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Your baby's fifty-first week after birth
At 51-weeks, your baby can stand and walk quite well. Soon, they’ll master the art of balance, and stand without wobbling. Don’t worry, if your baby is not already walking as it’ll happen soon. Don’t force your baby to eat, if they are a picky eater. You might notice your little one doing nothing one day however they’ll make up for it the very next day. Additionally, at this stage, your baby might lose some weight as they are constantly running around. Keep feeding them healthy meals and let your baby grow at their own pace!
Your 51-week-old baby's development and physical growth
Your baby’s weight:
- On average, a 51-week old boy weighs around 21 pounds, and a baby girl weighs around 20 pounds.
- It’s perfectly normal for your baby to weigh more or less than these averages.
- Also, your pediatrician is tracking your baby’s progress on the growth charts.
- If they say that your baby is on the right track, you don’t have to worry.
Your baby’s diet:
- By now, you will be weaning your little one away from the bottle and formula.
- Your baby might find it hard to give up the customary bottle at bedtime as they gain comfort and relaxation from it.
- To decrease that dependence, avoid letting your baby lie down while sucking on a bottle. As it can lead to tooth decay (along with dependence).
- Once they’re asleep, remove it and rinse off the remaining milk in your baby’s mouth with water, as it encourages tooth decay.
- Ideally, by now, you should switch to a cup however if it doesn’t happen, gradually water down the milk in the bottle, then try again with the cup.
- Your baby should drink only water and keep milk and fruit as foods.
- Also, until your baby is 2-years-old, give them full cream milk.
Your baby’s sleep:
- As your baby is actively walking or moving around, they’ll face sleep disturbance.
- They’ll crawl, wriggle, and somehow stand, no matter how tightly you tuck them in.
- So, to put your baby back to sleep, try some relaxing techniques like patting, rocking, or singing softly.
- Sooner or later, the urge to stand during the night will diminish.
- Your little one will start a new sleeping pattern.
- Also, your baby might be in pain due to continuous teething.
Your 51-week-old baby's reflexes
- They’ll be extremely curious about sound and might even start to dance to music.
- Your little one might toddle around and walk.
- You’ll notice them imitating you.
- By now, your baby might understand more words such as drink, ball, more, mama, papa, doggie, gone, there, and what’s that.
- You can expect some tantrums from your baby. They’ll express their frustration by hitting themselves, other babies or banging their heads against the wall. All of this indicates that they are expressing themselves better.
- Might enjoy toys such as simple rings, stacking blocks, and shape sorters.
- They’ll fill and empty containers around the house as a game.
- At this stage, your little one will start to lose weight and gain some height.
- Also, you can expect your walls to be filled with scribbles as they are better at using their fingers.
Your 51-week-old baby's health
As your little one is turning 1-year old, your doctor will schedule a check-up which will include:
Tests:
- To track your baby’s growth progress, they’ll measure your baby’s height, weight, and head circumference.
- To get an evaluation of your baby’s sleep habits, mental and physiological development, the doctor will ask about your baby’s talking, sleep routine, and whether they’re crawling or walking.
Vaccinations:
- Boosters of immunizations for the previously administered vaccines for Hepatitis B, DTaP, Polio, Hib, Hepatitis A.
- Plus, the first doses of MMR and chickenpox vaccine.
Consult a doctor, if
- During the night, your toddler wakes up too often crying, as it might be an ear or tooth infection.
- Your baby rubs their eyes way too often, squints, or has difficulty seeing things, as they might have a vision problem.
- Your baby is vomiting frequently, they might have lead poisoning.
Postpartum baby tips: Week 51 after birth
Understand if your baby is a picky eater
- At this stage, your little one might be a picky eater and might refuse anything except bananas and Goldfish crackers, or has no appetite at all for a day or so.
- As parents, it can get frustrating but don’t try to force your baby to eat more than they want.
- Even if they don’t end up touching them, keep offering your baby balanced, healthy meals, snacks, and a variety of foods.
