🍼 Age-based baby guide

Week 7: Many babies are turning into very curious little companions, with brighter smiles, louder coos, stronger kicks, and longer quiet-awake times where they carefully watch you and the room as if they are studying their new life.

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Around seven weeks, lots of babies spend more time calmly awake, moving their arms and legs in smoother bursts and turning their head towards familiar faces, sounds, or a nearby window.
Social smiles, happy squeaks, and soft “ah” or “goo” sounds often appear more often now, especially when you talk, sing, or copy your baby’s expressions during cosy one-to-one moments.
Feeding is still a big part of the day, but some parents notice their baby latches faster, drinks in a steadier rhythm, and sometimes pauses mid-feed to grin or stare up at them.
Sleep usually still comes in many short chunks spread across day and night, and there is a very wide range of total sleep from baby to baby, so broken nights are still common at this stage.
Nappies are often heavier now with regular wees and soft poos, and parents usually know their baby’s usual pattern well, so changes in nappies or behaviour can stand out quickly.
Many families have health checks around this age, which can be a good time to talk about feeding, sleep, crying, and how everyone at home is coping, and to ask any questions on your mind.

Feeding

Guide

At around week 7 many babies still feed often both day and night, and responsive feeding – offering breast or bottle when they show early hunger cues like stirring, rooting, or sucking their hands – usually fits well with their small tummies and steady growth.
Some parents notice that feeds feel more organised now, with their baby finding a comfortable position, sucking and swallowing in a regular pattern, and relaxing their hands and shoulders as their tummy fills.
Wet nappies across the day, soft poos, and routine weight checks with a midwife, health visitor, or paediatrician are often looked at together as part of seeing how feeding is going overall.

Sleep

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At seven weeks many babies still sleep for many hours over 24 hours, but this is usually split into short stretches, and it is common for them to wake several times at night for feeds and comfort.
Parents are often advised to place their baby on their back in a clear, flat sleep space in the same room as an adult, keeping pillows, duvets, and soft toys away from the baby’s face and avoiding smoke in the room to support safer sleep.
Some families gently show the difference between day and night by keeping daytime naps in normal light and household sounds, and making night-time care calmer and dimmer, without expecting strict routines or long unbroken nights yet.

Pee and Pooping

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By this stage many babies have a fairly steady pattern of wet nappies and soft poos that may be mustard yellow, brown, or slightly green, and loud squirts or very serious “poo faces” are still very common sights.
Some babies poo several times a day, while others poo less often but in larger amounts, and parents usually know their own baby’s usual rhythm and spot changes quickly.
Contact your midwife, health visitor, paediatrician or local emergency service if wet or dirty nappies suddenly become very rare, or if you see very pale poo, blood, or other changes that worry you.

Learning

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Around seven weeks many babies are practising early social skills, such as watching your face closely, trying out a social smile, and making little sounds when you talk, sing, or copy them.
Several times a day, for a few minutes when your baby is calm and awake, you might chat in simple sentences, repeat the same song, or slowly move your face or a high-contrast toy from side to side so they can follow with their eyes, stopping when they look away or seem tired.
Short, watched bits of tummy time on your chest, across your lap, or on a firm surface help your baby practise lifting and turning their head and build neck and shoulder strength for later rolling and sitting, and these can be as playful as one song or rhyme at a time.

Sources

This content is general information only and is not medical advice. If you are worried about your baby, contact your midwife, health visitor, paediatrician, or local emergency service.