What’s It Like to be 2 Months Old?

How I Am Growing

• My head is still a little wobbly when I’m propped up.

• I hold my head up for a few minutes and turn it sideways, when I’m on my stomach.

• I cry with real tears now, but usually only enough to wet my eyes.
• I move my arms and legs and “bicycle” with my feet when I get excited.

• I hold onto things for a little while. Did you notice that my hands are open most of the time now?

How I Talk

• I gurgle, laugh, and smile when I’m happy.

• I like to try out cooing sounds.

Make it easier for me to hear and learn the patterns of words. Talk slowly, raise the pitch of your voice, and say your words VERY clearly. When you repeat words and phrases that helps me learn, too.

How I Feel

• I need lots of cuddling and holding.

• I can have lots of feelings, including feeling happy, scared, or uncomfortable.

• I feel happy when I hear you tell me that I am beautiful and you love me.

• I feel happy and secure when you give me what I need, such as feeding me when I’m hungry, changing my diapers when I'm wet, or rocking me when I’m tired.

How I Understand

• I recognize different voices and people.

• I recognize a few familiar things, such as my bottle.

• I like to stare at people and things.

How I Respond

• If I am a quiet baby, I spend a lot of time just looking.

• If I am an active baby, I will spend more time moving, smiling or screaming depending on how I feel.

• I am fascinated by my own hands. First, I may just look at them. Then I may bring them to my mouth. This may have happened before, but now it is because I decided to move them.

• I blink at shadows made by my own hands.

• I follow you with my eyes when you move.

• I can follow moving objects with my eyes.

• I can see bright colors now.

• I smile at people.

• I quiet down when I suck my fingers, a bottle, or a pacifier.

• I perform just to get your attention. I love it when you get excited about what I do.

• I don’t like some noises, such as loud televisions and radios. I will tell you this by fussing. Turn it down, Mom and Dad!

Time for a Checkup

Look back at last month’s newsletter to see what it’s like to be 1 to 2 months old. Is your baby doing anything now that she wasn’t then? Look for growth in each area, and gently help your baby learn new things.

Check off what your baby is doing. Healthy children are very different, so don’t fret if your baby is early or late in some areas. If your baby was born too soon (prematurely), use checklists from the date your baby was due, not the actual birth date.

When you record what your baby is doing in her memory book, be sure to record the dates as well. Take this list to the doctor when you go for checkups.

Sometimes parents wonder if their baby is developing normally. There are warning signs to watch for. To get more information on these warning signs, go to this Web site: http://www.firstsigns.org/concerns/flags.htm.

Crying Is a Call for Help

Researchers believe that babies increase the amount of time they cry between birth and 2 months of age. That is why it’s so important to learn what the crying means and how to cope with it. When your baby is crying, use this checklist to help figure out what the cries mean:

• Does your baby have wet or soiled diapers? Check her diapers to see if she needs to be changed.

• Is she hungry? Offer her some food and see if she is ready to eat. Be sure to burp your baby often to get out air bubbles.

• Is she lonely? Call her name to let her know you are coming. She may even stop crying before you get there. If your baby calms and stays calm after you pick her up, she missed you! Your baby’s need for closeness is very real.

• Is she bored? Give your baby a new view. Change her position. Hang something over the crib that she can see but not reach. Put her where she can keep an eye on you.

• Is she tired? Some babies get fussy before falling to sleep.

• Is she too hot or too cold? Touch your baby’s tummy. If she feels too hot or too cold, adjust her clothing. Try to keep the room an even temperature — neither too hot, nor too cold.

• Is she uncomfortable? Does she have diaper rash? Leave diapers off so air can help her skin heal. Is your baby’s clothing too tight? Is a pin pricking her? Are there sharp or scratchy edges on labels or zippers?

• Is too much going on around your baby? Take her to a quiet place with dim lights. Hold her close and talk to her with your soothing voice. Rock your baby in a rocking chair.

• Is your baby having trouble calming down? Sing a gentle song over and over. Play soft, soothing music. Swaddle your baby by wrapping her in a soft, light blanket to keep her from thrashing about. Help her learn to comfort herself. Hold her hand in yours or help her find her hand to suck on.

