Introduction
Welcome
Somewhere in the hours ahead, or perhaps already, you will meet a person you have been waiting months to meet. Then the real adventure begins: 365 days in which a newborn who cannot yet lift their head becomes a small person who stands, points, laughs at jokes and calls you by name. This book walks beside you for all of it. It begins with birth itself, in detail, because knowing what happens in labour and why makes it less frightening and helps you make good choices. Then it gives you one entry for every day of your baby's first year.
You do not need to read it all, and you do not need to read it in order. Most people read the day they are on, often in the middle of a night feed, and glance ahead when something is coming up. Partners often read along. All of that works.
What you will find here is steady, practical company: what your baby is likely doing now, what your body is doing as it recovers, what is normal, what is worth a phone call, and small things you can do that actually help. What you will not find is pressure to be a perfect parent. There is no such thing, and your baby does not need one.
How to use this book
The book has three parts around its centre.
Part One: Giving birth is the longest single part. It explains how labour starts, each stage of labour and birth, coping with pain with and without medicine, induction, assisted birth and caesarean birth, special situations, a guide for partners, the first hours after birth, and what to do if birth does not go as you hoped. Read it in the last weeks of pregnancy if you can. The daily entries run from day 1, the day your baby is born, to day 365, in four three-month parts. Every week opens with an overview of your baby's typical size and development, your own recovery and life, and the week's focus. Every day then has one topic and ends with a small thing to try, or a note for your partner. Each day also has an illustration showing a typical size for that age, drawn to scale, the year's weight curve, and something many babies are doing around then.
After day 365 comes a short look at the second year, followed by a quick reference of warning signs, the first-year milestones at a glance and a glossary.
How the year is counted
Day 1 is the day your baby is born. On day 8 your baby is 1 week old; on day 45 they are 6 weeks and 2 days old; on day 365 they are 52 weeks old, and the next day is their first birthday. Every entry carries both numbers, the day and the age in weeks and days, so you can match it to what your baby's doctor or nurse says.
Months are approximate: day 31 is about 1 month, day 92 about 3 months, day 184 about 6 months and day 275 about 9 months.
If your baby was born early, read the entries by their actual age for everyday care such as feeding, sleep and vaccines, which usually follow actual age. For development, such as smiling, rolling and sitting, use their corrected age: their age minus the number of weeks they were born early. A baby born 6 weeks early who is 4 months old is developing like a baby of about 2½ months, and that is exactly on track. Most children catch up by about age 2.
Part Weeks Days Age
Part Two: The fourth trimester 1 to 13 1 to 91 birth to 3 months Part Three 14 to 26 92 to 182 3 to 6 months
Part Four 27 to 39 183 to 273 6 to 9 months
Part Five 40 to 52 274 to 365 9 to 12 months
The last week has eight days, so that the book ends on the day before your baby's first birthday.
Figure 1. Your baby's first year at a glance: when many babies reach common milestones.
About the sizes and milestones
The weights, lengths and milestones in this book are averages. Real babies are wonderfully varied. A healthy baby can be well above or below the average weight; what matters is that your baby grows steadily along their own curve on the growth chart. Milestones are given as ranges, and plenty of healthy babies reach them early or late. If something worries you, ask. A good doctor or nurse would always rather see a baby who turns out to be fine.
For partners and support people
This book is written to the parent who gave birth, because some entries are about their recovery. Almost everything else, from feeding and soothing to sleep, safety and play, is for both of you. Look out for the entries marked For your partner: they are written with you in mind. You will also find a whole chapter for you in Part One, "The partner's guide to labour and birth".
A note on medical advice
This book follows current mainstream guidance from international health bodies, and it is written for readers in many countries. Recommendations, especially vaccine schedules and the timing of checkups, differ from place to place, so follow your local schedule and the advice of the people who know you and your baby. This book cannot examine your baby or diagnose anything. When in doubt, call. Wherever a symptom could be serious, the entry says so plainly, and the quick reference at the back gathers the warning signs in one place.