Your Baby Development: 16 Weeks Old
How big is your baby?
This week your baby will be weighing around 13 1/4 pounds and measuring 24 1/4 inches if he/she was of average size at birth.
As baby's hand eye coordination improves, he/she will move his/her hand towards and object which he/she sounds. His/Her fingers may to it's approximate size. Both his/her hands may grasp the object to manipulate it, and whatever he/she gets his/her hands on eventually ends up in the mouth.
Your baby also enjoys the stimulation interactivity he shares with you and other family members. He/She is beginning to express an array of emotions, including joy, unhappiness, contentment and displeasure. His/Her crying diminishes as he/she uses newfound emotions in which to express his/her feelings.
Your baby's temperament and interests determine how much he will focus on an activity. His/Her personality is developing and is determined partly by his daily routine, and you are also learning, how he reacts to activities, his patience and his frustration levels.
Baby may be responsive to interaction for as long as possible for as long as an hour at a time. He/She may want to let you know that he/she wants to play by vocalizing to you. If your baby is left alone for long periods he/she may become drowsy or fuzzy from the lack of stimulation.
You may be surprised to hear your baby putting together a series of syllables when he "talks" to you. These are the basic tones of language development. Keep talking with him when you are together and he/she will continue to develop his/her language skills.
Baby Development Milestones This Week
| Physical Development
- May roll over from back to front or stomach to back.
- Sits with assistance and support
- Pulls dangling object towards him/herself
- Stares at the place from where an object dropped |
Mental & Social Development
- Initiates several tonal sounds
- Plays alone for longer periods
-Vocalizes to initiate socializing
- Laughs when tickled. |
|
Feeding Baby
Baby's nutrition is still coming from formula or breast milk at this stage, and he/she should be drinking 20-40 ounces a day. He/She may be ready to start on solids soon.
If you believe your baby is ready to start on solids, discuss this with your pediatrician before you do anything. He or she will help you determine if your baby is ready or not. He will recommend a rice cereal, when to offer it and how to introduce it.
Baby Care
Prevent Chocking
As your baby continues to put objects in his/her mouth there is always a possibility that he/she may choke. He/She does this to learn and to explore. When you find him/her placing objects which are not safe, such as a small toy or button, substitute the toy or object with a safe one.
It may be a good idea for you to learn the heimlich maneuver and CPR if you do not already know them.
Toys and Play
You should probably think about replacing some of baby's toys soon. If your baby has a mobile or other toys attached to his/her crib, remove them when he/she can push up on his/her hands and knees. Because baby will put everything in his/her mouth, and will continue to do so for some time, these toys can be quite dangerous if he/she gets hold of them.
Versatile toys are often the best, so when selecting toys for baby choose those that serve more than one purpose.
Your baby will enjoy looking at interesting things everyday, so place an interesting range of toys in front of him/her.
|
