Your 1-Week-Old Baby’s Milestones and Development

At 1 week old, your baby is acclimating to their new environment—mostly eating and sleeping. Here's what you need to know about your newborn's development.

Congrats! You just had a baby! The first week of your baby’s life may be a time of tremendous joy, but also a fair amount of uncertainty. This is normal: you have never been a parent to this little one before, and there will be growing pains. Just as you are getting to know your baby, your baby is making a huge transition, too, to life outside the womb.

“Babies this age are transitioning to the rhythms of their new environment while eating, sleeping, and being held,” explains Natasha Burgert, MD, pediatrician.

It’s common to have many questions during the first week of your baby’s life. You’ll wonder how many hours your baby should sleep and whether your baby’s poop is the right color. (Yes, you will spend an embarrassing amount of time scrutinizing your baby’s diapers!)

Read on for more information about your baby’s growth and development, what to expect when it comes to eating and sleeping, and some parent-approved tips for baby care and safety.

At This Age

  • Development: Your baby will be acclimating to the world around them, and concentrating on learning how to feed successfully.
  • Sleep: You can expect your baby to sleep most of the day at this age—enjoy it while you can.
  • Food: Your baby has a lot of feeding to do in this first week, and may take in smaller, more frequent meals.
Baby's First Week

Illustration by Josh Seong

1-Week-Old Baby Development

Your baby’s main job at 1 week old is to adjust to life outside the womb, to learn how to suckle at the breast or bottle, and get lots of snuggle time.

At this age, your baby’s movements and reactions are mostly involuntary, inborn reflexes. Babies are born with several reflexes, including the rooting reflex, the suckling reflex, the grasping reflex, the “stepping” reflex, and the startle reflex.

You can see some of these in action, like the rooting reflex, at work when you feed your baby. Touch their cheek or mouth and they will automatically root around, looking for the breast or bottle. Place a nipple or finger in their mouth and they will start suckling. Amazing, huh?

Your baby’s vision is still blurry, and they can only focus on objects in close range, so your baby relies heavily on their keen sense of smell and touch more than anything right now. Try to fit in as much skin-to-skin time with your baby as possible.

In general, your baby will do a lot of sleeping. In fact, their life is basically eating and sleeping. That’s totally normal! Take advantage of this down time to get some extra snoozing in yourself.

The Academy of American Pediatrics (AAP) says that it’s normal for your baby to lose up to 10% of their birth weight. Your baby will start regaining this weight by 10-14 days old.

During the first week of your baby’s life, your baby is learning to feed and suckle. You should not expect your baby to gain weight at first; in fact, it’s normal for your baby to lose a little bit of weight in the first three to four days after birth.

1-Week-Old Baby Milestones

Your baby won’t have many milestones at 1-week-old. Again, your baby is basically a ball of reflexes and will spend the majority of their time either eating or sleeping.

That said, when your baby does have small moments of wakefulness, you may notice that if you hold your baby a few inches in front of your face, they will look right at you!

As Amy Verlsteffen, APRN, senior director of clinical transformation at TytoCare explains, 1-week-old babies can see light and dark, especially black, white and gray colors. “Their vision is limited to about 8-12 inches away, which is achieved by holding the baby in your arms,” Verlsteffen says.

It’s also normal if your baby looks a bit cross-eyed, says Verlsteffen. “Sometimes it’s just a matter of an extra fold of skin in the inner corners of the eyes,” she explains. “But also, the eye muscles are not super strong at birth so the eyes tend to cross until those muscles strengthen.”

Although your baby will not have their first “real” smile for a little while longer, your baby will have some reflexive smiles, especially when they're sleeping. Your baby’s first “social smile” (in response to something you are doing, like playing “peek-a-boo” or singing) won’t happen till about 1 or 2 months old.

Additional Behaviors

  • Stabilize and support your baby's head, as babies this age generally have poor head control.
  • Babies respond favorably to touch very favorably at this age, as it reminds them of the warmth and security of the womb…so cuddle away!

1-Week-Old Baby Feeding

Feeding is a top concern for parents of 1-week-olds, says Dr. Burgert. They worry that their baby isn't getting enough to eat, how many times a day they should be fed, and whether it’s possible to feed a newborn “too much.”

“Many parents have exceedingly high expectations for a 1-week-old baby,” Dr. Burgert says. “It's important to remember that babies are learning how to eat, just as parents are learning how to feed.”

You can expect your newborn to eat frequently at this age, Dr. Burgert explains, and there won’t really be any semblance of a feeding schedule yet.

