2 Month Baby – Milestones and Development
The Pediatrician 2 month visit
By now, your 2 month baby is much more active and responsive than the sleepy head that you have been pampering for the past couple of months. This month is more like a transitional period between the tiny new-life into a full baby. You will start to experience more interaction with her, and of course find more joy being a new parent.
Throughout the month, you should keep a notepad around you so that you can jot down any queries to prepare for this visit to your baby’s doctor. Your pediatrician will mostly likely be talking to you about how to take care of yourself and your family because you need to ensure your own well being in order to take good care of your newborn. As most mothers will be preparing to get back to work during this period, it is best to ask your doctor for advice if you have any questions regarding feeding and childcare. After that, your baby will receive her vaccine shots which consist of DTaP, HiB, and Polio.
This article is a continuation of the Baby’s first year series.
Previous article: 1 month old baby development
Physical development
Thanks to the occasional tummy time sessions, your baby’s neck muscle is beginning to strengthen and gain some control while sitting up. Although better than the previous month, her neck will still be slightly lagging behind, so take it easy and don’t push it. Allow baby to rest her neck after sitting for a while, or continue to provide some head support to relieve that little neck muscle.
Continue to sprinkle in some tummy time sessions during the day, especially after each diaper change. You will soon see that your 2 month baby will be able to lift her head and chest, and even rest on her forearms (that look is so adorable!). Albeit she will not be able to do full push-ups yet, these mini work-outs will help to strengthen most parts of the 2 month old baby development. She will soon be able to swing at hanging objects, or even clench her fists to grab some small toys.
2 month old baby weight and length
On average, your baby will gain around 1.25 pounds, and grow 1 inch this month. As each baby is unique, some will gain more weight at a faster rate while others might still be quite skinny. This is usually nothing to be overly worried about, and your pediatrician will be the best person to consult if you have any concern regarding baby’s weight gain. Your pediatrician would have kept a growth chart that records the rate of your baby’s weight gain. Should he suspect that a baby is growing at an unusual rate, he will recommend appropriate examination.
In any case, you will soon find that your baby gets back into shape as soon as she starts to crawl or even walk. Babies at this stage are starting to become very active and curious with everything around them. This will help heavier babies to shed that extra gram and get into normal weight. As for slightly thinner babies, you don’t have to worry too, because lean babies have an advantage that helps them to move around easier.
Baby waking up too early in morning?
By now, your 2 month baby’s stomach will be big enough to facilitate more milk intake at each feeding. This allows your baby to sleep longer each time, usually a stretch of 6 hours.
However, we have also heard complaints from some parents that their 2 month babies will suddenly decide to wake up at 5am, sometimes as early as 4am to start their day with a bang. This can be causing some serious problems, especially for working moms who are going back to office this month.
Well, there could be a few reasons for this. Although in this month, babies may have kind of sorted out their day and night cycle, they could still be waking the whole family up too early in the morning. One reason could be that she is sleeping too early in the evening.
If your 2 month baby is going to bed straight after dinner time, try to delay that a little bit by putting in some conversation time with her favorite toy beside her. Not too long, just about 10-15 minutes delay each night so that both of you can gradually wake up at a later timing.
If your baby continues to wake up too early, try to nurse and calm her in the dark until she settles down and gets back to sleep. By not switching on the lights, you are maintaining that conducive environment and encouraging your baby to sleep more. If you’re lucky you might get away with a few extra hours of sleep.
Social development
Recall the time when you haven’t gave birth to your first child yet. Have you seen adults talking continuously to their infant while strolling in the park? Did you also think that the baby won’t even understand a thing about what their parents are talking about?
Many people think that it doesn’t make sense to keep speaking to babies because they can’t understand human language yet. Trust me they are going to change that perception once they become real parents themselves.
Your baby enjoys your undivided attention. Even though they are not able to talk back to you, your 2 month baby can often understand your message by looking at your facial expression and listening to your tone of voice. You can also encourage your baby to respond to you in a number of ways by adding physical contact such as tickling their palms and feet, or blowing raspberries on their belly. Remember to remain eye contact while communicating with her, because they love to look into your eyes.
Babies at this stage usually cry lesser as compared to the previous month. They are starting to learn that crying isn’t the only way to communicate, as they try to “talk” to you by cooing or just making some sounds.
Try to take every opportunity to communicate with her by speaking about what’s going on now, or what’s going to happen. You can also sing a few songs to her just before her bed time. You might be surprised when your baby suddenly makes some sound at her favorite parts of the lullaby. All this little actions add up and help to improve your baby’s speech and language development.
Safety for your 2 month baby
As your two month old baby gains more muscle strength and control, she will naturally become more active. Your curious little one will be wondering about everything she sees, and trying to grab hold of anything that’s within reach.
This also means that you need to start worrying about baby’s safety, especially during those times when you need to leave her in her cot and rushes to the kitchen to wash her milk bottles. Do not leave any tiny toys lying around in baby’s cot, because she will tend to put anything she can grab into her mouth. That’s baby’s basic instinct.
If you put her on a baby seat while doing your household chores, ensure that your baby is properly fastened with a seat belt. Ensure that she is not able to wriggle herself out of the seat, because baby falling from seat is a potential strangling hazard.
Another safer option will be to put your baby in a play yard or playpen, while you clean the kitchen or cook dinner. Open the playpen completely and place it within your sight, before putting baby in. Make sure you do not place large soft toys inside the playpen. Walk to her occasionally to keep her entertained. If she gets bored, turn on her favorite children TV program or some music, and that should give you enough time to finish your tasks on hand.
