Milestones: Month 2

Your baby will be growing and developing so much the next few months! Their brain is working overtime with all the new things they are learning. They are also getting much stronger. Here are the general milestones for month 2 in a baby's life.

1) Your baby's limbs should still be stretching and loosening up. They still won't be fully stretched out yet.

2) Your baby should be able to lift their head to a 45 degree angle by now. Last month, they were just starting to lift their head, so they should be getting stronger. However, their head will still be a bit wobbly while sitting up.

3) Your baby should "twitch" less. During the first two months of life, your baby has very jerky movements that may look like a twitch. This is normal. About month 2, they should be doing this less and be less jerky.

4) Your baby should start "batting" at objects in front of them, along with the swiping motion from last month. They should still be able to hold an object in their hand for a brief amount of time if you place it there.

5) Your baby's sucking reflex will still stay pretty strong this month. You may notice this by them sucking a lot of their hands, pacifier, objects, etc. This is normal and good.

6) Your baby is still not quite ready to sleep all the way through the night yet. However, you can do long stretches of 6-7 hours. Make sure you put them on their back, swaddled, with nothing in the crib. This will help prevent SIDS.

7) Your baby can now see up to 18 inches away. You still need to be close but not quite as close. They should be able to see you pretty well while feeding! Remember to practice moving objects in front of their eyes and having them follow it. This helps with sight and coordination.

8) Your baby's hearing is improving this month. Talk to them, play music, read to them, engage their ears. This will help improve their hearing as well.

9) Your baby will still improve on cooing, smiling, and noises. Remember, their way of communicating now most often is crying. Just make sure you talk to them and engage in them. It will help soothe them. It will also encourage them and help them to start forming their own sounds similar to yours.

Remember, these are general milestones and not all babies will reach these milestones at the exact same time. If you are concerned about your baby and a milestone, consult your pediatrician and they can assess your baby to see if it is an issue or not.

Thanks for reading and until next time,