1. What is the most important thing/ skill to know before having a baby?
Bellwork #1
What is the most important thing/ skill to know before having a baby?

2. Baby’s first year of life
Infant Baby
Baby’s first year of life

4. Newborn reflexes
Sucking reflex – automatically suck objects placed in their mouth
Survival skill that allows them to get food
Rooting reflex – the infant turns its head in if it’s cheek is stroked
In effort to find something to suck for food
Startle reflex – startle response to a sudden movement or noise

5. Babies need Food Sleep Exercise About every 2-3 hours at first
Average of 15 hours a day in 6-8 separate periods
Exercise
Waving arms and legs, helps with muscle and nerve development

6. Cont. To be kept safe, clean, and warm Medical care Toys Love
Changing diapers and bathing and watching
Medical care
Check-ups and shots
Toys
Mental stimulated toys
Love
Close contact, affection, and soothing talk

7. Crying
As you learn you will be able to tell what the baby needs by their cry.
Practice and trial and error
Colic
Inconsolable crying
Acid reflux, or allergies, intestinal problems
Shaken baby syndrome

8. Newborn Senses Touch – responsive to touch, temperature, pain
Important for physical and emotional development
Taste – prefers sweetness, can tell a difference in tastes
Smell – can identify the location of an odor and turn away from it
Knows its own mother’s smell

9. Senses Hearing – prefers complex sounds to pure tones
Prefers higher pitched expressive voices
Parents can test to see if their child may have a hearing problem by sign such as
A newborn isn’t startled by a sharp clap of the hands
A three-month old never turns toward the source of sounds
A baby is not awakened by loud noises

10. Cont. Vision – Least developed sense at birth
Attempts to track moving objects, color vision is not fully developed. See best in holding position
Voice – cry gets softer as the baby’s lungs mature
Tongue and mouth change in shape
Make word related sounds, ooh, ah as early as 3ms
Language learning

11. Physical Growth Most of the newborn’s bones are soft
Soft Spots allow for the brain to grow
Teething usually begins around 4-6 months
Painful for the baby
By the end of the first year typical newborns have increased in size by 50%

12. Motor skills 1-2 mos 3-4 mos 1-lifts chin when on stomach
2-lifts chest when on stomach
3-4 mos
Holds up head
Reaches for objects
Rolls from side to back and back to side

13. Cont. 5-6 mos 7-8 mos Sits alone briefly
Uses hands to reach, grasp, bang, and slap
Turns completely over when laid on back or stomach
7-8 mos
Sits up steadily and propels
Eats with fingers
Picks up large objects
Pulls up

14. Cont. 9-10 mos 11-12 mos Is more skillful with a spoon
Stands holding on to objects
Crawls on hand and knees
Walks when lead
11-12 mos
Shows handedness
Holds and drinks from cup
Nesting toys
Stands and walks alone

15. Brain Development
The brain builds pathways called synapses when they learn new things
Parenting keys for newborn brain develop.
Keep it simple and natural
Cuddling and talking, playing
Match experiences to the child’s mental capacities
Physical experiences
Remember that practice make perfect
More repetition created stronger pathways

16. Cont. Make sure the child is actively involved.
Provide variety, but avoid overloading the child.
Small range of things repeatedly
Avoid pushing the child
Look for clues if the child is interested.

17. Tummy Time
Experts say that infants need to sleep on their back but they also need supervised tummy time.
The benefits of being on their tummies for 15 or min. a day are..
Earlier crawling
Increased arm and leg movement
Increased brain development
They may not like it but they need it.

18. Writing Prompt
In one paragraph summarize the importance of babies reaching physical milestones.