At about 2 months old your baby may:
- start to hold onto a rattle.
- have more control over jerky body movements.
- focus on objects 17-20cm away.
- enjoy watching mobiles.
- respond to noises nearby.
- At about 3 months old he may:
Bring his hands together.
- laugh out loud.
- coo or smile at you when you talk.
- kick with more control and more forcefully.
- lift his head 45-90 degrees when lying on his tummy.
- stare at people’s faces when they are up close.
- turn his eyes towards voices.
- seem to know your voice.
You can encourage development by:
- interacting with him.
- holding out a toy and moving it up and down.
- playing “Pat a cake” holding his hands.
- playing with rattles and bright coloured soft toys.
- laying him on a rug on the floor under a frame with dangling toys.
- reading to him, singing to him (time for those nursery rhymes!).
- putting him on his tummy to play.
Around 4 months – sociable time!Your baby may:
- grab at a toy if it is held close.
- smile at everyone, coo, laugh, especially for Mum or Dad.
- squeal happily.
- hold his head steadily when pulled into sitting position.
You can encourage development by:
- propping him up to see what is going on.
- sitting him in a bouncinette (not on a table or high surface).
- giving him tummy time on the floor.
- placing a plastic mirror in front of him.
- talking to him while you are feeding and changing him.
Around 5 months — getting ready to move Your baby may:
- roll from front to back.
- do “press ups” (pushing head and shoulders off the floor).
- bounce up and down on your lap, starting to weight bear.
- chew everything he can put in his mouth.
- make da, ba sounds.
- babble.
- grizzle when you take a toy away from him.
If you have any concerns, especially if you think your child may not be seeing or hearing well, talk to your health professional. At around 3 months old there is usually another growth spurt, resulting in a hungry baby who wants more frequent feeding for a while.
