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1 Month Old Baby: Milestones, Sleep and Feeding

Your 1 month old baby: feeding, sleep, growth and early milestones, plus when to ask a health professional for help.

Before you use this guide: Every baby grows and develops at their own pace, and healthy babies vary a lot. Weights are WHO medians at the start of the month, not targets. If your baby was born early, use their corrected age. This is general information, not an individual medical assessment.

How your baby is developing

By one month your baby is settling into life outside the womb. Their movements are still jerky, and they will startle at a sudden noise or when they feel they are falling. This is the startle reflex, and it fades over the next few months. They will also grip your finger tightly if you put it in their palm, and turn towards a touch on the cheek when they are hungry.

Newborns see best at close range, roughly the distance from your arms to your face, which is about 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches). They already know your voice and your smell, and they love looking at faces. Most babies have regained their birth weight by about three weeks, after the normal small loss in the first few days.

Milestones to look for

These are skills that many babies show around this age. Some will come earlier and some later, and missing one is not usually a cause for worry.

• Looks at faces, especially yours, for short spells
• Turns towards familiar voices
• Lifts and turns their head briefly when on their tummy or held against your shoulder
• Startles at loud sounds
• Makes small throaty sounds as well as crying
• Has longer calm, alert periods after a feed

Feeding

• Feed whenever your baby shows hunger cues, such as rooting, sucking their fist or becoming restless. Crying is a late sign.
• Breastfed babies often feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours in the early weeks. Formula-fed babies usually take fewer, larger feeds. Both are normal.
• A guide for formula is about 150 to 200 ml per kilogram of body weight per day, shared between feeds. Your health visitor or midwife can help you check amounts.
• Wet and dirty nappies (diapers) are the best everyday sign that your baby is getting enough. Most babies have around six or more heavy wet nappies a day once feeding is established.
• Many health services advise vitamin D drops for breastfed babies, so ask your health visitor or doctor what applies where you live.

Sleep

• Newborns often sleep 14 to 17 hours in 24, but in short stretches of two to four hours, day and night. They have not yet learned the difference between the two.
• Always place your baby on their back, on a firm, flat surface, with nothing else in the cot.
• Sleeping in the same room as you, in their own cot or bassinet, is recommended for at least the first six months.

See our wake windows by age guide and the rules in our safe sleep guide.

Play and learning

• Talk, sing and read to your baby, even though they cannot understand yet. They are learning the rhythm of speech.
• Hold them close for skin-to-skin cuddles.
• Do short, supervised tummy time on your chest or lap. Our tummy time guide has ideas.
• Show them simple, high-contrast pictures or your own smiling face from about 20 to 30 cm away.

Keeping your baby safe

• Use a rear-facing car seat that is fitted correctly, for every journey.
• Never shake a baby. If crying is getting too much, put your baby down safely, take a few deep breaths and ask for help.
• Wash your hands before handling your baby, and ask visitors to do the same. Newborns can get seriously ill from infections.
• Never leave your baby alone on a bed, sofa or changing table.

Looking after yourself

The first month is a big adjustment, and sleep is usually broken. Tearfulness in the first couple of weeks is very common and is often called the baby blues. If low mood, anxiety or intrusive thoughts last, or get worse, tell your midwife, health visitor or doctor.

Remember to eat and drink well, and accept help with meals and housework. Your six-week postnatal check is coming up.

When to ask for help

Contact your doctor or health visitor straight away if your baby has a temperature of 38 °C or above, is not feeding well, has fewer wet nappies than usual, is very sleepy and hard to wake, seems floppy, has breathing difficulties, or has yellow skin that is getting worse. If you ever think your baby is seriously unwell, call emergency services.

Trust your instincts. If you are worried about your baby at any age, contact your doctor, health visitor or local emergency number.

This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every baby is different. Always talk to your doctor, midwife or paediatrician about your own situation, and seek urgent care if you are worried.