One Month Baby Girl Development

At 4 weeks, your baby is almost a month old and you've both gone through an enormous amount of change in a very short period of time. Before you do anything else, give yourself a pat on the back for making it this far and recognize all that you have accomplished and learned since you met your little one.

You've made it through sleepless nights, struggled through feedings, and learned to do pretty much any task one-handed. But just like every new week so far, there's plenty more in store for both of you! Here's what you need to know about your 4-week-old baby.

Illustration by Joshua Seong, Verywell

Must Knows

Be confident in your choices to keep your baby safe and healthy by following current safety recommendations.
Keep any siblings involved in caring for the new family member as you settle into a new routine.
Continue to monitor your little one for colic or reflux with feedings, as both can appear at this time.
Congratulate yourself on everything that you and your baby have learned together this month!

Your Growing Baby

Now that your baby is getting a little older, your doctor will measure them against their own growth curve. Your baby's expected growth will depend on how old they were when they were born and their weight and length at the time. This allows the doctor to make sure they are still developing appropriately but acknowledges that development among babies can be different.

If your little one was premature, for example, they may be growing differently than a full-term infant. By one month old, most infants will have gained about five to seven ounces a week from the birth weight and grown about an inch.

Developmental Milestones

Development during the newborn stage can vary so widely. Some babies will develop a little faster than others and some babies may need time to "catch up." Plus, babies are born at different gestational ages. For these reasons, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not even begin tracking developmental milestones for babies until they reach 2 months old.

However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does offer developmental milestones for your baby at one month. Just remember that these are targets and your baby may reach them a bit later—and that's totally normal.

Your Baby's Body

At one month old your baby may:

Continue strong reflex movements
Control more head movement, like turning the neck from side to side
Hold their head up for a few minutes
Keep hands in tight fists
Lift hands toward the face or mouth—it won't be long before they reach their mouth!
Make jerky, quivering arm thrusts

Your Baby's Brain

One-month-old cognitive milestones include the following:

Listen intently when you speak or sing
May turn toward familiar sounds, including your voice. Hearing is fully developed at this stage.
Recognize you, your partner, or family members with widened eyes or signs of excitement
See more clearly, up to about 18 inches in front of them
Start to coo
Study human faces

When to Be Concerned

Because babies can develop so differently at this age, it's important to give your little one time to grow at their own pace. However, the AAP notes that if your baby displays any of the following symptoms, you should consult with your baby's doctor for additional evaluation:

Can't follow a moving object from side to side
Doesn't blink in bright lights
Doesn't move arms or legs, or appears "stiff"
Has "floppy" limbs or seems excessively loose
Has poor feeding and/or sucking abilities
Is unable to focus eyes
Trembles in the lower jaw

A Tip From Verywell

Babies develop differently at this age, and it's important to give your little one time to grow at their own pace.

A Day in the Life

If you have other children, four weeks might be the time where you start to experience some sibling rivalry. Why? Well, the "newness" of the newborn stage has worn off and the baby is most likely demanding more and more attention, which might mean a little less time for the other kids.

As a family, you might all also be getting back into your normal routine, which now includes a whole other person. Adjustments need to be made, which can take some getting used to for your other kids. But there are some strategies you can take to help prevent and decrease sibling rivalry.

Firstly, be prepared for changes and regression in your child's behavior and development, such as having more temper tantrums or reverting to accidents if recently potty trained. Also, encourage friends and family to spend time with your other kids when they offer to help with the baby or let them help with the baby so that you have more time for your other children.

It can help to have your kids help in age-appropriate ways, such as holding the baby, getting diapers, and putting clothes away. As much as possible, stick to your usual routines, including mealtimes, naps, and bedtimes.

Baby Care Basics

By four weeks, chances are you've become a diaper-changing pro. Whether you are using cloth diapers or disposable diapers, your little one may start experiencing a diaper rash from time to time, especially during the summer months.

Diaper Rash

To help prevent and treat diaper rash, change your baby's diaper more frequently. Aim for every feeding during the night and as soon as you notice it is wet or soiled during the day.

Use a diaper rash cream as a preventive measure. This is especially helpful if your baby is prone to getting rashes, if you know your little one will be spending a long day outside, or when you're traveling. If you're using cloth diapers, most brands cannot be used with diaper rash cream, so check the tag for instructions before you apply anything.

One of the best ways to prevent and treat diaper rash is to let your baby go all-natural to air out their diaper area. Spread a blanket out on the ground and let your baby enjoy some fresh air between changes or after bath time.

Gas

If your baby seems excessively uncomfortable, especially after a feeding, they may be experiencing gas. Help them break up gas by burping them after feedings. Be sure to burp your baby from the bottom upward to facilitate air movement.

If you breastfeed, it's possible that something you're eating, such as spicy foods or dairy, might be the culprit. You can try eliminating certain foods to see if it makes any difference for your baby's gas.

If you formula feed, you can try switching formulas. Your infant may need to change formulas several times before finding one that works best for their digestive system. You can try a gentle formula or ask your doctor for recommendations. Also, consider changing bottles. Bottles and nipples are all made differently, so it might be helpful to try several types of bottles and nipples that have different kinds of airflow to experiment with what reduces gas in your little one.

