Your baby has reached month 3, the beginning of what some seasoned parents may draw as the enchanted months.

For the adjacent several weeks, your cute packet of smiles volition probably exist pretty happy (often, hopefully!), sleeping for longer at night (sometimes!), and non all the same independently mobile (less stressful for parents).

In other words, your babe volition exist a little treasure to be effectually for a good bit of the time. Ahhhhh.

Here's what else to wait this month.

Your iii-month-onetime baby's development

At a Glance

Sleeping nuts

Babies up to 3 or 4 months old demand fourteen to xvi hours of slumber in a 24-hour flow, ordinarily waking every two to four hours to swallow. They'll probably be on the longer end of that range by the three- or iv-month marker, though every baby is unlike.

Feeding basics

Breastfed babies should eat as much as they want at this historic period, but a general rule of thumb is four ounces of pumped breast milk or formula every 3 to four hours (give or take) over a 24-hour period.

Did you know?

Babies this historic period love hugs, which tin can help with cerebral evolution, research shows.

Your babe will about likely be able to lift the caput 90 degrees — thanks to all that tummy time practice you've been providing.

Other milestones to look for this month: She'll be able to laugh out loud and can probably anticipate being picked upward when she sees you attain out.

She'll also probably be able to roll over and turn in the direction of a sound.

Many babies this historic period will have expanded their speaking repertoire to be able to cord together vowels and consonant sounds — like "ah-goo."

And all babies beloved to play with their favorite toys — play gyms and activity mats, of course, but also sensory toys that trill, squeak, tweet or rattle when pressed or shaken.

High on the fan favorite list are fun things that play music, particularly in reaction to your baby's movements. And because your picayune 1 is reaching for toys now, she'll peculiarly love whatever plaything she can grab.

Be sure to keep reading to your curious cutie and sentry how captivated she is by the pictures as y'all turn the pages.

Your 3-month-old baby'southward growth

Does your infant seem to exist gaining a trivial too much weight, or a picayune also niggling?

Earlier yous jump to any conclusions most your little one'due south charge per unit of growth, chat with your doctor nearly whether she is actually overweight and not just infant-accordingly rounded … or actually underweight and not simply genetically predestined to exist on the slender side.

For an accurate assessment, talk to your pediatrician and take a look at your baby's weight in relation to length on the height-weight chart.

If both the meridian and the weight are on a like curve, it could be that your baby is just bigger or smaller than boilerplate.

But if your picayune one's weight seems to be moving upward faster than baby'due south length, or vice versa, your dr. will allow you know (and yous can ask for advice too). Your baby may be picking up a few too many pounds also quickly … or not putting them on quite quickly enough.

Why does it matter? Babies who proceeds weight also rapidly in the start vi months may be at an increased risk of obesity by equally early on as age iii. And babies who stay overweight through age 4 are at increased risk of becoming overweight adults.

So once your dr. confirms that your baby needs to dull down a chip, yous'll desire to put the brakes on the fast-paced growth by non overfeeding your picayune one.

In other words, don't always soothe baby with a bottle or the breast whenever she's fussy. Try other sources of comfort and realize those cries may not always hateful she'south hungry.

Also try not to push baby to finish the canteen or the other breast if she signals she'southward full. And make sure your baby gets plenty of time to move around while she'south awake. Resist the urge to strap baby into the car seat or swing most of the day.

If, on the flip side, your infant seems to exist on the too-lean side (and the doctor agrees), you lot'll probably need to pace upwardly your feeding efforts and so she tin footstep up that weight gain.

Make sure your niggling ane is eating frequently enough and getting enough milk during feedings. Some babies are too busy or too sleepy to demand regular meals, and others skimp on feeds because they're just every bit content to suck on a pacifier.

Your 3-month-old baby'south health

Baby is in betwixt well-infant visits this month, but there are all the same plenty of heady things happening with her growth, development and wellness.

Baby eczema

If your piffling one has dry, flaky, rashy skin, she could accept infant eczema. In babies, rashes usually showtime out on the scalp and face. Children with lighter pigmented skin tend to take pink or blood-red version, while babies with darker pigmented skin tend to take a carmine-chocolate-brown, purplish or grayish rash. Read More than

Ear infections

Babies get ear infections when they catch a cold or other upper-respiratory infection, which causes the lining of 1 of the ear tubes to swell, get congested, and accumulate fluid. Read More

Baby sunscreen rules

Babies this age should be kept out of direct sunlight, only if you tin't detect a spot in the shade, it'southward okay to apply a petty fleck of infant-safe sunscreen with an SPF of 30 to 50 to your picayune one's face, back of the hands and tops of the feet. Read More

COVID-19 symptoms in babies

Near babies seem to develop fairly mild cases of COVID-xix, and some of the symptoms — runny nose, sneezing, cough — are similar to those of the common cold. Simply infants may take higher rates of more serious illness than older kids. Read More

Peel rashes

Bug bites, allergies and viral and bacterial infections can all crusade itchy rashes that tin can range from scaly or pimply to oozy. Balance assured, virtually pare rashes are no big bargain, and will go away on their own or with a little help from the physician, who may suggest a prescription or OTC cream or medication. Read More

Postpartum & new babe tips

Infant at last

She may non get an actual diploma, but this calendar month marks your babe'south official graduation from newborn to baby status. She's even so got a lot to learn (obviously!), but one matter she definitely realizes now is in that location's more to life than eating, sleeping and pooping!

