Your baby's fifth week
Watch as your baby begins to enjoy the freedom of life outside the womb. She'll start to relax her muscles and straighten her body this week. Expect her hands to remain clenched except during periods of sleep or quiet alertness.
Notice how quickly she's learned to adapt to her new life. She'll now begin to cry to elicit a specific response from you. Go to her and offer comfort. Feed her at the first sign of hunger rather than the first cry. At this young age, you'll not spoil her by offering too much attention, cuddling or feeding on demand. Conversely, she'll learn that she is secure and that her needs will be met promptly without the need to cry for attention. You may also notice her cry when you attempt to put her down. Your intelligent little bundle has surely realized how comforting it is to be in her parents arms and close to your breast.
Emotional growth is evident as well. You've waited several weeks for a glimpse of her smiling face. This week you may witness her first social smile. Unlike sleep grins, which are in fact, adorable glimpses of the smiles to come, these first responsive smiles are her true reactions to outside stimuli such as over-exaggerated facial expressions.
