Your Baby At 10 Weeks: What Developmental Steps Are Ahead?

When your baby turns 10 weeks old, he or she may still be struggling with the 8-week growth spurt. This second growth spurt of the baby is accompanied by many changes. The senses become sharper and your child now looks very attentively at people, things and animals.

Your baby now loves everything that glitters and enjoys watching you eat. Learn more about the development of your baby in week 10.

Your Baby At 10 Weeks: How Is My Offspring Developing Physically?

From the 10th week of life, your baby gains about 140 to 170 grams per week. Many babies weigh between 5,800 and 6,400 grams at this age. Both girls and boys are about 52 to 66 centimeters tall at 10 weeks.

However, these are only guidelines – you don’t have to worry if your baby deviates slightly from this norm. As a rule, your offspring now wears baby clothes in sizes 56 to 62.

Your Baby’s Development: Motor Skills And Reflexes

By now, your baby can be pulled up to sit and can hold its head almost independently in this position. Even in the prone position, your baby is able to lift his head. This opens up new and unusual perspectives.

However, it will take some time before your baby gains full control over his head. When your baby is born, it is equipped with early childhood reflexes that ensure the survival of the new arrival.

These include the grasping reflex. This means that your offspring automatically clutches things and fingers. In addition, your baby clenches his hands into a fist during the first few weeks.

Also interesting:
All Articles About Week By Week At A Glance

From the age of 2 months, the little hands slowly and temporarily begin to open. Over the next few weeks, these innate reflexes will move more and more into the background and give way to more purposeful movements.

Your Baby’s Sensory Perception At 10 Weeks Of Age

During the growth spurt of the baby in the 8th week, especially the senses of your offspring benefit. The senses become more active and receptive and your child begins to look at people, animals and things in detail. He discovers light sources and begins to perceive his hands.

Sight

Your baby’s eyesight takes the longest time to fully develop. Only at the age of 8 months can your baby see almost as well as an adult.

In the first few weeks, your child perceives the world in black and white and blurred. In the meantime, however, he has learned to fixate certain points with his eyes. Your baby will also be able to track moving people, animals and objects with his eyes.

Hearing

Your baby’s hearing is already well developed at birth. However, processing acoustic stimuli is still difficult at first. By the time your baby is 10 weeks old, he or she is more receptive to environmental sounds and can process them better.

If your baby hears a sound, he will turn his head in the corresponding direction. At this age, some babies are particularly sensitive to noise. Therefore, create a quiet atmosphere without sounds from the radio or television in the background.

Sense Of Smell And Taste

Your baby’s sense of smell is fully developed from the beginning. This sense helps him to find your breast immediately after birth. Your child also has particularly sensitive taste buds from the very first second.

It is imprinted on your smell and the taste of breast milk. By the time your baby is 10 weeks old, he can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people thanks to his sense of smell. It also prefers sweet smells like banana or vanilla.

Also interesting:
Weight Gain In Premature Babies: How To Support Your Baby

Sense Of Touch

The sense of touch is fully developed from the first second. In fact, the formation of this sense begins as early as the 5th week of pregnancy. At this early stage, the embryo already perceives touch on the lips.

When your baby is 10 weeks old, it can control its tactile sensations better and better and it enjoys touch and caresses more and more.

Your Baby At 10 Weeks: How Your Baby Develops Mentally

The growth spurt in babies at 8 weeks has also benefited their mental abilities. The little earthling now perceives his environment much more attentively. Your baby observes you and tries to imitate your behavior.

It smiles at you consciously and can vary its crying according to the occasion – so you can recognize more easily whether your baby is hungry, tired or wants attention.

Baby Development: Emotions

Your baby can express basic emotions such as disgust, curiosity or fright at a fairly early stage. Even in the first few weeks, your child develops an emotional memory. Positive emotions and moments of happiness are particularly memorable. At 10 weeks, your child is able to feel and express joy. When you turn to him, he will show a happy face and smile at you.

Security and a strong emotional bond are essential for a positive development of the baby. If your child experiences security and safety from familiar caregivers, it will be easier for him or her to deal with crises later on and to develop a stable personality.

Baby Development: Social And Communication

Your baby is 10 weeks young and busy building social relationships. Since he is 6 weeks old, he smiles at you consciously and wants to communicate with you.

Also interesting:
Microcephaly: What Is Behind This Malformation?

