Newborn Week 3: What to Expect
Your baby's development, feeding, sleep, your postpartum body, mental health, and what to watch for this week.
What your baby looks like at week 3
Birth weight regained for almost all babies. Skin is mostly clear (some baby acne may peak now). Cord stump usually off; bellybutton heals over the next week. Eyes track better. Baby looks more "filled out." Some babies have noticeable head growth this week.
Baby's development this week
Brief alert windows are longer (15–20 min at a time). Vision still 8–12 inches but baby holds gaze longer. May briefly hold head up during tummy time for a few seconds. Crying peaks this week — the "PURPLE crying" period (Peak around 4–8 weeks, Unexpected, Resists soothing, Pain-like face, Long-lasting, Evening cluster) is starting. This is developmental, not your fault.
Feeding at week 3
8–12 feeds per 24. Cluster feeding evenings intensify — babies may want to nurse every 30–60 minutes from 5 PM to midnight. This is supply-building, not "you don't have enough milk." Formula-fed babies typically take 2–3 oz per feed, 8–10 feeds per day, with possible cluster feeds in the evening too.
Sleep this week
14–17 hours total, possibly one 4–5 hour stretch at night. Wake windows 60–90 minutes. Witching hour fussiness usually 5 PM–10 PM is becoming a thing. Holding, motion, swaddle, sucking (pacifier OK now if breastfeeding is established), and white noise are your tools.
How your body is doing
Lochia transitions to brownish or yellowish (still flowing, lighter). Hair shedding starts around now or in week 4–6. Pelvic floor is still recovering — don't lift more than the baby + car seat. C-section incision is healing; you may feel zings of nerve regrowth. Sex is generally off-limits until the 6-week checkup; pleasure your body in other ways (rest, food, water, sunlight, a 10-minute walk).
Your mental health this week
If sadness is daily, intense, or includes intrusive thoughts about the baby being harmed — that's not baby blues. Postpartum anxiety (PPA) is especially common around now: racing thoughts, hypervigilance, checking the baby constantly, panic attacks, unable to sleep even when baby is sleeping. Treatable. Call your OB. PSI hotline: 1-800-944-4773.
When to call the pediatrician
Fever ≥100.4°F, refusal to feed, breathing concerns, prolonged inconsolable crying (3+ hours straight despite trying everything), blood in stool, bilious (green/yellow) vomiting, sudden behavior change, head injury from any fall.
Survival tips for week 3
Track when witching hour starts and ends — patterns emerge. Try a "fourth trimester" mix of soothing tools: 5 S's (swaddle, side/stomach hold, shushing, swinging, sucking). Get out of the house once a day for your own sanity. Accept that you will not have a clean kitchen for several more weeks. Try the "babywearing while pacing" combo for witching hour — it works for ~70% of newborns.
For your partner
Take witching hour off mom's plate as much as possible. Hold, walk, sing, pace. If breastfeeding is going well, a partner-bonding bottle can start around 4 weeks (some sources say 3) — feed the baby with mom in a different room so she gets a break.
Pediatric visits this week
No standard well-check this week. Continue tracking feeds + diaper count.
Gear focus
A swing or bouncer that meets safety standards (no inclined surfaces — only flat). A high-quality baby carrier if you haven't yet. White noise machine in baby's room. Bottle for partner if introducing.
Is this normal?
If you feel like you can't bond yet, or "love" feels like overwhelming responsibility more than warmth — that's extremely common and isn't a sign you're a bad parent. Many parents say bonding clicks somewhere between weeks 4–8. Keep showing up. The feeling follows the action.
Track your baby's wake windows
Newborn wake windows are short and shift weekly. The free Wake Windows Calculator gives you the right window for any age and helps prevent overtired meltdowns.
Open the calculator →