Development Milestones for a Baby at Week 10
Your 10 weeks old baby is now ‘talking’ more. This includes making gurgling and cooing sounds. She also is working on her grip so you can offer her items to grip on including your clean fingers. Her fine motor skills are beginning to develop as she puts her hands in her mouth and plays with each hand.
She will likely be staying awake more and you will begin to see a pattern in her activities. You can use this to structure your day. For instance, if she is more playful during the afternoon and prefers to be held in the evening, take note of that and plan your busy tasks for when she is happy to play by herself on her back. You can invest in a small play gym as well, on which she can lie and stare at toys and try to pull at them.
Baby’s Vaccinations at Week 10
This week you’ll also be taking your baby for their third vaccination round since birth to strengthen their immunity and protect them from diseases. They will get the following vaccinations according to the Kenyan immunization guide for newborns:
- Pentavalent Vaccine – 2nd dose to protect against (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b
- Pneumococcal Vaccine 2 to protect against pneumonia
- Rotavirus vaccine 2 to prevent diarrhoea
- Oral polio vaccine 2 (OPV) to protect against polio
Related: Your Newborn Baby at Week 11
You at Week 10 of Being a Mum
You may or may not be sleeping enough at this stage and if your baby wakes frequently at night, consider checking in with a sleep specialist. This is also a good time to decide whether you will co-sleep with your baby in your bed, have a cot or crib inside your room, or have the baby sleep in her nursery. Some new mums swear by putting babies on a schedule.
Managing the Shift in Your Intimate Relationship
Some useful advice is that your relationship with your partner will undergo a metamorphosis thanks to the baby’s arrival. You may miss the days when you did not have a third wheel and long for the carefree times of not having to worry about this precious, delicate, somewhat befuddling bundle of joy, especially for newlyweds. A few ways to navigate this shift:
- Talk through your feelings with your partner.
- Involve them in child-rearing as much as possible so this way, your baby draws you closer, rather than becoming a wedge in your relationship.
- Make time for your spouse. He needs you even though you are exhausted, hormonal or focused on your baby at week 10. You need his support and encouragement as well.
- Schedule moments where it is just the two of you and you can talk about anything other than baby, and bond.
- Organize or let them plan simple ‘date nights’ which can be spent watching a movie on the couch or taking a short walk around the estate while the nanny or mother-in-law watches the baby.
Get Personalized Expert Postnatal Care
At Malaica, we understand that care after childbirth, whether vaginally or via C-section, goes beyond clinical assessments. That’s why our postnatal program is designed to take care of every aspect of you and your newborn’s well being from physical checkups to supporting your mental and emotional needs as well.
You also get access to an exclusive online community for support and insights from other mums, a virtual psychologist specializing in maternal mental health, and a 24/7 emergency line for mums who are receiving care at Malaica.
Book a consultation with us today to learn more about how Malaica can empower your postpartum recovery and support a healthy start for you and your baby.
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