Your newborn baby is growing and developing rapidly. It will feel as if tomorrow they turn 1 month old. And as they grow, they need a proper sleeping and feeding schedule, various routines, and other preparations to develop and achieve their milestones.
Soon they will start to develop their vision, they now smile at things around them, they become fussy and they cry a lot at times. All these changes can be tiresome for your baby, and this results in sleeping for longer hours (14 to 17 hours a day).
Because of your baby’s erratic sleeping schedule, they may also have a disorganised schedule of cluster feeding. It can get overwhelming, we know. But don’t worry, it gets better. But while you’re at that stage, it can help if you have a schedule – or at least a guide for feeding and putting your newborn to 1-month-old baby to sleep.
Suggested Feeding and Sleeping Schedule for 1 Month-Old Baby
Your baby is one month old now. It is hard to think how much your day-to-day has progressed with your newborn baby.
One-month-old babies are still very dependent on their parents and caregivers. You may be more confident by now with your parenting abilities than you were after a month. This, of course, goes with good reasons like trusting your instincts, prioritising your baby, and looking for advice about parenting.
What to Look Out For
While discussing a recommended feeding and sleeping schedule for your 1-month-old baby, there are some baby developmental red flags that mommies should be aware of. You may need to call the doctor if your baby:
- Is feeding slowly, has trouble sucking, sweating while feeding, turns blue while feeding or projectile vomits when feeding
- Would not blink in bright light
- Does not respond to loud sounds
- May not focus their eyes on an object or follow it with their eyes when it starts moving
- Has a trembling jaw or repetitive movements that don’t stop when touched
- Does not always move their arms and legs as much
- They may seem overly loose or overly stiffing in their limbs
These conditions can indicate serious health situations that can affect their gradual development. Some of these conditions are related to the feeding and sleeping routines of a baby.
Part of being their primary caregiver is knowing how to properly schedule their sleeping and feeding routine. An odd or disorganised sleeping and feeding schedule may affect their brain and physiological development.
Image source: iStock
How to Get on a Feeding Schedule for 1-Month-Old Baby?
How often should a 1-month-old baby feed? How do I know if my 1-month-old is hungry?
At one month old, babies typically feed frequently, as their small tummies cannot hold large amounts of milk or formula. On average, a 1-month-old baby may need to feed every 2 to 3 hours, including both day and night feedings. However, it is important to remember that each baby is unique, and feeding patterns can vary.
Paying attention to your baby’s cues and offering frequent feedings can help ensure they receive adequate nourishment and support their healthy growth.
Look out for these hunger cues in your newborn:
- reaching around your chest, looking for your nipples
- putting their fist or fingers in their mouth
- smacking or licking their lips
- fussing that may rise quickly (don’t wait until your baby is hangry to feed them)
Crying is often a late hunger cue, so it’s helpful to feed your baby before they reach that point. Additionally, monitoring your baby’s weight gain and consulting with a paediatrician can provide further guidance on feeding frequency and ensuring your little one’s nutritional needs are met.
As they grow and as you continue feeding them, you’ll learn to discern when they’re still hungry after feeding. Once your baby turns 1 month old, you can also introduce a sleeping or feeding schedule that works for you.
Feeding Schedule for 1 Month Old Baby
In their first month of life, newborn babies should breastfeed 8 to 12 times per day. Breast milk is easily digested, and newborns’ intestines are still developing, so they are often hungry.
Frequent feedings may help stimulate your milk production during the first two weeks after birth.
In the first few weeks of your baby, breastfeeding could be on “demand” (when your baby feels hungry), which is about 1.5 to 3 hours.
As your baby gets older, they will nurse less often, and they might have a more predictable feeding schedule. Some might feed every 1.5 hours, while others can go 2 to 3 hours between feedings.
Also at one month, your baby may probably be feeding once every two to three hours if you are breastfeeding, or 7 to 9 times a day.
Meanwhile, if you are formula feeding, your baby might feed every three to four hours, or 5 to 7 times a day.
At this time, you have properly learned how to follow your baby’s cues to know when they are hungry. Sometimes, you may even be able to identify their own instinct, like the “hungry cry.”
How much milk should a newborn drink in 24 hours?
