Congratulations! Your baby has just crossed the first month of its precious life on earth. You may get a bit habituated to the sudden turmoil the little one brings into your life by now. But one thing you will surely miss during these times is a good night’s sleep. Sadly, you will have to compromise your sleep a little bit for the sake of your little one. Anyway, the first thing you will have to do as soon as your baby turns one month is to go for the baby’s 1 month checkup.
This checkup is vital as your baby will get a few important vaccines this time. Your baby is growing rapidly and so are your concerns about your munchkin. This is the perfect time to ask the doctor about everything that is troubling or worrying you. Here is what you can expect during the first-month baby checkup.
In This Article
- What Can You Expect From a Baby’s 1 Month Physical Checkup?
- Average Height and Weight of a One Month Old Baby
- Developmental Milestones Expected From a One Month Old Baby
- Vaccines Your Baby Might Get in 1 Month Checkup
- List of Questions to Ask Your Doctor
What Can You Expect From a Baby’s 1 Month Physical Checkup?
The doctor will first check the physical growth of your baby; the height, weight, and head circumference to compare it with the general baby growth chart.
Then the doctor will do a quick health checkup. This will include
- Checking if the umbilical cord stump falls or not and whether the belly button of the baby is healing properly or not. In general, the umbilical cord stump will fall by this time, and you can see the tiny belly button of your baby.
- Giving the second dose of the hepatitis B vaccine. The first dose is usually given on the 2nd day of your baby’s birth in the hospital
- Checking the vision and hearing ability of the baby.
- In the case of circumcision, checking the site of the circumcision. This place will also heal by this time.
Besides taking the physical and health checkups the doctor can ask you a few questions such as
- Is the baby moving both hands and legs equally?
- Does the baby calm down to your voice?
- Are you giving vitamin supplements to your baby properly?
- How is the stool of the baby?
- Is the baby sleeping normally?
[Read : When Will My Baby’s Umbilical Stump Fall Off?]
Average Height and Weight of a One Month Old Baby
Your baby will grow about 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters per month. The weight gain of the baby will be about 140 to 200 grams per week.
So, if the birth weight of your baby was between 2.5 to 4.3 kgs then your baby will be about 3.4 to 5.7 kgs by now. The height will be between 51.1 to 58.4 centimeters.
These parameters will vary depending on your baby’s weight and birth and other factors such as prematurity or any physiological conditions at birth. In case the doctor finds any problems with the height and weight of your baby, they will guide you with the further course of action in case they deem it abnormal or needing attention.
[Read : Indian Baby Weight and Height Chart]
Developmental Milestones Expected From a One Month Old Baby
Some development milestones in the first month of the baby are:
- Lifting the head and moving it side to side swiftly during the tummy time
- Focusing on your face when you are close
- Putting hands on the face and the eyes
- Making quivery or jerky hand movements
- Turning or showing attention to a familiar voice or sound such as your voice
- Startling or crying on loud sound
- Developing the newborn reflexes strongly
It is important for parents to remember that some babies may reach these milestones on time, others may be faster with their milestones, and some babies may get delayed too. All these are normal patterns and eventually all babies will reach these milestones at some point. There is nothing to worry about unless your doctor signals caution. Your doctor will monitor your baby for these milestones during their monthly checkups.
Vaccines Your Baby Might Get in 1 Month Checkup
Primarily your baby will get the second dose of the hepatitis B vaccine during the first month’s checkup. Your doctor during this visit will plan for the vaccination schedule of the baby’s second-month checkup. Be prepared as a lot of vaccines are coming for your baby the next time.
[Read : Hepatitis B Birth Dose Vaccination For Newborns]
List of Questions to Ask Your Doctor
A lot of questions can occur in your mind during this first week of being a mother. It is best to note them down each time in your diary or notepad. Make sure to bring it with you during the visit and write down the answers given by the doctor in it. The questions you may ask during the first-month baby checkup are
- How to burp the baby effectively?
- How many poops a day are normal?
- Should I wake my baby to feed at night?
- When to start tummy time?
- Can I travel with my baby from now on?
- If the baby spits up, should I feed it again?
- What are ways to comfort the baby?
Besides these questions, you can add your questions to the list. Do not forget to make an appointment for the second-month baby checkup as it is vital from vaccination perspective.
