11-week-old baby milestones, sleep, feeding and what to expect this week plus expert tips

It may seem like yesterday that you were pregnant but now, instead of your growing bump, there's an 11-week-old baby in its place. Where has the time gone? They're also nearing the end of the newborn period, known as the fourth trimester.

It may have been a whirlwind of sleepless nights dotted with joyful moments, but now that you're a bit more settled in your new role as mum, you'll start to pick up on your baby's cues and cries and learn to interpret them as best you can. While your almost three month old is busy growing, developing their brain and learning about the new world they live in, you may start to think about what development milestones your baby has reached.

From reaching to rolling over, sleep routines and feeding, every baby is different, but to get some expert insight into what to look out for, we speak to Heidi Skudder, a leading early years parent coach and founder of Positively Parenthood. We also ask baby sleep expert, Jo Tantum how to improve a baby's sleep routine at 11 weeks old.

Development milestones for 11-week-old baby

At this stage, your baby has likely grown nearly three inches since birth and may have gained about 2-3 pounds. You'll soon notice that they're outgrowing their newborn clothes and perhaps getting ready to transition from a Moses basket to a cot. Their arms and legs may start to straighten out, and those adorable chubby cheeks are filling in as they develop fat pads.

Movement milestones

As they start kicking and punching more, you’ll notice they’re gaining more control over their muscles and improving coordination. Some babies may do more than others like rolling over, others may have a stronger grip or have enough control to push up their little head during tummy time.

Reaching and grabbing

Your baby is getting more used to reaching and grabbing objects. Place bright toys within reach during tummy time or while they’re seated. This not only helps improve their coordination but also keeps them entertained and helps them focus their eyes on something colourful. If they’re not reaching just yet, don't worry as all developmental milestones vary, and reaching often occurs between three and six months.

Sleep patterns and routine for 11-week-old baby

At this stage, your baby may begin sleeping in longer stretches at night, typically five to six hours. The average amount of sleep is about 14-17 hours in a 24-hour period, with around 10 hours at night and the rest spread over 3-4 daytime naps - some may be shorter and some could be longer. A 3 month old may sleep 4 - 5 hours during the day but this all helps in establishing a more regular cycle of eating and sleeping over 24 hours as they start to develop their circadian rhythm, eventually leading to a solid, good night's sleep for both of you.

Establishing a routine

Your baby is starting to understand the difference between nighttime sleep and daytime sleep but if they're still walking a lot at night, don't panic – you’ll get there eventually. Also, don’t worry if your baby is not fitting into one particular sleep routine; every baby is different, and they’ll still be waking up to feed during the day and night and will soon establish one with a little help from you.

Wake windows

This basically refers to the time a baby stays awake between naps. It's a good idea to jot these down so you can track them. Most babies can comfortably stay awake 60 - 120 minutes at 3 months, but we suggest paying attention to their mood and energy levels; if you start seeing them yawning or staring into space, it could be a sleep cue to signal they're ready for their nap.

Dummies and night wakings

If your baby is waking you up in the night when their dummy falls out, it may be time to stop using it at bedtime. Although they find it comforting, you want to try and avoid your baby becoming dummy dependent. You’ll have a few sleepless nights at first, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Baby sleep tips for 11 week old baby

• If you’re worried their daytime naps aren’t frequent enough or long enough, baby sleep expert Jo Tantum says to watch out for these tired signs; "Rubbing eyes and ears, staring into space, getting grumpy, yawning." If this happens she suggests taking them into their room. "Total blackout, sleeping bag and cuddles, try wave sounds to help calm them, too."

• "Try giving them a comforter to hold – I suggest a muslin square knotted in the middle as this helps as their motor reflexes are wanting to grab things so this can really help comfort them."

• At bedtime avoid stimulation, try and keep older kids away from your baby and ensure the environment is ready for bedtime to establish a routine i.e low lighting, bath, massage, reading a book, or singing a lullaby, then bed.

Sensory and cognitive development for 11-week-old baby

Cause and effect

Heidi says at this stage there's no better fun for them than being able to interact with you up close and personal. While their coordination won’t be fully developed for months, they should be improving their movements and will soon become less jagged and a tad more controlled. You’ll notice this when they reach out to hit something dangling above them. This early playtime is an important part of their cognitive development and helps them understand cause and effect – when they hit something, it moves. "It is a wonderful stage which allows you to be fully present with your baby, something we don’t do much of these days," she adds.

Hand-eye co-ordination

Early play is a great time to test to hand-eye co-ordination, so keep them stimulated with hanging toys. Try hanging them over your baby’s chest and not eye level. Keeping it lower down to their chest, will make it easier for them to reach for. It’s also beneficial to use noisy toys, as they help your baby understand where sounds come from and you may notice they’re much more engaged with different types of music. Additionally, you can use gestures to teach your baby sign language to enhance their communication skills and understanding of language.

Cooing and communication

While they won’t be talking for a while, by 11 weeks, you may notice they respond to your chatter or your singing, often cooing in the most adorable way when you leave them time to reply. "Babies learn through imitation and by laying your baby on your lap with your knees up and talking to them." It’s a great start to developing language, as well as chatting to them when they’re happy and excitable, as your voice is by far their favourite to hear.

Personality development

As your baby starts to make regular faces and sounds, you’ll notice them developing a little personality. Let them to watch your facial expressions and respond to theirs, it will help them understand social interaction better. Heidi says "They will start to imitate faces and sounds back to you. For example, sticking your tongue out. Try it and see!"