• Could your baby have colic? Colicky babies have tummy pains and loud, piercing cries. Sometimes, this will help:
  • Lay your baby across your knees.
  • Rub or pat her back.
  • Walk with your baby or use an infant swing.
  • Change bath time to evening.
  • Try a pacifier. Sucking helps relax her stomach. If you use a pacifier, use it safely. Replace pacifiers frequently because they can fall apart. To avoid strangulation, do not put a pacifier on a string or ribbon around your baby's neck. Wash the pacifier if it falls on the floor.
  • Talk to your baby’s doctor for more ideas.

Sleep and Sleeping Patterns

At this age, babies’ sleep patterns vary a lot. Your baby may sleep anywhere from two to 10 hours at a time. He may take a few naps during the day and may even sleep for as long as seven to 10 hours at night.

Some 2-month-old babies may wake up every four hours or less to be fed — day and night. What is important is to learn your baby’s sleep pattern and understand what is normal for him.

Feeding Time Is a Special Time to Build Love and Trust

Hold your baby so he can see your face when you feed him. Feed him with breast milk or fortified infant formula. Do not feed him solid food yet.

Breast milk is best. It has all the nutrition babies need and protects against food allergies and some diseases. If you have started breastfeeding, keep up the good work.

Parents once thought that feeding solid foods at bedtime would help their babies sleep through the night. Not true! Feeding solids before your baby is ready may trigger allergies and/or cause him to eat too much.

Your baby’s digestive system is not ready to handle foods other than breast milk or infant formula. His tongue and swallowing movements won’t develop enough for solid foods until he is about 4 months old.

Your baby will be ready for solid foods when he can:

• Sit well with support
• Control his head and upper body well
• Turn his head away if he doesn’t like the food or if he has had enough

Be patient with your baby when he wakes up during the night. Night feedings don’t last forever. After this feeding, let him know that it is time to go back to sleep. Place him in his crib, swaddle him, or let him sit in an infant chair. Discourage your baby from playing after a nighttime feeding.

Babies will usually sleep through the middle of the night feeding by the time they weigh about 11 pounds.

Honor Your Baby’s Hunger Cues

Your baby will stop eating when she is full. Don’t try to get her to take more than she wants.

Here are some clues that your baby is full:

• Pushing away the breast or bottle
• Turning away
• Crying and fussing
• Forcefully moving his entire body away from you
• Putting her hands in front of her mouth

Babies are getting enough to eat if they are:

• Growing
• Having at least six wet diapers a day
• Having at least one stool or bowel movement every day or every other day

Most doctors want to know if a baby misses more than one feeding. Something is usually wrong if two or three feedings are missed in a day.

Watch Out!

Stay close to your baby and don’t leave him alone on a table or chair. You will be surprised at how fast he can turn and roll off. Active babies can move or tip infant carrier seats. Always use the safety belts that come with the seats.

Never place a carrier seat on soft, plush surfaces, which could make the carrier unstable and tip over.

Let’s Play and Help Me Learn

These games will help your baby develop neck and eye muscles:

Listening Games

Talk to your baby. Call out when you are coming to your baby’s crib. She will learn to recognize your voice and look forward to seeing you.

Babies like simple games best. Look at your baby when you are about 10 inches away. Catch your baby’s eye and make a sound. Wait to see what she does. Make the sound again. If your baby likes the game, do it again and make different sounds.

Speak slowly using a high-pitched voice. Speak in short phrases, and change the tone of your voice. Invite your baby to respond by raising your eyebrows, changing your voice pitch, or saying something such as, “What do you think?”

Use different objects that make noise when you play with your baby. Babies like music boxes, bells, rattles, and squeak toys and even the crinkling of paper. Remember, though, babies like to play for only a minute or two at a time.

Help your baby learn about the world by telling her about the sounds she hears. Tell your baby what is happening when the telephone rings, when you drop something, when you turn on the water in the sink, or even when she burps. When you say, “Did you hear that?” in an excited tone of voice, your baby thinks you are having fun, too.

Learn your baby’s way of telling you that she is listening. She might smile, wiggle her body, or stop what she was doing to tell you she is listening. She might also show that she is listening in ways that are difficult to see. For example, she might change her breathing pattern or move her hand.

Touching Games

Your baby likes your touch. Rub his body and give him a gentle massage after a bath. Give your baby textures to touch. He likes the feel of soft fabric and different textures on his skin. Place him on a clean carpet, a terry cloth towel, or a smooth blanket. Touch his arms and hands with stuffed animals, rubber toys, and smooth and rough fabrics.

