The Truth About Your Baby

Truth Number 1
Your baby will grow at a rapid rate during his first year of life, adding an inch to his length each month during the first half of the year and adding a half inch to his length each month during the second half of the year. You can also expect him to double his birth weight by the time he's 6 months old and triple his birth weight by the time he celebrates his first birthday.

Truth Number 2
Don't expect your breastfed baby to grow at quite the same pace as a formula-fed baby. According to the World Health Organization, breastfed babies gain approximately one pound, four ounces to one pound, six ounces less than formula-fed babies during their first year of life. Up until now, infant growth charts have traditionally been based on data from bottle-fed babies. But the World Health Organization will soon be releasing infant growth charts based on data from breastfed babies, which should help to reassure parents of breastfed babies that they are developing normally even if they aren't quite as hefty as their formula-fed counterparts.

Truth Number 3
Take steps to ensure that your baby gets plenty of "tummy time" while he's awake during the day since he will be sleeping on his back at night and won't have the same opportunity to exercise his arm and neck muscles once you tuck him in. Some recent studies have indicated that babies who sleep on their backs are significantly slower to roll over, sit, crawl and pull themselves to a standing position than babies who sleep on their stomachs—although the back-sleeping babies are still well within the normal range for development. Note: Your baby will eventually catch up, so don't start putting him to sleep on his stomach or side out of some mistaken belief that it's in his best interests to do so. The developmental benefits simply don't outweigh the increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Reviewed by Charlotte E. Grayson Mathis, MD