Newborn Baby
Newborn Baby
Congratulations on your new baby! Now it's time to figure out parenthood: the feeding, the bathing, the diaper changing and oh… the sleeping! Relax, you'll get the hang of everything. Just don't freak out if adjusting to this new life doesn't "come naturally"—it can take a little longer for some than others. These first few weeks with your newborn baby are about resting, recovering and getting to know baby, as you and your partner figure out how to navigate life with this amazing new addition to your family!
Newborn development
Your newborn’s arms and legs are still curled in the fetal position—that's temporary. Their ways of communicating? Cries, grunts, sneezes and hiccups.
Average weight for a baby at birth is 7.1 pounds for girls and 7.4 pounds for boys. Average length is 19.3 inches for girls and 19.6 inches for boys, according to the World Health Organization.
1-week-old baby development
It’s normal for a baby to lose up to 10 percent of their birth weight in the first week of life (depending on whether they’re breast- or formula-fed) —it’s just because they've lost the extra fluids they had at birth, so don’t get nervous by the dip in the scales.
At birth, baby’s head may have looked misshapen from their trip down the birth canal, but it should have rounded out within a few days. Baby’s skull has two soft spots, called fontanels. The umbilical cord is still attached, and you’ll want to keep the area dry until it falls off.
1-week-old baby milestones
You and baby are getting settled in at home and developing a new routine. Baby should have their first outing—if you both feel ready. A walk around the block in the fresh air is a much better idea than going somewhere crowded and germy.
1-week-old baby food
Breastfeeding: A one-week-old baby is feeding on formula or breast milk around the clock—at least every two to three hours—but sometimes it can seem like more than that! Some breastfed babies cluster feed, which means they feed really often in order to boost Mom’s milk supply. That’s normal; go with it. If you’re pumping breast milk, your baby will likely take about one to two ounces per feeding.
Wondering how long should a one-week-old baby breastfeed for? We know it’s hard, but don’t watch the clock while breastfeeding! First offer baby one breast, and make sure they're latched on well. If your newborn still seems hungry after that breast is soft and they seemed to finish off that milk, offer the other one. Baby will stop when they're full. At the next feeding, start with the opposite breast. It’s common for the feeding to take around 20 to 40 minutes but that’s not set in stone. Seems vague, we know, but that’s really how it works!
Formula-feeding: If you're formula-feeding, follow baby’s cues, but about one to two ounces of formula about once every two to three hours should be about right.
Worried baby’s not drinking enough breast milk or formula? Keep an eye on how many wet diapers they have: Baby should be wetting at least five to eight diapers per day.
What should I give a 1-week-old baby for constipation?
Doctors advise seeking a doctor’s care if a baby under a month old is constipated—not to treat it yourself. So make the call to the pediatrician right away.
Newborn feeding schedule
1-week-old baby sleep
A one-week-old baby sleeps most of the day, waking every two or three hours to chow down (then, they're likely back to snoozing again.)
It’s hard to say how much sleep for a 4-day-old, or how much a 5-day-old or a 1-week-old baby should sleep, but it’s pretty typical to be about 16 to 17 hours per day. And they usually don’t sleep more than one to two hours at a time.
Waking happens around the clock because baby still hasn’t learned to differentiate between day and night. Try to keep things bright and playful throughout the day, and dark and relaxed at night, so baby (hopefully) starts to see the difference.
Always put your baby to sleep on their back, and make sure the crib is free of soft or fluffy bedding and other objects, to reduce the risk of SIDS.
Newborn sleep schedule
2-week-old baby development
By the end of the second week, baby should have about regained their birth weight. Notice a 2-week-old growth spurt? Babies tend to have a growth spurt around the end of the first week or beginning of the second week. You’ll know when it happens because baby will want to feed what feels like all. the. time.
2-week-old baby milestones
• Sometime within two to three weeks post-birth, baby’s umbilical cord will fall off, which means baby will be ready for their first real bath.
• How far can babies see at 2 weeks? Your newborn may be able to see your face when you’re holding them close—babies’ sight at 2 weeks old is best from between 8 and 10 inches away.
• Okay, so there’s a lot of sleeping going on. You might wonder: "Do babies dream at 2 weeks old?" While we can’t be sure, experts believe newborns spend time in REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep when most dreaming happens.
