Wondering what to expect in your fourth week with a newborn? Here’s everything you need to know going into newborn schedule week 4.
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You’ve made it to week 4 so you’re in the home stretch of the first month! It goes by fast doesn’t it? You’ve probably changed hundreds of diapers at this point and nursed or bottle fed countless times. But looking back on your first month, you’ll realize you’re a lot stronger than you thought you were. Taking care of a newborn on zero hours of sleep is not for the faint of heart!
The fourth week will be a lot like the third week. Your baby may be able to stay awake a little bit longer than they could last week, but overall, no significant changes. In addition, you’re still going to want to prioritize the minimum of 8 feedings a day to keep up with baby’s nutritional needs.
This post is all about newborn schedule week 4.
General Tips
Feedings
In general, you can still expect your newborn baby to eat 8-12 times per day. Breastfed babies tend to eat more often than formula fed babies. Furthermore, looking for early hunger cues will help ensure that your baby is getting enough to eat. Early hunger cues include: lip smacking, rooting, and sucking on anything nearby.
Looking for early hunger cues will also encourage you to feed your little one on demand and not rely so much on scheduled feeds. Sometimes, your baby may eat 1 ounce for one feeding then 3 ounces the next. So he or she may be ready to eat again in as little as 1 hour or as much as 3. Schedules are extremely helpful to reference but you always want to make sure you feed your little one whenever he or she shows any signs of hunger.
Diapers
Keeping track of wet and dirty diapers is a great way to ensure that your baby is getting enough to eat. You’ll want to keep looking for at least 3 yellow stools (may be a little brown if formula-fed) and 6 wet diapers per day at this age.
Your baby may have more or less bowel movements than this but the key is consistent weight gain. We made sure to buy the diapers with a wetness indicator line, as well as a baby scale whenever we were in doubt. Babies’ weights fluctuate so often so I wouldn’t go overboard with the scale. Once a week is a good frequency to keep track of his or her weight.
As far as the amount of weight that your baby should be gaining, all babies are different. As long as he or she is not losing weight, that’s great. But if you’re concerned at the pace of weight gain, it would be a good idea to reach out to your pediatrician or lactation consultant.
Sleep
You can still expect your baby to sleep 14-17 hours in a day, usually in 30 minute to 4 hour stretches. I would never let my baby take naps longer than 2-3 hours during the day because I wanted those longer stretches at night, but you have to do what works best for you.
You may notice that your baby can sleep longer at night at this age. Whereas in the beginning where he or she would wake up to feed 2 or 3 times, it may be once or twice now. If your baby is still waking up frequently at night to feed that’s also normal at this age. It’s very important to feed your little one when they’re hungry!
If your little one doesn’t seem to settle down right after a feed, they may not have taken a full feeding. Offer the breast or bottle again, burp them, swaddle, then try a pacifier before laying them down again.
It’s also normal for baby to have a later bed time in the newborn phase. Having a later bedtime (around 10pm) can also help cut down nighttime feedings. Once baby gets a little older at around 3 months, that’s when you typically start earlier bedtimes because they will be taking less naps.
Playtime
After a diaper change and feeding session, your little one is likely ready to play. That’s perfect for doing tummy time for at least 10 minutes a day. I was never advised by my pediatrician to do tummy time with my daughter and I was so glad I came across it on the internet and by talking to other moms.
It’s one of the best ways to help your baby strengthen their neck and core muscles, and best of all, help them reach their milestones. Often times, you do tummy time without even realizing it. Doing it on a hard surface may be a little early at this point, but placing the baby, tummy down, on your chest counts.
Babies are made for human interaction. So some of our favorite ways to play with our daughter when we first brought her home were:
- Tummy time
- House tours
- Funny faces
- Talking
- Reading
- Singing
Growth Spurts
Your baby has likely had about 3 growth spurts already! It’s amazing how quickly they grow. There are no more growth spurts in this first month but you can expect yet another one at around 6 weeks.
One of the best steps you can take in this first month is to buy lots of inexpensive baby clothes because they outgrow them so fast. All babies grow at different rates though, but it’s a good idea to have those bigger sizes laying around just in case.
Since you’re changing diapers so often, the zipper pajamas are a life saver. My baby lived in them for the whole first month and you can buy them in packs of 3 or 5. If you grab some zipper pajamas and onesies, you have 90% of the baby clothes you need for the first month, I swear.
Another thing that happens during growth spurts is cluster feeding. It’s common for your baby to want to eat more often during a growth spurt, which is totally normal. It can occur at different times of the day and he or she could also be fussier and harder to calm down. So that’s another thing to keep an eye out for.
Doctor Visits
Your baby will have many check-ups before they turn 1. If your baby is healthy then these check-ups will be super quick. They are mainly for you as a parent for any questions you may have and to ease your mind about any concerns. They are also for vaccines, and for the doctor to ensure that your little one is on track to meet their milestones.
You’ve probably had one or two well-visits so far, with the next one being when baby is 1 month old. Hopefully you don’t have to go in anymore before that 1 month well-visit!
Newborn Schedule Week 4
Below is a sample newborn schedule for the fourth week. There’s a really, really, small chance that your baby will follow this schedule to a tee, so I would use it as a light reference. Key things to focus on at this point in time is number of feedings (8 minimum) and total sleep (14 to 17 hours) for every 24 hours. You got this!
Early Morning – 7:00 a.m.
- Feeding and diaper change, hygiene care if needed
- Waketime: 30 to 60 minutes
- Down for a nap
Mid-morning – 9:30 a.m.
- Feeding and diaper change, hygiene care if needed
- Waketime: 30 to 60 minutes
- Down for a nap
Afternoon – 12:00 p.m.
- Feeding and diaper change, hygiene care if needed
- Waketime: 30 to 60 minutes
- Down for a nap
Mid-afternoon – 2:30 p.m.
- Feeding and diaper change, hygiene care if needed
- Waketime: 30 to 60 minutes
- Down for a nap
Late Afternoon – 5:00 p.m.
- Feeding (cluster feeding may occur) and diaper change, hygiene care if needed
- Waketime: 30 to 60 minutes
- Down for a nap
Early Evening – 7:30 p.m.
- Feeding (cluster feeding may occur) and diaper change, hygiene care if needed
- Waketime: 30 to 60 minutes
- Down for a nap
Late Evening – 10:00 p.m.
- Feeding, bath or hygiene care, diaper change, down for sleep.
Let baby sleep up to 4 hours at night before waking to feed, unless doctor gives the go-ahead for longer stretches
Middle of the Night – 1:00 a.m.
- Feeding if needed, diaper change if needed, and right back to sleep
Pre-morning – 4:00 a.m.
- Feeding if needed, diaper change if needed, and right back to sleep
This post was all about newborn schedule week 4.
