Your Baby Development: 13 Weeks Old

How big is your baby?
This week your baby will be weighing around 12 1/2 pounds and measuring 23 1/2 inches if he/she was of average size at birth.

Your baby should be sleeping about 10 hours at night now, although he/she may wake for short periods.

By this stage the tonic neck reflex, which keeps baby's head to the side most of the time has just about disappeared, and he/she can turn his/her neck to the side, making it easier to turn towards a sound or object.

Your baby can bow see objects up to 20 feet away. The view of your baby's world is very different from yours, all you need to do is get down on the floor to see what he/she sees.

Your baby is now sitting when supported by the hips, and enjoys sitting in a semi upright position. This position is also best for learning and for play.

Baby's hands are now open most of the time, and he/she will shake and hold a rattle, or grab at your hair and jewelry. It is a thrill to hear your baby laugh and chuckle. Baby may also vocalizing more, cooing, squealing, whimpering and gurgling. Because you talk to him/her, he/she is beginning to understand a message is made up of syllables, and it wont be long till he/she starts making sounds such as "ooh" and "aah".

Baby Development Milestones This Week

Baby Care

Acid Reflux
Acid reflux, also called gestures reflux, occurs when baby's stomach contents bubble up into the esophagus. This can irritate baby's throat and cause him/her to pull away when feeding. He/She may refuse to feed for a bit but then want to feed again immediately.

Symptoms of acid reflux are as follows:

• Spitting up
• Vomiting, (may be projectile)
• Weight loss
• Gagging or choking at the end of a feeding
• Respiratory problems
• Irritability
• Hiccups
• Coughing
• Apnea

For a mild case of acid reflux, burp baby, and hold baby in an upright position for about 30mins after eating. Give small frequent feedings, and burp baby more often.

If the problem persists, speak to your pediatrician for further treatment.

Toys and Play

A baby loves to explore textures, and touching different objects gives him/her pleasure. It helps baby to learn what the world is like, so offer a variety if safe things for him/her to explore. Be sure not to leave him/her alone though, as he/she will more than likely try and put everything in his/her mouth.

You can help your baby hand eye coordination development by holding a brightly colored rattle at different distances away from baby, and encourage him/her to reach for it. Although, you may be sure to let baby get it on a regular basis, otherwise he/she may become frustrated.