1 Month Baby – Milestones and Development
Congratulations, so you have survived the first month of the challenge! We are sure that you are getting the hang of it, and will do a good job for baby’s second month too. But before that, we suppose you will still need more information about your 1 month baby milestones. And before you think that you have already become a baby expert, wait till you see the points below.
This article is a continuation of the Baby’s first year series.
Previous article: Baby First Month
The Pediatrician 1 month visit
For first time parents, I am sure you are bound to have many burning questions to ask your pediatrician, especially after the first month of trying to learn this new role. For the benefits of both the doctor and yourself, prepare a list of nicely structured questions, so that you do not miss out any. As mentioned in earlier parts of this series, your pediatrician is your golden source of information regarding newborn babies. So, don’t let the chance slip!
Some of the common questions include:
- Is the colour of baby’s poo okay?
- How much should I feed?
- Why does my baby keeps spitting?
- Why is my baby always crying?
- Should I give my baby supplements through milk?
The doctor will then proceed to measure the length and weight of your baby, as well as her head circumference. This information will be recorded in a baby growth chart so as to facilitate further reference.
On this appointment, your baby will also be given immunization injection. Your baby may fall sick after vaccination and that is perfectly normal. These reactions will help your baby to build up stronger immune systems to protect against most common infections in future.
1 month old baby development
Some babies might have been delivered with a slightly pointy head due to squeezing through the birth canal. The good news is, by the second month, the baby would have naturally realigned her skull bones and is now left with a soft but round head.
You will find that your 1 month baby is now strong enough to lift her head slightly or briefly turn her head when she is lying down. This is a good time to play with her by attracting her attention from left to right. However, baby’s neck is still not strong enough to support the head when sitting upright, so be sure to still give her head some assistance.
In terms of weight, most babies gain about 1.5 to 2 pounds in this month. They also typically grow 1 to 1.5 inches. However, every baby comes with different genes, and may have different feeding schedules. Therefore, the weight and length growth rate may still vary a little.
Strength and reflexes
Lots of improvement can be seen in your baby’s movement this month, as she can now move more naturally instead of being jerky like the previous month. You may also notice that she has strong sucking reflex, and she tends to put her fingers in her mouth.
If you bait her with an interesting soft toy, she may even stretch out her arms and reach for it. This is a good chance to bond with your 1 month baby, and at the same time encourage movements that will improve your baby’s eyes and hands coordination. As she practises more, her movements will continue to get better.
The perfect 1 month old baby activity (tummy time)
As mentioned above, now is the time your baby starts to learn how to coordinate her eyes and hands. As wonderful parents, here is an 1 month old baby activity help them to improve faster.
Prepare a piece of blanket of the floor and let your baby lie on her tummy. I know I know, this may not be the most beautiful position that you have seen on a baby, but it has been proven to help baby develop their muscles quicker.
When baby is in this position, she will try to push herself up a little, lift her head up a little, stretch all those muscles a little. She might even try out some new moves that she hasn’t discovered before. This is very beneficial for her physical development. Just remember to supervise this activity and do not place her on dangerous surfaces.
Now, I’ll be completely honest with you. Your baby may or may not like this workout very much. So, in order to make this activity more interesting, you can try to place some eye-catching toys in front of her to encourage on the pushing. You can also place a baby mirror beside her and she will have so much fun watching herself work out.
Feeding your 1 month baby
For breastfeeding moms, chances are you have already been through the toughest stage and both of you would have sort of accustomed to your 1 month old baby feeding patterns. By now you should not have too much difficulty for each session, and that’s something to be happy about.
On the other hand, if you’re unable to produce enough milk to accommodate to baby’s demands, consult a lactation specialist. Remember that this is a very common issue and that is nobody’s fault. Don’t give up easily and try to feed more regularly because that will help your breasts to produce more.
Most professionals will advise mothers to continue to breastfeed because that not only fill the babies’ stomach, but also help to calm babies’ nerves. As your baby grows older, you may take a more relaxing position like reading a book, talking on phone, or watching television programmes while nursing.
1 month old baby sleep
I’m sure you can spot first time parents from afar in their first 2 months of parenthood, because of their pale face, combined with panda eyes, haha! Okay jokes aside, but sincerely every parent is admirable for their willingness to sacrifice precious sleep to take care of the babies.
At 2 months, your baby’s sleeping patterns are still not fully established yet. Although they do sleep a total of 16 hours per day, they seem to wake up at every other hour to ask for milk. This is especially true for babies who feed on breast milk; because breast milk are easier to digest for baby’s stomach therefore they get hungry more frequently. But hey, that’s a good sign, isn’t it?
Some babies at this stage still gets night and day mixed up, or sometimes they simply prefer to sleep in the day and choose to eat in the middle of the night. If your baby refuses to sleep at night, it could be because she had too much sleep during the day time. In this case, it’s time for you to put in some effort to keep her awake slightly more during the day.
Baby’s eyesight
At this stage, your 1 month baby can see objects that are as near as 18 inches away. This means that she will be able to see you clearly during feeding time. Remember to wear your best smile because babies are fascinated by human faces. And they love to smile back a lot!
Babies can’t differentiate complete colours at their 2nd month yet; however, studies showed that they are attracted to black & white contrasting colour patterns (think Cartoon Network). Try to get some toys that comes in black and white patterns, and that may come in handy the next time you hear your baby cry.
If you are getting out of the house for a walk, consider bringing your baby in a front carrier, facing inward. Most babies love the feeling of being enclosed beside their parents’ warm body, hearing their heartbeats. When you feel that your baby is ready to face the outside world, turn her around and reward her with the sight of the beautiful world.
Baby’s hearing and speech
At 1 month old, your baby’s sense of hearing is also developing day by day. Did I tell you that your baby loves your voice? Of course she does, she has been in love with it since the time she was a foetus in your womb.
Talk to your baby. I know she most likely can’t talk back, but talk to her. They will respond to your voice and motivate them to keep trying to talk. Eventually they will start to form words. But the most important task for you now is to talk to your precious baby.
When your baby starts her baby talk that sounds like a vowel, she will keep trying to talk. Respond to her genuinely and keep talking to her to maintain a conversation. Your baby is communicating with you and your attention will make her feel attached to you even more!
