Before you had a baby, you never thought you’d be so enamoured by the act of watching another human change and grow from one day to the next. But now that your little baby is here, you find yourself constantly fascinated with the changes that can occur within such a short space of time. So much so that when you look back at photos you took of her right after she was born, she looks like a different baby than the one staring back at you now!

Babies grow and change at a rapid rate, and as a parent, that’s extremely exciting. However, it can also be overwhelming when you don’t know what to expect.

So, we’ve put together a list of developmental milestones and playing milestones that your baby will reach over the course of four weeks. This way, you can feel prepared and relaxed enough to enjoy every change your baby experiences, however big or small!

From birth:

Vision: During week 0, your baby will have blurred vision; however, they are likely to be able to see up to a distance of 30 cm/12 in, so they will be able to see your face. As their retina cells aren’t completely developed, colours may appear muted to them.

Sound: As your baby would have been able to hear your voice when they were in the womb, it’s likely they will already be familiar with it.

Smell: Your baby will get to know your smell pretty quickly at this point and will therefore begin to feel more comforted in your arms than in the arms of others.

Touch: If you touch your baby’s palm, you’ll find that they will grasp your finger. Also, if you touch the sole of your baby’s foot, they will probably curl their toes. These are both natural reflexes that babies are born with. You might also find that if you stroke your baby’s cheek, they turn towards your finger, thinking that it is a breast.

Week 1:

Vision: At this stage, your baby will likely start to recognise your face and will find your facial expressions really interesting. Your face will also trigger them into feeling calm. Although your baby will stare at you, they might not be able to make good eye contact.

Touch: Continue to touch your baby’s palm, as this will trigger their grasp response and allow them to develop their finger muscles. Even though it may not seem like it, every small movement your baby makes will help them strengthen their muscles. Although they won’t be able to lift their head on their own, when you’re holding your baby, you will see them trying to move their head to watch you closely.

Week 2:

Height: At week 2, it will surprise you just how tall your baby looks as they begin to uncurl from the foetal position and look a lot less like a newborn.

Sound: They might also start to make noises that sound like a mix between crying and shouting. Although this may appear a bit startling, rest assured that this is simply the beginning of language development. You may also find that white noise is very comforting for them and helps them relax. For example, the sound of the car or of the hairdryer This is because these sounds mimic the sounds they would have heard while in the womb.

Week 3:

Movement: At week 3, you’ll likely notice your baby becoming a lot more energetic, as they will know how to wave their arms around at this point and reach for things with their fists. However, they will still be too young to have much control over their fingers, and their movement will be somewhat involuntary.

Vision: Your baby’s vision will have developed further by this point, and they will be able to notice high-contrast black-and-white soft books and toys with contradictory patterns. However, their vision still won't be good enough for them to be able to see you in detail. They’ll probably only be able to see your outline, so making small changes to your appearance, like tying your hair up, may confuse them.

Week 4:

Vision: At week 4, you will see your baby crying their first actual tears. Although this may be distressing to watch, remember that this is natural for them at this point in their development and is happening because the glands over their eyeballs are able to produce enough fluid for tears to flow.

Movement: When it comes to movement, you will see your baby kicking with more vigour and strength at this point, as they will have further built up their muscle strength in preparation for learning how to walk. You can also help them develop their stepping reflex. While you might find that they still need to rest their head on your shoulder for support, they won’t be nearly as floppy as before. They’ll also be able to hold their own hands up for longer. A good exercise to help encourage their movement further is to lay them down on a playmat so they can stretch out and practice lifting their head up. This is a great position to help with physical development, as it will allow a baby to strengthen their back muscles and reduce their chances of ending up with flattened head syndrome. Note that some parents are worried about the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) in relation to this position, but as long as you keep a close eye on them, there’s absolutely no need to worry.

Sound: Chat with your baby about what you are doing, and if they make any sounds, they will love to hear you mimic them!

What are the development and playing milestones over my baby’s first 4 weeks of life?

For Unii’s Newborn Journey, we look at your baby’s developmental milestones in their first four weeks.