Sight

At birth a baby will usually open his eyes and look at his mother. New babies love human faces - especially eyes.

Touch

Hold your baby so you're skin-to-skin - it's a basic form of communicating with him.

Smell

Your baby's great sense of smell helps him find your nipple.

Taste

There is evidence that newborn babies can taste sweet, sour and bitter flavours - and tend to show that they prefer sweet flavours. They can't taste salt at this stage. The salt receptors on their tongue develop at around four months.

Hear

Your baby can recognize your voice and may react to sounds around them.

Bond

Babies are born ready to bond as it is essential for their survival. Bonding is a process that usually strengthens over time, and it's the simple act of taking care of your baby that helps you both to bond, so don't worry if it doesn't happen instantly.

Feed

As a parent you want the best for your baby, and this includes the important area of feeding. In the early months, the only food that your baby requires to meet his needs for growth and development is breast milk or infant formula.

Gain Weight

Your newborn baby's weight will normally drop slightly after birth. Babies usually regain their birth weight by two weeks of age. Once this early phase has passed, your baby will start to gain weight steadily. He will double his birth weight at 5 months and triple it by about a year.

Your baby will be regularly weighed by your healthcare professional from the time of birth and his weight will be recorded on a percentile chart. This chart only checks your baby's weight. How your child is growing can be more important than the position on the chart. Remember to talk to your healthcare professional if you have any concerns over your child's weight.

Growth Charts:
BoyGirl

Sleep

Sleeping is very important for your baby, and your newborn may spend as much as 16 hours a day sleeping. As he grows and becomes more interested in his surroundings his periods of wakefulness will increase.