Your 10 Week Old Baby’s Milestones And Development
You officially have a 10 week old baby!
If you’re not planning to stay home, it’s probably about time to go back to work. You’ve likely become a pro at pumping and storing milk if you’re nursing, so now it’s time for phase two: finding a caregiver. Whoever you leave your baby with, it’s important that you establish a relationship before it’s time to hand her over for eight or more hours a day. This will give the sitter, and your baby, time to adjust to each other (and let’s be real: time for you to decide whether you like the person enough to trust them so you can avoid a “what have I done?” freak-out on your first day back). Arrange for a few shorter “trial” outings before you commit to doing it on the daily.
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Your 10 Week Old Baby’s Development & Growth Milestones
At around 10 weeks old, your little nugget is all about her hands: looking at them, chowing down on them, and reaching with them. She should also be lifting her head and shoulders while on her belly and grasping light toys and even shake, shake, shaking them.
Your baby’s brain is still developing at an exponential rate, and she is fascinated by bright colors and new textures. But that doesn’t mean your living room has to look like a toy store took a dump on it; even common household objects can have fun new textures and shapes to explore (try giving her a damp washcloth or an empty ice cube tray, for example). Just keep an eye on her and make sure there are no little pieces or sharp corners. And tell Grandma she can contribute to the college fund with all the money she saves on baby toys.
Your 10 Week Old Baby’s Physical, Social, And Cognitive Milestones
As your baby’s vision continues to develop, you’ll notice she is following you with her gaze for longer periods of time and further across the room. This is also when babies start expressing a social smile and responding to the sound of your voice. Most 10 week old babies will also turn their head towards the direction of a sound.
Speaking of sounds, since you’ve been chit chatting with your baby, she is probably all about that babble life. She’s trying to imitate sounds and join in all the fun conversations you’re having.
Your 10 Week Old Baby’s Health
A nearly 3 month old baby should still be getting plenty of shut eye, about 14 to 17 hours of sleep divided into five hour cycles. Those hours will involve longer wake times for food and play. Most babies will still need a late night feeding as sleep training is still months away.
Just for the parents…
How are things on the romantic front? Have you had a date night yet? Even if you haven’t, or aren’t exactly feeling ready to bust out the lingerie, it’s still important to maintain a connection. That doesn’t necessarily mean sex, either (sorry, partners everywhere) but simple intimacy. Find time to watch a movie together – even if it’s on the couch – or take a walk, with or without the baby. Having kids changes your relationship, but you’ve got to keep some perspective: you’re not just parents, you’re partners.
This article was originally published in 2015.
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50 Easy Steps For Scheduling A Date Night
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