Being a parent is a responsibility, that comes with your baby. Babies cannot express their situation in words. So, as parents, you need to notice every slight change in the behavior of the baby so that you can check on the growth of the baby. As your baby grows, you will witness a number of changes in it, such as changes in sleep pattern, hunger pattern, waking hours and it’s response to the environment. Let’s look into the changes in the baby that are a sign of the healthy growth of the little one.
Healthy Baby: 11 Signs of a Healthy Baby
The little one calms down at your touch and after listening to your voice
The baby has already heard you when he/she was in the womb. So, baby recognizes you. Newborn babies cry a lot, and if you talk to your baby and lift him/her in your arms and calm the baby, it means baby is developing a bond with you and also developing emotionally. This bonding between the mother and the baby began in the womb itself. It just gets deeper as the baby develops.
There is a need to change the diapers more than four times a day
The key to the healthy growth of the baby is proper feeding. If you are a nursing mother, it’s not easy to guess whether the baby is fed properly or getting proper nutrition as the amount of breastfeeding varies daily. Well, the wet diapers will help you out. If your baby’s diapers get wet often and you need to change more than four diapers, it means the baby is healthy and growing properly.
There is a gain in weight of the baby
Weight gain and height growth is simply the index of growth. Within the first five months a healthy and developing baby’s weight doubles. It even triples till they complete one year of birth. The doctor is the best person to consult regarding the gain in height and weight of the baby. The doctor will tell you clearly if the weight gain is positive or not.
The baby stares and observes the things around him/her
If your baby is growing up into a healthy one, then the baby’s eyes and brain must also be developing subsequently. As the baby grows, he/she begins to look at patterns, colours and movements. After birth, the baby is able to see as far as eight to twelve inches only, but as he/she grows, it increases upto 18 inches in a month and within two months, babies start tracking patterns and colors. You may also notice your baby staring at the ceiling at times. This is nothing else but a positive sign of growth.
The baby loves to suckle regularly and strongly
Newborn babies have a tendency to suckle. Since breastfeeding is the source of nutrition for the baby, the baby suckles more often and more strongly. The more strongly the baby suckles and the more regularly, the healthier baby is. As growth takes place, the need for nutrition increases.
They respond to various sounds around them
Babies already begin to hear sounds when they are in the womb. But, they are not able to recognize all types of sounds. As they grow, they begin reacting on listening to any sound. If your baby is healthy, he/she will start reacting to music, television and even the sound of toys. And when she hears a different sound, she stops and shifts all her attention to the new sound and tries to recognize it.
Normal stools
Well, yes pooping is also an index of proper health. Sometimes, the baby poops once in a week, sometimes once in a few days, but this isn’t a matter of concern if the stool is normal. The frequency of pooping reduces as the baby grows older, but it’s okay if the stool is soft. The baby should be comfortable and thus it won’t matter much if baby poops daily or in a few days.
They begin to support their body weight themselves
Proper health and growth also include the growth of strong muscles. If your baby begins to make attempts to lift head a bit after completing one month, it is an indication that the baby is healthy. Healthy babies begin to shift in your arms, take turns themselves, start holding up properly and start showing other movements when they are three months old or so. This is a sign of the growth of muscles. Thus, the baby is healthy.
They respond to you, they make eye contact and even smile
Your little angel is growing, if he/she starts recognizing you and starts responding to you, makes eye contact and smiles at you. This is the growth of social instinct in the baby. When you try to talk to your baby may start responding to you through a smile, a giggle or by cooing and gurgling. This is a positive response and you may rest assured as your baby is showing signs of proper health and growth.
Their sleep pattern becomes regular slowly
As the nervous system of the baby begins to grow properly, they start developing a routine. The sleep hours of your baby are in a pattern as they grow they begin to sleep for longer hours during the night and this is an indication that the baby is perfectly healthy.
The baby is quiet and attentive for sometime during the day:
As the sight of the baby develops and can see around properly, they begin to wake up for longer duration during days and invest their time in observing their surrounding. As they begin to gain control over their eye muscles and are able to focus on one target, you will notice that the baby will start being more alert and quiet. These changes are seen in the baby after one month of birth and this is the sign of a healthy baby.
These were some parameters that can help you in tracking your baby’s health and growth. Within few weeks you will be able to differentiate between the habits of your baby and slowly you will gain more expertise in handling your baby well. Happy parenting!
