Practicing Safety And Preparing To Return To Work

Your baby is 6 weeks old today and her body awareness has developed a lot.  Does your baby have a play gym?  If she does, she is probably very interested in the objects that are hanging from it and she may even hit the objects from time to time.  Most play gyms have a mirror hanging down in the middle and I’m sure you’ve noticed that the sight of her own face fascinates her!  If your baby does not have a play gym with a mirror, you can purchase a child-safe mirror for a cheap price since this is an activity that you can enjoy together! 

As much as your baby’s arms are continuously moving, so are her legs – kick, kick, and kick!  She still isn’t bearing much weight on her legs and her head still needs support so be careful when holding her upright.  Since her limbs are wriggling a lot, always keep her on the floor or in her cot if you have to leave the room, even if it’s just for a second! 

Your baby is spending more time awake now and she is very interested in the world around her.  She is starting to visually track objects to one side of her body and back to facing forward (midline).  Lying on her back and tracking objects is much easier for your baby as her neck no longer needs support while she is on the ground. 

For the mothers that are going back to work soon, it’s time to get your baby on the bottle (if you’re breastfeeding exclusively).  I know it seems like breastfeeding just became so easy – baby is latching on, it’s not painful anymore and you’ve had such good, quality-bonding time with your baby while you feed her.  But right now is the best time to train your baby to take the bottle — she is old enough where there shouldn’t be nipple confusion.  If you are going to continue breastfeeding, you may opt to put expressed milk in her bottle and she may be keener to drink it versus drinking formula.  Another thing to think about is planning time during the day to express your milk and you may want to discuss it with your boss.  If you’ve already started expressing milk and you’ve got a high milk supply, start freezing some for the bottle feeds when you are at work.  I know there is a lot to think about, but continue to enjoy your time with her before you report back to work.