4 Week Old Playtime and Feeding

A couple books that helped me were "What to Expect the First Year" (the follow-up to "What to Expect When You're Expecting"). This provided lots of insightful info regarding feedings, foods, illnesses, etc, etc. It was a great point of reference for me. And for playing, I used Gymboree Baby Play (they also have Toddler Play) which gives play suggestions according to age and motor skills. I ordered them off Amazon. I was also a first-time mom and felt that these offered me a lot of suggestions and guidance. Good luck!

Have you ever heard of E.R.C. ( Every Women's resource Center)? It is a wonderful place for education, as well as activities, referrals, craft projects and supplies. They have tote boxes that can be checked out in which have books, toys, crafts all within an age appropriate theme. I used to work at a Preschool in the infant/toddler room, then with a pre-k class. I used the information recieved every day! I am sure they have a web site! They are located off of 10th street in Topeka.

he is doing fine mom don't worry.. is this your first? i was the same way with my first as well, but he is doing great. i have four and ,y fourth is 6weeks old he takes about 6 oz of milk or more .. are u nursing or formula.. and the tummy time thing it is up to you how often and long you want him there. let my son do tummy time for at least a hour a day because the sitter i use to have was a older lady who had 12 kids and she told me that the more time you allow them on the tummy the stronger they get .. and the toy thing don't worry about those yet till he gets a t least 6 weeks so he can actually pay attention or notice them right now just go with the flow. you sound like you are on the right path to be a great mom keep it up

My daughter was born 8 weeks early 8 years ago. If I remember correctly, you should gage their developmental milestones based on how old they would be from what their birth date should have been. So, if he was born 3 weeks early and he is 4 weeks old, he is still really only about 1 week old. So base his activities on that for the first 6 months to a year and if he seems to have great leaps of development than even better. Don't compare what your son is doing to any other babies his age. They are all different. My neice walked at 9 months, and my son walked at 13 months. They are both healthy, happy, normal(?) teenagers now.

Also, talk to your Pediatrician and/or their nurse. My old one gave me a developmental sheet at each checkup that discussed what the average range of activities and developmental skills should be at each age.

For you, relax. Have fun with your son, enjoy this time where he is completely dependant on you. Enjoy watching him sleep, marveling at every new experience he faces. Babies are smart and resilient. If he's hungry he'll eat; if he's tired, he'll sleep; and if he needs you he will let you know. Babies grow up way too fast. Good luck!!

My son wasn't born early, but at 4 weeks I was giving him tummy time. I would also try to get him to hold a rattle or just show it to him. I would also take different textures and rob it on his face or hand and tell him what it was.... this blanket is soft, this brush is rough, etc. At 4 weeks you should still be feeding him on demand... how often and how much he wants. I'm a first time mom too, I just went with my gut instinct and now at 11 months, my son is eating mostly table foods, drinks from a cup (we're going to get rid of that bottle in a week or so) and he walks. I say just expose your baby to pretty much anything and everything. Good luck and don't doubt your own mommy instinct!

I would definately be doing tummy time-just a few minutes at a time throughout the day. Some baby massage-nothing fancy, just some lotion (try it on a small part first to check for a reaction) and time. Lots of talking, singing and reading to him. You can also walk around the house and show him pictures to stimulate his vision. Remember, that tiny babies can easily get overstimulated, so make sure you also do lots of rocking, holding and snuggling.

If you live in Missouri, make sure you check into Parents as Teachers. It's a great program that has parent educators come to your home and help you with activities to do with your baby. It's free and is a great resource. Just call your local school district's early childhood center, they should be able to hook you up.

Enjoy him! They're only little for a short time.

Hi C.,

I would say at this point for play time
give him things to look at, different colors, different areas of the room, different positions.

You can also set him in a bouncer or car seat and let him watch t.v. (the benefits to this is lots of verbal communication, lots of different colors, lots of movement. I would let my youngest child watch the evening world news with Charles Gibson while I fixed dinner.
You can also let him watch you fix dinner, when you walk in front of him you can tell him hi and what you are doing, what you need what you are getting.
The next thing you can do is tummy time a couple times of day. Also when he takes a nap let him sleep on his tummy while you are close by to check on him. The couple of hours he sleeps on his tummy and tries to move around will also help him build up his muscles.

When he is awake lay him on the floor and put toys close enough to him that he can see them and look at them. If his hands are at his sides you can put something soft by his hands so he can feel it.

As for eating he sounds like he is right on track. If you notice he is not making it every 3 or 4 hours up the amount of fluid he is taking in. With my last child by the time she was 7 weeks she was eating 6 ounce bottles but everyone child is different

Do a search on developmental milestones for babies and find a reputable site that gives out information for the ages and stages. You can also contact "Parents as Teachers" to see if you would qualify for a home vistor who can come to your home and discuss each month where your baby is developmentally. They also teach parenting for each stage. Great program. In Wichita they also have "Healthy Babies" and "Healthy Families". It's never too early to start reading stories to your baby and they love soft nature music too.
D.

Try going to huggies.com they have games and activities you can do for any age baby. Best tummy time you can do with your child is put him on your chest and let him focus on you.

Congrats on your little one.

G.

Sounds to me like you are doing all the right things. My daughter was also 3 weeks early and there really isn't any developmental set backs. Most doctors consider a 36 week pregnancy "full term." Tummy time is always a good thing. Follow the cues of your baby. If he starts crying, he is done with tummy time. Offer bright colors and different textures and enjoy watching him discover his new world. He will let you know when he is ready for more. As far as feedings go, if he is gaining weight, he is getting enough. Every baby is different. My first one nursed for 15 minutes per side every 3 hours and my second has done 10 minutes on one side every 2 hours. This will also change as he goes through growth spirts and things. As someone else said, follow your instints and you will be ok. You will figure it out as you go.

I also must recommend Parent's As Teachers. It is wonderful program. They bring you all kinds of handouts that will help you to know where your baby should be and they are a wonderful resource person to ask questions to when they come visit. Just call your school district and they will get you all set up.

I am a physical therapist and tummy time is a good idea for skill development. There is no specific amount of time that he needs to be on his tummy and he'll let you know when he's had enough. Try different toys to see what interests him. My second son was 3 weeks early and small but that is still considered full-term. He advanced much faster than my first. His eating sounds very normal. Good luck! First-time parenting is really tough because you don't know how and when to do everything. Just listen to your gut!