2-week-old baby food
How often should a 2-week-old eat, and how much should they be eating? You’re on a constant loop, it seems, feeding baby when they cry. Luckily, babies tend to instinctively know when they need to eat. A breastfed baby should be nursing about eight to 12 times during a 24-hour period.
If you're formula-feeding, baby should continue to eat about two to three ounces every three to four hours.
2-week-old baby sleep
Wondering how much 2-week-old babies sleep? They tend to sleep around 16 hours a day, which seems like a lot but since they’re still waking around the clock, you’re still probably totally exhausted.
2-week-old baby schedule
Two-week-old baby activities can begin to include tummy time. (In fact, some expert suggest starting this earlier, just a few days after birth!) Give baby just two or three short sessions per day of tummy time on the floor, so they get a taste of being on their stomach. Eventually, you can increase the time they spend on their tummy—it will help their arms and neck get stronger, and it could help prevent flat head syndrome.
Can a 2-week-old baby go outside? Yes! It’s up to you when you feel comfortable taking baby out, but we recommend it, as long as the weather’s not extremely hot or cold. Baby could use some fresh air, and you could probably use a short walk. If you’re concerned about strangers getting too close, consider wearing baby in a newborn carrier.
3-week-old baby development
It’s common to experience a 3-week-old baby growth spurt, so be ready for a couple days with a whole lot of feedings!
While they’ll still be sleeping a lot, baby might be awake more often and a little more alert than they were the first couple weeks. This sound like fun, but it’s also a shock that your former little sleepyhead suddenly cries so much! Here’s your chance to get to know baby better. Do the usual checks to figure out how to calm them: hunger, dirty or wet diaper, discomfort, gas, etc. The more contact baby has with you, like feeling your touch and hearing your voice, when they're crying, the more you two will bond. (There’s no such thing as “spoiling” a newborn!) Unfortunately, colic symptoms may appear around this time. Colic is when baby cries often, seemingly for no reason at all. Get the scoop on how colic is diagnosed and what to do if you have a colicky baby.
3-week-old baby milestones
• Baby’s sight at 3 weeks is still a little blurry. As baby tries to focus, you may notice their eyes looking crossed. That’s totally normal for this age—as long as both eyes are moving (one doesn’t seem stuck still) and there aren’t any windshield-wiper-like eye motions. Baby’s eyes should look much straighter by the time they're 4 to 6 months old. (If not, talk to the doctor.)
• Cool fact: Baby now recognizes your smell and may even recognize your voice.
3-week-old baby food
The answer to the question: How much should a 3-week-old eat? Well, it’s not always so simple. Every baby is different, of course. Plus, don’t you have some meals when you’re starving and some when you want to eat light?
Pay attention to baby—they’ll communicate with you when they're hungry (crying, lip smacking, “rooting” or turning their head in search for a nipple), and they’ll stop eating when they're not.
Breastfeeding: How often should a 3-week-old baby breastfeed? Still about 8 to 12 times per 24-hour period. Right now, baby may still be waking every three to four hours at night, but if they starts sleeping longer (yay!), it’s okay to let them, so long as there are no issues with their weight gain. But be sure you’re still always fitting in 8 to 12 daily feedings.
A 3-week-old nursing schedule can’t be set to a clock—though if you love routine, you wish you could. Feed on demand. That means responding to baby’s signals when they're ready to cuddle up and nurse.
Formula-feeding: How much formula at 3 weeks should baby have? You might start bumping up baby’s formula servings to three to four ounces every three to four hours. Follow baby’s hunger cues, but, until the end of the first month, don’t let baby go more than five hours without a feeding. Yep, wake them up if you have to.
3-week-old baby sleep
Your 3-week-old still sleeps in spurts, but you may notice the spurts getting just a little bit shorter. As baby begins to be awake for more hours in a day, continue to make daytime interactions more exciting and interesting than nighttime ones. By showing baby that being awake at night is kind of boring, you may set them up for future sleeping through the night.
How much should a 3-week-old sleep? A typical 3-week-old baby may sleep about 16 hours per day, but remember some babies are sleepier than others.
