Babies grow drastically in a few weeks. Your little one reaches a comfort level at home when she completes 3 months. A lot of things happen over these 90 days and you start to enjoy parenting every minute.
This is basically because the baby starts recognizing parents a lot more even when a bit far. 3 months is the time most parents would say the baby would have started lifting the head to at least 90 degrees. Apart from these generally known facts about the milestones, here are other milestone developments you can expect from your 3 months.
3 months baby milestones:
The growth spurt is huge compared with the first two months. The baby moves to the next size of clothing during the 3rd month. Also, she looks bigger and taller now. Senses, communication, and motor skills develop a lot, and you can see parenting becomes even more interesting from this phase.
Here is what you can expect to see during the 3rd month of your bundle of joy –
- Babies of this age have more vision coordination. They start tracking objects as they move. Hand-eye coordination also begins now. They also start to turn their heads to see where the sound comes from.
- Three months old start pushing their legs playfully. They kick and stretch their legs with joy.
- A few babies start cooing or try to babble at this point
- They start to imitate the sounds they often hear.
- Babies of 3 months old start laughing when a parent picks them up.
- Your 3 months old by this time starts enjoying playing with sensory toys. She starts grabbing objects at reach and has some favorite toys now.
- The startle reflex present during the first 2 months is gone now.
Pro Tip: It is more of coming out of the shell for your little one. Try spending a lot of time talking, singing, and cuddling your little one during this phase. You can see your baby enjoying her bath time with the colorful toys all around.
Sleep and food habits of a 3-month-old:
- When the baby starts growing she has more space for food in her stomach now. The food schedule becomes predictable. It is easy for parents to identify what their baby needs now.
- Exclusively breast-fed babies would be required to be fed 8 times per day. Formula-fed babies can have an interval of 4 hours between each feeding session.
- It is a good idea to both breastfeed and formula feed if you are getting back to work sooner.
- Babies still sleep 15 hours per day now. But with the food habits changed, and accommodating more milk, lets the baby sleep for 6 to 7 hours at a stretch. Parents can start enjoying a good night’s sleep now.
- The babies also take naps of 1 to 11/2 hours. This helps them to grow bigger.
Do not get back to your baby, when she starts crying during sleep. Check if she can fall back to sleep in a few minutes. Else, she would not learn to get back to sleep on her own.
What if my baby misses the milestones?
Not all babies reach the milestones at the same time. Especially premature babies can take a lot more time. However, a few milestones should be a part of the 3-month-old baby’s achievements. Check if she,
- Smiles
- Reaches or tries to reach objects
- Respond to sounds
- Can track people through vision.
If not it is advisable to consult her pediatrician.
Remember: Your baby is getting bigger and older. However, isn’t still ready for solids. It is essential to wait for one more month. Experts suggest solids should be part of the baby’s food schedule only between 4 to 6 months old.
