Discoverer: your baby at 6 to 8 weeks
Hands come into view for the first time, and they turn out to belong to them.
At 6 to 8 weeks most babies sleep 14 to 17 hours a day, feed 7 to 10 times, and stay awake about 1 to 1.5 hours at a time. Social smiling is usually established, head lifting during tummy time improves, and many babies discover their own hands. Crying typically starts easing after eight weeks.
Two things tend to shift in this fortnight. Babies become properly sociable, smiling back and cooing in response, and they start noticing their own body, staring at a fist as though it arrived from nowhere. Night sleep may lengthen a little for some. This is also when many babies have their two month or six to eight week review and first vaccinations.
Discoverer at a glance
Typical ranges for 6 to 8 weeks. Every baby moves at their own pace.
| What | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Age range | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Typical sleep | 14 to 17 hours in 24 hours |
| Wake windows | about 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Feeds per day | 7 to 10 |
| Longest sleep stretch | 3 to 5 hours, varies widely |
| Social smiling | usually established by around 8 weeks |
| Crying | near its peak, then easing after about 8 weeks |
| Health check | 6 to 8 week review, first vaccinations around 8 weeks |
What may be happening
Body
- Most babies can lift their head during tummy time by about two months, holding it up for a few seconds at a time.
- Hands begin to unclench between grips, and fingers often find their way into the mouth.
- Kicking becomes stronger and more rhythmic as the legs straighten out of the tucked newborn curl.
- Movement generally looks more fluid and wriggly and less jerky than it did a month ago.
Brain
- Many babies start following a moving object with their eyes and can hold a face in focus for longer stretches.
- Staring at their own hand is common at this stage, and it is the beginning of linking sight to body.
- Cooing and vowel sounds tend to become more frequent, often as a direct answer to your voice.
- Random eye drifting usually settles around 2 to 3 months as the eye muscles coordinate.
Connection
- A social smile in response to your face or voice is generally reliable by around eight weeks.
- Many babies now calm when spoken to or picked up, which is a recognised two month milestone.
- Back and forth exchanges begin, where you speak, your baby answers with a sound, and pausing for their turn matters.
- Crying commonly peaks around 6 to 8 weeks, then falls week by week from there.
Sleep at 6 to 8 weeks
Sleep usually still totals 14 to 17 hours, but the shape changes. Some babies begin a longer first stretch at night of 4 to 5 hours, while others stay on 2 to 3 hour cycles, and both are normal. Awake stretches often run about 1 to 1.5 hours. A body clock starts forming around this age, so bright active days and dim quiet nights begin to have an effect. Back sleeping on a firm flat surface remains the guidance.
| Sleep | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Total sleep in 24 hours | 14 to 17 hours |
| Longest stretch | 3 to 5 hours, varies widely |
| Naps per day | 4 to 5, still irregular |
| Wake window | about 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Day and night rhythm | starting to form |
Feeding
Most babies settle into slightly fewer, larger feeds. Breastfed babies often nurse 7 to 9 times a day by one to two months, down from 8 to 12 in the newborn weeks. Formula fed babies commonly take about 4 to 5 ounces every 3 to 4 hours by around two months. Individual feeds may become noticeably quicker. Evening cluster feeding is still common and often eases over the coming weeks.
- Fewer and longer feeds, rather than less milk overall, is the usual pattern shift at this age.
- At least 6 wet nappies a day continues to be the everyday check on intake.
- Breastfed babies may go a day or more between stools from around six weeks, which can be normal when they are comfortable and gaining.
- Breast milk or formula meets all nutritional needs at this age, and solids are generally not recommended until around six months.
Questions parents ask
How long should a 7 week old sleep at night?
There is no single answer at seven weeks. Some babies start a longer first stretch of 4 to 5 hours, while many still wake every 2 to 3 hours, and both sit inside normal. Total sleep across 24 hours is usually 14 to 17 hours. Longer night stretches often arrive around 2 to 3 months, when some babies sleep 5 to 6 hours at a time, though plenty do not.
Why does my baby stare at their hands?
Because they have just discovered they exist. Around six to eight weeks, vision sharpens enough for a hand to come into focus, and babies often watch their own fist move without yet realising they control it. This is the early groundwork for reaching, which typically arrives around three to four months. Long stretches of hand watching are a good sign of visual attention rather than boredom.
Is it normal for a 7 week old not to smile yet?
It can be. The first social smile most commonly appears around 6 to 8 weeks, but some babies take until nine or ten weeks, and babies born early are usually assessed on their corrected age. Well rested, calm, face to face moments give the best chance of seeing one. If there is still no social smile by around three months, raise it at your next appointment.
What happens at the 6 to 8 week baby check?
In the UK, a GP carries out a physical examination at 6 to 8 weeks covering eyes, heart and hips, along with weight, length and head measurement, and first vaccinations follow at 8 weeks. In the US, the equivalent well child visit is usually at two months with the same first round of immunisations. Feeding, sleep and parental wellbeing are normally discussed too.
Does crying get better after 8 weeks?
Usually yes. Infant crying tends to rise from around two weeks, peak somewhere near 6 to 8 weeks, then reduce week by week, with most families noticing a clear difference by three months. It is one of the more predictable patterns in early infancy. If your baby is crying three or more hours a day on most days, or the crying sounds different or pained, get them checked.
