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Your baby at 7 – 8 weeks: development milestones & what to expect
Learn what to expect at 7–8 weeks – baby milestones, immunisations and tips on making time for yourself during the early weeks.
2 min
Almost two months into this parenting journey and you may start to recognise yourself or your partner when you look at your little one. Do they have the family nose? Their daddy’s eyes? Their siblings’ exact expressions? It’s hard to imagine right now how they will look in a year or two’s time, but when you look back at these baby pictures, you’ll be able to recognise the person they’ve become.
Physical development milestones from 7 – 8 weeks
Your baby is probably a couple of pounds heavier and a few inches longer than they were at birth – not that they’re the easiest to measure, given how little they lie flat! Keep practicing tummy time to help with muscle development; now that they’re more interested in the world around them, they might be able to bear a little longer on their play mat and lifting their heads.
Talking of heads, those soft bits on the back of their head – the posterior fontanelle – should be closed by now, though the front (anterior) fontanelle doesn’t usually close until much later, usually by 18 months.
You might also notice some changes in the way your little one’s hair is growing – if they were born with lots, they may have worn a bald patch onto the back of their heads from lying down all the time. If they were born without much hair, it will likely be growing in around now, though all babies are different.
Milestone checklist
- Press-ups – Some babies will start trying to push themselves up from the floor as early as 8 weeks, a mammoth effort at this age.
- Coos and gurgles – The range of sounds your little one produces will have increased, so you can have a nice chat.
- Strong necks – Your little one will soon be able to hold up their head independently. Until then, make sure you support their head and neck.
Child brain development at 7 – 8 weeks
Your little one is going through another developmental leap during this period, which can once again cause some fussiness while their brains adjust to the additional processing capabilities. Increased sensory awareness – manifesting in a greater interest in the world around them – can wear them out, disrupting sleep patterns. (If you had found any sleep patterns!) But all this is good news for your baby, who is learning more about the world around them every day. Try a game of peek-a-boo and see how they respond. Some babies love it straight away, while others look a little confused at first.
Social & Emotional Development
The delightful range of coos and gurgles your baby produces makes chatting with them feel much more natural, since you’re more likely to get a response! Talk to your baby throughout the day – it doesn’t matter if you’re pointing out colours or complaining about politics, it’s all the same to them at this age and fills their brain with a wide range of sounds to copy.
Now that your little one finds it easier to recognise faces and engage with the world around them, it’s also great for other important people in their life to spend time chatting and singing with them, giving them plenty of (real-life) face time to help build their understanding of the world. Hand them over to family members and friends and give yourself a well-earned uninterrupted cuppa.
Sleep & Feeding
Rhythms and routines at this stage
Both sleep and feeding might be disrupted by the current developmental leap, as babies can be too distracted to feed – or too sleep-deprived to last the full feed without falling asleep. Play it by ear and continue feeding on demand. It may not be ideal for you, but it’s what they need right now.
In terms of sleep, if your little one isn’t too badly affected by all this new sensory stimulation, you might find they can sleep for up to 6 hours overnight uninterrupted – but no promises. Daytime naps should also be falling into some kind of routine, though it’s likely still a case of ‘little and often’ rather than the more concentrated naps they’ll ease into in a few months’ time. Rather than timing naps, try timing awake periods to see if you can capture how long your baby tends to be awake before signs of tiredness start to show. These observations might be useful in trying to figure out some kind of schedule.
Reflux
A little bit of regurgitation is normal, but if your little one is regularly bringing up a lot of milk, it’s worth talking to your GP or health visitor about ways to help them keep it down. Things to try at home first include:
- Keeping your baby upright for longer after a feed
- Giving them breaks mid-feed to allow their stomach to settle
- Trying to feed in a more upright position
Your GP might want to check if your baby is suffering with a cows’ milk allergy – which can affect both breastfed and formula-fed babies and causes symptoms very similar to reflux. If it is reflux, though, they may recommend medicines to reduce stomach acid for breastfed babies, or – for formula-fed babies – switching to a formula that is designed to improve symptoms. It’s important to only make this switch on a doctor’s recommendation.
Dummies
Fussy babies are often soothed by sucking, but it’s difficult to know whether introducing a dumm y is the right thing for your baby. At the end of the day, you have to do what feels right for you and your baby, bearing in mind the following:
- If breastfeeding, only introduce a dummy once breastfeeding is well established
- Dummies can mask signs of hunger, so be careful not to answer your little one’s feeding cues with a dummy
- Dummies should be cleaned and sterilised regularly to avoid infection
- Aim to phase out dummy use between 6 and 12 months to avoid affecting mouth and speech development
Appointments in this period
At 8 weeks, your baby will be due for their first set of immunisations. In this round, your baby will have the 6-in-1 vaccination, which protects them against diphtheria, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B, polio, tetanus and whooping cough. They will also have the rotavirus vaccine (administered by mouth), and the MenB vaccine.
The MenB and the 6-in-1 vaccines are injected into your baby’s thighs, which can feel a little upsetting – but the positives far outweigh the negatives on this one. Any of these illnesses could be very dangerous to your baby, and the possible side-effects of these vaccinations won’t last long. Look out for high temperatures, soreness at the vaccination site and an upset tummy. Treat the temperature with baby paracetamol (look for the bottle labelled ‘suitable from 2 months’) and plenty of cuddles, and make sure you both stay hydrated, continuing to feed your little one on demand.
Looking after yourself
These immunisations, on top of a developmental leap, can make this a tough couple of weeks for you. In particular, some people find it distressing to watch their baby be injected. Remind yourself this is all for a good reason, and doing it makes you a good parent – not a bad one. Ask your partner or a friend or family member to go with you for the appointment for moral support – or to help hold your baby steady while it’s all happening.
On the sleep front, see if you can work out a schedule with your partner that gives you time for a nap – perhaps at the end of their work day, but early enough that it doesn’t spoil your nighttime sleep. If that’s not possible, weekends are definitely your time for a well-earned lie-in.
When one parent is at home with baby and the other is out to work, it can feel like the stay-at-home person is the baby ‘expert’ and the working parent has to turn to them with questions. But you were both total newbies just a few weeks ago! It’s worth ensuring that both parents feel equally ‘in charge’ of parenting at this early stage – as far as possible – to avoid one of you becoming the default parent forever more. Being the default parent means carrying all the decision making and bearing the mental load, which is exhausting. Encouraging equality as much as possible now will help you avoid arguments later on.
A Note on Development Milestones
Developmental milestones are guides – not deadlines. If your baby isn’t ‘keeping up’ with your friends’ babies, it isn’t an immediate cause for concern. Every child develops at their own pace. That being said, your health visitor and GP are there to support you with any queries you might have and will always be happy to see you with your baby if you have any worries.
