Birth+: Your 1-month-old
During the first month of life, your baby will focus on learning how to make sense of her new environment using her eyes, ears, sense of smell, and touch.
Through the love, comfort, and attention you'll provide, she'll bond even more closely with you. If you notice a lot of crying, realize that it's part of your baby's communication with you since she sees that you respond to her cries by meeting her needs. With your help she's learning new things and growing every day.
Your baby’s growth
At each checkup your doctor will measure your child's height, weight, and head circumference, plotting her development in percentiles. What’s most important isn’t exactly how much your baby weighs but that she continues to grow in a steady way.
Length for 1-month-old babies usually ranges from 18 inches (10th percentile) to 20.5 inches (90th percentile). Weight usually ranges from 7 pounds (10th percentile) to 10.5 pounds (90th percentile).
This month your baby may be able to:
- lift her head slightly as her neck muscles strengthen
- focus her eyes on your face as she begins to learn how to focus both eyes together
- visually follow an object that moves about 6 inches above her face (high-contrast colors such as black and white are what she can see best at this time)
- blink at a bright light
- recognize familiar sounds and voices and respond by turning her head toward them
- grip your finger when you stroke her palm—part of her developing grasping reflex
- turn toward your finger when you rub a corner of her mouth (this rooting instinct is what helps her to latch onto your nipple for feeding)
- recognize you by your scent (she can smell your milk if you’re breastfeeding)
What you can do
- Develop her awareness of her environment by stimulating her senses.
- Speak to your baby in a higher-pitched voice—she’ll best respond to this sound.
- Stimulate her hearing by playing soothing music, hanging wind chimes outside her window, and providing soft toys that make interesting sounds.
- Stimulate her visual development by hanging bright mobiles or soft sculptures in black-and-white patterns near her crib. (Babies this age seem to prefer black and white over other colors.)
- Stimulate her sense of touch by letting her feel age-appropriate soft toys and blankets.
Print the PDF below for a handy reference on keeping your baby healthy:
