Baby 4 weeks old feeding

4-Week-Old Baby Milestones – Happiest Baby

By Dr. Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP

Four weeks isn’t “just” 4 weeks—it’s just about the 1-month birthday! Yay! That’s a huge milestone for both your baby and you. Whether it’s your first time or 10th, you’ve earned a huge pat on the back.

As you and your baby continue to get acquainted, you’ll understand them better and better. From predicting when your baby will be hungry to recognizing cues that they are getting sleepy, you’re starting to figure things out.

This fussing for no obvious reason peaks between 4 and 8 weeks. The word “colic” means stomach pain. Maybe 10% of fussy babies fuss because of a milk allergy and 2 to 3% fuss because of acid reflux. But, for most babies, we can easily tell that the fussing is not caused by tummy pain because they tend to calm with the sound of a hair drier, bouncing on the edge of the bed, or even car rides…and, of course, with the 5 S’s.

Many babies have fussing peaks in the early evening, the so-called “witching hour. ” A key culprit of the witching hour is overstimulation. Your baby may be a good sport all day…but may hit their limit by sundown. Help them wind down by dimming the lights, using white noise, turning down other noises (TVs, etc), and crank up the 5 S’s to lull your baby into a more peaceful state.

4-Week-Old Baby Feeding Schedule

How much breastmilk should a 4-week-old baby eat?

A 4-week-old baby eats about 2 to 3 ounces of milk about every 2 to 3 hours. Breastfed babies nurse about eight to 12 times in a 24-hour period.

Your 4-Week-Old Baby’s Development

Senses Coming into Focus

As your baby begins to have clear wake and sleep periods, you get to play together more!

Hearing is one of your baby’s sharpest senses. At this point and they love the sound of you speaking and singing…especially when you use a higher, more animated voice.
Your baby’s eyesight continues to develop. Now, it’s much easier for them to track your face—or a toy or black and white design—as you move it from side to side. Their best distance for seeing is 18 to 24 inches.
Speaking of those eyes: Babies’ eye colors can change throughout the first year. If your baby’s eyes are dark brown now, they are likely to stay that way. If they are blue or grey, they may or may not darken. You’ll know better by 9 to 12 months!

Your 4-Week-Old Baby’s Health

The Rundown on Colic

There’s a reason colic is so dreaded by expectant parents: More than a few tears, colic is defined as inconsolable crying streaks for three or more hours a day. It’s heartbreaking! It’s miserable! It’s NOT going to last forever. You may just be in the very worst of it, so do what you can to help your baby and ask for back-up when you need to step away for a while.

For centuries, the common belief about colic was that it's tied to intestinal discomfort. People point to clues like bloated bellies and clenched fists…but why is it that digestive “fixes” don’t solve colic? That’s because the real trouble here is that human babies are simply born too early. We can’t safely extend the gestation period, but we can help ease the transition to the outside world by practicing (and practicing, and practicing) the 5 S’s.

Cradle Cap

Between 1 and 2 months, some babies develop oily little scales on the scalp, eyebrows, and face known as “cradle cap” or seborrhea. With your doctor’s blessing, you should be able to treat the scalp/eyebrow scales by massaging in oil, gently brushing, and shampooing the scalp or washing the eyebrows with a soapy cotton swab. (Once the scalp/eyebrows are better, the face rash often resolves on its own.) Read more about cradle cap here.

4-Week-Old Baby Vaccinations

Sometime between one and two months, babies will receive the second dose of their Hepatitis B vaccine. Other than that, though, you’ll wait until your baby’s 2-month checkup before they receive their next round of vaccinations.

Can you travel with a 4-week-old baby?

At 4 weeks, babies are still very, very vulnerable to illness, so limit travel to what’s necessary. If you can, travel by car instead of by plane or train, which will lessen your little one’s exposure to nasty germs. When you are out and about with your baby, be sure to wash and sanitize your hands often. Opt for outdoor meet-ups when you can, and keep your distance. And, it’s best to wait until your baby is at least 3 months old before passing them around. (If you must travel by air, see our tips for flying with your baby.)

