Development isn’t a race. It’s a flow. 

Every baby—and parent—is figuring it out at their own pace.

Instead of milestones, we encourage you to focus on this amazing moment.

Your baby’s brain makes more than one million neural connections per second in these first three years. Simple, consistent interactions with baby today can have profound, lifelong benefits.

Here’s how baby’s brain is developing this month, and how you can support their progress. 

Developmental Highlight

Congratulations! Baby’s here, and you’re officially in the 4th trimester. 

It’s a huge transition—for you and baby. As your body recovers and you take on the new tasks of parenting, baby’s adjusting to a new world that’s often too loud, too bright, and too stimulating for their immature sensory system. 

Babies are born with primitive reflexes, because myelin—the insulating layer around the nerves that enables the nervous system to function in a coordinated manner—hasn’t developed yet.

Primitive reflexes may aid in the passage through the birth canal, but can be uncomfortable once baby’s here. Swaddling is one way to calm baby’s reflexes and help them feel safe.

Watch for these newborn baby reflexes:

• Moro reflex: Baby suddenly startles and throws out their arms, as if falling.
  
  

• Fencing reflex: Baby turns their head to one side, thrusting out the arm on that side while the leg on the same side flexes.
  
  

• Grasping reflex: Baby grasps a finger or object placed in their hand.
  
  

• Stepping reflex: Baby makes a stepping motion with their feet when you hold them upright under the arms.
  
  

• Arching reflex: Baby arches their back when you stroke it.
  
  

What I Wish I Had Known About The 4th Trimester

Listen to the Healthy Baby Show

Brain-Building Activities 

Face Time

Routine: Diaper change

Looking at faces helps baby build social connections and train the attention area in their developing brain, which will pay off for years to come. Baby has 20/20 vision, but sees only about 8-12 inches. This is by design, so baby can focus on your face!

Baby’s attracted to edges and black and white patterns, because they excite the retina of the eye. The contrast between the white of your eye and the iris encourages baby to make eye contact.

• Swaddle baby when they’re alert and take them to a quiet, low-lit room.
  
  

• Get into a comfortable reclined or seated position and hold baby, head supported and facing you.
  
  

• Now just stare at each other! You’re taking each other in and practicing baby’s visual skills.
  
  

Breath & Heartbeat

Routine: Snuggling, naptime

Gentle snuggling makes baby feel safe and secure. Skin-to-skin contact releases oxytocin, the “love hormone,” and has been shown to help babies regulate their temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure and gain weight. (It can even help them sleep better, but we’re not making any promises!) Oxytocin benefits parents, too—lowering stress, strengthening connection, and encouraging milk production.

Undress baby and lay them directly on your bare chest, so they can feel your heartbeat. Turn their head to one side to keep their airway clear. 

Take this time to focus on your own breath and get centered. Baby can feel your calm.

Use one arm to hold baby steady while offering your other thumb for baby to grasp for a sense of stability. This is the epitome of grounding and guiding your baby.

During this activity and the many other times you connect through touch, baby uses their highly developed sense of smell to recognize and connect with you. Consider the products—yours and baby’s—that come into contact with baby’s delicate skin microbiome. 

All HealthyBaby skincare products—from Our Diaper Cream to Our Deodorant—are EWG Verified® safe. Our Shampoo and Bodywash System is 100% plant-based, non-toxic, and formulated with prebiotics and probiotics.

You’ve Got This 

It isn’t always easy to connect with a newborn. They don’t appear to do much at first, but up to 60% of baby’s metabolic energy is spent on brain development. You’ll start to learn the different ways baby communicates hunger, fatigue, discomfort, and more. When you watch and react to baby’s communications with love and consistency, you build the foundation of a lifelong relationship and the “secure base” that’s essential for optimal development.

Now let’s talk about just you. If you’re feeling tired, hormonal, and a little overwhelmed as you adjust to this major life change, that’s perfectly normal. Remember that taking care of yourself is an essential part of taking care of baby. It isn’t selfish, it’s science. When you feel calm, rested, and regulated, you’re better equipped to help baby achieve the same. 

When you need a break (or shower), take one. Pass baby off for a diaper change. Limit visitors, if they’re overwhelming. 

You’ve got this.