Parenting

10 Surprising & Little Known Milestones in Baby's 1st Month

ParentingUpdated Feb 8, 2021
By Caroline Olney
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The first month with a new baby in the house is obviously exciting for Mom and Dad... and the dog and the neighbors and the grandparents and the mailman. But even out of the whole neighborhood, who could possibly be more excited that there's a baby around than the baby himself?

As they learn to live in the outside world for the first time, every sense that a baby has updates and adjusts to all the new things around them. They have to learn how to use all their brand new body parts to interact with this cool new world, and that involves a lot of growth and development on their part.

The first month is one of the biggest periods of change in a babies life, and here are some of the most dramatic changes you can expect.

Do any of these changes surprise you?

1/10
He'll lose 10 percent of his body weight.-placeholder
He'll lose 10 percent of his body weight.
Luke Schmidt/shutterstock

He'll lose 10 percent of his body weight.

In the first week after birth, your baby is going to lose weight instead of gaining weight -- which can freak a lot of moms out. But losing 5 to 7 percent of their birth weight is normal for bottle-fed babies, and breastfed babies can lose up to 10 percent without it being cause for worry.

2/10
But then he'll gain an average of 8.8 ounces per week.-placeholder
But then he'll gain an average of 8.8 ounces per week.
Marlon Lopez MMG1 Design/shutterstock

But then he'll gain an average of 8.8 ounces per week.

After that initial dip, your baby will grow pretty steadily for the next three weeks. Both boys and girls grow at a rate of about 8.8 ounces per week during the first month, which puts their total weight gain to about two and a half pounds for the first month.

3/10
She can see a foot further.-placeholder
She can see a foot further.
Iamge via Khomich Yauheni/shutterstock

She can see a foot further.

When they're born, babies are more or less blind -- she'll be so nearsighted that they can't see anything but light and rough shapes. But in her first weeks, her vision will improve to the point where she can see things 10 to 12 inches away.

4/10
He'll start seeing colors.-placeholder
He'll start seeing colors.
Dojo666/shutterstock

He'll start seeing colors.

Your baby will be able to distinguish between dark and light from birth, but it'll be about two weeks until he starts seeing in color. Red is the first color he'll see, and as his eyes mature he'll start to see the rest of the rainbow, too.

5/10
She can start recognizing sounds-placeholder
She can start recognizing sounds
Viktor Ivannikov/shutterstock

She can start recognizing sounds

Your baby can hear even before she's born, but her hearing won't be fully developed until she's one month old. You can tell she's listening because she'll startle at loud sounds and seem to recognize your voice.

6/10
He'll lose 2 hours of dream time.-placeholder
He'll lose 2 hours of dream time.
Iuliia Timofeeva/shutterstock

He'll lose 2 hours of dream time.

Your newborn will spend 50 percent of his sleep dreaming, and since he'll probably sleep a total of 16 hours a day, that's eight hours of dreams. By the time he's a month old, he'll only dream about six hours a day ... and when he's an adult, he'll only get 1.5 hours of quality dream time a night.

7/10
She'll spend more time sleeping at night.-placeholder
She'll spend more time sleeping at night.
Anna Grigorjeva/shutterstock

She'll spend more time sleeping at night.

It probably doesn't feel like it yet, but by the time they're a month old babies are already well on their way to sleeping through the night. When she's born, your baby will sleep at night 50 percent of time. When she's four weeks, that'll already be closer to 60 percent.

8/10
She'll eat twice as much.-placeholder
She'll eat twice as much.
Zurijeta/shutterstock

She'll eat twice as much.

It makes sense: As your baby grows, she'll need more food. Breastfed newborns typically only eat 1.5 ounces of milk per feeding, but by the time she's a month old, she'll be eating double that.

9/10
His head will grow an inch and a half.-placeholder
His head will grow an inch and a half.
Marlon Lopez MMG1 Design/shutterstock

His head will grow an inch and a half.

In his first month, your baby's head will grow at a faster rate than it will at any other time. It'll probably be somewhere between an inch and two inches bigger by the time he's a month old -- all to make room for his growing brain.

10/10
He'll figure out what he wants.-placeholder
He'll figure out what he wants.
Mariia Masich/shutterstock

He'll figure out what he wants.

It only takes a month for your baby to figure out exactly what he wants and how to get it. In the first couple weeks after he's born, he'll be crying different cries for different problems -- you'll be able to tell if he wants more food or a diaper change.

baby developmentnewborn care
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