Try to get activity in AFTER diaper and feeding but BEFORE sleep. Follow the Moms on Call schedules, and use the activities to help keep baby awake in between naps. Example:
9 a.m.: Diaper change and feeding
9:30 - 10 a.m.: Activity! Choose from list below
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.: NAP time
12 p.m.: Next diaper change and feeding (followed by activity, nap, etc.)
DO NOT do activities in the middle-of-the-night feedings! Keep these to diaper change, swaddling, feeding, burping, and bedtime. Work to extend the nighttime feeding to 4 – 5 hours around 7/8 weeks.
Indoor
1. Singing: Rock baby and sing lullabies LOVED
2. Swaying: Lie baby on your thighs with feet toward you; sway and talk to baby
3. Pom Pom Play: gather large brightly colored plush toys; get baby’s attention and move toy from side to side letting baby track object with eyes.
4. Infant Massage: use baby lotion; using a milking motion squeeze each arm and leg. Then move from the center of her torso to the sides; gently massage her temples and forehead; talk to her during. LOVED
5. Bath Time: Bathe baby to help keep her alert and bonus, clean! only use soap every other day to avoid skin dry-out.
6. What’s Outside?: Place in infant car seat or bouncer near a window
7. Reading: Have her sit by your side while you read to her LOVED
8. Toy Time: Grab an age-appropriate toy; play with her; get her to track the object with her eyes by slowly moving it back and forth. LOVED; did a lot with glow toys or noise-making toys
9. Noisemakers: Dangle noisemaker toy 12” from baby’s face, or string it across the crib to let her gaze up at it. LOVED; use butterfly or squish toys that sang songs
10. Hankie Wave: Place your baby on her back on a blanket on the floor. Hold a cloth 12 inches over her head. Bring it close to her then lift it further away, and bring it down again. Say her name as you wave the cloth.
11. Babycycle: Lay baby on her back; very gently and slowly move her legs in a bicycling motion all while talking and smiling to encourage her to wiggle her legs without your help. She’ll eventually petal on her own if she likes it! LOVED
12. Activity Mat: Put her on her activity mat and play with her LOVED; had 2 mats - one for upstairs and one for downstairs; hung different toys on them a lot, especially longer ones like links to help her work on reaching
13. Skin to Skin: Try chest to chest and soothe her and talk to her LOVED; me and Austin both did this with her often - next time want to wear Moby more and get the skin to skin shirt.
14. Facial Expressions: prop her on your knees; look into her eyes and say her name; introduce her to facial expressions (a smile, an opened mouth, raised eyebrows, a stuck-out tounge). Then go back to looking at her and saying her name LOVED
15. Who is That?: Hold a mirror up to your baby so she can see her reflection. Point at the baby in the mirror and say her name LOVED
16. Airplane Baby: Support your baby, tummy down, by holding her under her chest and belly with one or both of your arms; swing her gently while singing
17. Tickle-Me Textures: Turn change time into play and learning time by gathering several objects with different textures (swatches of velvet, corduroy, feathers); rub an object across your baby’s skin and watch for her response; look for clues that indicate her preference.
18. Rippling Ribbons: Get a dowel or wooden spoon, and tape ribbons to it. Lay baby on the floor or in a bouncer. Gently wave the ribbon around her face and hands. When she starts kicking, she’s having fun!
19. Tummy Rocks: Roll up a towel or big blanket. Lay your baby on her stomach over the roll so it supports her head, chest, stomach and thighs. Turn her head to the side and very gently rock her from side to side while singing. LOVED
20. Beach Ball Balance: Place baby tummy-down on a slightly deflated small beach ball. Turn her head to one side. While securely holding her, rock her slowly forward and back (or side to side). Talk to her while you do this (she may tire out soon!).
Outdoor (weather permitting; after pediatrician approves)
21. Stroll Out: Take a walk with stroller in neighborhood or mall LOVED; typically fell asleep in stroller
22. Be Productive: Run errands
23. Socialize: Visit friends and neighbors LOVED; always enjoyed new faces and place
24. Tummy Time: DAILY at every single awake time, inside or outside on an activity mat or towel.
Beckett loved:
- bath time
- stretching
- skin-on-skin time
- her swing (would try to rotate activity time, bouncer, swing, etc.)
- being read to
- being swaddled
- baby Bach/music - mostly people singing to her
- looking out windows, especially when it's sunny
- light up toys
- batting and kicking hanging toys
- iPad stars games - stars light up and she can hit them with her little hands (towards 3 months)
- piano activity mat - kicks the keys with her feet - adorable (towards 3 months)
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