Newborn Development Week by Week: Growth & Milestone Tracker

Welcoming a newborn into the world is full of joy, love, and a fair bit of uncertainty. Even during the first eight weeks, there will be a big transformation in your baby. They will be making huge strides in physical, sensory, and emotional development. This includes the very first time they smile or the moment they lift their head. Each baby’s pace is different, but tracking these changes can give you the much-needed peace of mind. In this guide, we will discuss newborn development week by week, along with key development insights and what to watch for. Let’s dive in!

Week 1 – Adjusting to the World

This is your baby’s first week in the outside world. This is the time of tenderness and tiny adjustments for your baby as well as you. At this moment, your newborn’s movements will be mostly guided by instinct.

You’ll notice the rooting reflex, where, when you stroke their cheeks, babies turn their head and open their mouth. This is nature’s way of helping them find the bottle or breast. Another common movement is the startle (Moro) reflex, which is the sudden noise or movement which makes them fling their arms out before curling them in.

They will spend most of their day asleep, around 16-18 hours, and wake every 2-3 hours to feed. These feeds provide nourishment as well as comfort through your voice, scent, and heartbeat. Skin-to-skin is important in this stage as it regulates your baby’s breathing, temperature, and heartbeat, while deepening your bond with them.

A little weight loss is expected during this time, and they will regain it within two weeks. This is the week where you learn your baby’s cues and find a feeding rhythm that works well for them.

Week 2 – Feeding and Sleeping Routine

During the second week, some patterns emerge; however, there is still no fixed routine. Your baby will gain weight steadily, typically by around 150-200 grams per week, eventually regaining their birth weight.

Their day will still be dominated by feeding and sleeping; however, they can now focus on your face for a few seconds. They will recognise you as their anchor in the world. At this point, their grasp reflex also becomes strong, where their finger touches their palm and they hold on tight.

The main form of communication for them is still crying, whether it is for discomfort or hunger. However, you will gradually be able to decode these cries. Speaking softly, rocking gently, and swaddling can work wonders to soothe them. Remember to trust your instincts.

Week 3 – Slightly More Awake Time

By this week, your baby will start to stay awake for more extended periods, giving you more time to connect with them. During these moments, you can engage in soft chatter, gentle play, and eye contact.

When helped upright, your baby might attempt small neck movements. However, you will still need to provide full support to their neck. Their gaze will also become more purposeful, following your face or an object for a few seconds.

During this week, you will also see a change in their cries. There will be a noticeable difference between a hungry cry, a tired cry, or an “I just need someone” cry. At this stage, growth spurts are pretty common as well, meaning that the feedings will almost be constant. This is a good sign, as it indicates that your baby’s body is functioning properly and is working hard to grow.

We recommend that you also start supervised tummy time during this week. It will strengthen their shoulder and neck muscles.

Week 4 – First Developmental Leap

When your baby becomes one month old, they have become more aware of the world. Their hearing is sharpening, which means when they hear a voice or a familiar sound, they might turn their head. Reflexes will still guide most of their movements, but by this time, there will be more deliberate gestures than before.

Tummy time is crucial at this stage. Some of the babies will lift their heads briefly, wobble them, and then lower them again. At this stage, sleep will still be unpredictable, but they will start having longer nighttime stretches. As your baby responds more to your tone, touch, and expressions, your emotional connection will deepen.

Week 5 – Improved Vision and Alertness

By week 5, your baby will take in the world with fresh clarity. Your baby’s vision will have improved enough to allow them to focus better on your face and follow slow-moving objects. They might even pause during cuddles or mid-feed to stare at you.

Early conversations also begin during this time. There will be tiny sighs, gurgles, and coos sprinkled into your interactions. They notice how you react to the sounds they make, which is a huge step in communication. There will also be more facial expressions, including frowns, wonder, and more.

At this stage, they might even settle when held by a familiar caregiver and recognise their touch, voice, and scent. During the more extended alert periods, you can sing to them, talk, or show high-contrast images. Every single interaction you have with them now lays the groundwork for their cognitive and emotional growth.

Week 6 – Emotional Expression

Week 6 is one of the most heart-melting parts of your parenting journey, as during this week, you might see the first genuine smile from your baby. Around this time, a lot of babies start flashing grins. These are different from the accidental smiles they give while passing gas. These smiles are a response to your voice, touch, or face. This is a huge milestone that signals social awareness.

This time is also when feeding patterns will shift, where you have some time between each session. Your baby will also start experimenting with their voice, making more sounds like coos and squeals.

During this stage, their movement becomes more intentional as well, but they will still have that slight jerky movement. Around this time, growth spurts are also common.

Week 7 – Physical Growth Spurt

At seven weeks, your baby will gain more control over their body. Their neck muscles are stronger, giving them improved head control while they are sitting or lying on their tummy. Tummy time is better now as they can lift their head higher and look around by turning it from side to side.

Their arms and legs will also be better coordinated, allowing them to kick and wave in response to you. Night-time sleep might stretch to 4-5 hours, which is quite a relief. As your baby becomes more aware of the world, they might pause to watch movement across the room, light patterns, and colourful toys. This growing curiosity gives you more opportunities to engage with them. You can introduce patterned visuals, soft textures, and gentle music to stimulate their senses.

Every stretch and wiggle they make strengthens their muscles, which they will soon use as they sit, roll, and sprawl. So, it is important that you give them enough space to move around and explore.

Week 8 – Active Engagement Begins

When your baby is two months old, they will become more physically capable and socially interactive. They can track objects with their eyes and move them side-to-side. They will also be able to answer you with their voice in the form of gurgles, coos, and more.

