Unlike adults whose age is measured in years, babies are first measured in days, weeks, months and half years. Many women choose to count baby’s age at random, either counting by days, weeks or months, often for extended periods of time. So at what point should you start counting in months instead of weeks? Here’s a general guide based on the standard used by most parents.
- Baby is counted in days up till day 7 (1 week).
- Baby is counted in weeks up till week 8 (2 months) OR week 6-8 (generally for needles and health checks).
- Baby is counted in months based on the date of each month following that on which they were born.
- Baby is counted in years from age 2, with use of terminology such as ‘half’ up till age 5.
For counting specific months, the baby is counted based on the same date each month. For instance, if the baby was born on January 3rd, the baby would be 3 months on April 3rd. This calculation is used because the number of days in a month varies between 28 and 31 days. There are 52 weeks in a year but 48 if counted in strict 4-week units (12×4=48). Therefore, using the date on which baby was born makes for the easiest calculation.
The only exception to the above may be where a child needs to see a medical professional for a shot or checkup. In that case, the doctor or nurse may need more specific dates to make sure the child is on track in terms of weight and general health.
Susannah is a certified Birth Doula through Childbirth International and the founder of Trimester Talk. With a background in journalism and digital strategy, she combines evidence-based research with real-world knowledge to create accessible content about pregnancy and parenting. She’s a mother of two and stepmother of two more, all of them now teenagers.