Child development at 2 months. The emotional sphere of a two-month-old baby: what he should be able to do

Let's agree that all children cannot be measured with the same brush! 2 months is the period when the child has already become accustomed to the environment of life outside the womb, and now his body and nervous system are rapidly developing.

Let's figure out what a child should be able to do at 2 months and what criteria can be used to judge his development.

Height and weight of a two month old baby

Relatives consider the child’s height and weight to be the main criterion for a child’s development. During the first 12 months of a baby's life, these indicators change quickly and are measured monthly.

At two months, a baby can gain the most weight during its life. From the moment of birth, on average, this should be + 1400 g. If this figure is low, you need to pay attention to feeding and adjust it. And only when the child’s height and weight deviate greatly from the norm should we talk about the presence of pathology in the child. In this case, it is impossible to do without examining the baby by a highly qualified specialist.

The baby's height from the moment of birth should increase by 6 centimeters on average. Indicators such as the volume of the head and chest also change (by about 2 centimeters).

Sleep of a baby who has reached the age of two months

The baby's sleep will take about 18 hours a day. The average waking time is 40-50 minutes. Now is the time to start structuring your daily routine. At this age, the baby is able to distinguish day from night, and this skill must be fixed. This is an excellent period for forming a daily routine.

It is also important whether traditions have been established that prepare the child for bed. Many experts recommend bathing your child before bed. The child loves bathing, as being in the water relieves stress and has a calming effect. The duration of bathing should not exceed 5 minutes.

Also, a mother should learn to recognize signs of fatigue in her child in order to ease the transition from wakefulness to sleep.

A sign that it’s time to get your baby ready for bed can be when the baby yawns, pulls his ear, or “hangs up.”

Advice! You cannot overtire your child. Try to put him to bed sleepy but still awake.

Motor reflexes of a two-month-old baby

After two months of life, the baby's reflexes begin to fade. Now he lies with straighter legs and arms. Reflexes are replaced by conscious movements: he clenches and unclenches his fists, pulls his hands towards his mouth, tries to pull towards the toy in front of him. And since he is excellent at such movements with his fingers, he gets very carried away and begins to intensively grab everything with his pen. This could be a diaper, a sheet, an adult's hand, or anything that hangs over the crib. If you put a toy in the handle, the child can hold it for 30 seconds. On the changing table, the baby behaves more actively, waving its legs and arms.

The muscles of the back and neck have already become stronger to some extent, and children can, while in their arms, hold their head in an upright position, turn it toward the sound, and slightly lift it while lying on their tummy. The degree of this ability depends both on the individual characteristics of the baby and on how correctly he was carried in his arms and laid on his tummy.

The emotional sphere of a two-month-old baby: what he should be able to do

Significant changes occur in the emotional sphere of a child at the age of two months. The sweetest thing an emotional child can do is smile. This is how he reacts to the sound, the voice of his loved ones. The very first smile will appear in a dream, and later during wakefulness.

In addition, the child’s intonation and facial expressions are already noticeable. Now in his crying one can recognize a plaintive cry, indignant, dissatisfied. In addition, the sounds of speech will be heard in crying - these are the first prerequisites for its development. Following such sounds, the baby begins to “cry.”

How can a 2 month old baby react to objects?

The fact that a child’s vision develops gradually is not news to anyone. But how can a 2-month-old child react to objects? The baby is able to focus his gaze on an object and look at it for a long time. He will like his mother's face most of all, but she will not be able to stand for a long time, bending over the crib. An alternative could be a colorful ball suspended above the crib.

But he is interested not only in objects and toys. At 2 months of age, the baby begins to examine his own body. Lying on his back, he looks at his arms and legs for a long time. If he gets a toy in his fist, he will definitely try it on his teeth.

The baby will not ignore the sound of the rattle; he listens to it, understanding that it sounds because it is played with.

What can a premature baby do at 2 months?

The topic of development of a premature baby is also worth paying attention to. In fact, during this period he should have just been born. Therefore, it is not surprising that the development of such a baby will be somewhat inhibited, and what a premature baby can do at 2 months differs significantly from those born on time.

Naturally, only a specialist can judge how such a child develops, since the requirements for premature babies are different. They get tired much faster, so they often sleep. Such babies cannot support their heads on their own.

Despite the fact that the children have already gained a lot of weight, they are still very weak and severely delayed in development. But already at two months of age, doctors recommend placing the baby on his stomach.

In conclusion, it must be said that if the child has not yet learned to do what children can do at two months, you should not be upset and make premature conclusions. The child requires the most of your warmth and attention. Push him to new discoveries. Playing with a two-month-old baby does not require much - put a rattle in the handle, move a colorful toy in front of your eyes. Over time, you will be surprised by his skills.

