Baby & parenting terms, explained simply
Plain-language definitions of the words you'll meet in the first years — from wake windows and cluster feeding to percentiles and reflux. One clear sentence each, then the detail.
C
Cluster feeding
Cluster feeding is when a baby wants to feed in close-together bursts over a few hours, often in the evening.
Colic
Colic describes frequent, intense crying in an otherwise healthy, well-fed baby — often defined as crying for more than three hours a day, three days a week, for three weeks.
Colostrum
Colostrum is the thick, golden 'first milk' the breasts make in late pregnancy and the first days after birth, rich in antibodies and perfectly sized for a newborn's tiny tummy.
Corrected age
Corrected (adjusted) age is a premature baby's age counted from their original due date rather than their birth date, used to set fair expectations for growth and milestones.
Cradle cap
Cradle cap is the common, harmless yellowish or crusty scaling on a baby's scalp, caused by overactive oil glands — not poor hygiene and not contagious.
D
Developmental leap
A developmental leap is a burst of brain development that can briefly make a baby fussier, clingier and less settled as they work on a new skill.
Dream feed
A dream feed is a feed you offer a sleeping baby — usually late evening, before you go to bed — in the hope of a longer first stretch of night sleep.
F
Fontanelle (soft spot)
A fontanelle is one of the soft gaps between the bones of a baby's skull that lets the head grow — the larger one on top usually closes between about 12 and 18 months.
Foremilk and hindmilk
Foremilk is the thinner milk at the start of a feed; hindmilk is the richer, fattier milk later in the same feed — it's one continuous milk, not two kinds.
G
Gag reflex
The gag reflex is a normal protective response that moves food forward and out of the mouth — in babies it sits further forward on the tongue, so gagging while learning to eat is common and usually harmless.
Growth percentile
A growth percentile compares your baby's weight, length or head size to a reference group of the same age and sex — the 60th percentile means about 60 in 100 babies measure the same or less.
Growth spurt
A growth spurt is a short phase of rapid growth when a baby may feed more often, seem hungrier and sleep differently for a few days.
M
Meconium
Meconium is a newborn's first stool — sticky, greenish-black and tar-like — made of everything ingested in the womb, usually passed within the first day or two.
Moro reflex (startle reflex)
The Moro reflex is a newborn's startle response — arms fling out then curl back in — triggered by a sudden noise, movement or feeling of falling.
R
Responsive feeding
Responsive feeding means feeding in response to your baby's hunger and fullness cues rather than to a fixed schedule or amount.
Room-sharing
Room-sharing means a baby sleeps on their own separate, firm, flat surface in the parents' room — recommended for at least the first 6 months to lower the risk of SIDS.
Rooting reflex
The rooting reflex is a newborn's automatic turn toward a touch on the cheek or mouth, helping them find the breast or bottle to feed.
S
Separation anxiety
Separation anxiety is a normal developmental stage when a baby becomes distressed at being apart from a parent, often emerging around 8 months as they grasp that you still exist when out of sight.
Signs of readiness for solids
Readiness for solids — usually around 6 months — shows when a baby can sit with support and hold their head steady, has lost the tongue-thrust reflex, and shows interest in food.
Sleep pressure
Sleep pressure is the body's building drive to sleep that grows the longer you're awake — the mechanism behind wake windows and tired cues.
Sleep regression
“Sleep regression” is a caregiver label for a stretch of more broken sleep, extra wakings, or shorter naps; the pattern itself does not identify a cause.
Swaddling
Swaddling is wrapping a young baby snugly in a thin blanket to limit the startle reflex and help them feel secure for sleep.
W
Wake window
A wake window is the length of time a baby is happily awake between one sleep and the next — including the feed, nappy change and play.
Weaning
Weaning is the gradual process of replacing breast or bottle feeds with other foods and drinks — it can mean starting solids or stopping milk feeds, depending on context.
Witching hour
The 'witching hour' is a predictable period of fussiness and crying, usually in the late afternoon or evening, common in the first few months.