You and your 4-week-old baby have now been together an entire month! It's interesting to think how much your life has changed in only four short weeks, isn't it?
Four weeks ago, you may have been wondering what life as a parent would look like, enjoying a full night of sleep, or anxiously preparing for a new baby in the home. But now, that baby is very much real and here. So what's going on with your 4-week-old baby?
Here's what you might expect with growth, development and milestones, feeding and sleep, and care for a 4-week-old baby.
Newborn Baby Milestones to Know
4-Week-Old Baby Development
A 4-week-old baby is still considered a newborn, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
That means that your 4-week-old baby is still in a developmental phase of growth. That translates to a lot of sleeping (12 or more hours every 24 hours!), eating, and pooping, but even at four weeks old, you might start to notice some exciting new milestones in your baby.
Not every baby develops on the same timeline, of course, but the AAP does provide a list of what most babies at 4 weeks can do. Always check with your own pediatrician about any concerns you might have about your baby's development.
Your baby should have a well-child check-up scheduled this month as well, so you'll have the opportunity to get any questions answered and your doctor will assess your baby's growth and development.
Physical developments
At 4 weeks old, theAAPexplains that most babies are able to:
- Have increased head control and lift their heads up while on their stomachs
- Move their head floppily from side to side on their stomachs
- Move their hands toward their face
- Have jerky arm movements
- Havenewborn reflexes that will fade over the next few weeks
- Prefer soft textures over coarse ones
- Express displeasure if they are handled abruptly
- Recognize their own parent's breastmilk if being breastfed
Your baby is really discovering their body, especially their hands, which provide endless fascination. Using that grasping reflex, your baby might even be able to curl teeny fingers around a stuffed animal for a few seconds, although their clutching skills will really ramp up in about month or two.
How far can a 4-week-old baby see?
A 4-week-old baby can see approximately a foot in front of them, according to the AAP. Your baby's hearing and vision have also reached other important milestones that include:
- Being able to focus on things 8-12 inches from their face (the same distance of your own face holding your baby in your arms)
- Being able to recognize some familiar sounds
- Turning towards noise
- Developing fullymature hearing
Quick tip
You might feel silly, but talking in that sing-song voice known as "parent-ese" helps stimulate your newborn's brain development. Research suggests it boosts their ability to make connections between objects and words (as in "Ooh, look at this ball, honey!"). So start chatting away.
Taking Care of Your 4-Week-Old Baby
What a difference a month makes! By now your baby's lost much of that newborn look and can hold their head up solo for a minute or two.
As a general rule, your baby's development starts at the top—from the head—and works downward. So as time goes on, your baby will learn how to control their head and neck, followed by arms, torso, then legs.
Along with development, there's still a lot to learn and experience with your 4-week-old baby, so here are some tips on baby care for this age.
Sleep
A 4-week-old baby is still a newborn (babies stay newborns until around 12 weeks of age, when they are classified as "infants), which means they should sleep for around 16-18 hours every 24 hours.
That 16-18 hour newborn sleep timeframe includes naps and most likely, your baby won't be sleeping longer than 3-4 hours at a time. Your baby's brain needs to develop more for the sleep-wake cycle to start. Until then, it's broken sleep when you can get it.
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Feeding
At 4 weeks old, your baby will continue to be fed on demand. That means that if you're nursing or chest feeding, you can feed your baby as often as they would like. You cannot overfeed a breast or chestfed baby and babies at this age nurse for both nutrition for growth as well as comfort.
Bottle-fed babies at this age eat about 2-3 ounces every 2 to 3 hours, according to theAAP.
Some babies may need more or less than that and your pediatrician may be able to tell you more about your baby's nutritional needs at their next check-up. (More on that below!)
Diaper rash
Although they have only been wearing diapers for a few short weeks now, it is possible for a 4-week-old baby to develop diaper rash.
Newborns have extra sensitive skin, some babies may be more reactive to certain diaper ingredients, and if you are in a hot weather climate, it could promote more diaper rash well.
- If you do suspect your baby has diaper rash, you can treat the rash by:
- Changing your baby's diaper frequently, as soon as it is dirty or wet
- Try to use less diaper wipes on the air
- Apply a diaper rash ointment to the affected areas with every change
- Air your baby's diaper area out as much as possible by letting them lay diaperless on a blanket or absorbent pad (supervised, of course)
If the diaper rash gets worse or appears on symmetrical sides, be sure to call your baby's doctor, because the rash may be a fungal yeast infection that will need anti-fungal treatment instead.
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Health and Safety
Aside from the first pediatrician visit your baby had a few days after birth, four weeks marks the first "official" well-child checkup.
This visit is important because your pediatrician will track important milestones like growth and development that weren't apparent in the newborn visit.
You can expect the pediatrician to ask:
- How well your baby is eating and if there are any complications
- How often the baby is pooping and peeing
- How long and frequently the baby is sleeping
The pediatrician will also check and examine your baby's:
- Weight
- Length
- Alertness
- Reflexes
- Vitals
- Genital area
- Soft spot on the head
- Hips to check for hip dysplasia, a congenital malformation of the hips
- Eyes
This one-month checkup, like all well-baby visits, is the perfect time for you to ask the doctor any questions you have—and there are bound to be plenty of them.
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Keep a notepad on your night table or in the nursery so you can jot down notes about behaviors that are bothering or mystifying you. There are no questions too basic or weird, so don't feel shy about unleashing your list on your pediatrician. They will be happy to help.
Before you leave, you'll schedule your baby's next well-child visits for 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to chat about other concerns as you go along.
Your baby will receive their first round of recommended vaccines at their next 2-month-old visit, so if you have any questions about vaccines, you can ask your doctor now as well.
7 Newborn Vaccines Your Baby Needs
Parenting Your 4-Week-Old Baby
An important part of taking care of your baby is taking care of yourself. Because after all, now that you're a month into parenthood, you probably have noticed that you've become the No. 1 expert on your baby. You know how your little one likes to be held when they eat and you've discovered their favorite napping spot.
Perhaps you can even tell what your baby needs by the tone of their cry. For instance, the "I'm starving!" wail sounds a little different from one that means "I need a diaper change pronto!" tears.
But don't be surprised if you're in tears almost as often as your baby is. By the end of your baby's first month, some of the initial excitement has worn off, replaced by the predictability of routine—and a sense of just how much your life has changed and just how exhausted you really are.
Most new parents experience a roller coaster of emotions right now, especially as postpartum hormones start to level off, and sporadic post-baby blues are totally normal.
If you're feeling temporarily down, you could try some ways to lift your mood, such as:
- Taking a relaxing bath by yourself
- Listening to a podcast while taking a walk
- Catching lunch with a friend
- Running a couple of errands alone
- Shopping for something for yourself (not just the baby!)
As much as you love your little one, it's also healthy to be baby-free once in a while.
And remember, while temporary baby blues can be very normal, lingering feelings of being overwhelmed, disinterested in your life or your baby, or just trapped in a funk that you can't shake, are not.
More severe and long-lasting symptoms could be postpartum depression, which can affect up to 20% of people who have given birth.
If you are having any severe symptoms of not feeling like yourself, excessive worry or anxiety, or are not able to function in your daily life, call your doctor right away. There is effective treatment for postpartum depression and getting help for yourself is an important step in caring for you and your family.