If you're formula feeding, you can expect your newborn to eat about 1-2 ounces, every 3-4 hours. You can slowly increase to 2-4 ounces per feeding by the end of the first week. Breastfed babies will eat smaller meals, more frequently, nursing 8-12 times in a 24 hour period, though cluster feeding is not uncommon.

Many parents find breastfeeding challenging at first, and may have trouble with latching or positioning their baby comfortably at the breast. You may wonder if your baby is getting enough milk. During the first few days postpartum, you'll produce colostrum, a yellow fluid that is small in volume, but full of good nutrition and immunity for your baby. You'll transition to mature milk at about 3-5 days after birth. Typically, you know your baby is getting enough breastmilk by tracking how many wet and poopy diapers they produce—about 6 wet and 3-4 poopy diapers a day.

Both you and your baby are learning, so be patient. Contact your baby’s pediatrician or a lactation consultant if you are having any breastfeeding concerns, big or small.

1-Week-Old Baby Sleep

You can expect your baby to sleep a lot at this age, says Verlsteffen. “It's very normal for 1-week-olds to just eat, sleep, pee/poop, cry, and repeat every 1-3 hours,” she describes. Typically, a 1-week-old baby sleeps about 14 to 17 hours in a 24 hour period.

Verlsteffen encourages parents to enjoy these sleepy newborn days, and use the time to catch up on sleep. This is especially important for parents who’ve given birth because your body needs time to heal after childbirth.

Practicing safe sleep is very important with a newborn. The AAP recommends putting your baby to sleep on a firm, uncluttered surface, in a safe place, such as a bassinet or crib—and always on their back. There should be no pillows, blankets, bumpers, toys, or loose bedding.

The AAP doesn’t recommend bed-sharing, but they do recommend that you keep your baby in your room for the first six months, in a crib, cradle, or bassinet. This allows you to be aware of their needs, and allows for easier nighttime feedings.

You may notice that your baby has some irregular breathing patterns while they are sleeping. This is normal, but can be concerning. Reach out to your pediatrician if you have any questions about your baby’s breathing or sleep patterns.

1-Week-Old Baby Schedule

If you feel like your baby has absolutely no schedule at this age, you not alone. This is totally normal. One-week-old babies sleep most of the day and don’t know the difference between day and night. Their circadian rhythms have not developed yet, and they have not started to produce melatonin, which tells them it’s time to sleep when it’s dark outside.

It’s normal if you feel that this general lack of structure is challenging. That’s why having help can be so important.

1-Week-Old Baby Health and Safety

You will have your baby’s first well visit with their pediatrician during their first week of life. Your baby will be weighed and examined. This is a good chance to ask any questions you may have about feeding, sleep, or development.

Your baby will receive their Hepatitis B vaccine at the hospital before discharge. The hospital will likely check that you have a properly installed car seat in your car. This should be a rear-facing car seat, and you should ensure that your baby is properly harnessed in it.

You don’t need to babyproof yet, but you can prepare your home so it’s safe for your baby. Make sure your home is a moderate temperature and you have working carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors. Ensure your baby’s crib or bassinet has been put together properly, and it's not next to any unharnessed furniture, windows, cords, or hot surfaces.

It’s of utmost importance that you don’t smoke near your baby, or allow your baby to be exposed to second-hand smoke. Smoking can increase your baby’s risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

1-Week-Old Baby Care Basics

Many new parents have lots of questions about caring for their baby. Thankfully, your baby doesn’t need a lot right now, beyond eating and sleeping and cuddles. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Umbilical Cord Care

The advice used to be that you clean your baby’s umbilical cord stump with alcohol. These days, the AAP doesn’t recommend that. Instead, you can leave it alone, and just let it heal on its own, until it falls off in about a week.

Bathing

While you wait for your baby’s umbilical cord to heal, it’s best not to immerse your newborn in water. Sponge baths or spot cleaning with very mild soap and warm water are all you need.

Diaper Changes

Poop color can help you track your baby's progress. At first, your baby’s poops will be black and tarry meconium. Soon, your baby’s poops will become greenish, then will settle into a yellowish or brownish color.

Be prepared for a lot of pooping. It’s not uncommon for babies to poop after almost every feed.

What Else to Know About Your 1-Week-Old Baby

It’s normal if you are feeling a little lost as you get to know your baby. If you are recovering from birth, remember that your hormones are adjusting, and your body is healing. Just as you want to make sure that your baby is happy and well-fed, you need to take time to do the same for yourself. Make sure to eat and stay hydrated.

It can be easy to get overwhelmed with big picture questions like “When am I going to sleep again?” You'll find your rhythm soon. Take things one day at a time, and relish in the sweet newness of your baby.

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Sources
Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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