Your baby is now a full four weeks old, or one month old! Perhaps you feel that you are starting to get a grip on the little guy and are starting to notice some personality or recognize certain signals? 

What happens at the BVC when your baby is 1 month old?

When your baby is about 1 month old, you will have your first visit with a doctor at the child health center, usually called a team visit. The doctor will examine your baby from head to toe and see if they can follow anything colorful with their eyes. Take the opportunity to ask any questions you may have to the doctor or your BVC nurse - and remember, there are no stupid questions!

Why your child wants to be close

Babies are born from a sheltered and cozy environment into a world full of impressions and loud noises. Therefore, in order to relax and find peace, it is you, the parent, who is the most important source of security. It is a survival instinct for the baby to be close to you, as it is with you that the baby gets all its needs (food, a new nappy and love) met. Some may feel trapped and uncomfortable with having someone on them all the time, and it is perfectly okay to feel this way. Try to see this period as a phase, because it really is. There will be new phases and challenges all the time and you will be tested in patience a thousand times over. But it will all be worth it, as tough as it may feel at times.

A baby carrier or sling allows you to free up the use of your hands and is many parents' best trick. There are many baby carriers that are adapted from newborn age. A good yardstick to know that the baby carrier fits well is that you should be able to kiss your baby's head, then they are sitting high enough and stable with their back.

1 month baby: The reflexes

Babies are born with a variety of reflexes to help them navigate the new world. Isn't it cute and cool that babies have reflexes? You probably recognize most of them!

Search reflexes is there to help the baby find the nipple or bottle. If you stroke the baby's cheek, the baby will seek its face and mouth towards your hand. This reflex disappears when the baby is about five months old. 

Suction reflexes is already inside the belly, maybe you saw how your baby sucked his thumb during the ultrasound? 

The swallowing reflex is designed to allow the baby to swallow food without choking. This means that the airways are closed when the baby swallows. 

Mororeflexes, also known as the clinging reflex, causes the baby to react to different sounds and movements by flailing its arms and legs, and then gathers itself back together. The reflex disappears at around 6 months of age. 

Grip reflexes means that the child can grasp (for example) your finger if you press it in the palm of your hand. The same is true in the sole of the child's foot, as the toes grasp around the finger. This reflex disappears when the baby starts to grasp things on its own, which usually happens around 4 months of age. In the feet, the reflex disappears when the baby starts to stand on its feet, which is around 8-10 months of age.  

Babkin Reflexes is something that allows you to stimulate the child to open its mouth. You do this by pressing/massaging lightly in the baby's palm. It can be useful to use this method when breastfeeding or bottle feeding so that the baby opens its mouth and stimulates the sucking reflex! This reflex disappears at around 3-4 months of age. 

The walking reflex means that when you hold the baby up against a hard underfoot surface, the baby starts to 'walk'. Once all the muscles and other senses have developed sufficiently, the baby can start to stand steadily and then take its first steps! 

Tonic neck reflex means that if the child lies with its head turned to the right, the child's right arm and leg will also be extended on the right side, while the arm and leg on the opposite side are bent. If the head is then turned to the left, the same thing happens in the other direction. This reflex disappears at 3-4 months of age. 

Diving reflexes means that children hold their breath when underwater to avoid getting water into their airways. 

Here you can read about baby development at 2 months of age.