Читать книгу First-Time Parent: The honest guide to coping brilliantly and staying sane in your baby’s first year - Lucy Atkins - Страница 34

In the first twenty-four hours, most babies (though by no means all) tend to sleep most of the time. But she’ll also wake up from time to time and want to feel you there, touching, holding, cuddling and feeding her. She may look like she’s in a world of her own, but actually she’s totally wired up to you:

 She can see your face clearly if it’s 20-25 cm (8-10 in) from hers, will respond with a raised heart rate when she does, and will probably make eye contact. She may even mirror your facial movements–try sticking out your tongue at her.

 She can recognise her parents’ voices.

 She can probably recognise her mother’s smell.

 She has an inbuilt set of reflexes. She’ll:

→ grasp anything put into her fist

→ suck and swallow

→ take a ‘step’ if you hold her up with toes touching a surface

→ ‘startle’ (the ‘Moro reflex’). If she hears a loud noise, she will throw her arms up suddenly, as if stopping herself from falling.

→ root for the nipple. If you stroke her cheek with your finger or breast, she’ll turn her head, looking for the nipple.

Yes, she really can see you! From a distance of 20-25 cm your newborn focuses clearly.