2 Months Old Baby Development & Milestones

The 2nd month also marks an exciting new milestone - Smiling. Both of you have come a long way in terms of adjusting to the new lifestyle and you sure are getting an handle on things. While you might still feel sleep deprived and exhausted, hang in there mama you are almost there. Soon your baby will sleep through nights or for most part and yay what a relief.

The 2 month mark also means your uterus has finally shrunk to your pre pregnancy self and you would also start to look and feel more and more better. Your baby has now picked up a few new fun and exciting skills and getting better at communication with each passing day. Let us look at the baby development milestones this month.

2nd Month Milestones:

You would be amazed at how much a baby learns in a span of just a month, there are so many new accomplishments and skills that your baby has learned in the past month but remember that every baby is different and has their own pace to reach the milestones, if your child is behind by a few weeks or yet to reach a milestone be patient as it doesn't usually mean anything is wrong with the baby .

Smile

The most exciting milestone of the month that melts your heart away - Smiling. Your little bubba has started to smile, how amazing is that. Every time you walk in, talk to your baby or just make foolish faces and sounds there comes the beautiful smile you can never get enough of. Right at this stage the very first time you see your little one smile and experience a surge of emotion, pat your back mama as you have done a fantastic job so far and the smile is a testament of just that.

Newborn Reflexes

Most of the newborn reflexes like rooting, sucking, startling, grasping, are now less and less noticeable and on the way to die down in a few weeks to come. You will notice deliberate controlled movements here on

Eyesight

Your baby's vision is improving each passing week, you will notice they can better focus to see nearby objects or your face and can follow with with their eyes. Not just that, they are now starting to see colors more clearly and love looking at anything vibrant.

Eye crossing over may still be seen occasionally at this stage and is normal, as the baby gets closer to 4 months of age it should be almost gone and none whatsoever at 6 months of age. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns relating the eye as its always good to bring up your worries so you are at peace.

Communication

You will notice your baby looking at the way your mouth moves while you talk and they try to respond by making cooing and gurgling sounds which starts to get more prominent and common at this point. Few babies start it earlier than 2 months while others may at 2 or later and all are normal. A few give or take is not a cause for concern.

Head & Neck Control

Your baby is becoming more comfortable at lifting the head and holding it up longer as the neck, back and core muscles are strengthening. Some can even lift their chest up a little and hold like a pushup. While it is still early for them to hold up their head independently throughout, they are preparing to get there soon.

Give them lots of tummy time to help their muscles development further and it also helps avoid flat head syndrome (flat spot, happens when baby spends most of the time lying in same position on the back) in babies.

Hearing

Spend a lot of time talking to your baby as they love listening to you and turn in the direction of your voice. Even though your baby can't talk yet, they love to listen and learn, by talking to them you are making them familiar to different words, pronunciations and sounds. All this lays the foundation for their language skills when they start talking.

Feeding Routine

Your baby's stomach is constantly growing too as they grow and so does the appetite. Most breastfed babies can go longer now up to 4 hours between feeds and sleep more through the night with very few interruptions.

Formula fed babies can drink up to 5 ounces or around 150ml and go 5 hours between feeds so longer sleep time in the night with exceptions always. Feed the baby on demand or if they seem hungry. While the above is a reference each baby and their needs are different so look for baby cues and act accordingly.

Your doctor would have recommended you to use Vit D drops, don't stop them until your doctor says so. In most cases it is not until your baby is 1 year old.

Popular Breastfeeding Positions

Sleep Pattern

They may still be clocking anywhere between 14 to 17hours of sleep each day but the wake time is going up during day and some start to even sleep throughout the night with just 1 break or none at all. While many still wake up during the night but the number also comes down here on.

They take 4-5 naps during the day so try to keep the naps shorter during the day so that your baby sleeps longer during the nights. While it is not possible to put your baby on any schedule yet, a few minor changes can go a long way. Try to put them to sleep the same time each day, as their feeding also starts getting predictable so will the sleep. Don't wait till the baby is exhausted or over stimulated, put them to sleep before they get tired to avoid making them cranky.

Related: Swaddling How Why and When

Height & Weight

The average weight for two month old baby girl is around 5kg and height of 22.5inches.

The average weight of two month old boy is around 5.5kg and height of about 23inches.

On an average babies grow 2 pounds or around 1kg in weight and about an inch in height each month until 6 months of age. Every child is unique and so is their growth rate so don't be alarmed if they are not close to these numbers as some babies may be above the average numbers and some take longer based on how much they feed, how often they feed, if they had a low birth weight or were premature or had any illnesses. Know that it is normal to fluctuate a little from the normal at this age, talk to your doctor about your concerns.

Fussiness & Colic

Your baby will be still going through the colic phase of uncontrollable long crying spells with irritability and more fussy than normal. Hang in there as it goes away on its own when the child turns around 4-5 months of age.

Some things to try - burp them during and after feeds, rub their backs and bounce them and walk, gentle rubs around their belly button in circular strokes to release gas. While there is not a lot you can do than to wait it out, but many believe it to be digestive distress so try the above and hopefully it helps.

3 Month old Baby Development & Milestones

4 Month old Baby Development & Milestones

2 Month Doctor Visit:

Doctors perform a thorough physical exam at the 2 month mark as well along with a plethora of vaccines to prevent contagious and deadly diseases like Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Influenza B, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus and Polio . Share your concerns, ask questions if any about the vaccines so you are aware of why they are needed. It is also strongly advised to never miss any vaccinations recommended by your doctor.

Your doctor or the nurse will check the height, weight and head measurements and map them against a chart to track progress here on. They will also do thorough physical exam just like the one at 1 Month mark of the baby from top to bottom to look for any anomalies or rashes or infections.

The doctor will also enquire about the baby's feeding pattern, sleep, bowl movements, any signs of fussiness or distress. Now would be the right time for you to bring up all your concerns however small so you can be at peace knowing everything is fine.