During this phase, your baby continues to develop his or her communication skills. Your baby is now producing more and more sounds. This is an important step in the baby’s linguistic development. It also prepares the baby for the babbling phase in the 4th month.

What Can I Do If The Baby Gets Sick?

In the first few weeks, babies are still well protected against infections. However, from the 10th week onwards, your child may catch a cold. If your baby has a runny nose, cough and fever, you should visit the pediatrician.

Also remember to adjust the medicine cabinet to the new arrival. To clear the nose, a little seawater nasal spray is helpful. You can also dribble some breast milk into the nose. This contains immunoglobulins that clear the nose.

Encourage Baby’s Development Through Play

When your baby is 10 weeks old, you have many opportunities to playfully encourage it. Whether it’s new toys or fun games – let the following tips inspire you.

Flying Lessons

Play “flying through the air” with your baby. Now that your offspring is gaining more and more control over his body, this game is especially fun. You don’t need any tools for this and you train your sweetie’s gross motor skills at the same time.

Light Games With The Flashlight

For this game you need nothing more than a flashlight. At this age, your baby discovers light sources and watches them carefully. Let the flashlight slowly move across the ceiling in a dark room.

It is best to make yourself comfortable in the rocking chair. Your baby will watch the light beam with fascination. At the same time, visual perception and the understanding of cause and effect are trained.

Music Box

Hang a beautiful music box above the crib. The soothing music will help your baby fall asleep. It also trains hearing and concentration skills.

Your Baby At 10 Weeks: Developmental Steps At A Glance

  • By the time your baby is 10 weeks old, he or she will weigh about 5,800 to 6,400 grams.
  • The little earthling is about 50 to 62 centimeters tall.
  • Your baby may still be struggling with the 8-week push.
  • Your offspring can be pulled up to a sitting position.
  • In sitting position, he manages to hold his head almost independently.
  • In the prone position, your baby raises his head.
  • Your baby begins to perceive his body and gains more and more control over it.
Also interesting:
Swaddling - This Is How It Works And Why It Makes Sense

Conclusion

The growth spurt of babies in the 8th week has caused a rapid development. You can now pull your baby up to sit and he can almost hold his head on his own. In the prone position, it already lifts its head for a few seconds.

Your baby is gaining more and more control over his body. The movements become more fluid and the early childhood reflexes gradually disappear. Your baby’s senses are now more active and receptive. Your offspring observes people, animals and things that move attentively with its eyes.

When he hears a sound, he turns in the corresponding direction. During this phase, some children are particularly sensitive to noise. Make sure the atmosphere is quiet. Your offspring can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people based on smell alone.

Your baby is now also able to control its tactile sensations better and better. Cuddling, snuggling and kissing are especially enjoyable for your baby now and are beneficial for the baby’s development.

He smiles at you more and more often and builds up a strong emotional bond with you. This is important for your child to grow into a stable personality that can cope well with crises. When your baby reaches 10 weeks, he can feel and express joy.

If you turn towards him, he will show you a happy face. With babbling noises and first sounds, your offspring wants to engage you in a dialogue. Answer your baby so that he feels taken seriously.

The best products for you and your baby.

Baby monitor

With a baby monitor, you can use your time flexibly, sleep peacefully at night and still know at all times that your baby is doing well.

Nursing pillow

A good breastfeeding pillow has several advantages, because it helps you not only to breastfeed, but also to fall asleep and is also suitable as a nest.

Diaper bags

A diaper bag offers you a lot of storage space, so that you have everything you need for your baby on the go - from the changing pad to the bottle.

Pucksack

A pucksack gives your baby the feeling of security, like in the womb, and thus supports a peaceful and restful sleep.

Bicycle trailer

Bicycle trailers can be used in combination with a baby seat shortly after birth. They are not only safer than child seats but also more comfortable.

Playpen

A playpen can be very practical in everyday life! Which model is suitable for your needs, you can read in my guide.

Baby bed

The first bed accompanies your child for years. Fortunately, there are beds that grow with your child. I have made for you on the search for the best baby beds.

Stroller

A stroller is a worthwhile purchase. But there are the most diverse models on the market. Find out which is the right one.

Radiant heater

Radiant heaters provide your child with the necessary warmth when changing diapers or after bathing.

Extra bed

Side beds are very practical and offer both mother and baby a lot of advantages, because for babies, especially in the first months of life, it is reassuring to be able to sleep next to their parents.

Leave a Comment