Your baby's growth and development - 1 month old

Infant development begins at birth. Initially your baby will grow fast and learn a lot. At 1 month, cuddling, sleeping and feeding are all that really matter to your baby. The time you spend with them will help their brain grow and develop as they start to experience the world.

Your baby will probably be crying a lot. It's often because they're hungry or have a dirty nappy, but often babies just cry for no apparent reason. Give them lots of cuddles to comfort them, and remember that the crying will eventually pass.

At 6 to 8 weeks, your baby needs a full health review by a health professional such as child and family health nurse, midwife, GP or paediatrician.

Babies grow at different rates. On average, at 1 month they gain between 0.7 to 0.9kg each month and grow 2.5 to 4cm. Their head circumference will increase by about 1.25cm each month.

Babies lose weight right after they are born. Healthy babies usually get back to their birth weight in the first 2 weeks and will then continue to grow. A baby loses up to 10% of their birth weight in the first week and regains this by 2 weeks.

Your baby was weighed at birth and your doctor or maternal child health nurse will plot their growth regularly on a growth chart. Babies come in all different shapes and sizes, and your baby might be large or small. What matters is that they grow consistently over time.

Try not to compare your baby's weight gain with that of other babies.

Physical Development

At 1 month, most of what babies do is still caused by reflexes. They aren't thinking about their actions. They will be sucking, swallowing, searching for milk and grasping objects placed in the palm of their hands (although most of the time they'll keep their hands clenched in tight little fists). They will also step one foot in front of the other if you put their feet on a flat surface. If they fall backward, they will throw their arms and legs out, blink their eyes and breathe faster.

By the end of the first month, most babies can raise their head when you lay them on their stomach, and they will turn their head to one side. As their neck muscles get stronger, they will be able to turn their head and lift it up when they're in a car seat or carrier.

Cognitive development

They will start to focus with both eyes at 1 month and should be able to follow a moving object with their eyes.

Social development

They will probably prefer looking at a human face to looking at an object. They will gaze deeply into your eyes if you hold them about 45cm away from your face. Most babies can recognise their parents by this age.

1 month old babies love the sound of your voice, but they will get startled if they hear a loud noise.

Emotional Development

Your baby will cry loudly when they are hungry or uncomfortable. When they are happy and content, they might make little gurgling noises. Respond to your baby's sounds by gurgling and cooing back.

At 1 month, some babies will be learning how to soothe themselves, with a dummy or even by sucking their fingers or thumbs. Helping your baby to suck is a good way to calm them down.

Spend time with your baby whenever you can. Looking deep into their eyes and smiling at them will help them to bond and to feel safe and secure.

Read and sing to your baby. Even though they can't understand, they will enjoy hearing your voice. Music helps to stimulate their senses and will keep them amused. Playing with them will also strengthen your bond.

Help your baby to develop neck strength by putting them on their tummy for 1 to 5 minutes at a time. This is called tummy time. Always keep an eye on your baby during tummy time and always put them to sleep on their back.

Babies develop at different rates. At 1 month, you will still be learning about your baby and their needs. But talk to your doctor or maternal child health nurse if:

• they aren't feeding well
• they are regularly sleeping a lot more than 16 hours a day
• they aren't moving their arms or legs
• they aren't following your face with their eyes or responding when they see you
• they don't startle or seem not to be hearing things
• you are worried about your baby's crying or sleeping

If you are worried or would like to discuss any issues with your baby's development, speak to your doctor or child health nurse.