All breastfed babies need an estimated amount of 20 to 35 ounces of breast milk per day or 24 hours. In younger newborns and up to 2 to 3 months old, your baby should breastfeed on demand. And that means they need to breastfeed every 2 to 3 hours.
On day one of their life, our baby’s stomach is similar to the size of a marble and can hold 1 to 1.4 teaspoons of liquid at a time. And as your baby develops, their stomach stretches and then grows.
It’s quite impossible to know exactly how much milk your baby is feeding. However, you should not worry too much about the quantity of breast milk.
Your baby will know when they have fed enough by stopping, moving away from your breast, or falling asleep. Before you know it, your baby will become a more efficient feeder and feed more milk in a shorter time span. That is why you would notice a teeny bit less time feeding or clusters in the next months.
How much breast milk should a newborn have?
If you are pumping, breastmilk bottles vary in size from 3 to 6 ounces, commonly, with 4 ounces being the average bottle size when your baby reaches 3-4 months old.
However, newborn to 1-month-old babies would only drink at least 2 to 3 ounces (60 to 90 ml). Look at the chart below from Babysleepsite.com to know more about the estimated amount of breast milk the baby should eat per age.
Image from | Babysleepsite.com
On the other hand, this is a general chart from Pampers.com that shows how often should a newborn to 1-month-old baby eat for both breastmilk and formula.
|
|---|
| Age |
What |
How much |
How often |
| 0-1 month |
Breastmilk and Formula |
Nurse every 2 or 3 hours |
8-12 feedings in a day.
Continue to feed your baby regardless if it is breast milk or formula milk |
| 1-2 months |
Breastmilk and Formula |
Feed your baby every 2-3 hours, roughly 4 ounces every feeding
|
Feed your baby up to 8-12 feeding in a day. (breastfeeding)
6-8 feedings a day(Formula milk)
|
How much formula should you give a newborn?
If your 1-month-old baby is feeding formula milk or bottle-feeding due to any valid reasons, it will be a bit easier to measure the amount needed for your baby.
Below is a chart from the American Academy of Pediatrics through Healthline.com, of a typical feeding schedule and the age-appropriate amount of formula milk for your baby.
Image from | Healthline.com
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Sleeping Schedule for 1-Month-Old Baby
How long should a 1-month-old sleep without feeding? How long can they stay awake?
Your 1-month-old baby may usually have a sleeping schedule of about 15 to 16 hours a day in between feeding. Splitting up this schedule during the day depends on your baby.
However, a newborn typically naps around three times, with 8.5 hours of sleep that will come at night (of course, don’t forget about the interruptions).
How much awake time is best for a 1-month-old baby?
Your baby may likely have awake times of 30 to 90 minutes between sleep periods. Awake time windows are usually shorter in the morning and get longer at night. Expect your baby to be awake for a longer span of time (ideally not longer than 90 minutes) before nighttime.
Can a 1-month-old baby sleep through the night?
At 1 month old, it is not typical for a baby to sleep through the night without waking up for feedings. Newborns have small stomachs and high metabolic rates, which require frequent feeding to meet their nutritional needs. They often wake up every few hours to nurse or take a bottle.
As babies grow, their sleep patterns gradually change, and they begin to sleep for longer stretches at night. Moreover, each baby has a different personality. Again, babies have erratic sleep schedules. But if you have serious concerns about your baby’s sleep, don’t hesitate to consult your child’s paediatrician.
Eat-Sleep-Burp Repeat
This phrase captures the essence of a newborn’s daily routine. It reflects the primary activities that dominate their early days.
Newborns spend a significant portion of their time eating, as they have small stomachs and need frequent nourishment. After a feeding session, they often drift into a peaceful slumber, recharging their tiny bodies. The burping step is essential to help release any trapped air and prevent discomfort.
This cycle of eating, sleeping, and burping repeats throughout the day, establishing a rhythm that is central to a newborn’s growth and development.
Remember, it’s important to consult with healthcare professionals or parenting resources for specific guidance on feeding, sleep, and burping techniques tailored to your baby’s needs.
This article was written by Nathanielle Torre and republished with permission from theAsianparent Philippines.
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
