Taking care of a baby is a difficult task, especially if you are a first-time parent. Their needs change with the passing of time, and taking care of an infant is different from taking care of a toddler. A one month baby does not talk, so you cannot be certain if he or she has eaten enough, and this is why it is important to know your baby's needs.
How Often and How Much Should a 1 Month Old Eat?
How often should a 1 month old eat? Usually, at 1 month of age, the baby will need to eat eight to twelve times a day and approximately ten to fifteen minutes per breast. If you feed your baby with formula, the frequency should be every two to three hours. An easy way to prepare the right amount of formula for your baby is to multiply the baby’s weight by 2.5. So if the baby weighs 8 lbs., you should prepare about 20 oz. of formula each day.
How Can You Tell When You Baby's Ready to Eat?
When your baby becomes really hungry, he or she will cry. You need to learn how to recognize early signs of hunger in your baby before the crying arrives as a late sign. Early signs that a baby is hungry include:
- Opening and closing mouths
- Puckering lips as if to suck
- Placing hands, fists and other objects to mouths
- Moving head from side to side
- Nuzzling against mother's breasts
- Showing the rooting reflex (if you touch or stroke the baby’s cheek, the infant moves his or her head and mouth in that direction)
- Sticking out tongues
Also, you have to be aware of the signs that your baby is full. These can include turning away from the bottle or breast, and slow sucking or disinterested sucking. If any of this happens, you can stop the feeding.
How to Know Your Baby Is Eating Enough
How often should a 1 month old eat and how can you know your baby is eating enough? You can know this by watching the amount of diapers he or she uses. If the baby is eating enough, he or she will use 3 to 5 wet disposable diapers or 5 to 7 wet cloth diapers, and add 2 to 3 messy ones. This difference in number of diapers happens because the disposable ones hold more fluids than the cloth ones and need fewer changes.
Another way to know if your baby is getting well fed is asking your pediatrician to show you the baby growing chart, so you can know whether your baby is within the normal range or not.
How to Take Care of Your 1 Month Baby
1. Let Your Baby Sleep Whenever He or She Feels Like It
Every baby has different and variable sleep patterns, and you should not try to establish a rigid feeding schedule for a 1 month old baby. Be aware of the baby's sleeping cues and let the baby sleep whenever he or she feels like it. Many babies will tend to sleep after you feed him, so that is a good time to put your baby in the cradle.
2. Interact and Play with Your Baby
How often should a 1 month old eat? Now you know the answer. So what else should you consider when you have a 1 month old baby? Every time you have a chance to interact with your baby, do it. Talk to your baby, touch your baby, show your baby colors, and call your baby's name. These will help improve your baby's senses and awareness of the world. A good option is to show your baby toys that have vivid color and sound, such as rattles, crib mobile, etc.
3. Pay Attention to Safety
- Place the cradle away from windows, stairs and pointy objects.
- When placing the baby in couch, make sure you keep a hand on your baby the whole time, since your baby can roll over and fall.
- Avoid putting toys, stuffed animals or other unnecessary objects inside the crib.
- Use both hands to hold and carry your baby since a 1 month baby is too small to support his or her head and neck.
4. Care for Your Baby's Health
It is imperative that you take care of your baby's health.
- Make sure your baby's vaccine schedule is up to date and do not miss any follow-up medical appointments.
- Do not let any sick person go near your baby.
- Wash your hands, and encourage other people to do the same before touching your baby and manipulating your baby's food and water.
- Check your baby’s diapers from time to time to guarantee a good hygiene.
5. Learn How to Swaddle a Baby
How often should a 1 month old eat? It is important that you know the answer, and it is also important to know how to swaddle your baby. Swaddling is an antique technique in which you tightly wrap your baby in clothes to make him or her comfortable, cozy and secure. Every first-time parent should learn how to do it:
- Extend the blanket over a plain surface, folding one of the upper corners.
- Put the baby face-up on the blanket, with his or her head above the previously folded corner.
- Wrap the other corner over the baby’s body and put it behind the baby's back through under the arm.
- Drag the bottom corner of the blanket over the baby’s feet and toward his or her head, making sure to not wrap the baby too tightly as this can increase the chance of hip dysplasia. The baby's knees and hips should be slightly bent.
- Wrap the other corner around the baby and tuck it under the baby's back, leaving his or her head and neck outside the blanket. Slip a hand between the baby’s chest and the blanket to make sure there is enough room for the child to breathe. It must, however, not be too loose as the blanket can easily become undone.
It is important to know that when the baby is two months old, you should stop swaddling your baby as it increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), because the baby is more active at this age and can roll over while swaddled.