You have passed the newborn stage. Already in the second month of a child’s life, you begin to understand his personality. You have also already learned to understand the signs that a two-month-old baby gives, his likes and dislikes.

You know the reasons for dissatisfaction, which are quite primitive at the moment: hunger, drowsiness and dirty diapers.

Babies are born very nearsighted, which means they see better at close distances.

A baby in the second month of life learns to follow a moving object with his gaze, becomes more interested in shapes and patterns, and can also notice familiar faces even at a distance. A person's face is one of a baby's favorite things to look at, especially if it is their own face or the face of a parent.

Install a baby-safe mirror at baby's eye level and watch how your child watches himself.

A baby's color vision continues to develop at two months, so bright wall decorations or toys will help develop a small child's ability to distinguish colors. Soft pastel colors are difficult for a child to appreciate, and this should be kept in mind when purchasing toys and books.

In children at 2 or 2.5 months, eye coordination improves to follow a moving object.

Hearing

A 2-month-old baby begins to identify the voices that he heard more often.

Regular speaking (or singing) is a great way to help your child get used to their voice, and is also one of the methods to calm your baby.

The baby will enjoy listening to music (include a variety of styles) and may become fascinated by the normal sounds of the world around them. Keep your baby close while you rattle pots while preparing dinner, and let him sit within earshot of older siblings laughing and playing.

Baby rattles and music mobiles are good methods to stimulate your baby's hearing.

The motor development of a child in the second month is characterized by greater control over body position. This means that a baby in a tummy or upright position can hold his head more steadily than before.

At two months, babies still have a strong sucking reflex. You may notice that the baby likes to suck his fist or fingers. This is one of the best methods to comfort children.

At 2 months, the baby does not yet have sufficient coordination to play with toys. But he can hit the colorful object hanging in front of him. At 2 months, your baby may begin to reach for objects. This is the beginning of hand-eye coordination.

At 2 months, the baby can even hold a toy a little, which you put in one of his hands.

Communicative development of a child at 2 months of life

For a two-month-old baby, the main means of communication is crying. But sometimes you can hear cooing, grunting and humming. The child must identify the face and voice of the parents. You may discover the first delightful hint of a smile.

One of the most important things parents can do at this age is to talk to their child. Despite the fact that two-month-old babies cannot speak, they respond to the sound of their parent's voice, and this encourages them to begin to form their first words.

Behavior

Many babies peak in crying episodes at 2 months, leaving parents almost as upset. There are many reasons why a baby cries even when it seems like all his needs have been met. Maturation of the nervous system, overwork, or simply the need for calm are some of the most common reasons.

There will be times in these early months when parents simply need to attend to the baby's needs and follow their instincts.

What should a child be able to do?

• the child holds his head more steadily;
• many of the reflexes of the newborn period are still retained. For example, the sucking reflex;
• the child tries to grab the objects that you place in front of them with their hands;
• vision develops, and the baby can see objects at a distance of up to 45 cm;
• the baby begins to follow what is happening with his eyes;
• the baby loves to listen to voices and singing;
• the cry may contain more grunting;
• the baby begins to turn his head towards sounds;
• Some parents will be lucky enough to see their baby's first conscious smile.

Care

Caring for a baby at 2 months is not much different from the newborn period. The difference lies in the number of feedings, sleep time, educational games and toys.

This month the baby will demand to be fed more often. Try to follow and trust the signs your baby gives when it comes to feeding times.

Both breasts should be offered when feeding to promote better lactation.

If you feed with formula, at this age the number of feedings decreases as the single volume of formula increases. This will happen as the baby matures. Because babies don't digest formula as quickly as breast milk, parents generally don't need to feed a formula-fed baby as often as a breastfed baby.

Two month old babies usually drink 6 - 8 bottles of 120 - 180 ml per day, and may need an additional 30 ml of formula when the baby reaches 3 months.

At two months, babies will still need 1 to 2 feedings during the night, but they may have a longer period of sleep, such as 5 to 6 hours between a couple of nightly feedings.

The baby's sleep pattern is stabilizing, but at two months it is not yet fully established. At this age, babies sleep 15 to 16 hours a day. But these hours are random, and babies are usually not ready to sleep through the night. This is especially true for infants, who wake to feed approximately every three hours.

Give it a few more weeks and you'll be able to get some much-needed rest.

You need to help your baby learn to fall asleep on his own. Place your baby in the crib when he is drowsy, not fast asleep. He can sleep in the same room as you, but sleeping in your bed is not recommended.

All infants should be placed on their back to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Allow your baby to spend a lot of time lying on his stomach when he is awake and supervised by an adult.

