9 Week Old Newborn Development: Cooing & Drooling
Yes, it's true: Cooing is something real babies do—it's not just a sound effect they mix into laundry detergent commercials. And funnily enough, some days those cooing sounds your baby makes sound exactly like "You rock."
What You're Thinking: "Did she just say 'I love you'? She totally just said 'I love you'! She loves me! She really loves me!"
Baby Milestones
- By now, your baby is listening closely to what you're saying and learning to distinguish your words, down to the syllable! Talk to your baby a lot because this is the foundation for her first word—which, of course will be, "Mama."
- Continue building her syllable repertoire by engaging your baby in Tummy Talk. (It's kinda like "Caw-fee Tawk" only nobody gets "verklempt." OK, maybe you do a little.) Lay your baby on her back on a blanket on a carpeted floor and kneel down next to her. Talk a little, gently rub her tummy, give her a kiss, sing nursery rhymes or tell her little stories.
- Engage your baby while you do your crunches or other postpartum exercises. Your baby loves being close to you and will enjoy the up and down movement for a couple of minutes—which is probably about as long as you'll want to do your crunches anyway.
- By this point your baby may have gotten her drool on in a major way. Keep a stack of burp cloths nearby and put a bib on baby to catch her dribbles. And keep in mind drooling doesn't necessarily mean baby is teething ... yet!
Mommy Milestones
- You cut your baby's nails without drawing blood. (Hers or yours!)
- You are beginning to rediscover your ab muscles. (OK, maybe not muscles per se, but you're getting there!)
- You learned to buy diapers when you have diapers, rather than when you realize you're all out at 6 AM!
- You calculate that even if you changed your baby's clothing three times a day, you still won't get through all those newborn outfits you received as gifts.
- You and your partner discovered the meaning of working shifts, i.e., sharing child-care responsibilities as much as possible so each of you gets some downtime.
Home Front
Despite what the tabloid rags and TV shows may have you believe, most new mamas don't lose their baby weight in a week and a half. And while it's perfectly fine by us if you're so into the new love of your life that you don't care how much junk is in your trunk, it's also perfectly OK if you are thinking about it, even just a little. If you're ready to think about losing the baby weight, we've got some tips to help you get started. Read more ...
Everything you ever wanted to know ... and were just about to ask ...
Do It:
Postpartum Back, Arm and Chest Exercises
Buy It: Clipper Crickets
Cute nail cutters that won't nip baby's fingertips!
Share It: Where Have All the Cat Calls Gone?
Has being a mom put the kibosh on your sex appeal?
Discuss It: Chat with other new mamas and papas on our Baby Board.
BACK: Newborn Development: Week 8 / NEXT: Newborn Development: Week 10
All babies grow and develop at different rates. So please don't compare your kid with so-and-so's baby from across the street—you'll just drive yourself nuts. If you have any concerns, bring them up with your pediatrician at your baby's next checkup.
report abuseBuy It: Clipper Crickets
Cute nail cutters that won't nip baby's fingertips!
Share It: Where Have All the Cat Calls Gone?
Has being a mom put the kibosh on your sex appeal?
Discuss It: Chat with other new mamas and papas on our Baby Board.
BACK: Newborn Development: Week 8 / NEXT: Newborn Development: Week 10
All babies grow and develop at different rates. So please don't compare your kid with so-and-so's baby from across the street—you'll just drive yourself nuts. If you have any concerns, bring them up with your pediatrician at your baby's next checkup.
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