< Your 3-Week-Old Baby | Your 5-Week-Old Baby >

About Dr. Harvey Karp

Dr. Harvey Karp, one of America’s most trusted pediatricians, is the founder of Happiest Baby and the inventor of the groundbreaking SNOO Smart Sleeper. After years of treating patients in Los Angeles, Dr. Karp vaulted to global prominence with the release of the bestselling Happiest Baby on the Block and Happiest Toddler on the Block. His celebrated books and videos have since become standard pediatric practice, translated into more than 20 languages and have helped millions of parents. Dr. Karp’s landmark methods, including the 5 S’s for soothing babies, guide parents to understand and nurture their children and relieve stressful issues, like new-parent exhaustion, infant crying, and toddler tantrums.

View more posts tagged, Week By Week

Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Connect with us at [email protected].

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.

Your baby: 4 weeks old

Sleep solutions, baby acne and what nobody tells you about baby's first year. Learn all about your 4-week-old.

Photography by Nicole Duplantis/Clothing provided by babyGap and Joe Fresh

Somehow—is it possible?—your baby is almost one month old. Hasn’t it been both the longest and shortest month of your life? The two of you are kind of getting the hang of this partnership, just in time for another growth spurt and for baby’s first big leap ahead in development. This comes as your baby discovers their hands and feet, gains some neck control and starts to focus on both vision and hearing—a trifecta of new skills that will have you humble bragging on all your social media.

4 week-old development & milestones

Wiggles and senses

Your baby discovering her limbs may be stretching the description just a bit. But by the end of their first month, all that arm and leg waving becomes a little less brain synapse and a little more “Hey I meant to do that!”—even if it means your baby whacks themselves from time to time while wiggling. It’s still a bit too early for your baby to manage getting fist to mouth on purpose, but it will happen accidentally just often enough for their neurons to begin firing toward the eventual goal of doing that on command in another month or two.

How to do tummy time with your baby: 8 fun activities to tryFour weeks is also the age when your baby’s senses are becoming acute enough to respond with a few new tricks, from turning their head to lifting it a bit during tummy time to cooing their first real happy sounds. With those first milestones, your baby’s personality comes alive! With their vision sharpening, your baby can start to follow an object if you keep it within a foot of her face. But don’t worry if your baby is still cross-eyed sometimes—focus is hard work. Your baby’s hearing is fully developed and, with her nascent muscle control, they may be able to blink, startle or turn their head toward an unexpected sound.

Baby acne

Week four isn’t all coos and wiggles; this may be the peak week for baby acne for many little lampreys. My God, how can one tiny person have so many zits? If your baby’s cheeks are full of angry red bumps or white pustules this week, you’re in good company. While the cause isn’t clear, the timing is pretty standard, showing up two to four weeks after birth. For many, it clears up as quickly as it appeared—your first chance to be amazed at how quickly babies can heal. Keeping your baby’s face clean with water and mild soap is fine, but avoid lotions and over-the-counter acne creams—baby is far too sensitive for them. Also, don’t squeeze the pustules. If you’re worried about baby’s breakouts, talk to your doctor or midwife, but often your best bet is to ignore them—the acne will be gone before you know it.

Finding a rhythm with sleep

Newborn sleep and feeding schedule for baby's first month Is sleeping going well? Is feeding a dream? Or is it all just one big crapshoot, going smoothly one day and ending up a disaster the next? With the first month behind them, babies typically start to find their own rhythm, but it’s too early to truly have it all worked out. Some babies are stuck in a cluster feeding cycle and still want to nurse every hour or two, while others may be stretching it to four hours during the day and five or six hours at night. Try not to compare—as long as your baby is growing and you’re all getting some sleep, progress can be measured in tiny improvements.

If you’re still nursing your baby to sleep or unable to put them down for fear of ruining a nap, you’re not alone. But if you’re feeling desperate to help your baby fall asleep without you, there are better times to try these first steps at sleep independence. Your baby’s first nap of the morning is the best time to try to put your baby down—drowsy yet awake—to soothe themselves to sleep. Later in the day, you and your baby may feel exhausted or overstimulated, and trying to work on independent sleep may be harder for both of you.

The same goes for letting your baby fall asleep at the breast or bottle—baby steps! While four weeks is too young to really worry about it, good sleep habits can be encouraged at this early stage. Try to put your baby down when they are tired but not asleep—and not during a feed—even just once in a while to convince both of you that it can be done.

