5-Week-Old

Your baby is learning she has hands and fingers and feet and toes. Until now, she didn't realize her extremities were a part of her body that she could grab hold of whenever she liked. Games that involve feet or hands — like "This Little Piggy Went to Market" — help your baby focus her attention on them. (And they're fun, too.)

Your little one is also starting to talk more. Not with words, of course, but her increasing goos, gurgles, and grunts mark the beginning of her development of language skills. Her favorite sound is the human voice, particularly your voice and that of your partner. Talk to your baby every chance you get. She's particularly attentive to high-pitched voices, and you'll be able to keep her attention by shifting from a low to a high pitch. This sing-song style is the one parents in every culture tend to use naturally when speaking to a baby. It's known as "motherese" (even when dads use it).

How your baby's growing
Smiling happens at about the same time in all cultures, so get ready for your baby to reward all your loving care with a beaming, toothless, just-for-you smile. This will probably make your heart melt, even if you've just had your worst night yet.

For Ron Heckman, a new father in Piedmont, California, that first smile from his 6-week-old daughter, Hadley, brought tears to his eyes. "It was a lousy day at work," he recalls. "I was sleep-deprived and the commute traffic that day was incredibly thick. When I finally got home and my wife handed me the baby, who looked straight at me and smiled this gorgeous all-gums grin, I remember thinking, 'She knows me' — and nothing else mattered."

• Learn more fascinating facts about your 5-week-old's development.

Your life: The postpartum checkup

Soon you'll have the last of the series of checkups that began with your first prenatal trip to your doctor or midwife. Your care provider will want to be sure you're doing fine — emotionally as well as physically — following the stresses of pregnancy, labor, delivery, and becoming a new parent.

During the pelvic exam, your doctor will want to see that any tears, scratches, or bruises to your vagina or cervix have healed. If your cervix is healed, you may also have a Pap smear. She'll also examine your perineum if you had an episiotomy or tearing, to inspect the stitches.

Your breasts will be checked as well. If you aren't nursing, your caregiver will want to be sure there are no hard or sore areas that might indicate an infection. She'll also want to see if your milk is drying up. If you are breastfeeding, she'll examine you to find out if you have any clogged ducts, which could lead to an infection like mastitis.

You'll probably be told it's fine to begin having sex again, though many new moms don't feel their drive or energy kick in for a few more weeks or even months. Regardless of your interest level, you ought to discuss postpartum birth control, because it's possible to get pregnant even if you haven't gotten your period back and even if you're breastfeeding.

Your caregiver will also be concerned about your emotional health. As many as four out of five new moms become mildly depressed, commonly called the baby blues. However, if these down feelings last more than two weeks, you may have postpartum depression, a more serious condition. Your doctor or midwife can recommend interventions that really help, such as a therapist who sees lots of moms like you, or an antidepressant that's safe to take even if you're breastfeeding.

3 questions about: Working with your pediatrician

How often will my baby see a doctor?
Most pediatricians and family physicians like to see newborns for well-baby checkups two and four days after birth and then at the ages of 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 12 months.

How can I get the most out of these well-baby checkups?
Pediatricians are busy, and you may be distracted by your baby at the checkup, so come prepared. Jot down in advance any questions you may have. Keep a notebook and pen in a handy place at home, and also bring it to appointments so that you can write down information like your baby's weight and length as well as any advice or instructions the doctor provides.As the parent, you're the expert on your baby, and as a doctor, he is the expert on baby care. So good communication is key. If you disagree with your doctor's advice or feel your comments are being dismissed, speak up. It may be that you've misunderstood one another. If you find that you have serious disagreements, you may want to find another pediatrician with whom you share a more common perspective or who makes you feel more comfortable. Ask friends for referrals.

What if I need to talk to the doctor after hours?
Be sure you know what the routine is in your doctor's office. Most physicians have a message service where you can call to leave questions that will be returned later by the doctor or a nurse. Also find out how emergencies are handled. The most important thing to remember about seeking your doctor's advice is that there are no stupid questions when you're worried about your baby.