1-Month-Old Baby: Milestones & Development

So, you’ve got a new houseguest who looks like they might stick around for 18+ years? Makes weird noises, seems to sleep a lot, and has bizarre bathroom habits? Better get to know them. Having your 1-month-old baby at home with you can feel rather surreal.

After all that build-up, there you sit, with this real-life, living, breathing, cute-as-all-the-buttons-in-the-world human that you just can’t get enough of.

But understanding baby development is not an easy task.

How do you know if they’re on track, whether they’re eating too much or too little – and what they are trying to communicate with those incomprehensible noises?

Firstly, you’ve got this. It’s all going to be fine.

Understanding your one-month-old baby is just part of the complicated job of being a new parent.

The rewards that you will reap from watching this little one grow and change is pretty out-of-this-world.

In this article: 📝

1-month-old baby development

It may please you to know that, in comparison to other life phases, there’s not much your baby really needs at this point other than these delightful ingredients: sleep, food, and love.

(Oh, and a clean diaper – an entertaining process that you’re no doubt already familiar with.)

Could my 1-month-old baby just slow down with the growing?

If you find yourself saying, “but we just got these clothes!” a lot, you’re not alone.

The typical growth rate for your baby at this point is about 35 millimeters and about 700 grams this month.

Your physician will use a baby growth chart to plot the measurements.

It’s pretty exciting to watch. These measurements will likely include head circumference.

(No, it’s not just you. Your baby’s head may indeed seem somewhat disproportionate to the rest of its body. They’ll grow into it when those muscles get working. For now, enjoy the squishability of those cheeks.)

It’s no lie that this phase (and the ones to follow) will go by in the blink of an eye.

P.S. If you want to save money and space, while helping fight fast fashion, why not sign up to a baby clothing rental subscription service, like Bundlee? It's affordable, sustainable, and eco-friendly!

1-month milestones

By now, your child should be able to play Chopin, do calculus and hold their own in a political discussion, obvs.

While you may have to wait a few years to see their potential come into bloom, your one-month-old baby actually can do a few amazing things already!

Some 1-month milestones include:

• Seeing: If you think it seems like your baby is starting to notice things a little further away, you’re totally right. Your baby can now see about 20 to 30 cm away. Play around with them to see if they can track objects at this distance. Another amazing thing? A one-month-old baby loves to look at faces. So, yes, get your face right up in there as often as you can.
• Smelling: For better or worse, your baby’s sense of smell is developing, now able to differentiate between sweet and sour—and perhaps being quite vocal about it too.
• Touching: This is the time in our lives when we develop our penchant for soft, fuzzy things. Cute. Looking for developmental toy ideas for your one-month-old? We’ve got you covered.
• Their muscles are starting to get working. In this phase, you may notice involuntary, reflexive movements transforming into controlled ones. Your one-month-old baby is getting a taste of their own strength.
• They’re finding their ways to communicate with you. While their vocabulary may be non-existent, your 1-month-old baby’s ability to express themselves is, well, pretty impressive. They’ll let you know if they’re bored, hungry, tired, or a combination of the two. The tricky part is usually finding out which one of these they are.
• Say cheese! They may start smiling at you and the world around them. Heart-melting stuff for even the iciest of humans to witness.

👶 Related read: 1-Month-Old Baby Activities

How much should a 1-month-old weigh?

The average weight of a 1-month-old baby is 4.17kg for girls and 4.49 for boys.

If your baby is in that region, it should all be going just fine.

Of course, there are so many causes for anomalies to this, including if your baby was born prematurely.

We live in a world where the only true normal is that normal doesn’t exist.

How much should a 1-month-old eat?

Your baby will typically inform you (sometimes with the pipes of an opera singer) when it’s feeding time.

You’ll notice that as they get older, this tends to get less frequent during the night as they manage longer periods of sleep at a time.

How much should a one-month-old eat? That depends on various factors, such as whether you’re breastfeeding, using formula, or a combination of the two.

So how many ounces of breastmilk for a 1-month-old? Usually between 2 to 4 ounces for each feeding.

And for formula, how much does a 1-month-old eat? A little more than breastfed 1-month-old babies, formula-fed babies tend to eat between 4-6 ounces during each feeding.

How often should a 1-month-old eat?

• Breastfeeding: Your baby will start off feeding between 8 and 12 times a day. This will typically tail off to about 7-9 times by the end of the month.
• Formula: For the first month, you might look at feeding 6-8 times a day. As your baby gets older, you’ll up the amount per feeding and decrease the number of times you feed per day.
• Combination feeding: There are various methods for combination feeding that you can work out according to your needs. You may want to replace one of your breastfeeding sessions with a formula feed or, if it’s right for you, more than one.
  If you’re switching over from breastfeeding to combination feeding, your baby may go on a brief hunger strike before committing to the bottle.

Keep trying, but do so when you’re both feeling relaxed.

How much should a 1-month-old sleep?

Up to 6 weeks old, your 1-month-old baby will be sleeping about 16-18 hours per day.

Their day will be filled with naps ‒ usually a couple of hours of napping, then the same amount of time awake.

Planning a 1-month-old sleep schedule? It’s a little early for sleep training, but bear in mind that baby needs feeding through the night as well.

Help! My 1-month-old baby not sleeping

There’s a lot going on for baby right now ‒ after all, everything’s new to them ‒ so their mind might be overstimulated, making it hard to sleep.

Starting a calming bedtime routine can help when if your 1-month-old fighting sleep is making life tough.

If your one-month-old baby won’t settle down for sleeping on their back, have a chat with your doctor, for hints and tips, and just in case there’s a physical reason why.

😴 More on 1-month-old sleep: What’s the Best 1-Month-Old Sleep Schedule?

1-month-old FAQs

How far can a 1-month-old see?

Your 1-month-old baby can see about 8 to 12 inches in front of them, so when you’re feeding, baby can see your face pretty clearly.

Patterns with higher contrast, like black and white images, are easier for them to see further away, so getting some black and white books are great for mental development.

Why is my 1-month-old drooling?

Your 1-month-old baby might be drooling a lot, soaking bibs, clothes, and your favorite top.

Hey, it’s what babies do!

As their digestive system develops, they start producing more drool. Plus, baby probably doesn’t have teeth to act as a dam to stop the flow!

How often should my 1-month-old poop?

Since baby’s getting fed regularly, and the average 1-month-old stomach size is about the same as a large egg, baby will be pooping ‒ as you probably know!

So how often should my one-month-old poop?, we hear you ask. Typically, between 1 and 4 times a day is the average for 1-month-old babies.

Can I start traveling with a 1-month-old by car?

As long as baby is healthy (that is, no underlying health conditions), you should be able to travel with your 1-month-old baby by car.

Just remember to plan regular stops to feed as per your 1-month-old baby schedule, and to change the diaper, should you need to.

Most of the time, baby will likely sleep the rest of the journey, depending on how long it is.

Get them strapped up safely in their car seat, plan your trip, and head off! Just don’t forget your baby essentials.

While things are pretty chilled for your 1-month baby, however, they may not be as chilled for you.

(What is sleep again? Do people actually ever shower for more than 10 seconds? Does that laundry pile ever stop growing?)

So while you’re taking care of that bundle, be kind to yourself as well.

Call upon your Peanut BFFs to help. Get advice from healthcare professionals. Reach out where and how you need.

It’s also important to remember that while there are 1-month milestones to look out for, your baby is completely unique, as in 1 in almost 8 billion unique.

And that’s something to be celebrated.

👶 Read next: 2-Month-Old Baby: Milestones & Development