Tummy time will become more dynamic as they start pushing up using their forearms, which will strengthen their shoulder and chest muscles. By this time, they will also understand the simple cause-and-effect. For instance, if they make a sound, you respond, and if they wave their arms, you jingle a rattle. These little experiments your baby makes are signs of their problem-solving skills.

This is the perfect time to introduce interactive games, like giving them toys they can grasp, mimicking their voice, and more.

Physical Growth (Weight, Height & Head Size)

In the first few weeks, your baby’s body is undergoing one of the greatest transformations. Right after birth, a lot of newborns lose a little weight. This is totally normal, and by the end of two weeks, they will have regained it. From now on, they will be gaining weight steadily, roughly around 150-200 grams every week. While these numbers sound small, they represent a significant amount of progress achieved in a short period.

They will also be stretching out, growing 3 to 5 cm in length by the end of two months. Their head’s circumference will also increase by 2 to 3 cm, making space for their brain to grow. During this time, it is important to track their growth as it ensures that your little one is thriving.

Motor Skills (Gross & Fine)

In the beginning, your baby’s movements might look like random jerks and flails. But there is nothing random about them. The movements you see during these early weeks lay the groundwork for their fine motor skills. These involve the large muscles, so you might see your baby lifting their head during tummy time, strengthening their neck and upper body. They will also be waving their arms or kicking their legs, which helps them build strength and coordination. This is crucial for rolling, crawling, and walking.

For fine motor skills, you can see reflexes like the palmar grasp that lets them hold stuff with surprising strength. Over time, these reflexes will become more deliberate. You might even catch them staring intently at their hands, or bringing them towards their mouth. These actions show that your baby is learning how to control and explore their body.

Cognitive Development

During the first two months, your baby’s brain is in overdrive, which means that it is absorbing, processing, and making sense of the new world. At first, they will only be responding to basic needs. But as they grow older, you will be able to see subtle shifts. By the end of two weeks, they will be tracking objects with their eyes, recognising familiar voices, and anticipating routines. rength and coordination. This is crucial for rolling, crawling, and walking.

This is also the time when the concept of cause and effect starts to happen. For instance, when they cry and you appear with milk or start cuddling them, this is an incredible revelation to your baby. It is showing them that their actions can influence things around them. This is also their introduction to social interaction. The random voices out of their mouth are your baby’s attempt to have a conversation with you.

It is crucial that you respond to these cues as it boosts their confidence and strengthens their neural connections, which form the foundation for learning, memory, and problem-solving.

Emotional & Social Development

When your baby smiles at you, makes sounds, or remains still in your arms, it is more than a sweet milestone. It is actually the first expression of their trust and connection with you. During the first few weeks, your baby starts recognising your face, voice, and scent. You become their safe place, and this bond continues to grow every time you interact with them.

Around the sixth week, you will see their first social smile, which is not a reflex, but a response. These smiles are the sign of the emotional bond, which forms the basis for healthy attachment. This not only influences their current sense of security but also their ability to form trusting relationships in the future.

Feeding & Sleeping Patterns

For a newborn, their life is a simple, all-consuming cycle of eating, sleeping, waking up, and repeating. Most babies feed every 2 to 4 hours, day and night. The stomach is always ready for a top-up. The majority of their time is spent sleeping, anywhere from 16 to 18 hours. By the time they are two months old, there will be a shift in this. Some babies have longer nighttime stretches, 4 to 5 hours. They might stay awake for longer periods during the day, giving you opportunities to play and bond with them.

If you can learn how to read your baby’s cues, you can find a natural rhythm that works for both of you. For instance, they might root, suck on hands, or fuss to signal hunger. When they are tired, they might become less active, turn away, or rub their eyes. When you respond quickly to their cues, it builds trust.

You don’t need to have a strict schedule at this stage. However, we recommend that you set up patterns like feeding after waking. This will ensure that this stage doesn’t feel like you are in survival mode.

Every baby develops at their own pace. However, there are some signs that might warrant an appointment with their paediatrician.

• If your baby isn’t meeting expected milestones like responding to sounds or showing any interest in tracking objects, it is best to seek professional advice. You should also make a visit if their limbs are unusually floppy or stiff.

• Absence of social smiles or lack of eye contact can also mean that your baby needs a check-up.

• Persistent feeding problems like coughing during feeds, refusing feeds, or not gaining weight should be discussed with the doctor at the newborn hospital.

• Extreme sleep issues like being unusually lethargic or rarely sleeping should be evaluated by a paediatrician.

Early intervention can make a difference, so trust your instincts and visit your paediatrician so that they can guide and support you during your newborn development week by week.

• Safe Sleep Practices:

  When you are putting your baby to sleep, always place them on their back. The crib should have a firm mattress and no loose bedding, as it ensures a safer environment and reduces the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

• Bonding Activities:

  To bond with your baby, try skin-to-skin contact, talk to them, sing softly, and enjoy tummy time. Through these small moments, you can support their early development and strengthen your connection with them.

• Managing Concerns:

  Please note that these milestones are general guidelines, and not strict rules. However, if you notice something unusual, instead of comparing your baby to others, speak to your paediatrician.

• Self-Care for Parents:

  Taking care of a baby can be exhausting. It is important that you take care of yourself. Rest whenever you can and say yes when someone offers help.

Knowing about the newborn's development week by week helps you gain a deep understanding of their milestones and allows you to celebrate their journey. But it is important to note that milestones are helpful signposts, but they are not strict deadlines. What is important is that you observe your baby, respond to their needs, and build trust day by day. And remember, if anything feels off, you can always seek guidance and reassurance from your paediatrician. With the right care, patience, and love, these early weeks will become treasured memories and the foundation of your baby’s future.