Your life after baby

Unwanted baby advice

I had sex 4 weeks after giving birth Baby’s new ability to coo—and, in a few weeks, to legitimately smile—is one of the best milestones for mamas because it adds a response to what may have seemed a one-way conversation at times. And you’re ready for some better conversation at this point, aren’t you? But you don’t want the unwanted advice that comes flooding your way when you have a new baby. Intrusive questions and unsolicited advice from strangers and loved ones alike are one of the hardest things about new motherhood. Somehow the presence of a new baby prompts a lot of opinions about what’s best. And isn’t it amazing how people feel free to share? Pick your battles if you can, smile and ignore whenever possible, and aim a well-timed “How did that work out for you?” to deflect the know-it-all toward their own offspring when absolutely necessary.

Foods to boost breastmilk

Of course, you want the really great advice, especially for the stuff that’s a bit hard to ask, like what to eat to boost breastmilk production? Well, eating barley, oats and fennel (and fenugreek) will help boost breastmilk (while alcohol and peppermint will hurt the cause), and staying hydrated is always important. Here’s our full list.

Baby steps

As for Kegels and physio for your core, we’ll talk more about that on week six, when you’ll probably see your doctor for your first postpartum check-up and start thinking about resuming a normal sex life. Seriously? Too much too soon? Patience, young grasshopper.

Stuff no one tells you

Go easy on yourself

Does week four have you taking stock of all the ways you’ve nailed this (or, more likely, of all the things you’ve utterly failed to do that you thought you would)? Rest easy, mama, you’re now wise enough to know that the good intentions you had before baby are laughably ridiculous four weeks later. Do your unwritten thank-you cards give you nightmares? Have you missed a few (dozen) entries in that baby book? Whatever happened to the daily salad-and-yoga you planned? Here are five things you may have failed to do, and it’s fine.

How baby says “I love you”

Cooing aside, have you discovered little ways that your baby says you’re the best? The snuggle, the look, the focus? The little things are the best reward of all.

What to pack in your diaper bag

Once you get out and about more often, figuring out what you need to bring—and what you pack every time and never use—is half the battle. Here’s a primer on the best way to pack a diaper bag.

Just for fun

Lighten up

As you end your first month with baby, you’re gaining a little perspective of how much you didn’t know, right? No matter how much you read (and asked), there are many things that nobody mentioned, like how much time you’ll spend Googling the weirdest, grossest, most specific things or how much you won’t care who sees your boobs. There are at least 55 things that nobody told us about baby’s first year, from the guilty realization that the excitement can fade a bit (and one-on-one time can get downright boring) to the fact that glow-in-the-dark pacifiers exist.

Photo Gallery

baby’s first year

1 / 55 Illustration: Anthony Swaneveld

The diapers

The average newborn will go through 310 diapers in the first month alone. (Yep, expect to use between 8 and 12 diapers a day.)

Read more:
Your baby: 5 weeks old
This song was scientifically engineered to make your baby happy

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How much should a newborn baby eat

Home ›› How much milk should a newborn baby drink?

Home ›› How much milk should a newborn baby drink?

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Like every new mom, you're probably wondering, "How often should a newborn eat?" and “How many milliliters does a newborn baby drink at a time?”. A mother's body is designed to provide her baby with all the nutrients she needs, but every mom needs practical advice and confidence when it comes to how much milk a newborn should drink.

Whether you are breastfeeding, bottle feeding or a combination, here you will find all the information you need to know about how much food your baby needs to grow and develop properly.

How much breast milk should a newborn drink?

So, how much should a newborn baby eat? A remarkable feature of each child is its uniqueness, so it would be wrong to feed the baby strictly according to the instructions. Don't panic if the recommendations below don't fit your own feeding schedule, but please contact your healthcare provider or pediatrician if you have any questions.

Although every baby is different, newborns usually eat every two to three hours, which is a total of 8 to 12 meals a day.

How many milliliters does a newborn baby drink? At the very beginning, your body will only produce a small amount of yellowish and thick breast milk called colostrum. This milk is an ideal source of nutrients that your newborn needs, in addition, it has many immunological components. ¹

How much milk does a newborn baby drink? Infants drink 30–60 ml per feeding, with this volume increasing to 60–90 ml by two weeks of age. So don't worry if you don't feel like your body is producing much milk in those first few days after your baby is born! Feeding times will also vary, ranging from 10 to 30 minutes at the very beginning and then gradually increasing as your baby grows.

How much breastmilk the baby takes if bottle fed

If you choose to bottle feed your baby from time to time, do so at the same intervals and for the same period of time as if you were breastfeeding. Pumping is a great option for breastfeeding your baby. It will allow you to separate from the baby if necessary and at the same time retain all the benefits of breastfeeding.