3-week-old baby schedule
For your 3-week-old, a regular “schedule” isn’t really realistic. (In other words, a typical 3-week-old baby schedule is no schedule at all.) You’re still getting to know each other! Plus the fact that they're a little more alert now might be tripping up your routine a bit. Follow baby’s cues for when they're hungry and tired, and you’ll be fine. It’s amazing how much your instincts will kick in and how much you’ll know what baby needs and wants when. When you don’t know, use trial and error. Every new parent does!
4-week-old baby development
If you think there’s a 4-week growth spurt happening, you’re probably not imagining things. Doctors say somewhere around 3 to 6 weeks old, many babies start feeding more often in an effort to pack on some extra ounces. That means you’ll be at baby’s beck and call for a few days (aren’t you already anyhow?). Try to go with the flow (literally).
• How much should baby weigh at 4 weeks? Well, those spurts are paying off! The average weight of a 4-week-old baby (aka one-month old) is around 7.4 pounds for girls and between 7.7 and 9.9 pounds for boys, according to the World Health Organization. The average length is between 19.9 and 21.1 inches for girls and 20.1 and 21.5 inches for boys.
• What can babies see at four weeks? Your face! Baby’s vision at 4 weeks old is still developing, so they can still just focus on things within a foot of her. Luckily, that means they get to gaze at you while you’re holding them. And baby is paying attention too. Feel free to make some silly faces to entertain them.
• Baby sight at 4 weeks favors high-contrast patterns, so now’s a good time to introduce a mobile or hanging toy with different black-and-white shapes.
• For a 4-week-old, tummy time is important. Some babies hate tummy time and basically cry throughout. Don’t let that discourage you, though. Baby needs to get used to it. Keep tummy time short (just a couple minutes or even seconds is okay for now), and try to make it fun by getting down on the floor with baby and chatting them up.
4-week-old baby milestones
Wondering what to expect from 4-week-old baby?
• Your newborn has been working on turning their head from side to side and may even start to lift their head for a second during tummy time.
• Baby keeps their hands in fists and brings them toward their face.
• Baby may even start to turn their head toward voices and noises they recognize.
4-week-old baby food
When you have a 4-week-old, feeding still takes up a huge chunk of baby’s day. These are some common feeding questions parents have during week four.
I’m formula feeding. How much should my 4-week-old eat? If you’re feeding formula, baby may have upped their intake to about four ounces every four hours.
I’m nursing. How often should a 4-week-old baby breastfeed? You should continue to feed baby every two to three hours, until they're content.
I’m pumping breast milk. How much milk should a 4-week-old drink? The amount of breast milk baby takes at each feeding has probably slowly increased over the past few weeks. If baby’s only drinking breast milk (no formula), they're probably taking about 25 ounces per day. Divide that by the number of times they feed and that’s approximately how much breast milk your newborn should get at each feeding. For example, if baby eats 10 times per day, they gets about 2.5 ounces per feeding. That said, it’s important to follow baby’s cues and pump as often as baby nurses, as this amount can vary and change as baby grows.
4-week-old baby sleep
For a 4-week-old baby, sleep and waking still happens around the clock, though you may notice a larger chunk of it comes at night.
How long does a 4-week-old baby sleep? Four-week-old babies typically sleep about 15 to 16 hours per day. How it’s split up throughout the day depends on the baby; around three daytime naps is pretty typical, with eight-and-a-half hours of sleep probably come at night (with interruptions, of course!)
4-week-old baby schedule
Interested in a 4-week-old baby schedule? Don’t get too concerned with becoming a drill sergeant (or preschool teacher!). Baby still can’t really follow a clock and will keep tripping up your efforts to create structure.
Instead, try to create patterns throughout baby’s day that could one day evolve into a more set schedule. A common routine for a 4-week-old baby is feed, play, sleep, repeat. If baby’s day looks something like that, you’re already on your way to getting into a good daily routine.
Here’s an example of a schedule you might try to strive toward throughout the day:
• Take baby to their first checkup at the pediatrician’s office, about three to five days after birth.
• Make an appointment for baby’s one-month-old checkup.
• Sleep when baby sleeps (as much as you can).
• Ask for help whenever you need it!
• Give baby tummy time—just a little bit for now. Three to five minute sessions, two times a day, is a good start.
• Take baby’s newborn baby photo.
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.
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