In the first weeks it can seem like your baby only eats, sleeps, cries, and fills diapers. By the end of the first month they become noticeably more alert and responsive. They listen when you speak and watch you as you hold them. Sometimes they move their whole body just to get your attention. Movements grow smoother too, especially getting a hand to the mouth. [1]
Vision at this age works best up close. Your baby focuses about 8 to 12 inches away, which is roughly the distance from your arms to your face during a feed. They prefer the human face over other patterns. Hearing is fully mature, and many babies will look or turn toward a familiar voice. [1]
The first social responses are quietly building. Your baby spends much of each day watching and listening to the people around them, learning who comforts them and who helps them feel safe. Early grins and grimaces are practice runs. By the second month they begin to turn into genuine signals of pleasure. [2]
This is also the month to make tummy time a habit, if you have not started already. Place your awake, supervised baby on their tummy 2 to 3 times each day for about 3 to 5 minutes. You can start the day your baby comes home from the hospital, and the AAP suggests working up to 15 to 30 minutes a day by around 7 weeks. If your baby protests at first, that is common. Get down on the floor with them or place a toy within reach. [3]
Newborns routinely cry 1 to 4 hours a day, often without any apparent cause, and it is not a reflection of your parenting. [11] The amount of crying tends to increase from around 2 weeks of age and gradually reduces at around 3 months, with afternoon and evening the most common fussy windows. [10] You may hear this normal stretch called the period of PURPLE crying. Daily fussing typically peaks at about 3 hours a day by 6 weeks, then declines to 1 or 2 hours a day by 3 to 4 months. [12]
When the crying wears you down, it is safe to place your baby in a bare crib or playpen and leave the room for 10 to 15 minutes while you calm yourself. Never shake a baby: violent shaking can injure the brain and can be deadly. [13]
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Open the week calculatorNewborns may sleep between 14 and 17 hours a day, and they stay awake only 1 to 3 hours at a time. [4] Totals vary a lot from baby to baby, and some sleep in long periods while others sleep in short bursts. Your baby's pattern is unlikely to match other babies you know, and it is unlikely to match your own need for sleep yet. [5]
Day-night confusion is standard equipment at 1 month. Your baby starts out on a 24 hour feeding and sleep-wake cycle, so you can begin teaching the difference from the start. During the day, keep the lights on and let normal household noise happen. As evening approaches, dim the lights and reduce activity, and keep night feeds dark and quiet. [4] The NHS gives the same advice: daytime is for open curtains and play, nighttime is for low light and minimal chat. Babies gradually learn that night is for sleeping. [5]
The safe sleep basics still apply at every nap. Back sleeping is safest, and side sleeping is not advised. [3] Use a firm, flat sleep surface and keep blankets and other soft objects out of the sleep space. [6] The NHS also advises keeping your baby in the same room as you for sleep, day and night, for at least the first 6 months, which can reduce the risk of SIDS. [5]
Breast milk and formula both support healthy growth, and many families use a mix. The rhythms differ slightly, so here are both, with data.
Most exclusively breastfed babies feed every 2 to 4 hours, about 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Some feed as often as every hour at times, which is called cluster feeding, and some stretch to 4 or 5 hours once in a while. Babies generally take what they need and stop when full. A content, drowsy baby after a feed is a good sign they got enough. [7]
Most formula-fed babies feed about every 3 to 4 hours during the first weeks and months, up from 1 to 2 ounces every 2 to 3 hours in the first days. Session length varies, and that is fine. [8]
Some 1 month olds are still sleepy eaters. At this age babies need frequent feeds to grow, so you may need to wake yours: try patting, stroking, undressing, or a diaper change. If you have concerns about how much your baby is sleeping or eating, that is a question for their doctor or nurse, not something to push through alone. [7]
One supplement matters this month. Babies under 12 months need 400 IU of vitamin D each day. Babies who are fed only breast milk, or who drink less than 32 ounces of formula a day, need over-the-counter vitamin D drops starting shortly after birth, because formula is fortified and breast milk usually does not provide enough on its own. [9]
Most of what you see at 1 month is normal. A few signs deserve a call, so you never have to wonder.
A rectal temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher in a baby younger than 3 months: call your doctor right away. At this age, fever alone is enough reason to call. [14]
Breathing difficulty, an unexplained rash, or repeated vomiting or diarrhea alongside illness: call your doctor. If your baby is struggling to breathe or it feels like an emergency, call 911. [14]
A baby who is too sleepy to feed or shows little interest in feeding: babies this age need to eat every 2 to 4 hours to get enough nutrition, so talk with their doctor or nurse if you cannot wake yours to feed or feeds keep getting skipped. [7]
Crying that intensifies and lasts throughout the day or night, or inconsolable crying that is new for your baby: colicky behavior can also signal a medical problem such as a hernia or an illness, so it is worth a call to be checked. [12]
Your own breaking point is a valid reason to reach out too. If you feel you might lose control, put your baby in a safe place and step away, then call a friend or family member for support. Never shake a baby. [13]
Leelalu is education, not medical care. Nothing here is a diagnosis. For anything on this list, or any symptom that worries you, contact your provider. If it feels like an emergency, call 911.
Month 2 is when the effort starts paying you back in smiles. By 2 months, most babies calm down when spoken to or picked up, look at your face, smile when you talk to or smile at them, make sounds other than crying, and hold their head up during tummy time. The CDC publishes a free 2 month milestone checklist and a Milestone Tracker app you can use before the 2 month checkup. [15]
The crying curve also has good news in it: after the peak around 6 weeks, daily fussing declines to 1 or 2 hours a day by 3 to 4 months. [12] Those first true social smiles tend to arrive in the second month, and most parents report that everything feels different after that. [2]
Newborns may sleep between 14 and 17 hours a day, and they stay awake only 1 to 3 hours at a time. The total is spread across day and night in short stretches, so broken nights at this age are typical, not a problem you caused. [4]
Most exclusively breastfed babies feed every 2 to 4 hours, about 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, and some cluster feed as often as every hour at times. [7] Most formula-fed babies feed about every 3 to 4 hours at this age. Both patterns are normal. [8]
Around the second month, early grins and grimaces begin to turn into genuine signals of pleasure and friendliness. [2] By 2 months, most babies smile when you talk to them or smile at them. [15]
LEELALU is education, not medicine. This page cannot diagnose or treat anything, and it never replaces your clinician. For anything on the "call your doctor" list, or anything that worries you, contact your provider. Found an error? Write to hello@leelalu.com and a person will read it. Our method: Editorial Standards.