Updated Mar 20th 2023
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7
min read
Medically Reviewed By
Board Certified Pediatrician & Lactation Consultant
The first month of a baby's life is filled with a lot of changes and growth. From learning how to feed to recognizing their parents, a baby's development in the first month is a remarkable journey.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
As you're probably discovering, one of the biggest challenges of being a parent is getting your little one to sleep. And your one-month-old’s sleep can be pretty disorganized, making it a bit of a puzzle to figure out.
Your baby may sleep for hours during the day and then decide to stay awake for hours at night. And naps can be 10mins or 90+mins. Sometimes they will only nap on you and all of this unpredictability can all feel a bit overwhelming, but don't worry, you're not alone! The most important thing right now is to make sure your baby is feeding well.
“It’s never too early to start implementing healthy sleep habits. The sooner you can create a consistent bedtime routine, the sooner it will start to cue your baby that it’s time for sleep.”
Mandy Treeby , Pediatric Sleep Coach and Co-Founder of the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers
Remember, disorganized sleep is perfectly normal for newborns. Be patient, stay positive, and keep trying new things until you find what works best for you and your little one. You've got this!
During the first month, babies are still adjusting to their new environment, and their physical development is a crucial part of their growth. Here are some physical developmental milestones you should expect:
Head Control: At the beginning of the month, a baby's head control is minimal, and they are unable to support their head independently. As the month progresses, babies can lift their heads briefly and move them from side to side while lying on their stomach.
Weight Gain: During the first month, babies typically gain weight, and their birth weight may increase by up to 2 pounds. Regular feeding is essential to promote healthy weight gain in the first month.
Reflexes: Babies have a few reflexes, including the Moro reflex, which causes the baby to startle and fling their arms and legs outwards. This reflex is a sign of the baby's nervous system development.
Cognitive development involves the way a baby thinks, learns, and communicates with the world around them. Here are some cognitive developmental milestones you can expect in the first month:
Recognition: Babies are born with a natural attraction to human faces and voices. During the first month, babies can recognize their parents' faces and voices, and they may respond with a smile or a coo.
Visual Focus: During the first month, a baby's vision is still developing, and they can only see objects 8 to 12 inches away. As the month progresses, they begin to focus on objects and may even track moving objects with their eyes.
Social and Emotional Development: During the first month, a baby's social and emotional development is crucial to building bonds with their caregivers. Here are some social and emotional developmental milestones you can expect:
Crying: Crying is a baby's primary way of communicating their needs. During the first month, babies cry when they are hungry, tired, or need a diaper change.
Social Smiling: As babies begin to recognize their caregivers' faces, they may smile in response to their caregiver's smile or voice.
At one month old, your baby has undergone a significant amount of growth and development since birth, gaining an average of 2lbs (25% of their birth weight). Weight and length are two important measures of a baby's physical development, and they can vary greatly between boys and girls. At one month old, boys tend to weigh more and be longer than girls on average.
Average weight: 10.1lbs (4.6kg)
Average length: 22 inches (55.8cm)
Average weight: 9.3lbs (4.2kg)
Average length: 21.5 inches (54.5cm)
There is a wide range of normal when it comes to infant growth and development, and genetics, nutrition, sleep, and physical activity can all play a role in a baby's weight and length. Some boys may be smaller or shorter than the average, while some girls may be larger or longer. It's also common for babies to experience growth spurts at different times, which can affect their weight and length measurements.
You should consult your baby’s pediatrician if your have any concerns about your baby's growth. Your pediatrician will actively monitor your baby's growth at each wellness check, using weight and length measurements to track progress and ensure that the baby is healthy and developing appropriately.
Your Baby is still working on developing their digestive systems and need proper nutrition to support their growth and development – so much like since birth you will continue feeding every few hours around the clock.
Breastfeeding: Breast milk provides all the nutrients and hydration a baby needs for the first six months of life. At one month old, a breastfed baby will typically consume 8-12 feedings in a 24-hour period, with each feeding lasting anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. On average, consuming 2-3 ounces of breast milk per feeding.
Breastfed babies may feed more frequently than formula-fed babies because breast milk is digested more quickly. Frequent feedings also help stimulate milk production and ensure the baby is getting enough milk to support their growth and development. It's important for to look out for your baby’s hunger cues, such as rooting or sucking on their hands, and respond promptly to their needs.
