Your Baby Development: 14 Weeks Old

How big is your baby?
This week your baby will be weighing around 12 3/4 pounds and measuring 23 3/4 inches if he/she was of average size at birth.

By this stage your baby is now tracking objects with his/her eyes easily now. Earlier in infancy, your baby had trouble fixing both eyes on an image. Now he can lock his gaze onto an object moving several feet away from him. He/She may what people moving around him/her.

Arm and leg movements are becoming more and more controlled now. Baby can now hold his/her head when sitting, and his/her grasping ability is getting better and baby is making a greater effort to use it.

You may notice that your baby is beginning to drool more and more now, some babies drool so much that they are constantly wet around the neck and face. See the article in the baby care section on dealing with drool associated rashes.

By now you should be able to tell when your baby is tired. Obvious signs are yawning, rubbing his/her face, avoiding interaction with others and crying or fussing.

An over tired baby will regress in behavior.

Baby Development Milestones This Week

Air Travel With Baby

Air travel is one of the best ways to make a long journey with baby. With a little planning and preparation, the trip can be enjoyable for everyone.

Plan Ahead:

• Plan extra time for everything
• When making your booking, ensure that the whole family sits together
• If possible schedule the trip for baby's nap time
• If possible, travel during quieter times, such as at night
• Dress baby comfortably
• Change baby before you board the plane

Where To Sit
When you make your airline reservations, state clearly that you are traveling with a baby. You may want to request a seat behind the bulkhead, which offers more legroom. Although there are also drawbacks, such as: fixed arm rests, no under seat storage.

A window seat is also good, as you wont have anyone trying to climb over you to get to the rest room.

Advice about ears
Taking off and landing can make your ears feel stuffy and may cause some discomfort. Offering baby something to suck on, such as a pacifier to help relieve the discomfort which may be caused.

Baby Care

Rashes From Drooling
Some babies drool so much that they are constantly wet around the face and neck. If your baby gets a rash around this area, you can dry baby's face and apply petroleum jelly to the areas. Other methods include dusting a little cornstarch on his neck can help protect that area. If the rash becomes major and causes discomfort, speak to your pediatrician.

Constipation
A constipated baby has difficulty in passing bowel movements. It occurs often in older infants when they begin eating solids, although it is also frequent in formula fed babies.

If you baby seems to be constipated, then give your baby water or diluted juice to drink. Increase the fiber in your babies diet, if your baby is eating solids. Apple or prune juice is also a good natural laxative.

If they above methods do not have any effect, then you should call your pediatrician.

Toys and Play

Your baby probably still needs practice grasping objects with his/her hands. Offer toys which make a noise, such as a rattle to help stimulate the grasping. When baby is lying on his/her stomach on the floor, place several toys in front of him within his/her reach, and let him choose the toys he/she wants to play with.

If you are like most parents, you'll soon become your baby's horsie and will be quite for a long time. These games help your baby bond with you and improve his ability for social relationships. He/She will also help to develop muscle, balance and coordination .