After the brief honeymoon period when your newborn just slept and slept, now is the time when you encounter the reality of sleepless nights and time that is never your own. It’s a good thing that your baby’s big eyes and miniature form are so appealing, that bonding has begun in earnest.

Asleep … awake … crying?

During this period your baby begins to spend more time awake and may resist being put to sleep. If he doesn’t sleep frequently enough during the day (his awake time should total only about 60 minutes) you will find that he becomes irritable and may develop ‘colic’.

‘Colic’ or unexplained infant crying peaks at 6 weeks and is common in many babies . Chapter 8 of Baby Sense™ goes into detail on why colic develops and how to avert this common problem.

Providing that your baby is gaining weight, expect to feed three hourly. If your baby is demanding feeds more frequently, and is about 4 weeks old, he may be having a growth spurt. However, if he consistently fusses, don’t put it down to hunger, unless it’s feed time. Rather try to help him learn to self-calm.

Your baby needs to develop head control and you can help him by making sure he has ‘tummy time’ each day. Put your baby on his tummy when he is awake and encourage him to lift his head to see your face or an interesting toy. At this stage your baby will crave being held close to you. Instead of pushing your baby in a pram/stroller, wear your baby in a sling. This is important for development, it will keep your baby calm and has been proven to improve sleep as well.