Help Your Baby Learn to Roll From Side to Back

When you have time to watch, find a rattle or noisy toy. Place your baby on his side. See if he will follow the noisy toy with his eyes and then roll to his back. If he doesn’t, help him by gently moving his shoulder or hip. Rolling from back to side is difficult for a baby. When he does roll over, even with your help, be sure to praise him by talking to him and giving him loving hugs.

Learning to Look: An Eyes and Ears Game

Your baby develops eye muscles by using them.

Place your baby on his back or in an infant chair. Move behind him so he can’t see you. He will focus on the object, not you. Hold a noise maker, such as a ring of keys, about 10 inches above his face. Shake the object gently until he looks at it.

Watch your baby's eyes to see how he follows the object.

Move the object slowly from side to side, and up and down. When your baby is good at this, try moving the noisemaker in a circle in the air and around his head. Change the direction of the circle. If he can’t follow the whole circle, make only part of a circle.

Watch for your baby to let you know he is looking.

He may look intent. He may look at you or at something else. He may wave his arms or become very still. He may even look as if he’s saying “oh.”

Change your baby’s position often.

Your baby likes to look at many different things. If you place him on a blanket on the floor, what can he see? Place some interesting toys around him. He likes roly-poly toys that rock and make noise. Also, switch arms when you carry your baby to give him a different view.

With your baby sitting on your lap and facing you, try doing these things one at a time: smile, stick out your tongue, open and close your mouth or eyes widely, and shake your head back and forth. Watch to see what your baby does.

More Ways to Help Your Baby Learn

• Put a mobile over your baby’s crib so he can watch it as it moves.

• Move objects back and forth in a straight line in front of your baby.

• When your baby is awake and alert, move him around in his infant seat so he can be near you as you work. Babies like to be with people and see what is going on. Talk to him about what you’re doing. He likes to listen!

• If your baby is looking one way, call to him from the other side. See if he’ll turn his head to find you.

• Dance with your baby and sing to him.

Parents are Baby’s First and Best Teachers

Your child will learn more from you than anyone else.

She is continuously learning about the world around her through her senses of smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch. You can help your baby develop her senses by providing playthings that can be seen, heard, and touched.

Playing helps your baby to strengthen and use her muscles better. Use items that you already have around the house. Such items are often a child’s favorite playthings. Toys need not be store-bought and expensive.

Playing with your baby gives her a chance to explore the world and satisfy her growing curiosity. She will enjoy and benefit from your loving attention.

Keeping Your Baby Healthy

Check with your doctor, nurse, or clinic about the immunizations your baby needs. Immunizations help to prevent diseases that could change the life of your baby and your family. To see an immunization chart, go to the official Web site for immunizations: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule.htm.

Keep going to the well baby visits. The doctor will check to see that everything is developing well. Many problems can be corrected if they are caught early.

Don’t be afraid to call your baby’s doctor and ask for advice. There will come a time when your baby will have a cold or fever, or when he acts as if he doesn't feel well. The doctor expects you to call when there is a problem or when you have a question.

If you are concerned about your baby, tell your doctor that you would feel better if you could bring him to the office to be checked. Your doctor will listen to you. Remember, you know your baby better than anyone else.

Your doctor will want to know if your baby has a fever and whether it is a low fever (100 degrees F) or a high fever. Learn how to take your baby’s temperature by looking in a baby care book or asking a friend, nurse, or doctor. For more information on how to take a baby’s temperature, go to the Kids Health Web site from the Nemours Foundation: http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/fever.html.

Before you go to the doctor, write down your questions so you won’t forget them. When you talk with the doctor, whether it is in person or on the phone, have the following information written down in front of you:

1. Your baby’s temperature _________
2. Pain
   • Screaming ___ Head rolling ___ Pulling up legs ___
   • A different kind of cry ___Cries when touched ___
3. Appetite
   • None ___ Very little ___Vomiting ___
4. Breathing
   • Difficult ___ Fast ___ Slow ___ Coughing___ Wheezing ___
5. Eyes/Ears
   • Discharge ___ Pulling or rubbing ___
6. Skin
   • Flushed or sweaty ___ Pale ___ Rash ___
7. Bowels
   • Watery ___ Slimy ___ Hard or dry ___
8. Mood
   • Too quiet ___ Fussy ___Changes in eating or sleeping habits____

Listen carefully to the instructions the doctor gives you. Write them down. Don’t be embarrassed if you need the doctor to repeat or explain something. Read the instructions you have written back to the doctor to make sure you understand them. The instructions need to be followed carefully. Look at them later to see that you are following them.

