Here’s what to expect for your baby’s sleep schedule, feeding routine and diaper changes in weeks five through eight.
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As your baby heads into their second month, it can simultaneously feel like you’ve been doing this forever (feed, change, sleep, repeat) and you still have no idea what you’re doing. Needless to say, being a new parent is a huge learning curve. With the first month under your belt, though (yay, you!), you’ll start to get a better idea of what your baby needs.
Your baby’s nighttime sleep often starts to lengthen a bit more, up to six hours at night. You may also start to see the beginnings of a schedule that works for both of you, whether it’s a baby that wants to eat as soon as they wake up or one that needs some snuggling and playtime first. “We know that there’s a fairly wide range of ‘normal’ for newborn sleep,” says Alexis Dubief, a child sleep consultant in Vermont and author of Precious Little Sleep. “It could be anywhere between 14 and 17 hours a day. The reality is that everything in that zone is normal for that individual child.”
Wake time length: 45 to 60 minutes
Sleep time length: Up to 4 to 6 hours (shorter during the day, longer at night)
Total sleep time: 14 to 17 hours a day
Breastfeeding: On demand, every 2 to 4 hours, or 7 to 12 times a day (or more)
Exclusive pumping: 15 to 20 minutes per breast, or 2 to 5 minutes after breast is empty, 8 to 10 times a day (avoid going longer than 5 to 6 hours without pumping)
Formula: 120 to 150 mL (4 to 5 oz) per feeding, about 8 times a day
6 to 8 wet diapers a day, at least 2 dirty diapers (and often more)
One good thing to remember at this stage is that nighttime should be boring—in other words, nights are for dark, quiet feeds and diaper changes. The super-hungry six-week growth spurt could kick in at this point, as baby eats more—and more often—to fuel all that amazing development that’s going on.
Wake time length: 45 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes
Sleep time length: Up to 4 to 5 hours (shorter during the day, longer at night)
Total sleep time: 14 to 17 hours a day
Breastfeeding: On demand, every 2 to 4 hours, or 7 to 12 times a day (or more)
Exclusive pumping: 15 to 20 minutes per breast, or 2 to 5 minutes after breast is empty, 8 to 10 times a day (avoid going longer than 5 to 6 hours without pumping)
Formula: 120 to 150 mL (4 to 5 oz) per feeding, about 8 times a day
6 to 8 wet diapers a day, at least 2 dirty diapers (and often more)
Are things starting to feel a little more predictable? Many parents find that their tiny human is settling into more of a routine around eating and sleeping. Your baby will get more efficient at eating around now, but those growth spurts can also mean that they’re feeding more often. You can continue to track the number of wet and dirty diapers to keep an eye on things and make sure that your baby is getting enough to eat and drink. Wake times during the day may be stretching out to more than an hour (but still less than two hours typically).
Wake time length: 45 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes
Sleep time length: Up to 4 to 5 hours (shorter during the day, longer at night)
Total sleep time: 14 to 17 hours a day
Breastfeeding: On demand, every 2 to 4 hours, or 7 to 12 times a day (or more)
Exclusive pumping: 15 to 20 minutes per breast, or 2 to 5 minutes after breast is empty, 8 to 10 times a day (avoid going longer than 5 to 6 hours without pumping)
Formula: 120 to 150 mL (4 to 5 oz) per feeding, about 8 times a day
6 to 8 wet diapers a day, at least 2 dirty diapers (and often more)
Now that you know your babe a little better, you can spot signs of sleepiness, whether they’re subtle, like that grumpy look on their face, or more obvious, like rubbing their eyes. “It’s good to know where that window is,” says Erin Neri, a certified paediatric sleep consultant in Sherwood Park, Alta. “When babies hit the crying stage, they’re overtired. It’s much easier to put your little one to sleep happy and awake than it is if they’re overtired and crying.” When it comes to feeding, your baby is still hungry often, with all the diapers to prove it (but this is the last week you’ll need to track wet and dirty diapers, unless your healthcare provider says otherwise).
Wake time length: 45 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes
Sleep time length: Up to 4 to 6 hours (2 to 4 shorter daytime naps, waking once or twice overnight)
Total sleep time: 14 to 17 hours a day
Breastfeeding: On demand, every 2 to 4 hours, or 7 to 12 times a day
Exclusive pumping: 15 to 20 minutes per breast, or 2 to 5 minutes after breast is empty, 8 to 10 times a day (avoid going longer than 5 to 6 hours without pumping)
Formula: 120 to 150 mL (4 to 5 oz) per feeding, about 6 to 8 times a day
6 to 8 wet diapers a day, at least 2 dirty diapers (and often more)
Read more: Newborn sleep and feeding schedule for baby's first month 7 sleep mistakes new parents make
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Bonnie is a copywriter, editor and content consultant based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She is also the founder and principal at North Star Writing. More of her work can be found in publications like Canadian Living, Best Health, and Chatelaine.