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WOMEN'S & CHILDREN'S | Family Maternity Center | Pregnancy Resource Center | Pregnancy Library | Baby Development | Your 1-month-old: Stretching out
Your 1-month-old: Stretching out
Has your baby already outgrown her "newborn-size" clothing? She's not alone. After a brief dip in weight in the first days after birth, normal birth-weight babies start gaining again, usually at a fast pace. (Premature babies take longer to catch up.)
Most babies gain 1 to 2 pounds in their first month. Most 1-month-old girls weigh between 7 (very small) and 11 (very large) pounds. Boys weigh between 7 and 13 pounds.
The first month is a time of transition
- If baby's skin was covered with fine hair (lanugo) at birth, it should be gone by now.
- His eyes focus best on objects (or people!) just 8 to 14 inches away, but his attention can be caught by light or movement farther away.
- She's been hearing things since before she was born, but sounds were muted. She may still startle at loud sounds and be soothed by gentle, constant sound such as the whirring of the clothes drier.
- He has a sense of taste and, according to research, prefers sweet tastes at this age (not that he has any choice, yet, in his diet).
- Your baby's temperature control system isn't quite as sophisticated as yours yet. Try to keep the room temperature at 70 to 75 degrees and dress him in a light cotton shirt or gown and light blanket.
- Baby's stools have changed from greenish-black meconium to the yellowish color of digested milk.
- If her body appeared scrunched up after birth, it should be starting to relax and "unwind" by now.
- If his head was pointy at first (from squeezing through the birth canal), it should be noticeably rounder now.
- She is probably sleeping 14 to 18 hours a day, though not necessarily in long stretches (including at night).
Date last reviewed: October 2002.
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