Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Friday Mom – Erin:
Rory had his four-month check-up this week. He is fairly average in height and weight, but his head circumference is rather large. Developmentally, he is generally on track. I have been keeping track of the “milestones” to be certain he was doing everything a four month old should be doing. I had a lengthy list of questions since this would be my last visit to the doctor with Rory before going back to work full-time. Overall, I was proud of the little guy and was figuring his appointment would go pretty smoothly.

The pediatrician did have a few things for Rory to work on, however. First, Rory’s upper-body strength is not quite where it should be. The doctor explained that a weak upper-body can lead to delays in gross motor development, such as rolling over and crawling. He was not overly concerned, but encouraged us to give Rory as much floor time and tummy time as possible to strengthen his shoulders and core.

Second, in response to my questions on how to eliminate early morning feedings, we discussed the importance of getting Rory to fall asleep on his own. We agreed to focus on that aspect of Rory’s sleep before worrying too much about the late night/early morning wakings. I polled our doctor for his views on progressive waiting—a method in which the parents wait for gradually increasing intervals before intervening in the baby’s attempts to fall asleep on their own. I had been considering using this approach for a while, but wanted to get his doctor’s okay before doing so. Luckily, the doctor was on board.

I left the doctor’s office feeling pretty good about Rory’s growth and progress. However, I couldn’t help but wonder whether there was something more I could have been doing over the past few months to help his strength and sleep habits. As a result, I felt a little more disappointed in myself than I had expected I might. I knew there was no reason to feel that way. I reminded myself that no parent gets everything completely “right” 100-percent of the time.

Rather than remain frustrated, I promised to do everything I could to work on helping Rory improve. We have had lots of tummy time each day this week. We are making a concerted effort at naptime and bedtime to get Rory to fall asleep on his own. We are making slow progress, but at least I can rest assured knowing we are doing everything in our power to set the little guy up for success.