Supporting Your Baby's Developments
Choose a timetable
What to Expect
From birth till the end of month 1, an infant spends large amounts of time sleeping. making the very first month after birth fairly uneventful.
It’s nature’s way of giving mothers time to recover from the labour.
During the first few weeks of life, most infants display the following characteristics while awake, these include:
- Responding to sounds
- Reacting to light
- Studying faces, trying to focus on close items that are within 8 to 12 inches away
- Attempting to lift their head
- Strong reflexive responses when their cheek is touched or stroked
- Strong grasp reflex if something is placed in their hand
Many of their activities are governed by their weight and whether or not the baby was born on time or prematurely.
Lighter babies and babies born prematurely will show lower levels of development than heavier babies born at term. However, over the following months, these babies will often catch up, showing very few differences after about 4 months.
What to do
Use the timetable below to support their developments and avoid developmental delays.
hOW TO SUPPORT Baby's DEVELOPMENTS
The big muscles in the body need exercising to develop strength, co-ordination and balance. Try the activities below throughout the week to support your child’s developments.
Babies are not born with fully developed sight. Their eye muscles need exercising to avoid sight problems, such as lazy eyes, exercise their eye muscles using images below.
While a baby’s hearing is very well developed by the time they are born, their hearing should be tested using our sounds library to ensure their ears are not blocked with fluid, and or developing hearing issues.
Babies learn about the world around them through their sense of touch. This can be through their skin on any part of their body. Stimulate their senses to develop their awareness.
Infants are learning as soon as they are born. It is important for them to hear conversations and watch your mouth moving, so that they can learn to speak too.
Babies need to be hugged and comforted to feel safe and secure in their new world with strange noises, feelings and sensations. It is important for them to feel loved, so that they can express love later.
Cognition, thought and understanding are all connected to brain development. Stimulating thought and giving infants access to different experiences will support healthy brain development.
Newborn babies have many reflex actions which are not under their control. They will automatically grip things in their hands if something is placed in their palm. Stroking their palms will help to exercise their hand muscles.
0 – 3 Months
Follow the Sound
Monitor your infant’s hearing development and stimulate their listening skills.
Sound clips library
Stimulate your child’s hearing with these different noises (comes with accompanying picture cards).
Music and audio stories
If you are short of time, and cannot read or sing to your baby yourself, play music or stories in the background for your infant to listen to and support their brain development.
Sillouette cards
16 black and white pictures to focus and strengthen eye muscles (hold 12 inches away from eyes).
Follow it - light
Attract their attention with a rainbow of colours from crystal pendants.
Follow it - mobile
It’s important to support your baby’s eye sight. A musical mobile can work wonders.
Flying Baby
Develop trust and bonding between you and your baby. Rock them and take them for a ride.
Roly Poly
Human contact and physical interaction is important for babies. This activity builds bonding.
Cuddle Time
Developing a strong bond between parent and baby develops confidence and resilience.
Essential Toys
Babies need to exercise their arm and leg muscles. These toys will encourage gross motor development.
Baby Massage
Babies need to stretch their muscles to make them more supple and flexible. Help them to relax through massage.
Baby Gym
Baby gyms have multiple functions. These are excellent for developing sight and hearing, as well as gross motor skills.
Story Telling
Develop your child’s language skills by telling them stories.
Action Talk
Talk through your actions and tell your child what you are doing.
Walk and Talk
Develop your baby’s social skills and language skills together.
Puppet Time
Puppets are a great way to teach social skills.
Encourage copying
Babies learn by copying – start the process early.
Social Interactions
Encourage interactions with others to develop social skills.
Baby Stretch
Before your baby can use their hand muscles, they need to strengthen their arm and shoulder muscles.
Baby Yoga
Help your child become flexible and strengthen their muscles with relaxing yoga exercises. Be very gentle with newborns.
Turn and Grip
These simple exercises use a baby’s natural reflexes to strengthen their hand muscles and develop fine motor skills.
