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Baby at 6–12 weeks: sleep rhythm, feeding and development
Stage: 6–12 weeks
Sleep
14–16 hoursper 24 hours
60–90 minawake between naps
45 min–2 hoursper nap
a rhythm starts to form: 4–5 naps a day
Feeding
Breastfeed on demand; feeding gradually becomes more predictable.
Formula: 6–8 feeds a day, 90–120 ml. Around 6 weeks many babies hit another growth spurt — extra demand is part of it.
Nappy size
Size 2, 3–6 kg.
Development at this stage
- First social smile
- Lifts head briefly during tummy time
- Follows a moving object with the eyes
- Makes cooing sounds
Care & things to watch
- Bathing: 2–3 times a week remains enough
- Daily vitamin D drops continue if breastfed
- 8-week vaccinations: the 6-in-1 vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Hib, hepatitis B), MenB and rotavirus — your GP surgery will invite you
- The 6–8 week review: your GP checks the baby (hips, heart, eyes, testes) and mum's recovery
- Regular supervised tummy time helps prevent a flat spot on the back of the head
- Around 6 weeks a growth spurt can mean extra feeding and temporarily unsettled sleep — normal, and it passes
Want this matched to your own baby?
The interactive dashboard (enter a birth date once, see what matters this week) is currently available in Dutch — an English version is on its way.
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