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One Month Old Baby Development
Head’s up!
Your baby’s neck muscles are getting stronger, which allows him to hold up his head for short periods.
He can hold it up for a few moments while lying on his stomach, for example, and he may even be able to turn it from side to side. He may be able to hold it up when he’s in a car seat or front carrier, especially if he has lots of support and you use special baby headrests designed to help him in those situations.
Exploring extremities
At birth, your baby had no idea his arms and legs were attached to him. That’s all changing now as he starts exploring his body.
The parts he’ll discover first are his hands and feet. You can encourage his interest by holding his arms above his head and asking, “How big is baby?” or by reciting “This Little Piggy” and counting his toes.
Learning to soothe himself
Babies love to suck. They need to suck. In fact, you may have discovered that a pacifier works wonders in helping your baby calm himself now.
And when his binky’s not around, he may even be able to find his thumb or fingers to pacify himself.
Look who’s baby-talking now
Your 1-month-old may gurgle, coo, grunt, and hum to express his feelings now.
A few babies also begin squealing and laughing. Be sure to coo and gurgle back, and talk to him face-to-face.
He’ll enjoy holding your gaze now. If you have things to do, though, he’ll still enjoy hearing your voice from across the room.
Even though your baby has been able to recognize you since he was just a few days old, by the end of this month he may be able to show it.
About half of all babies this age begin to exhibit an obvious recognition of their parents. (They react differently to mom and dad than they do to strangers.) Your baby may quiet down and make eye contact with you, or he may smile when he sees you.
Music appreciation
Now that your baby is awake for longer periods during the day, you can use these times to stimulate his sensory development.
Try singing your favorite lullabies or playing tapes or discs of child song troubadours such as Raffi, Linda Rondstadt, and Peter, Paul, and Mary.
But you needn’t restrict his listening fare to children’s’ songs. Fill the house with the sounds of music — from Talking Heads to Mozart — and watch as waves of pleasure (expressed in coos, lip smacks, and spasmodic movements of arms and legs) pass through your child.
The sound of wind chimes or a ticking clock will also amuse your baby. The more varied the offerings, the richer the impact. Inevitably, you’ll see your child react more pleasurably to one selection over another as he begins to develop preferences.
Eyes can track objects now
With both eyes now able to focus, your baby can track a moving object, something he may have been able to do for only brief periods since birth.
The stores are packed with developmental toys, but you’ll do just as well with everyday objects.
Pass a rattle or a bright plastic ladle from side to side in front of him. Then try moving it up and down. This should attract your baby’s attention, though he probably won’t be able to smoothly follow vertical motion for about three months.
You can also play eyes-to-eyes by moving very close to his face and slowly nodding your head from side to side. Often his eyes will lock onto yours.
Is my baby developing normally?
Remember, each baby is unique and meets cognitive milestones at his own pace. These are simply guidelines to what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then shortly.
If your baby was born prematurely, keep in mind that he’ll almost always need a bit more time before he can do the same things as other children his chronological age.
That’s why most preemies are given two ages by their pediatricians — their chronological age (calculated from their birthday) and their adjusted age (calculated from their due date).
Doctors generally assess a preterm child’s development from the time he should have been born and evaluate his skills accordingly.