Feeding and nutrition for 11-week-old baby

By 11 weeks, your baby will be taking more at each feed and, therefore, feeding less frequently. Heidi explains that you may notice a difference in your supply of breast milk saying it "will often start to regulate which means that milk doesn’t fall out quite so easily as it did at the beginning and you may notice less engorgement too." However, this isn't anything to worry about. "This doesn’t mean you don’t have enough milk, but that your body is starting to work out what exactly it needs for your baby."

About 5-6 feeds over 24 hours is average at this age, but if they’re feeding more or less than this, again, do not worry. You have to remember that as long as your baby is a healthy weight, you're doing something right! If you need a good guideline for feeding, if you’re using formula multiply your baby’s weight in kg by 180ml and divide this number by your baby’s daily feeds and they should seem content and not cranky.

For those who are breastfeeding, there’s less focus on how much baby drinks in terms of measurement - instead many mums follows baby’s cues. Another way to know that baby is feeding well, is to check their nappies are wet when you change them. They should have around 5 wet nappies a day.

"If feeding becomes a struggle and baby shows fussy behaviour at this age, do consider a tongue tie assessment as it is not uncommon for this to be something that comes up as a theme with babies of this age." Heidi suggests.

Dealing with colic

If colic has been an issue, you might see some improvement now. As babies grow, colic symptoms often decrease, much to the relief of parents.

Baby’s digestive changes

If you're unsure what to look for in your baby’s nappy, our baby poo guide should help. As your baby is feeding less, you may notice they’re not pooing as often. Some babies can go days without pooing – it might sound worrying, but it's completely normal, as long as the stool they pass is soft and painless. The only time to worry is if your baby seems constipated, or your baby seems in pain while pooing.

Your baby may also start to develop gas, to help with this, try feeding in an upright position. Also frequent burping may help so sit them up and gently rub and tap their back or try sitting them on your knee and moving them around in a circle clockwise and then anti clockwise. If gas is causing them a little discomfort, you can also gently move their legs in a bicycling motion but be careful not to do this immediately after feeding as their milk won't be fully digested.

Health and safety tips for 11-week-old baby

Flat head syndrome

If your baby doesn’t like spending time on their tummy (which is very normal – a lot of babies don’t), you may notice the constant time on their back is causing a flat spot to appear on their head. This is flat head syndrome and can be managed by reducing the amount of time your baby spends on their back and doing more tummy time. Ease them into tummy time and do it a few minutes every day and then extend this over time.

Crying with purpose

Your baby’s crying may be louder and more purposeful now. They’re starting to understand they can get what they want, be it soothing or something else by crying. You’ll start to tell the difference between what each cry means with time. Don’t worry if you’re finding this difficult, babies usually settle down with their crying around three months.

Postnatal depression

Postnatal depression can occur at any time in the first year after having your baby. With it affecting between 10 to 15 in every 100 women who have a baby, you’re definitely not alone. Are you overwhelmed by guilt or feelings of failure? Do you feel like everything could go wrong and it’s all your fault? You may want to visit your doctor and talk about the possibility of postnatal depression.

It’s always helpful to stay connected with other parents or support groups, as they can offer encouragement and practical advice. Try and join some local groups or take your baby to some local classes (baby yoga or baby massage or swimming after your baby turns 3 months). Remember, every baby is different, and comparing milestones can lead to unnecessary worry.

Practical parenting tips - looking after yourself

While your newborn baby is learning about the world they live in, you're also learning about them and more important about yourself, as a new mum. Remember to take it easy on yourself, don't fret if you haven't done the cleaning and the washing, it can all wait. If you're breastfeeding, make your peace with the fact that you'll be feeding for most of the day. If you're struggling with remembering how much milk your baby drank if you're bottle feeding, write it down in a little note pad along with the time they last fed. This will help your frazzled mind. Stay active by talking short strolls around your neighbourhood to begin with to help you get confident about being out of the house with your baby. If you're nervous or anxious, ask a friend, neighbour or family member to tag along the first few times if you feel it would help.

Helpful reminders

11-week immunisations

Your baby’s 12-week immunisation is just around the corner. At eight weeks, they received their first round of vaccines, and in another week, they’ll receive the next round, which includes a second dose of the 6-in-1 vaccine, the Rotavirus vaccine, and the PCV vaccine for pneumococcal infections. Preparing yourself mentally for this appointment can make it a little easier, especially if you found the first experience difficult.

Babyproofing your home

If you haven't already, consider baby proofing your home as early as possible. It’s time to clear away all those tiny or unsanitary objects that could be choking hazards as babies explore first and foremost with their mouths, so your baby is likely starting to chew almost everything it finds. Don’t be alarmed by this new-found habit, it's completely normal for babies to discover new objects in this way and they'll probably keep it up until they’re around two years old. There’s also a positive to this new trait – it can actually help your baby develop their chewing muscles when they move onto solid food in a few months’ time.

Conclusion
The more time you spend with your baby, the more confident you'll become picking up their cues and cries. Remember every baby is different as is every mum so if your baby hasn't reached every milestone this week, it's nothing to worry about, they will in their own time. Use this time to bond as much as you can with your baby, as this early stage does fly by.

About the expert

Jo Tantum spent 3 years studying and training for a Community Childcare Course and the NNEB diploma (Nursery Nurse Education Board) within that training she worked in the City Hospital’s paediatric ward, a baby unit with babies from 6 weeks old and a nursery for 3-5 years old. She encourages confident parenting and gently guides parents to better understand their babies, based on their natural feeding and sleeping patterns.

Heidi Skudder, is a leading early years parent coach and founder of Positively Parenthood where she helps new parents create positive sleep habits for their babies and offers successful parenting advice.

About the author

Stephanie Spencer is the Deputy Digital Editor at Mother&Baby and auntie to four aged 8 to 6 months old. With a particular interest in health, she loves discovering products that make parent’s lives easier.