Week Four

As your baby approaches the first month anniversary of their birth, you will already see significant changes from how they appeared that first day. Although some babies still like to be curled up as though they are held tight within the womb, most babies are getting used to having arms and legs they can stretch out and straighten. Those curled up little legs can make positioning your baby in a baby carrier a challenge when you are starting out, as you struggle to position them in the recommended M position with the carrier supporting them “knee to knee”. As they begin to unfurl like a blossoming flower, this gets easier and you will also find dressing them a little easier too.

If breastfeeding is going smoothly and your baby is attaching and feeding well, you might be considering expressing some milk so others can share the feeding. Non-breastfeeding partners can sometimes feel a bit left out and might be impatient about “having a turn.” Brand new grandparents, aunts and uncles are often keen to babysit and you might be feeling pressure to share your baby around.

Feeling reluctant to be apart from your baby is a natural response. It can also be confronting when others have expectations that you can easily pump your breastmilk or you would be okay with them feeding formula instead. Even fathers and other partners might need a reminder that your baby lived inside your body just a few weeks ago and you have relationship together. Its okay to say no. Learning to effectively pump breastmilk and collect it to store for later feeds takes time. You will probably find the amount you can pump is not enough for a full feed, so it will take two or three pumping sessions to collect one feed. This is very typical and just shows babies are more efficient than pumps!