It's also important to get a bottle that helps make bottle feeding more natural for both you and your baby. For example, take a look at this Philips Natural bottle. Its wide, physiologically shaped nipple promotes a natural latch that is identical to that of a mother's breast, making it easier to alternate between bottle and breastfeeding.

baby closes mouth;
turns head away from bottle or breast;
handles are not clenched and relaxed;
falls asleep quickly.

If the baby shows signs of fullness, stop breastfeeding or bottle feeding, even if the bottle is not yet empty. ²

The right choice for you and your baby

Remember that every child is different and no one is as close to you as you are. Choose the feeding option that works best for you and your newborn, whether breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or a combination.

Listen to the experts
Calculation rates
1. First weeks of life
2. One to four months
3. Five-six months
4. Seven to twelve months
How much breast milk should a newborn eat: table
Not enough breast milk or not at all: what to do
Norms and stages of the introduction of complementary foods
1. First stage - vegetables
2. Second stage - porridge
3. Third stage - fruits
4. Fourth stage - meat
5. Fifth stage - new flavors
Sample daily diet for a 6-8 month old baby
FAQ

Listen to the experts

Pediatricians have long calculated the norms for the consumption of milk or formula by the child, the allowable intervals between meals, as well as the norms for weight gain and height depending on the age of the baby. All these data are usually voiced to parents during a doctor's appointment and entered into the card for further assessment of the child's condition. Comparison of the actual weight and the prescribed norms allows you to find out whether the child is eating well enough and, if necessary, to correct mistakes made during feeding. If something is not clear to you at the appointment with the pediatrician, do not be afraid to ask again and clarify. After all, only a specialist can give competent recommendations specifically for your baby, based on the results of an examination or analysis. The advice of friends, grandmothers and mothers from various forums may be good, but they do not take into account the individual characteristics and needs of your child's body. So, they may not work or even hurt.

Each stage of a baby's development is unique and is associated with new questions from parents. Get expert advice, personalized emails and the chance to test products with us for free!

Calculation norms

1. First month of life

As soon as the baby is born, it is immediately brought to the mother's breast to feed. This helps to strengthen the immunity of the baby and stimulates lactation in the mother. During this period, there is still no milk in the breast, but there is a very nutritious transparent sweetish liquid - colostrum. It is released in the first two or three days after birth and supplies the child with all the necessary substances. To eat, the baby needs a few drops: on the first day of life, the small stomach holds only 7 milliliters. On the second day of life, the baby begins to eat more often. It needs to be fed on demand or every two to three hours, while the baby eats within 10-20 milliliters at one time. Thus, per day the norm will be approximately 90 milliliters. Starting from the third day after birth, the mother actively produces breast milk, the volume of which increases as the child grows. In the first week of life, the baby should eat from 50 to 80 milliliters of milk at a time, and 400 milliliters per day. At two weeks of age, the daily ration should be 20% of the weight of the newborn, and closer to a month - about 600 milliliters. It is important to note that these figures are approximate. Each baby needs its own, certain amount of milk or mixture, depending on individual characteristics: height, weight, mother's milk quality, calorie content of the mixture and the rate of development of the baby. See also: Breastfeeding: first steps after childbirth

2. One to four months

Every day the baby grows, gains weight and increases his daily portions of milk. Having reached the month, the baby is already eating 90-100 milliliters six to seven times a day. After one month, the norms become as follows:

At two months, the child should eat from 120 to 150 milliliters at a time. The daily norm, therefore, is 700-800 milliliters.
A three-month-old baby should eat between 150 and 180 milliliters. In this case, it is recommended to observe the frequency of feeding no more than six to seven times a day.
From the fourth month, babies need 180-210 milliliters of milk or infant formula. The average amount per day is not less than 1/6 of the baby's weight.

3. Five to six months

A six-month-old child normally eats 210-240 milliliters at a time, and the total amount of food per day should be 1/7 of body weight, or 800-1000 milliliters. Also, if there are no contraindications, complementary foods are introduced from six months.

4. From seven to twelve months

During this period, a single portion of breast milk for a baby ranges from 210 to 240 milliliters. At the same time, the average amount per day is not less than 1/8 of the child's body weight. Vegetable, fruit and meat purees, dairy-free and milk porridges are introduced into the diet (if the baby is not allergic to cow's milk proteins).

Below is a table that describes in detail the daily intake of a newborn for each age up to a year.