Additionally, remove all soft items from the crib, including pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, and dividers.

Don't let your baby overheat. Keep the room temperature comfortable for adults. Never dress your baby in more than one layer. Do not cover your baby's face or head while he sleeps.

Do not raise the head of your child's bed. The child may roll into a position that makes it difficult for him to breathe.

Vaccination

At 2 months, the baby should receive the first vaccinations. Mark the date in your calendar or diary when your baby turns 2 months old so you don't miss the vaccination appointment.

Security measures

Give your baby enough time every day. Pets should be kept away from the baby. Never leave your baby unattended on a changing table, on the floor or in an unsafe place. Toys should be round and soft, without sharp edges.

How to develop a child at 2 months?

Whenever you and your baby are awake, take the opportunity to play. Through play you will help your child develop both mentally and physically.

You can use the following developmental activities with your 2 month old baby.

This is an important sensory activity in an infant's daily life. The tummy time helps develop coordination and strengthens the baby's neck, shoulders, arms and spine.

This position helps with motor skills such as rolling, crawling, stretching, and sitting.

Reading

Advantages:

• listening skills develop;
• promotes language development;
• helps in the development of attention and memory;
• Strengthens the bond between you and your baby.

Tips for parents:

• read to your baby in a quiet place;
• you don't have to read every word in the book;
• you can describe what you see on each page;
• have fun while reading. Use facial expressions, animated voices, and just plain nonsense.

The magic of human touch

This is a light sensory activity that has amazing benefits for you and your little one.

What can be done:

• skin-to-skin contact;
• hug your child often;
• baby rocking;
• baby massage.

Some of the benefits:

• creating a bond between you and your baby;
• strengthening psychological and physical health;
• improved sleep;
• massage helps babies cope with stress;
• massage stabilizes autonomic functions such as heart rate and temperature;
• massage will help relieve pain.

Movements with a child

Movement with the child helps in the development of the vestibular system.

How can you move? You can turn on your favorite music and dance with your child. You can swing it down, from side to side, or up. You can move your baby quickly and slowly. Remember to stop every minute or so. This will allow the body to register the movements and make sure that the baby is not too excited.

Exploration by touch

The development of tactile sensations is important. A child learns about his body and the environment through touch. Remember, this isn't just about using your hands. It includes the whole body.

So whenever the temperature allows you to strip your baby down to his diaper, allow him to explore a variety of textures. It helps in the development of many skills, including gross and fine motor skills.

Here some ideas:

1. Place your baby on various fabrics or blankets. It can be wool, silk, cotton. Always make sure your child is comfortable.
2. Place various embossed materials or toys in your baby's hands. Examples may include various fabrics, rattles, rings.
3. Moving various relief materials along the arms, legs, face, stomach and back. Again, this can be different fabrics or toys, such as tickling with a feather.
4. Time to swim! Water covers the entire body, and this is another pleasant sensation. You can use different textured towels each time to add variety.

At this age, a child cannot see far, but there are many things that he likes. The faces are, of course, one of their favorites. Another favorite activity is to watch moving fingers.

What to do? You can let your imagination run wild. The main goal for your baby is to watch your fingers dance. You can turn on music and move your hands rhythmically. Up, down, side to side, fast or slow.

You can use finger puppets and create a simple puppet show.

Observation of an object

At two months, a child can see up to 45 cm from his face. At this age, the infant can also fixate on an object and follow it for a short time. You can promote this skill through play. You can hold a toy or any object that your baby finds interesting in front of his face. Move it in different directions. In addition, you can hum, talk, or make funny sound effects.

Remember: each baby develops at its own pace. If your child is not ready or interested in these activities, try them again in a few weeks.

Tips on how to care for a two month old baby

1. The second month of a newborn's life is exciting and nerve-wracking for new parents. Don't be afraid to ask for advice when you need it. A pediatrician is the best source of information, but family and friends are also good advisers and helpers.
2. Modern parents are always on the go. As a result, children spend a lot of time in car seats and carriers. Babies should be able to be in different positions throughout the day so they can use the muscles they will need to roll over, crawl, and eventually walk.
3. Touch is very important during the first months of life. Skin contact is beneficial. Some experts recommend baby massage, but simply holding or rocking the baby is enough.
4. When your baby cries, try different calming techniques. Some children respond to soft music or singing. Others are soothed by “white noise” (for example, running a vacuum cleaner or placing a radio between stations). If you haven't already, try introducing a pacifier. It is calming and also helps in preventing sudden infant death syndrome. Experiment to find what works best for your two-month-old baby.

