Your 9 Week Old Baby’s Milestones And Development
Your 9 Week Old Baby’s Development & Growth Milestones
Most 9 week old newborns grow about half an inch to 1 inch a month and gain roughly 5 to 7 ounces a week. That said, every baby grows at their own pace, so no need to stress if your baby is gaining weight and growing faster or slower than that other newborn down the block. All that matters is that your little bean is sprouting and that your pediatrician is happy with the growth at well visits. That’s all.
Will I ever sleep again?
By now you’re probably asking the question that all exhausted new parents ask: when oh when can I look forward to a decent night’s sleep again?! The good news is, the answer is not “never.” The bad news? It’ll probably be another couple of months — at least — before your little bundle of energy powers down enough to sleep through the night. (Sorry.)
However, she should be gaining some awareness of when he is “supposed” to sleep, staying awake longer during the day and getting sleepy in the evenings. To reinforce this, establish a soothing bedtime routine: for example, feeding, bath, story or lullaby, and bed. Even if it doesn’t work out as smoothly as it seems like it should, it’s still setting a relaxed tone for the evening and signaling to your baby that it’s time to chill.
Your 9 Week Old Baby’s Physical, Social, And Cognitive Milestones
You may have noticed an increase in drool (ew!) and might be wondering if teething is a possibility. Most likely, no – although early teethers do exist, chances are that at this point it’s just the salivary glands kicking into overdrive.
With smiling under your belt, the next sweet milestone to look forward to is your baby recognizing you and other caregivers. Yes, you! You might also see super baby strength during tummy time, with head and shoulders lifting off the play mat. Your little one is reaching towards toys, straightening their legs, and following your movements intently. All of this means they are graduating from the newborn stage and taking the midnight train to the infant stage.
Your little infant is also all kinds of social these days, with wake times being all about play and taking in the world around her. With rapidly developing hearing and vision, she is “talking” back to you with gummy smiles, gurgles, and oh, so many coos.
Your 9 Week Old Baby’s Health
The worst part – for you! – is that it’s time for baby’s vaccinations (at this age, five in total). They’re harmless little pokes for her, but trust me: you’ll feel like a sadistic monster as you help hold her still. Just keep reminding yourself that they’re for her protection, and sing her a little song to help keep both of you calm during the process. When you get home, you can ice the injection site and give her some infant pain reliever (like Tylenol) for the pain, but she still may be fussy. At least the hard part is over – until four months, when she gets the next round!
This article was originally published in 2015.
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