Stage0–1 m
0-1 month
Feed, sleep, survive. That is the whole job.
Nothing needs to be taught this month. Your baby is adjusting to life outside the womb and you are adjusting to a new identity. Whether things are going well comes down to three things: enough milk in, enough output, and weight heading back up.
What to feed
- Milk
- Feed on demand, not on a clock. Breastfed: 8-12 times a day. Formula: 30-60ml per feed in week one, rising to 60-90ml and 6-8 feeds a day by one month.
- Meal pattern
- Milk only. No water needed.
Can start eating
- Breast milk (first choice)
- Infant formula (a complete substitute when breastfeeding is not possible)
- Vitamin D 400 IU daily, starting in the first days and continuing to age 2
Not yet
- Water, juice, rice water: not needed before 6 months and they displace milk
- Honey: never before age 1 (botulism spore risk)
- Cow, goat or soy milk as a main drink before age 1
Worth knowing
- Judge intake by output, not millilitres: six or more heavy nappies in 24 hours means enough
- Losing up to 7% of birth weight in the first week is normal; birth weight is usually regained by day 10-14
- Feed overnight too. In the first two weeks, do not let gaps exceed four hours
- Hunger cues are rooting, hand-sucking and restlessness. Crying is the last signal, not the first
How much sleep
14-17 hours a day
- Daytime
- No day-night rhythm yet. Stretches of 2-4 hours around the clock
On the back, on a firm mattress, with nothing else in the cot. No pillows, no soft toys, no loose bedding. These three things are the single most effective way to reduce the risk of sudden infant death.
Vaccines in this stage
Hepatitis BDose 1
Within 24 hours of birth · National programme (free)
The sooner the better, ideally within 12 hours
BCG1 dose
Within 24 hours of birth · National programme (free)
Prevents severe TB. A pustule and scab at the site is a normal reaction
What most children do by now
Gross motor
- Lifts head briefly and turns it to one side when on the tummy
- Limbs mostly flexed, movements not yet purposeful
Fine motor
- Hands closed in fists most of the time
- Grasps automatically when the palm is touched (a reflex, not intent)
Language
- Cries, with cries starting to differ by need
- Startles or quietens at sudden sound
Social and cognitive
- Focuses on a face 20-30cm away
- Settles when picked up or spoken to
This is what most children manage in this window, not a pass mark. A few months either way is common. The signals worth acting on are in the doctor section below.
Height and weight reference for this ageWhen to see a doctor
If any of these apply, do not wait for the next routine check.
- Temperature 38C or above — at under 3 months this always means seeing a doctor immediately, without giving fever medicine first
- Refusing to feed, or not feeding for six hours or more
- Fewer than six wet nappies in 24 hours, or dark urine
- Jaundice past one month, or reaching the palms and soles
- Breathing over 60 times a minute, flaring nostrils, or ribs pulling in with each breath
- Inconsolable crying, or the opposite: unusually quiet and hard to wake
What to practise
- 01
Tummy time, every day
How · While awake and supervised, 3-5 times a day, starting at 1-2 minutes and building up. If they cry, pick them up. No need to push through.
Why · Builds neck and back strength for head control and rolling, and is the most direct way to prevent a flat spot on the back of the head.
- 02
Face to face at 20 centimetres
How · Bring your face 20-30cm from theirs, talk slowly, make big expressions, then pause and wait for a reaction.
Why · That is exactly the distance a newborn can focus at. The pause you leave is the earliest form of conversation.
- 03
Skin to skin
How · Undress the baby down to the nappy, hold them against your bare chest under a blanket, for 30 minutes or more.
Why · Stabilises heart rate, temperature and blood sugar, supports milk supply, and measurably reduces crying. It works just as well with fathers.
Day to day
- Keep the cord stump dry and exposed until it falls off on its own, usually in 1-2 weeks. Fold the nappy down below it
- Normal jaundice appears on day 2-3, peaks around day 4-5 and fades within two weeks. Get it checked if it lasts past one month or reaches the palms and soles
- Bathing every 2-3 days is plenty. Water at 37-38C, sponge baths until the cord falls off
- Expect a home visit in the first week after discharge, and a check-up at six weeks
Common questions
- Does a newborn need extra water?
- No. Breast milk and formula are over 80% water. Before 6 months, extra water fills the stomach, reduces milk intake, and in quantity can cause low blood sodium.
- They keep jerking in their sleep. Is that normal?
- Yes, that is the Moro reflex and it fades by 3-4 months. Swaddling helps, but you must stop swaddling the moment your baby can roll.
- Scheduled feeds or on demand?
- On demand in the first month. Watch cues, not the clock. The one exception is waking to feed if birth weight has not been regained or a doctor has advised it.