What To Know About You And Your Growing Baby

Congratulations! You have a little one growing inside of you. There is a lot you need to be aware of in the coming months, including your choices when you are giving birth, the possibility of complications, and the basics of newborn development. You should know what both you and your baby will be going through! Here are 10 of the most important terms and ideas to know.

1. Apgar scale

Via (Berk & Meyers, 2015, p. 126)

The Apgar scale is used immediately after birth to determine the viability of a baby. A baby’s Apgar score is made up of the acronym A.P.G.A.R. the constituents of which are the following: Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration. An Apgar score of 7 or above is ideal and means the baby can be released from the hospital. A score 3 or below means that the baby is in need of emergency medical attention.

2. Fetal alcohol syndrome

Via (Berk & Meyers, 2015, p. 106)

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition brought on in a fetus by consumption of alcohol by the expectant mother. The symptoms include physical abnormalities, slow, physical growth, brain injury, and impairment of memory, language, attention span, motor coordination, and social skills.

3. Sudden infant death syndrome

Via (Berk & Meyers, 2015, p. 145)

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is how the unexpected death of an infant is classified. It occurs most often in the case of a baby that had was born premature, or had early health complications and a low Apgar score. It occurs during the first year of life, and is associated with the time when the baby is losing its initial survival reflexes and gaining learned responses.

4. Induced labor

Via (Berk & Meyers, 2015, p. 131)

Labor is induced by physically breaking open the amiotic sac and by giving the mother a synthetic hormone that stimulates contractions. This procedure is often chosen in situations where continuing the pregnancy naturally can harm the mother. It is known to be more difficult to control than a natural birth.

5. Breech baby

Via (Berk & Meyers, 2015, p. 132)

A baby that is born in breech position begins to exit feet or buttocks first. In this situation, the baby cannot safely be birthed naturally, and is delivered with a C-section.

6. Cesarean delivery

Via (Berk & Meyers, 2015, p. 131)

A C-section is the surgical removal of the baby directly from the uterus, and is an alternative to a natural birth. It is used in situations when a natural birth is no longer possible, and is for the most part the mother’s choice.

7. Pre-term vs Small-for-date

Via (Berk & Meyers, 2015, p. 135)

Pre-term infants are babies born at least a few weeks before their due date. There is a distinction between these and small-for-date babies, which are born relatively smaller than the expected size for the length of the pregnancy.

8. Reflex

Via (Berk & Meyers, 2015, p. 141)

A reflex is an automatic response to stimuli that a baby has upon birth. Newborns have a handful of survival reflexes including sucking, palmar grasp, and rooting, the majority of which are lost after 6 months of life and are replaced by learned responses to stimuli. Presence of reflexes at varying ages is used as an indication of any developmental issues.

9. States of arousal

Via (Berk & Meyers, 2015, p. 142)

There are 5 states of arousal, which describe the levels of sleep or wakefulness. They are: regular sleep (NREM), irregular sleep (REM), drowsiness, quiet alertness, and waking activity/crying. These will vary during the first month of life and then start to stabilize. Newborns ideally spend around 16 hours a day sleeping and the rest in the drowsiness, quiet alertness, or waking activity/crying states. Anything too far outside of this could be signs of a deeper issue.

10. Crying

Via (Berk & Meyers, 2015, p. 143)

Crying is a baby’s only form of communication of an unsatisfied need, such as food or comfort. A baby’s temperament can determine how much a baby cries and the threshold of their need for stimulation.

11. Other Resources

http://apps.who.int/rhl/pregnancy_childbirth/en/

http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/newborn/care_at_birth/en/

https://www.nct.org.uk/birth/giving-birth-hospital