Baby is now 2 weeks old! You’re still very much in the 4th trimester or what Montessori called the symbiotic period. Baby is continuing to build attachment to you and probably reacts to the sound of your voice. You can also continue skin-to-skin with baby which helps them regulate their body temperature, gain weight and just feel secure. As a mother, it will help your body create oxytocin (the “love hormone”, which has anti-depressant qualities), and if you’re breastfeeding, skin-to-skin also helps promote milk production.
Sleeping Baby
Baby is sleeping a lot, even if it may not feel like it because he does so in shorter stretches than what you may need. But take that time, as much as you can, to rest yourself or do something that fills your own cup. If you’re feeling you may not get quite the rest you need, don’t forget to surround yourself with people who can support you. Remember, to be the best provider for your little one, you need to take care of yourself too.
When baby’s awake you may notice that – although baby’s eyesight is still quite poor – he is starting to focus on objects just several centimetres away (usually about the distance between himself and his mother’s face when breastfeeding).
Developping Eyesight
Baby’s eyesight is developing, and it could even be that, starting this week, you notice that your baby is beginning to track movement with their eyes. If this seems to be the case, it can be a good time to begin introducing the first of the visual Montessori mobiles: the Munari. If your baby isn’t quite tracking movement yet, it’ll happen soon and you’ll be able to introduce the mobile then.
The Parent as the Prepared Environment
As we mentioned earlier, at this stage baby is still very much building attachment and continuing to build security in this world. In order to make sure baby feels secure, we provide a prepared environment in which he has everything he needs so he can focus on doing what he needs to do for his development. The prepared environment is first and foremost the mother and the co-parent at this stage: they provide the food, the love, the comfort and the safety they need. When passing baby around to family and loved ones, using the topponcino will also help baby feel more secure.
How are you feeling in this second week with your little one? Is there anything that suprised you so far in the your journey?
Would you like more out of this blog series? I’m inviting you to join “The Audio Diary“, a private podcast, in which you can have an exclusive look, week-by-week for an entire year, into how a Montessori expert and mother navigates creating intentional spaces for baby, integrating Maria Montessori’s philosophy, while experiencing normal parenting challenges.
