Newborn Guide
Newborn Guide

Newborn Week 6: Development, Sleep & What to Expect

👶

Week 6 of 12  ·  Month 1

6-week checkup — discuss feeding, sleep, and postpartum mood.

Development This Week

  • First genuine laughs possible
  • Responds to your smile with a smile
  • Holds head at 45° during tummy time
  • Beginning to bat at objects

Sleep

Total Sleep14–16 hrs
NoteCircadian rhythm beginning to develop — slightly longer nights

Feeding

🍼

6–9 feeds

feeds per day — feed on demand, watch for hunger cues

What to Expect

📋 This Week

6-week checkup — discuss feeding, sleep, and postpartum mood.

💡 Parent Tip

Light exposure in the morning helps establish the circadian rhythm faster — take baby outside or near a bright window in the morning.

Science Fact

🔬 Did You Know?

Social smiling requires coordinated activity between the visual cortex, limbic system, and facial motor cortex — a complex multi-region integration that develops around 6 weeks.

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Development Sleep Feeding What to Expect Science Fact
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