What signs should you look out for in your baby’s first three months

Your baby’s first three months will be a rollercoaster whirlwind! You won’t get over how much can happen in such a short time. 

When professionals are assessing a child, they look at the child’s developmental milestones. These milestones refer to the times that a child achieved important skills e.g. first smile, crawling, ability to sit, walking, first words, etc.

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There is a time span that most children would achieve these skills in. By building up a picture of a child’s progress in all the areas of development, a professional can form a judgment on whether or not a child’s developmental pattern is unusual.

So, here are some things you can keep an eye on during your baby’s first three months.

Physical

• The large jerky movements at birth will develop into smoother more continuous movements
• They’ll be able to kick vigorously
• By three months, baby will be able to lift head up to 45 degrees when lying on their tummy
• At birth, the child’s head will fall loosely if not supported. By three months, they will be able to hold head erect and steady for several seconds
• They’ll be able to open hands and fist
• They’ll be able to hold a rattle briefly

Mental

• Baby will recognise parents and respond to their approaches
• They will protest loudly if their needs are not met
• At birth, baby will look at high contrast pictures, by three months they will like detailed high contrast pictures
• They will start to make associations
• They will play with their hands and feet

Hearing and language

• The new-born will be startled by sudden loud noises
• They will cry lustily when hungry
• After about 6 weeks, they’ll begin to coo
• They will cry when uncomfortable or annoyed
• By three months, baby will show excitement at the sound of approaching voices, footsteps etc
• They will begin to laugh out loud and squeal in delight

Social

• The new-born will sleep for the majority of the time
• During this period, baby will begin to stop crying when picked up and soothed
• They will recognise familiar adults and smile in response to their approaches
• At three months, baby will begin to react to familiar situations and routines
• They will begins to enjoy routines

Visual

• Baby will focus on mum’s face when being fed
• By three months, baby will also recognise their feeding bottle or mum’s breast
• At end of this period, baby will start to be very interested in their own fingers and will engage in finger play
• By three months, they will be able to follow a slowly moving object about 6 inches away
• By three months, baby is visually very alert

A lot can happen in baby’s first three months! Enjoy every minute.

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