Your baby is 1 week old! You’re in what people call the fourth trimester, or what Montessori called the Symbiotic Period. A time in which baby and mother are very much still considered as needing one anther and baby is continuing to build trust in its primary caregivers.
Rest and Baby Snuggles
In this time you’ll notice that your little one has mostly been doing three things: eating, sleeping and filling nappies. As they’re sleeping a lot, I can’t stress enough about taking time to rest and recover yourself. Yes, there are things to be done around the house. But again, ask for help: you have to deal with tiredness, changes in hormone levels, recovering from giving birth to your little one, all while providing for your baby. Take it slow and be kind to yourself.
When your baby’s awake, enjoy snuggling them. Baby’s eyesight might not be very focused, but if you hold them close enough they might be able to look right at you. What can really help support you and baby at this time is skin-to-skin time.
At this time, baby’s adjusting to life outside the womb. Almost everything is new to them! The sights, the smells, the sounds and the sensations. They’re all new to baby and provide a lot of input.
Points of Reference & Self-care
If you haven’t yet, the main things you want to focus on Montessori-wise are the same as for Baby at 0 Weeks: providing points of reference, free movement and the topponcino. If you’re looking to prepare for the next step, you can look into the different Montessori mobiles, and consider whether you’d like to buy, rent or make your own.
Keepsakes & Memories
Last week I mentioned to do a little newborn photo shoot. In addition to that you may want to consider doing hand and/or footprints of your little one. There are so many different options. With my first little bear I went with a clay that would decorate a keepsake box. it was easy and clean to do.
I also bought a journal in which to record little memories and anecdotes. I haven’t been so good at recording those consistently, but I’m getting better. In fact it’s been easier to do so on the notes app in my phone. It’s quite convenient because I’ve been able to paste photos and videos from my gallery in there. But I do plan on transferring those in handwritten form and printing the photos at some point. I think my little one and myself will find it extra special to be able to dive back into a notebook to relive these memories together.
But for now, the most important is to focus on you and your baby’s well-being, getting enough rest, staying hydrated and eating enough nutritious food.
How have you been feeling this first week? Feel free to share!
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.