More questions about 6 to 8 weeks
The things parents actually search for at this stage. Tap any question to open it.
Why does my 7 week old sleep more after their vaccinations?
Extra sleepiness for a day or two after vaccinations is common, and so is mild fussiness or a slightly raised temperature. Most babies are back to normal within 48 hours. Because a fever in a baby under three months always needs assessment, ring your clinic about any temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher rather than assuming it is the jab.
Is it normal for a 7 week old to fuss and pull away during feeds?
It is common. A fast let down, wind, tiredness or simply being finished can all cause it, and babies at this age also start noticing the room. Steady weight gain and at least 6 wet nappies a day are the reassuring signs. Repeated feed refusal, arching with pain or poor gain deserves a feeding assessment.
Why does my 8 week old suck their fist all the time?
Hands reaching the mouth is a two month development, and sucking is a self soothing reflex long before it means hunger or teething. Many babies do it when tired, winding down or mildly hungry. It is generally a good sign of emerging body awareness. Teething is unusual this early, with first teeth typically arriving from around six months.
Should I worry if my 8 week old still cannot hold their head up?
Steady head control is not expected at eight weeks. Most babies can lift the head briefly during tummy time by around two months, but it still wobbles and needs support when they are held. A head that stays completely floppy with no lifting at all, or a body that feels unusually stiff or limp, should be reviewed.
Is it normal for my baby to sleep 6 hours one night and 2 the next?
Yes. Night sleep is highly variable at this age, and a long stretch does not usually repeat straight away. Growth spurts, a busy day, illness or a developmental leap can all shorten it again. Looking at the 24 hour total, usually 14 to 17 hours, gives a more useful picture than any single night.
Why does my baby smile at some people and not others?
Early social sorting starts around this age. Babies tend to smile most readily at the faces they see most, and may simply stare at less familiar people. Tiredness and overstimulation also make smiles harder to draw out. This is normal preference forming rather than shyness, and it usually broadens over the coming months.
How much tummy time should a 2 month old have?
Common guidance is short, frequent sessions while your baby is awake and supervised, building gradually as tolerance grows. Many families reach a total of 15 to 30 minutes across a day by two months, spread over several goes. Chest to chest on a reclined parent and tummy time across your lap both count.
Is it normal for a 7 week old to drool a lot?
Yes. Saliva production increases around this age and babies cannot yet swallow it efficiently, so drooling is common well before teething. First teeth typically appear from around six months. Drooling with feeding difficulty, coughing during feeds or a persistent rattly chest is different and should be mentioned to your doctor.
Why does my 8 week old scream the moment I put them down?
Being put down removes warmth, movement, smell and the sound of your heartbeat all at once, and a two month old has no way to bridge that gap. Protest is common and does not mean a habit is forming. A slow transfer, hand on chest and low light often help. It usually eases over the coming months.
Can my 2 month old sleep in a swing or a bouncer?
Current safe sleep guidance is that babies should sleep on their back on a firm, flat, separate surface, and that inclined or sitting devices are not for sleep. If your baby falls asleep in a swing, car seat or bouncer, the usual advice is to move them to a flat safe sleep surface as soon as you reasonably can.
Is my 8 week old having a growth spurt or is something wrong?
A growth spurt usually looks like a few days of extra feeding, lighter sleep and more fussing in a baby who is otherwise well, then a return to normal. What separates it from illness is the rest of the picture: wet nappies, temperature, alertness and skin colour. Fever, fewer wet nappies or unusual lethargy needs a same day call.
Why does my baby stare at ceilings, lamps and fans?
High contrast edges and movement are exactly what a two month old visual system finds easiest to lock onto, and a dark fan against a pale ceiling is close to ideal. It is a sign that attention is lengthening. Faces still hold the strongest pull, but they cannot compete with a moving fan for pure contrast.
Should my 2 month old be on a schedule yet?
Most babies are not on a clock at two months, and a fixed schedule rarely holds. A repeatable order of events, such as feed, awake time, wind down, sleep, tends to work better than set times. The body clock is only starting to form around now, so predictable days usually arrive over the following months.
Is it normal for my 8 week old's poo to change colour?
Yellow, green, mustard and seedy stools are all common, and colour often shifts with feeding. Formula fed babies tend toward firmer, tan stools. What matters more is comfort and consistency. Chalky white or pale stools, black stools after the first week, or blood in the nappy need same day medical advice.
When to check in with your doctor
Willo is a parenting companion, not a medical app. If something feels off, ask.
- A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher in a baby under 3 months needs urgent medical assessment, day or night, including after vaccinations.
- No reaction to loud sounds, or no sign of following your face or a moving object with their eyes.
- A head that stays completely floppy with no lifting at all during tummy time by around two months, or a body that feels unusually stiff or limp.
- Feeding refusal, far fewer wet nappies, laboured breathing, or a baby who is much harder than usual to wake.
Walk Discoverer with someone who gets it
This page is the map. Willo is the daily companion: what to expect today, gentle nudges for this exact phase, and somewhere to put how you are feeling.
Download WilloFree tools for this age
No sign up, no email. They run in your browser.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Movement Milestones: Birth to 3 Months
- Nemours KidsHealth. Sleep and Your Newborn
- NHS. Baby Reviews
- American Academy of Pediatrics. How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe
Last reviewed 2026-08-24. Ranges are typical, not targets.