Formula Feeding: It’s important to select a formula appropriate for your baby's age and needs. At one month old, a formula-fed baby will typically consume around 2-3 ounces of formula per feeding, with about 6-8 feedings per day. Be sure to prepare formula according to the instructions on the package and serve it at the appropriate temperature.
Yes, waking your one-month-old to feed is important to ensure they are getting enough nutrition to support their growth and development. Breastfed babies may need to be woken up if they sleep for longer than 3-4 hours during the day or 5 hours at night, while formula-fed babies may need to be woken up if they sleep for longer than 4 hours during the day or 6 hours at night. Always check with your pediatrician before letting your baby sleep longer stretches without a feeding.
Waking a sleeping baby can be challenging, but there are some tips your can follow that may make the process easier:
By monitoring your baby's hunger cues and waking them up to feed when necessary, you can ensure your one-month-old is getting the proper nutrition for healthy growth and development.
The 1-month wellness check is an important milestone in your baby's health and development. This checkup it helps to ensure that your baby is healthy and meeting their developmental milestones.
During the exam, your baby’s pediatrician will perform a thorough physical exam of your baby. This exam will include measurements of your baby's weight, length, and head circumference. They will also examine your baby's reflexes, muscle tone, and overall development. The healthcare provider will also check your baby's eyes, ears, mouth, and heart to ensure they are functioning properly.
Your baby may receive their first round of vaccinations at the 1-month wellness check. These vaccinations will help protect your baby against certain diseases, such as hepatitis B.
The healthcare provider will also assess your baby's developmental milestones to ensure they are meeting their age-appropriate milestones. These milestones include things like lifting their head, responding to sounds, and making eye contact.
The healthcare provider will ask you about your baby's feeding and sleep habits to ensure that they are getting enough nutrition and rest to support their growth and development. It’s helpful if you’re been tracking these in an app like the Smart Sleep Coach so you can answer questions easily and show your pediatrician how things are going and ask about any questions or concerns.
Your baby should have several wet and soiled diapers each day. Monitor their diaper output to ensure they are getting enough fluids and are not dehydrated. Your pediatrician will likely ask about this too.
Babies develop at different rates, but by one month old, they should be able to lift their head briefly, follow objects with their eyes, and make some sounds.
Your 1-month old’s wellness check is an important milestone in your baby's health and development. Your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam, provide vaccinations, assess your baby's developmental milestones, and ask about their feeding and sleep habits. By monitoring your baby's health and development, you can help ensure they are growing and developing properly.
At one month old, your baby should be able to lift their head briefly when lying on their tummy, track moving objects with their eyes, and make cooing sounds. They may also begin to display social smiles, recognize familiar faces, and show increased alertness when awake. However, every baby develops at their own pace, so it's important not to worry if your baby doesn't meet all of these milestones exactly on schedule .
At one month old, your baby's visual acuity is still developing and they can see objects and people from a distance of 8 to 15 inches. They are able to focus on high-contrast patterns and bold colors, such as black and white, and are also beginning to develop depth perception. However, their vision is still blurry and they have difficulty distinguishing between similar shades or objects that are too close together.
At one month old, your baby's motor skills are still developing and they will likely display some reflexive movements, such as grasping, rooting, and startle reflexes. They may also begin to lift their head briefly while lying on their tummy and push their legs against a surface when placed in a standing position, but they are not yet able to support their own weight or control their movements intentionally.
At one month old, your baby know’s their mother's voice and scent, but they don’t really understand who their mother is – they just know who comforts them and what feels familiar. However, spending time holding and cuddling your baby, and responding to their needs and cues can help to strengthen the bond between a mother and her newborn.
AAP. 2009. Developmental Milestones: 1 Month. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Developmental-Milestones-1-Month.aspx
AAP. 2020. How to Tell if Your Breastfed Baby is Getting Enough Milk. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/How-to-Tell-if-Baby-is-Getting-Enough-Milk.aspx
AAP. 2020. How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat? https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/How-Often-and-How-Much-Should-Your-Baby-Eat.aspx
AAP. 2018. AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/health-management/Pages/Well-Child-Care-A-Check-Up-for-Success.aspx
CDC. 2021. Important Milestones: Your Baby By Two Months. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-2mo.html
CDC. 2001. Data Table of Infant Weight-for-age Charts. https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/html_charts/wtageinf.htm
Hirshkowitz M et al. 2015. National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29073412/
Mayo Clinic. 2020. Infant development: Birth to 3 months. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/infant-development/art-20048012
Stanford Children's Health. Infant sleep. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=infant-sleep-90-P02237
The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.
