What should a 1 month old be doing?

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A 1 month old is still very much a newborn: most of the day is sleep and feeds, in no particular order, with short spells awake in between. That is exactly what it should look like. Is a 1 month old still a newborn? Yes, see when a baby stops being a newborn.

Everything below comes from the HSE's guidance for parents in Ireland. The ranges are wide on purpose: two healthy 1 month olds can sit at opposite ends of every one of them.

How much should a 1 month old sleep?

A 1 month old needs about 9 to 18 hours of sleep in 24, and the HSE says the average is about 14 hours. It comes in short stretches of anything from a few minutes to a few hours, day and night, because hunger still sets the clock. There is no set pattern yet.

Newborns do not know the difference between day and night, and it often takes a few months for that to settle. The HSE advises against strict routines at this age; small bedtime changes such as a bath or a song can start at about 3 months. Try not to compare your baby with anyone else's. Some sleep in long blocks and some in short bursts, and both are normal. Our guide to how much sleep a newborn needs covers the first 3 months in more detail.

How long can a 1 month old stay awake?

Not long. The HSE says newborn babies are awake for 1 to 2 hours between sleeps, and a baby who has been awake for more than 1 hour is probably tired. Staring into space, fussing, frowning, arching their back or jerky arm and leg movements are the usual signs they are ready to sleep.

Keeping a 1 month old awake during the day will not help them sleep at night; an overtired baby finds it harder to settle. When you can, put them down drowsy but awake, in a dark, quiet room. The wake windows by age table shows how awake times stretch over the coming months.

Where should a 1 month old sleep?

On their back, in their own cot, in the same room as you. The HSE advises keeping the cot in your room for at least the first 6 months, with your baby's feet touching the end of the cot, a room temperature of 16 to 20°C and no smoking around them, at home or in the car.

Put them on their back for every sleep, day and night, and give them tummy time only while they are awake and you are watching. To help prevent a flat spot on the head, turn their head to the left some nights and to the right on others. If you feed in bed, put your baby back in their cot for sleep. More in our safe sleep guide.

How often should a 1 month old feed?

Often, and whenever they show hunger cues. The HSE says breastfed babies have at least 8 to 10 feeds a day in weeks 2 and 3, and that feeds should not be restricted or timed. Formula-fed babies up to 3 months usually take 6 to 8 feeds a day, roughly every 3 to 4 hours.

Expect some days to be hungrier than others. The HSE lists growth spurts at around 2 to 3 weeks and again at 6 weeks, when babies feed more often for 2 to 3 days (cluster feeding) and then settle back. Night feeds are normal at this age and, if you are breastfeeding, they help keep up your milk supply. For more, see how often a newborn feeds.

How much formula does a 1 month old need?

The HSE guide is 150 ml of formula per kilogram of your baby's weight per day, split across the feeds. A baby weighing 4 kg would take about 600 ml in 24 hours, not per bottle. It is a guide only: talk to your PHN or GP if your baby takes a lot less or a lot more.

Pace the feed, hold your baby and the bottle yourself (never prop a bottle) and stop when they show they have had enough. Throw away any milk not used within 2 hours of starting the feed. Formula has vitamin D added, so a baby taking more than 300 ml of formula a day does not need a vitamin D supplement. Our formula by weight guide has a worked table.

How do I know my 1 month old is getting enough milk?

Check the nappies and the weight. From 6 days to 6 weeks the HSE expects a breastfed baby to have 6 or more wet nappies a day, heavy with pale yellow or clear pee, and 3 to 8 yellow, seedy poos. Most babies are back to their birth weight by 2 weeks, some by 3.

After that, the HSE says breastfed babies usually gain around 150 to 200 g a week in the first 3 months. Your PHN and GP track this, and after the first 2 weeks a baby does not need weighing more than once a month up to 6 months. Mood and sleep are not reliable signs of how much milk a baby is getting. If you are unsure, talk to your PHN, GP or a lactation nurse or midwife. See also is my baby getting enough breast milk? and how much weight a newborn should gain.

What milestones should a 1 month old have?

By 1 month the HSE says most babies lift their head briefly while lying on their tummy, begin to loosen their tight fists, are alert to sounds, make throaty noises such as gurgling and fix on a bright object and follow it with their eyes. They prefer looking at faces to objects.

• Movement. A brief head lift in tummy time, fists starting to loosen, a firm grip on your finger.
• Hearing and sounds. Startles at loud noises, recognises your voice, likes high-pitched voices, gurgles.
• Bonding. Getting to know you, crying to tell you what they need.
• Looking. Follows a bright object with their eyes and would rather look at your face than a toy.
• Feeding. Searches for and sucks from the breast or a bottle.

These are averages and every baby is different. Smiling back at you, cooing and holding their head up when held come over the next few weeks, and our 2 month guide covers them. If your baby was born early, go by their corrected age.

How much crying is normal at 1 month?

The HSE says a 1 month old cries or is upset for 2 to 3 hours a day, because crying is how they tell you what they need. Colic, crying for more than 3 hours a day on more than 3 days a week for more than 3 weeks, affects up to 1 in 5 babies.

Colic usually starts at around 2 weeks, is often worst in the evening and usually ends by 4 months (sometimes 6). A baby with colic is fine between crying spells and keeps feeding well and gaining weight. Holding them close, winding after feeds, gentle rocking, a warm bath and a walk in the pram are all worth trying; you are not spoiling your baby by picking them up. See your GP if you are not sure why your baby is crying or you are finding it hard to cope. Our colic, reflux and wind guide goes further.

What checks happen around 1 month in Ireland?

Your baby sees the GP at 2 weeks and again at 6 weeks. At the 6 week check the GP examines their hips, heart and eyes, asks about the heel prick and hearing tests and checks your own recovery at the same appointment. Tell your GP if you have no appointment by 6 weeks.

The PHN, who visited in your first days at home, keeps seeing you and your baby at intervals and runs local well baby clinics where you can have your baby weighed. The first vaccines are at 2 months at your GP and you will be posted a letter about the schedule; our vaccine dates calculator works out your baby's dates. RSV immunisation is available for babies under 6 months from September to February, so ask your GP or PHN whether your baby is due it. If you breastfeed, or your baby has less than 300 ml of formula a day, the HSE advises 5 micrograms of vitamin D every day from birth to 12 months (vitamin D guide). More on PHN visits.

When should I call the GP or PHN about my 1 month old?

Contact your GP or PHN, without waiting for a check, if your baby does not startle at loud noises, does not look at faces, loses skills they had or you are worried about their development. A temperature of 38°C or higher in a baby under 3 months needs a GP urgently, the same day.

Call 112 or 999, or go to the emergency department, if your baby is drowsy and hard to wake, has a weak, high-pitched cry that is not like their normal cry, finds it hard to breathe, has pale, blotchy, blue or grey skin, has a rash that does not fade when you press a glass on it or has a bulging soft spot. Also see your GP if your baby is not feeding well, is not gaining weight, has fewer wet nappies or is vomiting green or with force. Our guide to temperature and fever in babies has the full HSE list.

How do I know if my 1 month old is on track?

Look at the pattern over a week, not a single day. Plenty of wet and dirty nappies, steady weight at the checks, a baby who is alert when awake and settles after some feeds is what going well looks like. One bad night or one hungry afternoon tells you very little.

Lullagram shows your baby's exact age, logs feeds, sleep and nappies in a tap and turns a week of logging into the daily averages the PHN and GP ask about, shared between both parents. It is free to try on Android, iPhone and web. Every baby has their own timetable. This is a guide, not medical advice. If you are worried, ask your PHN or GP.