3-Week-Old Baby Development
If you compare your 3-week-old to how they were at birth, you might feel as though you have a completely different baby! As Natasha Burgert, MD, pediatrician and Philips Avent Spokesperson, explains, although 3-week-olds still sleep a lot, they generally have longer periods of awake time. When they are awake and alert, they just generally seem more aware and responsive to their environment.2
If you are lucky, you even get a few tiny moments where your baby will lock eyes with you (trust us, it will melt your heart). “There may be some slight glimpses of eye contact, but visual engagement is still developing,” says Dr. Burgert. At this age, babies can still only clearly see about 8-12 inches away.2
As your baby develops more of a personality, they will be experiencing more cranky moments. Many parents observe that this coincides with extra tummy issues as well.
“By three weeks, some babies are having more gassy, fussy periods,” Dr. Burgert says. “Any extra air in a baby's stomach can make this discomfort worse,” she says. Ensuring a good latch while breastfeeding can help, Dr. Burgert suggests, so that your baby doesn’t swallow too much air.
Three weeks is also the time that many babies start to develop colic or colicky symptoms. One in five babies develop colic, and it usually peaks for babies between 4 and 6 weeks of age.1 Colic usually involves periods of inconsolable crying, usually during the evening, and can be very stressful for parents, especially if they don’t feel like they know how to soothe their babies.
Understanding that colic is common and usually gets better as time goes on can be very reassuring to parents struggling with colicky babies. Rocking, shushing, walking, and letting your baby suck on a pacifier can help.3 If your baby’s tummy seems upset, you can talk to their pediatrician; some babies are sensitive to ingredients in formula or to something their breastfeeding parent is eating.4
Your baby is really starting to grow, and you may notice that their newborn clothes are getting a little more snug. At this point, your baby has started to surpass their birth weight, and is putting on a little weight each day.
Three-week-old babies usually gain about 1 ounce a day, and by the end of their first month, they usually have grown about 1 to 1 ½ inches.5
3-Week-Old Baby Milestones
Your baby is getting stronger every day. You might notice that your baby’s body movements seem less random and more coordinated, says Dr. Burgert.2 “When moving around, they should be moving their arms and legs equally,” she describes.
With this added strength, you may notice that your baby has a little bit more neck and head control, explains Amy Verlsteffen, APRN, senior director of clinical transformation at TytoCare.2 She says that at this age, many babies are able to lift their heads about 45 degrees when they are lying on their bellies.
Don’t worry if your baby still can’t do that, though. All babies are a little different. Verlsteffen suggests spending a little time each day doing “tummy time” with your baby to help them strengthen their muscles.6
“Tummy time will help the baby's head and neck become stronger and prevent flattening of the back of the head,” she says.
At this age, your baby may also begin to follow faces and moving objects with their eyes, says Verlsteffen. This is a skill that is just emerging at this age, but which will get more refined as your baby gets older, and especially as their vision gets sharper. Remember, your baby’s vision is still a little blurry, and they can only see clearly a few inches in front of them
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