re breastfeeding. The doctor will also check for jaundice, which tends to reach its highest level when the baby is about three to five days old.
If your child isn’t eating well, is jaundiced or feverish or shows other signs of illness, then you should schedule that first visit immediately — don’t wait three to five days.

And of course if your child is not feeding well, has a fever, is jaundiced, or shows other signs of illness, then you may need to see your pediatrician even sooner.

Read Choosing a pediatrician for help with this all-important decision.

Our first daughter arrived with the most unappealing head of hair we could imagine — dark, spiky, a few long wispy pieces on one side. No matter how we combed it, it just looked awful. It seemed so unfair that she’d have to go through life like this. Then, literally on the day of her first birthday, we noticed a few soft, shiny curls on the back of our daughter’s head. Before long, she looked like Shirley Temple. Today — 10 years later — she is blessed with luscious blond ringlets. 

By the sixth month, an unborn baby is covered all over with lanugo — soft, short, unpigmented hairs. Around the same time, a baby’s hair follicles and the oil glands within the follicles are fully formed. There are an estimated 100,000 hair follicles on the scalp. As a person gets older, many of these follicles no longer grow hair.

Some babies are completely bald when they’re born, while others arrive with a full head of thick hair. Human baby hair continues to be a medical wonder, but whether or not a baby has human hair by the first birthday may be determined by hormones and/or heredity. Some babies have slow hair growth patterns while others’ hair grows much faster. By age one, some little ones are still completely bald; some have long, thick hair. There’s no need to worry at this stage: the pattern of baby hair growth does not determine how long or thick a child’s hair will be as he or she grows.

And whether your baby has straight, wavy or curly hair is likely dictated by the shape of the hair follicle. Round follicles grow straight hair, while crescent-shaped follicles grow very curly hair.

Read more: Caring for your baby’s hair

No two babies are exactly alike — each develops at a unique pace. While most babies reach milestones at similar ages, even healthy, normal babies may fall behind in some areas or speed ahead in others.

According to the March of Dimes Foundation, here’s what you might expect by the end of baby’s first month:

• brings hands to face
• makes tight fists
• makes jerky arm movements
• moves from one cheek to another while lying on stomach
• focuses on objects about 12 inches away
• prefers looking at human faces, black-and-white, and high-contrast patterns
• hears well, and recognize parents’ voices

Milestones are based on your baby’s due date, not birthday. Babies born prematurely — before 37 weeks of pregnancy — will likely achieve milestones later than the above guidelines predict. If you have concerns that your baby’s progress is lagging, consult the doctor.

My personal favorite milestone is baby’s first laugh. Share your favorite…

Read more about baby behavior at Baby body language: The basics 

Jaundice - a common condition in newborns - is the yellowing of skin and eyes due to excess bilirubin in the blood. Normally, bilirubin passes through the liver and is excreted. When it builds up faster than a newborn’s liver can break it down, jaundice occurs.

Very high levels (more than 25 mg) of bilirubin can cause deafness, cerebral palsy, or other brain damage. Jaundice usually appears around the second or third day of life. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all infants be examined for jaundice within a few days of birth. Many babies are released from the hospital prior to jaundice setting in, so parents are encouraged to visit a doctor within one to two days of leaving the hospital.

Jaundice begins at the baby’s head and progresses downward - yellowing skin first on the face (and possibly the whites of the eyes), followed by the torso, and then, the legs. Call the doctor if:

• you notice your baby’s skin or eyes looking yellowish
• the jaudice appears to be spreading or getting more intense
• your baby develops a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit
• your child looks or acts sick, is not feeding well, or seems sleepier than expected

The doctor’s office may use a light meter to get an approximate measurement of the bilirubin level. If it seems high, then the doctor will take a small blood sample. If high levels of jaundice are diagnosed, the baby will likely be treated with phototherapy, a treatment with a special light that helps rid the body of the bilirubin. Mild to moderate cases of jaundice will be left to go away on their own.

Read more about this at Pregnancy & Baby: Jaundice in breastfed babies

Ah, your beautiful newborn is home! You stare at the baby for awhile, make sure the baby is fed, and change dozens of diapers. But then what?

There are so many ways to connect with your new baby. Here are just a few:

• Talk to your baby. Your voice is familiar and soothing.
• When your baby makes sounds, imitate her. She’ll be delighted!
• Read to your baby to help her understand language and sounds.
• Sing to your baby; and before you know it, he’ll be singing along.
• Play music. Studies show that it helps your baby develop a love for music and math.
• Cuddle and hold your baby. You won’t spoil her, you’ll help her feel secure.
• Go outside. Show your baby the sky, the trees, the people, the sights and the sounds.
• Play with your baby when he’s alert, and take a break when he seems fussy or tired.

Take care of yourself, too! Depressed moms are less likely to interact with their newborns. It’s easier said than done, but nurturing your physical, mental, and emotional needs will make your parenting experience so much easier and more enjoyable.