Baby Growth

Baby Growth : Month 1

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October 10, 2022

Congratulations on the baby! During the first month, you might feel very tired as you will be on the loop of feeding, sleeping, soothing, and cleaning the baby. Your baby will spend most hours sleeping and when awake, your baby will communicate to you by crying for food or for a change of nappy.

You should spend as much time as you can with the baby during the early months. Your baby will get used to your scent and feel over the weeks. Your baby might cry for no reason just to hear your soothing voice and get warm cuddles in a swaddle blanket.

How much has your baby grown in the first month?

In the very first week or two after your delivery, your baby might lose a few grams before adjusting to its new life. After they gain stability, the growth will start to become regular. However, not all babies grow at the same rate. 

You can expect about an inch of growth in their height while they might gain about 900 grams in weight in the initial six months. At the end of your first month, there will be a first-month check-up scheduled with the doctor to measure how much your baby has grown. 

Your baby’s gross motor skills in the first month

A month-old baby can hardly perform any kind of task but what you can expect by the end of the month is for them to hold your fingers, move their hands around and move their eyes around if you bring colorful toys around them. 

There won’t be many noticeable changes, but one major motor skill that they will gain is their ability to latch onto your breast or the nipple and suck to feed. Your baby still doesn’t have the neck strength required to lift its head and look around but you might notice it turning its head while they are laying. 

How will your baby communicate?

There’s a long way to go before your baby starts calling you ‘ma-ma’ or ‘da-da’. Their only way of communication at the moment is to cry! Expect them to cry at every minor inconvenience as it is the only way they know how to communicate with you. 

Crying is their way of saying that they are hungry, need to be cleaned, are sleepy, or are in pain. Learn to pick up on the cues and give them a cuddle when they need it. You should maintain communication with them as well. Make sure to speak to them each time you feed, clean, or carry them around. 

Feeding your baby

A newborn baby should be breastfed every 2 to 3 hours which accumulates to about 12 times every 24 hours. In cases where breastfeeding is not possible, you can feed them formula milk 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Start feeding both breastfed and non-breastfed babies solid foods after 6 months.

Social and emotional milestones

Your little one is just trying to cope with the new world at the moment and focusing on life’s basic skills. They can’t recognize many things and people but they do recognize their parent’s voices. So, make sure to talk to them while you are taking care of them. 

Best toys for this age?

Some toys recommended for babies this age are:

  • Tummy mirrors
  • Color cards
  • Swaddle blankets
  • Colorful pillows

How much will your one-month-old baby sleep?

Don’t expect to play with your newborn baby yet as they will be busy sleeping and taking naps the entire day. If your baby isn’t being cleaned or not eating, chances are that they are asleep. Most newborns sleep anywhere between 14 to 19 hours a day. 

Sleep is very important for their growth. You might also realize that your baby will not have a regular sleeping schedule and could wake up at any time during the night. It will take them time to get used to a proper sleep routine.

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