The browser you are using is too old for our website. Please visit www.aptaclub.ie from Chrome and you will be able to browse normally.

Baby

      Your baby’s development at 1 month old

      Newborn Held By Mother

      Your baby’s development at 1 month old

      Your baby's first month

      Getting along famously

      From smiling and grasping things to making all sorts of new noises, your clever 1-month-old baby is becoming more alert by the day. As breastfeeding provides all the nutrition they need to support this development, your diet remains as important as ever.

      What's been happening in baby's first month of development?

      Over the last 4 weeks, you may have noticed some considerable changes, not only in your baby’s appearance but in their response to their surroundings too. They may have started to react to everyday sounds like the doorbell or your phone ringing. These are good signs that they are growing physically and mentally.

      Muscle development at 1 month

      As your baby develops, their muscles will become stronger. Around this time most babies will still struggle to lift their head, but as their neck and upper body strength improves, they'll learn to lift it slightly when lying on their tummy, progressing to propping themselves up on their arms, holding their heads up, and looking around.

      Baby Hand Holding Thumb

       

      Their first real smiles

      Even at this young age, some babies can smile! You can tell that it is real if they use their whole face, and their eyes light up.

      If your baby isn’t smiling yet, it doesn’t mean they are unhappy.

      Your baby will smile when they are ready, but you can encourage them through tickling, cuddling and play. They will learn by copying you, so be sure to smile a lot.

      Your baby’s developing eyesight

      Newborn babies are near sighted, which means they can only see blurry shapes – at birth they can only see about 8 to 12 inches away. While still limited, your 1-month-old baby’s visual skills are improving. You may notice their eyes darting around a lot, this is because they haven’t learnt how to focus them yet. However, they will be drawn to moving objects and human faces, especially yours, which is about as far as they can see.

      LCPs – food for thought

      The HSE and World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. If you are breastfeeding, your baby will get all the nutrients they need to develop for the first six months of life directly from your breast milk. That is why your diet is so important.

      Drinking 2 litres, or six–eight glasses of water a day will help your production of breast milk.

      Research shows that DHA (Omega 3), found naturally in breast milk – are important for the development of a baby’s brain and eyes therefore, try to include omega 3-rich foods, like salmon, mackerel, sardines and fresh tuna in your diet.

      The beauty of bonding

      Skin-to-skin contact is a great way to strengthen the emotional bond between you. It also helps to regulate your baby’s heart rate and temperature.

      Breastfeeding or rocking your baby gently can help them feel comforted.

      Your 1-month-old baby will love physical contact with you, so massage, cuddles and gently moving their arms and legs are good ways to soothe them. It’s useful to remember that not all babies develop at the same rate, and there’s a wide range of what’s considered ’normal’. Read our articles on how to bond with your baby.

      NEXT STEPS

      Add these items to your shopping list:

      • Salmon, mackerel, sardines or tuna

       

      peranting-icon-circle.png

      Brighter futures start here

      Discover more about infant development to help shape your baby's future

      Join now for free

      Your baby's future health begins here

      Your baby's future health begins here

      At Aptaclub, we believe that experience helps to build resilience; that
      each new encounter, whether in pregnancy or after birth, can shape your
      baby’s future development. With our scientific expertise and one-to-one
      round the clock support, we can help you and your baby embrace tomorrow.

      Join Aptaclub

      Related articles

      Questions about feeding and nutrition?

      Our nutritionists and feeding advisors are always on hand to talk about feeding your baby. So if you have a question, just get in touch.

      Brighter futures start here

      Discover more about infant development to help shape your baby's future

      Join now for free

      Your privacy is important to us and therefore we would like to explain how we use cookies on this website. With your consent, we will use cookies to measure and analyse how our website is used (analytical cookies), to tailor it to your interests (personalisation cookies), and to show you relevant advertising and information (targeting cookies) we think you will like. For more information please read the cookie statement.

      Privacy Settings

      You can choose your preferences anytime for cookies and tracking. For more information please read our cookie policy.

      • Strictly necessary

        They are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services (setting your privacy preferences, logging in, filling in forms, etc.). You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.

      • Analytical cookies

        They allow us to count visits and traffic sources, to measure and improve the performance of our site. They show us which pages are the most and least popular and how visitors move around the site. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

      • Personalisation cookies

        They enable website’s enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third parties whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, some or all of these services may not function properly.

      • Targeting cookies

        They may be set through our site by our advertising partners, to build a profile of your interests and to show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.