
At one month of age, a baby will look around with alert, widened eyes and an open mouth. There is increased bonding between parents and their baby at this stage.
At one month of age, the babies still want to feed frequently and are unpredictable with their sleeping patterns. Many are still fairly sleepy and apart from short wakeful periods of feeding and being alert, they sleep for at least a couple of hours between their feeds.
- Common milestones a baby may reach during the first month are
- Able to bring their hands close to the eyes and mouth
- Able to turn their head from side to side
- Head tilts backward when not given support
- Clenches hands to form a tight fist
- Rooted reflex movements
- Able to identify the scent of the mother’s breast milk
- Can detect soft and coarse sensations
- Prefers soft and gentle handling
- Dislikes acidic and bitter-smelling odors
- Likes sweet smells
- Turn their head in the direction of sounds
- Recognizes parents’ voices and tones
- Blinks when parents clap their hands
- Reacts differently to songs and various nursery rhymes
- Prefers black and white or sharp-contrast colors (including stripes)
- Can focus their vision up to about 39 feet (or 12 meters)
- Crossing and wandering eyes
- Babies will begin to turn their head when lying on their abdomen
- Babies will start or try to lift their head for short periods
- They will start to feel comfortable with their mother’s touch
One-month-old babies spend much of their time sleeping. Eventually, they become socially responsive. They like it when their parents pick them up. They may even get quite excited when they are cuddled. Babies go through several different states of alertness.
- The quiet alert state is when the baby is cuddly and still. They also look into their parent’s eyes, listen to their parent’s voices, take in their surroundings and get used to their environment.
- The active alert state is when the baby moves frequently, looks around, and makes sounds. The other states of alertness are crying, drowsiness, and sleeping.
- The baby will cycle through these states repeatedly throughout the day.
As the baby gets older, parents will be able to help regulate their states of alertness. For example, if the baby has their days and nights mixed up, parents can provide less stimulation at night by feeding them in a dark room and putting them to bed once they are done feeding. Parents can also provide more stimulation during the day by playing with them. Crying is the baby’s only way of communicating at first, and it is important to realize that they will do a fair bit of crying this month. The baby’s crying will gradually increase in the first weeks of life, peaking at about six weeks.
What to expect in baby’s first month
- Days with a one-month-old baby can be busy with feeding, changing diapers, settling them to sleep, and responding to their wails.
- However, within a few weeks, babies start to take more notice of their parent’s voices, faces, and touch.
- Black and white patterns also draw their attention.
- The baby’s hearing gets better and they might turn toward familiar sounds, such as the mother’s voice.
- Baby can lift the head briefly and turn it to the side when lying on their abdomen. However, when they are upright, their head and neck still need support. Although their arms move jerkily, they can get their hands close to their mouth.
Parent’s role:
- Enjoy getting to know the baby. Cuddle, talk, and learn how they signal when they are sleepy or hungry. Be attentive and responsive.
- Make them lie on their abdomen from the start when the baby is awake, so they can strengthen their muscles. Encourage them to look at and reach for toys.
- Make sure they get plenty of time outside. Place them in a stroller or carrier and take them to the park or playground. They may enjoy the outdoors, relaxing, and being around other children.
- Get close and make eye contact with the baby when talking, singing, and reading to them.
- Play simple games when the baby is alert and in a good mood, such as peek-a-boo or mimic their sounds.
- Learn the signs of the baby to attend to their needs.
Each child develops at their own pace, but talk to the doctor if a month old baby
- Feeds slowly or doesn't suck well.
- Doesn't seem to focus their eyes or watch objects moving nearby.
- Doesn't react to bright lights.
- Seems especially stiff or floppy.
- Doesn't respond to loud sounds.

SLIDESHOW
Parenting Guide: Healthy Eating for Kids See SlideshowHealth Solutions From Our Sponsors
WebMD. Baby Development: Your 1-Month-Old. https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/baby-development-1-month#1
Top What Can Babies Do at One Month? Related Articles
7 Signs It's Time to Wean Your Baby From Breast or Bottle Feeding
When is it time to wean your baby from the breast or bottle to solid foods? Learn how and when to wean your child from breastmilk to formula, and from formula to solid food.Babies Quiz
Take the Babies Quiz to learn what milestones and developments you can expect from your baby’s first year.Newborn Skin Care
See what normal newborn skin looks like and learn how to care for it. WebMD shows you diapering and bathing tips.Breastfeeding (and Formula Feeding)
It's important to know whether you will breastfeed or bottle-feed your baby prior to delivery, as the breasts' ability to produce milk diminishes soon after childbirth without the stimulation of breastfeeding. Breast milk is easily digested by babies and contains infection-fighting antibodies and cholesterol, which promotes brain growth. Formula-fed babies actually need to eat somewhat less often since formula is less readily digested by the baby than human milk. This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of both forms of feeding.Can Babies Grow Out of Tongue-Tie?
If tongue-tie is left alone, it will often resolve itself as the baby's mouth grows. However, in some cases, surgery for tongue-tie may be required.Eco-Friendly Parenting
Use these ideas to create a greener environment for your baby. WebMD gives you some earth-friendly parenting suggestions.elemental infant formula
Elemental infant formula is a special hypoallergenic formula used to feed infants who are allergic to or unable to digest cow’s milk, soy-based, or pre-digested protein formulas. There have been recent reports of broken bones, rickets, and other bone disorders in infants fed with Neocate infant formula. Side effects linked to Neocate infant formula include low phosphate levels in the blood (hypophosphatemia), rickets, fractures, nutritional deficiencies, stunted growth, skeletal deformities, and long-term skeletal damage.How Common Is Tongue-Tie in Babies?
Tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, occurs in about 4 to 11 percent of newborns and is characterized by an excessively tight lingual frenulum.infant formula
Infant formula is a special dried milk powder used as a substitute for or to supplement breast milk in the first 12 months of a baby’s life. Infant formula is made to resemble breast milk as closely as possible and attempts to provide all the nutrition a baby needs including protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Infant formula provides nutrition and does not generally have side effects. Some infants, however, may have intolerance or allergy to milk proteins or soy, and special formula may be required for such infants.New Parents Mistakes
Parenting a child isn't easy. Explore the top 10 mistakes that new parents make. Discover newborn parenting tips for breastfeeding, learn to deal with crying babies, child's fevers, and more.Parenting
Good parenting helps foster empathy, honesty, self-reliance, self-control, kindness, cooperation, and cheerfulness, says Steinberg, a distinguished professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia. It also promotes intellectual curiosity, motivation, and desire to achieve. It helps protect children from developing anxiety, depression, eating disorders, antisocial behavior, and alcohol and drug abuse.Crying & Colic Slideshow
Learn top parenting tricks for calming crying, colicky, and fussy newborns and babies.What Causes High Calcium Levels in Infants?
Elevated levels of calcium in the blood indicate a condition known as hypercalcemia. The causes of high calcium levels may vary with age and other factors. High calcium levels in infants can be caused by excess calcium in food, excessive vitamin D intake, excessive vitamin A intake, primary hyperparathyroidism or an increase in parathyroid hormone (PTH), cancerous tumors, injury to skin or fat tissue, infectious diseases (leprosy and histoplasmosis), immobilization or bed rest, and family history of genetic disorders.When Should I Be Concerned About Diaper Rash?
Most cases of diaper rash are mild and resolve with simple at-home remedies; however, here is when you should be concerned about the rash.