How much breast milk should eat a newborn: table

3-4 days

20-60

200–300

1 week

50–80

400

2 weeks 9000-90–90

1 /5 masses of the child

1 month

100–110

600

2 months

120–1502

800

3 months

150–180

1/6 mass of the child

4 months

180–210

1/6 mass of the child

5-6 months

210–240

1/7 mass of the child (800–1000)

7–12 months

210–240

1/8 mass of the child

Important! Remember that every child is unique, has individual characteristics and needs. Therefore, slight deviations from the standard indicators are quite possible.

Not enough breast milk or not at all: what to do

When a baby cries after waking up, he is hungry. Modern doctors do not advise mothers to maintain any strict feeding schedule. If the mother gives the baby a breast when he asks, and the baby eats for her own pleasure and at the same time sleeps soundly and well, smiles and is not naughty, then she is full and completely satisfied. See also: The diet of infants But if the baby cries and sleeps poorly, then perhaps he does not have enough milk. In this case, check if the baby is eating his age norm, and try to keep track of this indicator in the future. Found that you don't have enough breast milk? Do not worry, it is better to immediately consult a doctor. The specialist will help you find a way to support milk production and improve lactation.

If you cannot solve the problem and normalize lactation, consult a pediatrician and find the right supplemental formula for your child. With strict observance of all the doctor's recommendations, instructions for preparation and dosages indicated on the package, the mixture makes it possible to compensate for the lack of breast milk and provide the baby with the necessary amount of nutrients. Important! Even if there is not enough breast milk to fully meet the needs of the baby, try to remain on partial breastfeeding as long as possible. After all, the ideal food for a child is mother's milk.

Complementary feeding rules and stages

As a rule, complementary foods are introduced from the age of six months. Before you start exploring new products, you should consult with your pediatrician. In general, different types of food are introduced in stages, starting with very small portions.

1. First stage - vegetables

According to the World Health Organization, the best starting food is a one-component vegetable puree, such as zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower or potatoes. If everything goes well, you can try pumpkin, carrot, pea and tomato puree a little later.

It takes seven to ten days to fully introduce the product into the baby's diet. We start with half or a whole teaspoon once a day until breastfeeding. If there are no allergic or other adverse reactions, you can continue the introduction of this product, gradually increasing the dose to a full serving - 100-150 grams.

2. Second stage - cereals

After the introduction of vegetable puree, we recommend diversifying the baby's menu with cereals. For acquaintance, it is better to choose liquid one-component gluten-free cereals, for example, rice or buckwheat. Then you can add oatmeal or semolina.

The initial portion of porridge is half or one teaspoon. Gradually increase the portion to a full - 150 grams. Find out more: Nestle Baby Cereals: Product Range

3. Stage Three – Fruit

Fruit complementary foods We also start with one-component low-allergenic purees, such as apple, pear, plum, banana. These products are not only tasty, but also contain vitamins and minerals necessary for the child.

Fruit purees are also introduced with caution, starting with half or a whole teaspoon. Gradually, the portion increases to 100-150 grams. Learn more: Gerber Baby Food: Puree Range

4. Stage Four - Meat

Meat is a product necessary for development, rich in iron and protein, which is well absorbed in the body. It is introduced in the form of a homogeneous one-component puree from dietary turkey, rabbit, chicken, veal or lamb.

At the beginning we give a try - half or one teaspoon, over time we bring the portion to 60 grams.

5. Stage five - new flavors

After the successful introduction of the above products, the baby is formed a full-fledged varied menu. So you can introduce the young gourmet to new flavors that could previously provoke an allergy: multi-component purees, fruit and cereal cocktails, children's snacks, pieces of fresh fruits and vegetables. See also: Introduction of complementary foods to children with food allergies

Example of a daily diet for a baby at 6-8 months

A child from six to eight months should be given complementary foods three times a day. Further, at the age of nine to eleven months, the amount is increased to four times a day. To make it easier and clearer, check out two options for a full-fledged daily diet, which outlines what and how much a newborn should eat.

Read also: Feeding a 7-month-old baby: making a menu for the baby

Frequently asked questions

1. How to warm up breast milk?

Use the bottle warmer to warm breast milk that has been stored in the refrigerator. If this is not at hand, put a tightly closed bottle in a container of warm water and hold it there until the milk warms to body temperature - 37 ° C.

2. How often should a newborn eat?

A newborn needs to be fed every 2-3 hours, i.