Feeding & Nutrition

At four weeks old, you should be able to tell if your little one is getting enough to eat by how well they are gaining weight. Your baby should be gaining about half an ounce or even one full ounce of weight every single day.

Typically, at this age, your baby will still eat about eight to 12 times per 24 hours, continue to soak at least six diapers a day, and have one to three dirty diapers per day as well.

Breastfeeding

With breastfeeding, it's hard to know exactly how much milk your baby is consuming, so, instead, track the length of each feeding and monitor how well your baby is emptying the breast—and filling their diapers.

Formula-Feeding

Formula-fed babies will eat approximately three to four ounces per feeding at this stage and steadily increase that amount by about one ounce per month until they reach eight ounces. Remember to let your baby lead the feedings and never force your baby to finish a bottle.

Pumping

If you're pumping breast milk for storage, you may wonder how long you can safely store it. According to the CDC, follow these breastmilk storage timeframes:

Four hours at room temperature
Up to 24 in a cooler with ice packs
Four days in the refrigerator
Two weeks in the freezer (if the freezer compartment is inside the refrigerator)
Four to six months in the freezer (a separate freezer compartment)
Six to 12 months in a deep freezer

At this age, your baby might attempt to reach or hold a bottle but isn't able to clutch things just yet. You may be tempted to prop up a bottle during feeding time. However, the AAP advises parents not to do so. Propping up a bottle can pose a safety risk to babies, induce overfeeding, and may increase the risk of dental problems later in life.

To make breastfeeding and feeding more comfortable for you, use a breastfeeding pillow to hold your baby. However, never leave them unattended during a feeding.

Sleep

At this age, most infants are still not sleeping through the night. Typically, most 4-week-old babies will sleep for 16 to 18 hours per 24-hour cycle, with several naps during the day and one or two longer "stretches" at night.

As long as your baby is gaining weight well and there are no other medical issues, you can let your little one sleep as long as they want so you can both get the rest you need.

Although SIDS is still a concern for many parents at this age, the AAP currently advises parents not to use any at-home cardiopulmonary monitors, as there is not enough evidence to support their use. The AAP recommends parents room-share but not bed-share for at least six months.

Room-sharing allows you to be able to visualize your baby when he or she is sleeping, know if there is a problem, and intervene as necessary. When you're not in the room with your baby, you can use a video monitor to keep an eye on your baby.

Health & Safety

At 4 weeks old, your baby will have another well-child check-up. At this visit, the pediatrician will evaluate your baby's growth and development and go over important safety guidelines with you.

Well-Baby Visit

You can expect to be asked about the following:

Car seat safety: At 4 weeks old, your infant should be in a rear-facing infant seat.
Sleeping arrangements: The AAP recommends that families do not co-sleep at all, even for short naps.
Vaccines: The second dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine may also be administered at this visit.
Your home environment: If you smoke, you should quit to reduce the risk of SIDS and increase your baby's health. No smoke or secondhand smoke should be around the baby.

Colic

Although most signs of colic tend to appear at three weeks of age, it is still possible for colic to develop later. Talk to your doctor if your little one experiences any symptoms, such as excessive gas, frequent projectile vomiting, crying that lasts longer than two hours, gaining weight but still being very fussy, and irritability in the evening hours.

Reflux

Speak to your doctor to make sure there are no other medical issues with your little one. In some cases, reflux can cause symptoms of colic and is treatable. Signs of reflux include choking during feedings, refusing feedings, back-arching during or right after feedings, chronic cough, or hoarse voice or cry.

Myth vs. Reality

As your baby grows, you may encounter suggestions from family, friends, or online that conflict with your doctor's advice—or your own common sense. Unfortunately, some of the advice you may hear may be outdated and potentially dangerous for your baby. Here are a few of the common truths and misconceptions surrounding baby care.

Babies Don't Need Lots of Layers to Stay Warm

While in the past, many people thought that babies needed a lot of layers to stay warm, current research does not support that practice. In fact, overheating and loose layers are both high-risk factors for SIDS, so it's important to keep your little one safe by keeping them at a comfortable temperature and never having loose layers, including clothing, blankets, or hats with strings near them.

A good general rule of thumb is that if you're comfortable, your baby will be too. And if you don't already, you may even want to consider adding a fan to your baby's room when they sleep, as fan use in the bedroom has been associated with a decreased risk of SIDS.

Babies Don't Need Water to Stay Healthy

While some people may suggest feeding your baby bottles of water, this is not recommended and can actually be harmful. Breast milk is complete nutrition for the first year of life. Breastfed and formula-fed babies do not need any additional water for the first six months of life as it may replace a feeding and lead to your infant missing out on key nutrients they need to grow.

You Can't Hold Your Baby too Much

You may hear that you'll spoil your baby if you hold them too much. Don't worry. It's not possible. So, hold them whenever you like and as much as you want. At this age, babies still need you to help them learn about the world, respond to their needs, and make them feel safe.

One Month Baby Girl Development

Source: https://www.verywellfamily.com/your-4-week-old-baby-development-and-milestones-4169858