4 Months Old Baby Development & Milestones

The 4th month milestone mark is here and things are about to change for better, however tough, sleepless long nights you had trust me your bubba will have more scheduled and predictable sleep and feed patterns here on. Your little one has gone through a big deal of physical and mental growth and inching close to doubling their birth weight. There is so much to look forward to and a great deal of changes to see in your baby. Let us look at the baby development milestones this month.

4th Month Milestones:

Time to see more controlled deliberate movements, amazing hand eye coordination, stronger muscles, control and those irresistible laughs its time for it all. They have new found interest in things around them, colors, objects and yes now is the time to introduce some toys to entertain them.

Smiling and Laughing

If you were not sure if that was a laugh or smile your baby just gave you, it will become very obvious now on. They will grin and burst out laughing at all the goofy things you do and love to see familiar faces. Be playful and see how they burst out laughing in joy. If your baby is not there yet be patient and anytime this month it'll happen, while some may take a month or so more.

Hand Eye Coordination

Hand eye coordination is spot on this month and you will see your baby reaching to things they like, could be a toy or blanket or people. Those two little hands stretching out and grabbing things that fancy them will suddenly reach a point to where they start yanking your hair, earrings, glasses or anything shiny and interesting so be on the look out.

Toys and Colorful Objects

Your baby is beginning to notice things and wants to play with toys, rattles, colorful objects and things of interest. It is a good time to engage them with some toys, baby gym, play mates and activity center appropriate for their age and interest.

Head & Neck Control

Your baby should now or anytime now be able to hold their head up independently yay! That means so much more things to see, turn and look around all on their own without your support. This is a big milestone for your baby and a crucial one.

Babbling

Your baby will try to imitate the sounds and shape of your mouth while you make those sounds, talk to then often as they are listening, observing and taking it all in. It will come in handy when they start to talk.

Rolling Over

Your little one is growing up fast and they are restless to learn new skills and move forward. They should be able to roll over from their stomach to their back or trying to do so often this month. Be extra careful during nappy changes or when you leave them on any high platforms as they are getting mobile now and could roll over.

Feeding Routine

Your baby may be going through growth spurt, so may sleep less and feed more sometimes. Feed them if they seem fussy or hungry as this is normal for them to want more nursing at your breast or more formula. Most breastfed babies can now go up to 4 - 5 hours between feeds but may want more at times.

Formula fed babies can drink up to 5 to 7 ounces or around 150 to 210ml and go up to 5 hours between feeds. The feeding follows a set pattern with exceptions time to time. 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

Your baby may now be sleeping anywhere between 12 to 14 hours a day with most of it being at night and close to three naps during the day. Most babies can now sleep through the night but its also time for sleep regression which happens usually around 4, 6, 8 months and 1 year of age. The number of hours varies baby to baby with some still sleeping up to 16hours while few even down to 12hours and all being normal.

Height & Weight

The average weight for four month old baby girl is around 6.4kg and height of 24.5inches.

The average weight of four month old boy is around 7kg and height of around 25inches.

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 should be over or at the verge of getting over colic. In some babies it can go up to 6 months but in most it should resolve by 4 months of age. Hang in there mama, you will be over this soon.

2 Month old Baby Development & Milestones

3 Month old Baby Development & Milestones

4th Month Doctor Visit:

Doctors perform a complete physical exam at the 4 month mark as well along with a second dose of the vaccines to prevent a contagious and deadly diseases like Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Influenza B, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus and Polio . Share your concerns or questions if any about the vaccines, it is essential you understand the benefits of these. 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 the growth chart to track progress and check if they fall within the normal range. They will also do thorough physical exam just like the one at 1 Month mark of the from baby 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.