4 week old baby question - is she normal?

Question

I'm a first time mom, and I swear that every baby chat site has all of these people talking about the amazing things their babies are doing - sleeping through the night, gaining 3 lbs in the first month, creeping, etc It makes me scared that my baby isn't normal. My baby will be 4 weeks tomorrow, and she primarily seems to have 2-3 hour to three hour long really active periods a day most days. The rest of the time she sleeps or naps waking, during the day, every one to two hours to feed, and at night every two to three hours. She's usually only fussy when she's hungry or first wakes up. She is tracking things with her eyes well, and holding up and turning her head fairly well on tummy time. She tries to scoot, but can't yet. She also has only gained about a pound so far (she's breastfed.) Is this normal?

I know, I'm a paranoid mom. Sorry...

Answer 1

I've NEVER heard of a one month old creeping, and rarely sleeping thru the night at that age. Babies sleep a LOT, and she sounds pretty normal to me. If you have concerns, talk to her doc.

Developmental Milestones by the End of the First Month
( http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZKH2A3ZDC&sub_cat=105 )

Makes jerky, quivering arm thrusts
Brings hands within range of eyes and mouth
Moves head from side to side while lying on stomach
Head flops backward if unsupported
Keeps hands in tight fists
Strong reflex movements

Visual
Focuses 8 to 12 inches away
Eyes wander and occasionally cross
Prefers black-and-white or high-contrast patterns
Prefers the human face to all other patterns

Hearing
Hearing is fully mature
Recognizes some sounds
May turn toward familiar sounds and voices

Smell and Touch
Prefers sweet smells
Avoids bitter or acidic smells
Recognizes the scent of his own mother's breastmilk
Prefers soft to coarse sensations
Dislikes rough or abrupt handling

Developmental Health Watch
If, during the second, third or fourth weeks of your baby's life, she shows any of the following signs of developmental delay, notify your pediatrician.

Sucks poorly and feeds slowly
Doesn't blink when shown a bright light
Doesn't focus and follow a nearby object moving side to side
Rarely moves arms and legs; seems stiff
Seems excessively loose in the limbs, or floppy
Lower jaw trembles constantly, even when not crying or excited
Doesn't respond to loud sounds

Answer 2

I don't think you have anything to worry about. I have 2 children, the second one being 9 months now. At your one month check up for the baby, they'll tell you how much she's gained and where she falls in average to other babies. Don't worry about her being under or over weight, as long as she's healthy. Breastfed newborns gain about .75 to 1.5 pounds in the first month, and after 1-2 pounds a month.

There is no way your baby is ready to scoot - she will look like she's trying, but won't be able to move until after 3-4 months (when they start rolling over). Her sleep and wake patterns seem normal to me. Feeding schedule is something you will have to discuss with your doctor. But for most babies, they don't sleep through the night until 3 months or so.

Answer 3

STOP WORRYING!

I'm a first-time mom, too, but in the past six months I have learned more than I ever could've imagined about kids. Your daughter is perfectly normal. Don't EVER let anyone tell you what your baby "should" be doing, except your doctor. Every baby is different. She won't be able to "scoot" for a while. Don't rush things!

My daughter is six months old now and just starting to crawl. I'm terrified! In the beginning, I thought, "Wow, I can't wait till she can crawl and walk and talk." but now I don't ever want that to happen!

As far as the weight gain, don't let anyone tell you what's "normal" because my kid is only 12 pounds (in the 3rd percentile) but completely healthy. If you have any concerns, contact your pediatrian.

Everything is fine! Good luck... and relax.

Answer 4

Oh my gosh, I HATE some of those sites! I am a first time mom too, and I was ALWAYS worried that my baby wasn't "normal" but ALL children develop at their own pace. My son started crawling not until 8 months, but he walked at 10 months. He said his first word at 3 months (good) but now only has a vocab af about 15 wrods and he's 15 months. DON'T WORRY!! And as far as the sleeping goes, that's exactly what my son did as well! Good luck!

Answer 5

Your baby sounds perfectly normal to me! All 3 of mine developed at different rates and there is a very wide range of development that is considered normal. A great book for you would be "What to Expect the First Year" I can't remember the authors name but it is from the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" author. I found this to be a very helpful book. Each month has it's own chapter and at the beginning of each chapter it tells you what you can expect your little one to be doing. Don't listen to other moms when they brag about what their superbabies are doing. All babies are different and yours sounds not only normal for her age but she's doing very well with her sleeping habits and her motor skills development. Don't worry, relax and enjoy your little bundle!

Answer 6

Sounds like she is doing well. A pound weight gain in a month is perfect.
I am pretty sure a lot of people on those baby chat sites are teenage girls who are wishing they had babies.

Answer 7

Everything sounds perfectly normal to me, except the weight gain. I breastfed all four of mine and they all had gained at least 2 pounds by four weeks old.

Answer 8

First time around it's scary....but she sounds normal to me...my oldest one cried all the time didn't sleep at all...second one then scared me cause he slept all time, didn't fuss at all except when I was changing him or needing to eat....now he's 10 and doesn't stop talking....She'll wake up one day and KEEP YOU busy lol Just enjoy it while you can....if you do have any questions her pediatrition is a better source for you :)

Answer 9

Your baby is fine. Most babies this age sleep most of the day. Talk with your pediatrician. They can assess her milestones and her growth (weight etc) best. They do that at the well-checks.

Answer 10

Sounds almost exactly like what mine did at that age...even if it wasn't though she sounds perfectly normal & healthy.

However if you really want to alay your fears just ask your Dr.