Congratulation on the Birth of Your Baby

DEVELOPMENT 32-35 WEEKS’ GESTATION

Congratulation on the birth of your baby!! Your baby now has two birthdays!!! One is the baby’s age in weeks (calendar age) and the other is the length of your pregnancy (gestational age). This is known as the baby’s “corrected age.”

Corrected age is the Calendar age + Gestational age. If a baby is born at 28 weeks’ gestation and is six (6) weeks old, we expect the baby to act like a baby who was born today at 34 weeks. We look at the baby’s “corrected age” for growth and development until the baby is 2 years old.

Baby’s appearance:

1. Their skin is smooth and thicker. 2. They have fine woolly hair on their head. 3. Their ears are flat, firm and spring back slowly when folded. 4. They have 1-2 creases on the ball of their foot.

Baby’s abilities:

1. They begin to communicate better. 2. They develop the ability to suck and swallow, but in an immature burst-pause pattern. 3. They have increasing muscle tone in their upper extremities and some beginning head control. 4. Their visual attention increases—they will fix their eyesight and follow an object side-to-side. 5. Their sleep and awake states are more clearly defined. 6. They are better able to maintain their temperature and may be moved to an open crib. 7. Movements are more controlled and coordinated and less random.

What can I do? Always talk with your baby’s nurse first.

1. Nipple or breastfeed your baby—or—offer a pacifier when awake or with tube feedings.

Development 32-35 weeks-1 2. Continue to pump your breast milk if breastfeeding. 3. Care for your infant to include: taking a temperature, changing diapers, bathe. 4. Learn your infant’s signs of stress and stability. 5. Play gentle soft music or tapes of your voice. 6. Hold your baby for short to longer periods of time, as his/her condition allows. 7. Help your baby to learn to calm himself with hand-to-mouth activities.

Reviewed/Revised: 1/99…..10/11

Development 32-35 weeks-2