For more information on sharing any of your concerns with your doctor go to this Web site: http://www.firstsigns.org/concerns/parent_doc.htm.

Sleeping Safely

The three things that belong in the crib are (1) a firm mattress, (2) a tight fitting sheet, and (3) your beautiful baby.

Keep these things OUT of the crib: pillows, quilts, comforters, stuffed toys, bumper pads, and other soft items.

In addition:

• Be sure your baby’s crib is in a smoke-free place.

• Do not place the crib near draperies or blinds where your baby could become entangled and strangle on the cords.

• Babies should sleep in a safe crib. Your baby’s mattress should be firm and snugly fit the crib. The space between the mattress edge and crib frame should not be more than the width of two of your fingers. Cover the mattress with a fitted bottom crib sheet. Avoid too many blankets.

• Consider clothing your baby in a sleeper instead of a blanket. If you do use a blanket, place your baby so that his feet are at the foot of the crib. Tuck a thin blanket around the crib mattress, covering only as high as your baby’s chest.

• Keep your baby from overheating. Never cover your baby’s head with a blanket. Keep your baby at a temperature that feels comfortable to you, about 68 to 72 degrees F.

• Do not overdress your baby. Watch for signs that he is too warm: sweating, damp hair, flushed cheeks, heat rash, or rapid breathing.

• Check the batteries in your smoke alarm. A good time to do this is when the time changes to daylight-saving time.

• Always place your baby on his back when he is in his crib.

Take Good Care of Yourself

You need energy and stamina to be a good parent, so do your best to be healthy in every area of your life.

Allow time each day for relaxation and exercise. The following exercises take only a few minutes and will help you feel refreshed.

• Lie flat on your back. Take a deep breath. Now, breathe out slowly. Repeat five times.

• Lie flat with your arms at your sides. Move your arms out to shoulder level, keeping elbows stiff. Raise your arms over your head and bring your hands together. Repeat five times.

• Lie flat and raise your head, touching your chin to your chest. Try not to move any other part of your body. Repeat a few times.

• Eat healthy foods. For more information on eating healthy, read "Finding Your Way to a Healthier You" on this Web site: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/pdf/brochure.pdf.

Plan and take time for yourself. Find a friend or relative to watch your baby while you take time away. Do something that will refresh you and make you happy to be back home. Anything that makes you a happier, more enthusiastic person is bound to make you a better parent. Be kind to everyone, and take a “parenting break.”

Give Your Baby a Kick Start to Healthy Eating and Fitness

Your baby is beginning to hold her head up, but her tongue cannot manage food, not even cereal. If you try to feed your baby with a spoon, she will push the spoon and food out of her mouth with her tongue. She could choke if you put cereal in a bottle and try to feed it to her.

Your baby uses signals to “talk” to you. Learn the cues she gives when she is hungry and full. This will help set the stage for a lifetime of fitness.

When your baby is hungry, she may:

• Begin to move her mouth
• Rapidly move her eyes in her sleep
• Try to suck on her hand or tongue, your shoulder, or anything she can touch
• Bob her head and search around
• Be fussy, squirm, stretch, clench her fists or toes

When your baby has had enough food, she may:

• Push the bottle or breast away
• Turn her head away
• Put her hands in front of her mouth
• Cry and fuss
• Forcefully move her entire body away from you
• Smile and relax her body
• Fall asleep with the nipple in her mouth

Help your baby learn to enjoy moving. Encourage her to turn over by placing toys just out of her reach. She may try to twist toward them.

Help your baby stand up on your lap. Hold her up under her arms and bounce your legs. Dance with and sing to your baby. She loves to move to music.

Watch your baby. She may propel herself up on her chest. Encourage her to try.

Gently massage your baby. She still loves your tender touch.

Want to Learn More about Child Care and Development?

Check out this Web site: http://www.zerotothree.org Zero to Three for Parents on development in the first three years of life.

If you have questions, contact your local Extension office. Find the nearest office at: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/partners/state_partners.html.

When reading this newsletter, remember: Every baby is different. Children may do things earlier or later than described here. This newsletter gives equal space and time to both sexes. If we write he or she, we are talking about all babies.

Credits: This newsletter was adapted from Extension Just In Time Parenting Newsletters in California, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Tennessee, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.