These days, she'southward likely to stay awake for longer stretches during the twenty-four hour period and (with any luck) stay asleep for longer at nighttime too.

Your baby is no incertitude making you chuckle as well, and she's probably giggling by at present (bring on the raspberries!) too as bringing those little paws together (clap hands!).

Some babies may even begin to bear a bit of weight on their legs, but don't worry if yours doesn't — she's non ready and that's just fine.

Exercising after babe

If you're struggling to find time to fit in exercise, be easy on yourself. It tin be every bit simple as taking out the stroller.

Simply make sure y'all've gotten the green lite from your practitioner before starting back into your exercise routine, and never exercise to the point of exhaustion (you're probably wearied enough from the lack of slumber!).

Besides helping you with weight loss after delivery, a brisk walk with baby is a dandy way to meet other parents, stay salubrious and articulate your mind.

Your baby's personality

One affair your 3-month-old babe is definitely ready to practise is show you lot that budding personality.

She may be serious, silly, gregarious, persnickety or adamant — the bottom line is she is who she is and she's all yours!

Don't requite in to the urge to compare your lilliputian 1 with other babies. Every baby is different and special!

Finding a caregiver

Online searches can exist a good style to discover child care, but the all-time way to find out most height-notch babysitter or nanny candidates or reputable day care centers is oft word of mouth.

Don't exist shy about asking parents if they can recommend a great infant caregiver. Nursery schoolhouse teachers and your child's pediatrician are also proficient sources, as are bulletin boards at your dr.'s office, library or house of worship.

If you do go online, get names of licensed solar day care centers near y'all from your country'south Spider web site (usually, the two-letter of the alphabet postal abbreviation followed by .gov). So arrange a visit with your little one.

Looking for a nanny? Agencies on the Spider web sometimes sell lists of pre-screened candidates — though you should always look into references yourself and make sure there's been a thorough background check, as well every bit doing in-person interviews (with your baby!).

Boosting baby'southward evolution

Aside from your usual care and feeding of your infant, your job now is as well to stimulate your trivial ane's intellectual growth.

That'southward less complicated than it sounds — singing and talking are 2 wonderful means to help a baby'southward brain shift into loftier gear.

Some new twists to try:

  1. Use different tones of voice as you speak.
  2. Sing songs with surprise endings — "Pop Goes the Weasel" is an oldie merely goodie.
  3. When y'all tell a story or recite a nursery rhyme, insert your baby'southward name for a character'southward name so she gets used to hearing it in a multifariousness of tones and situations.
  4. Another great style to increment infant's sensation of the world is to have your little one on expeditions. Go for a walk and watch babe respond with glee as she sees leaves move and birds wing, or listens to the sounds of dogs, cars and just about anything that makes a noise.

Fun games for infant

At playtime, those little hands and fingers are your baby's still favorite toys, but now she might be able to exercise fifty-fifty more with them.

During stomach time, which she should exist becoming a pro at by now, endeavor rolling a ball about 2 feet in front of your infant. With a little practice she'll soon be able to coordinate hand-and-eye movements to reach for it.

It's schedule time!

At present that your babe is 3 months erstwhile, she'south developmentally gear up to be put on a schedule. Yay!

Merely don't insist on a infinitesimal-by-minute program. A likewise-strict schedule can be too much, while none at all is also stressful and hard on the whole family.

How tin you constitute a routine that works for everyone? Try to introduce a few anchors into your infant'due south mean solar day: a special chair for nursing, for example, a walk afterward lunch, and bath and bedtime at the same time and in the same way each evening.

If she's feeding more frequently than you'd like, gradually stretch out the between-meal intervals by distracting baby with a song, a toy or a book.

If she frequently falls asleep without finishing a feed, try to wake your baby up until it'due south over and then you won't take to commencement over again and so shortly.

The goal: Assistance your footling i ease into a pattern that's not too strict or too loose, but just right.

From the What to Look editorial squad and Heidi Murkoff, author ofWhat to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses simply apparent sources, such every bit peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Acquire how nosotros keep our content accurate and up-to-appointment by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

  • What to Wait the First Year, tertiary edition, Heidi Murkoff.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Skin Rashes in Babies and Toddlers, June 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Coronavirus Symptoms in Babies, March 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Easing Ear Infections in Babies and Toddlers, October 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Infant Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis and Contact Dermatitis), November 2018.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Sunscreen and Sun Protection for Babies: What Parents Need to Know, November 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, How Much Should My Baby Eat?, April 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Hither'south How Much Sleep Babies Need, June 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Newborn and Infant Sleep Basics, May 2020.
  • National Sleep Foundation, How Much Slumber Does Your Babe Really Need?, 2020.
  • National Institutes of Wellness, Risk of Obesity at four to vi Years of Age Among Overweight or Obese 18-Calendar month-Olds, April 2013.
  • American University of Pediatrics, Developmental Milestones: 3 Months, June 2009.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Pacifiers and Pollex Sucking, November 2020.
  • KidsHealth From Nemours, Your Baby's Growth: 3 Months, January 2019.
  • Mayo Clinic, Thumb Sucking: Help Your Child Pause the Habit, September 2020.

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