- They might get a fine amount of nutrition as most toddlers don’t eat much one day, then happily chow down the next.
- So, try to give them more whole grains and protein the next day, if your child only eats fruit one day.
- As your little one is busy exploring, they’ll burn a lot more calories every day.
- So, they might lose some weight these days, or not grow as they used to.
- Make sure to offer your baby healthy meals and snacks and plenty of fluids.
Understanding your baby’s first molars
- During 13 to 19 months, you might notice your baby’s first molars are emerging.
- By the time they’re 3 years old, most children have all 20 primary teeth (10 on top and 10 on the bottom).
- Gently rubbing their gums with a clean finger, a small cool spoon, or a moist gauze pad to soothe sore gums if the entrance of those molars is making your little one cranky.
- If you’re using a teether toy or ring, always keep it clean and make sure it’s made from solid rubber. Avoid liquid-filled teething rings or any plastic objects that can easily break.
The mother after childbirth: What is happening in the fifty-first week after giving birth?
You can introduce your baby to artistic play
- Artistic play is one of the most fun and creative ways for your little one to learn and explore.
- From finger painting to sidewalk chalking, your toddler can experience some big benefits.
- It boosts your baby’s hand-eye coordination, sensory and fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, shape and color recognition, cognitive development, and self-confidence.
- Here are some ways to introduce art play to your toddler:
- Stock up on the essentials – 1-year-olds don’t need tons of art supplies. Buy some essentials for an impromptu project. For instance, washable paint, crayons, chalk, watercolor paint, and Play-Doh.
- Choose baby-safe supplies – At this age, your baby might be eating the supplies. So, steer clear of small objects such as googly eyes, pom poms, beads, and glue.
- Make room for creativity – To give your baby free rein to create, and your furniture to stay paint and scribble-free, try covering the designated art area with paper from a massive roll.
- Join in the fun – Remember to sometimes ignore the mess and do some activities with your baby. Encourage your baby to try out new things and express themselves freely.
- Be sure to supervise, no matter what project they’re working on.
You want to make their 1st birthday memorable
Try no to let your baby’s first birthday get too crazy. Make sure your baby is having fun and feels comfortable. Here are some tips to make sure your little guest of honor is happy and not overwhelmed:
- Keep the rest of the day mellow – As your baby is going to get enough stimulation during the party, aim for a quiet morning or evening.
- Let babies be babies – You need any fancy games or activities. Simply put some toys in the middle of the room and let them have them at it.
- Ask someone to take pictures – Make sure you have enough pictures of their first birthday.
- Don’t force anything – Let your baby decide what they want and by going with the flow you’ll keep everyone happy. Don’t worry every parent there will understand!
Final Thoughts
This has been a busy year for you and your 51-week old baby! This past year had times of joy and had times filled with worry, exhaustion, and stress. But you made it through it all! As parents, your baby has reached the age of one, and they are mobile. This comes with a whole set of new challenges. But as of now, pat yourself on the back because you did great! It’s time to look forward to new adventures with your baby!
FAQs: Your 51-Week-Old Baby: Development & Growth
1. What are some games and activities for your 51week old baby?
Here are some games or activities with your 51-week old baby:Babies love sound and music. So, give them an empty plastic container filled with beans. They’ll make a shaking sound when your baby shakes it and they love the sound! To keep your baby busy, let them play with pots and pans. They can try out different sounds. Also, it develops dexterity with their hands. To improve your baby’s knowledge and vocabulary, simply point at random things. For instance, point at a cat and tell your baby, “That’s a cat. They go meow. Can you say meow?”
2. What is normal 1yr old behavior?
They might imitate animal sounds and noises. By now, they can say 4 to 6 simple words.
3. Do 1-year-olds understand the word ‘no’?
At this stage, they are beginning to learn the word ‘no’. However, remember to use it when you mean it, or you can expect your baby to challenge you on it every time for a while.
