Your 2 week old Baby’s Development

What to expect from your 2 week old baby

Have you noticed your baby seems to be growing really fast?! Even if they are still curled up into their womb-like position, you will notice subtle changes. It really is wonderful!

Oh, and if you’ve already noticed your baby’s nails need cutting, don’t panic, you can trim them whilst they’re asleep. You may also notice your two week old baby has begun exercising their muscles by sucking, grasping and blinking.

How your 2 week old baby’s brain is developing 

At two weeks old your baby can only see around 25cm away from them, so, if you want them to see your face, make sure you’re within that distance. They are also really likely to be staring at you with a very intense look of concentration – this is your baby beginning their journey of communication. So take a moment when you can to make eye contact and chat away to them; this is a great way to bond.

How will your 2 week old baby sleep?

Your little one is likely to be sleeping around 16-17 hours a day and even when they are awake, they may seem a little drowsy and not quite alert.

Your 2-week-old baby and food

Now that your baby is two weeks old you may be beginning to get into the swing of breastfeeding, but if you’re finding it a little difficult, you can always visit your midwife for some extra support.

The average 2-week-old baby drinks about 660ml to 840ml of milk a day spread over seven to 10 feeds.

Communication and crying

You’ll be well aware that your baby can whimper, moving on rapidly to loud crying when hungry or uncomfortable! At this age it’s normal for babies to cry for anything from 1 to 6 hours a day but this should settle down in a few weeks.At other times when contented they’ll make little ‘throaty’ grunts and noises.

Your little one already prefers social contact to other stimuli so will maintain eye contact with you, recognise your face close up and stop crying when you pick them up or talk to them. You’re already seeing early signs of that all-important first smile.

If your baby hasn’t already, they may lose their umbilical stump on their belly button over the next week or so. During this time it’s important to keep this area dry until the cord has completely fallen off.

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What activities and baby games will help my 2-week-old develop?

• Talk to your baby about what’s going on around them for example: Are you hungry? Let’s change your nappy. Do you want some milk?
• Make baby noises together to encourage your little one to listen and learn about turn-taking conversations
• Make faces and maintain lots of eye contact.
• Give your baby some tummy time every day by placing them to lie on their front for a few short minutes. Not all babies like this at first so maybe lie with them and talk, sing or wiggle a bright toy – just a minute or two daily helps to strengthen their back and shoulder muscles.