All children are unique and reach certain milestones at their own pace. Developmental recommendations simply show what a child can realize. If not now, then in the near future. If a baby was born prematurely, it takes a little longer for him to reach his developmental milestones. If you have any questions about your child's development, consult your doctor.

The daily routine of a two-month-old baby should consist of the correct sequence of sleep, feeding and periods of wakefulness, alternating with the implementation of mandatory hygiene procedures.

Approximate (!) daily routine for a breastfed baby

• 6:00 First feeding, morning hygiene procedures (changing a diaper, washing, cleaning the nasal passages, trimming nails.);
• 7:30-9:30 Morning dream;
• 9:30-11:00 Waking up, placing the baby on his tummy (). Second feeding (the newly fed baby must be held in a “column” to prevent regurgitation). We are going for a walk;
• 11:00-13:00 Daytime sleep. Better while walking;
• 13:00-14:30 Third feeding;
• 14:30-16:30 Dream;
• 16:30-17:30 Fourth feeding. Developmental activities: manipulations with a rattle, fixation of the gaze on the toy, accompanied by songs, rhymes, nursery rhymes;
• 17:30-19:30 Dream;
• 19:30-21:00 Fifth feeding. Hygiene procedures: bathing the child (if the room temperature is not lower than 22 degrees, you can take your time dressing the newly bathed baby, giving him the opportunity to be naked for five minutes);
• 21:00-23:30 Dream;
• 23:30-00:00 Sixth feeding;
• 00:00-6:00 Night sleep. It is this time interval that is considered ideal for a two-month-old baby to rest at night, but, as a rule, the baby wakes up at night, sometimes even more than once - you should not refuse to feed him.

You can download and print a sample daily routine from our Yandex.Disk -

More daily routine options for children from 1 to 3 months:

This routine can be adjusted to take into account the individuality of the baby.. Frail babies often need more sleep. You can accommodate a child who is hungry ahead of schedule (15-20 minutes doesn’t solve anything). Sleep time also undergoes exactly the same adjustment: a capricious and overtired baby can be put to bed earlier, and a sound sleeper can be allowed to sleep a little more.

However, all this concerns only minor deviations from the schedule we have presented. Some young mothers, who do not know how to correctly interpret their baby’s behavior, begin to adapt to his every dissatisfied squeak. As a result, the schedule of feeding, sleep and wakefulness gets confused, giving way to unsystematicity and chaos.

Even if there are some deviations in the child’s behavior(for example, he may confuse the time of day, staying awake at night and sleeping during the day), they can and should be arranged. If this is not done on time, excessive maternal compassion will lead to the child’s incorrect behavior becoming the norm, making the organization of the family structure inconvenient for the rest of the family.

About the daily routine of an artificial baby

The daily routine of a 2-month-old baby fed with artificial formula will be slightly different than for a baby receiving breast milk. This is explained by the longer (compared to breast milk) absorption of the artificial product. In this regard, the breaks between feedings should be at least four hours, so the artificial feeding schedule will be as follows: 6:00 | 10:00 | 14:00 | 18:00 | 22:00 | 2:00

As for the periods of wakefulness and sleep, they remain the same as for infants feeding on mother's milk. Depending on the individual characteristics of each child’s body, some minor adjustments may be made to this regimen.

About the importance of sleep

The quality of sleep determines the physical and emotional state of the baby. If he slept well, it means he will have enough strength to actively perceive the world, play and communicate with loved ones, as well as an excellent appetite. A child who does not get enough sleep will be apathetic and capricious.

A two-month-old baby should sleep at least 16 hours a day, and a falling asleep baby does not need any rocking or stroking. If he is healthy, fed and put to bed on time, there should be no problems with falling asleep, because he needs sleep physiologically.

If sleep disturbances do exist in a 2-month-old baby, you need to figure out what is the cause of this unnatural phenomenon. Your baby may have trouble sleeping due to:

• insufficient activity during waking hours;
• increased excitability of the nervous system, which reacts sensitively even to weak stimuli (for example, light in the next room falling into the child’s field of vision);
• consequences of birth trauma (this kind of anxiety is noted until about three months of age);
• feelings of discomfort (uncomfortable bed, wet diapers, feelings of hunger or overeating);
• too bright light;
• noisy environment;
• increased humidity or dry air;
• violations of the temperature regime in the children's room (the optimal temperature is considered to be from 20 to 24 degrees);
• abdominal pain.

We also read about how much time a newborn baby sleeps during the day. —

Babies accustomed to being rocked to sleep may have greater difficulty falling asleep. Having found out the cause of the sleep disorder, it is necessary to take measures to eliminate it (allow the baby to move while he is awake, create a calm environment before bed: mute the TV volume, do not allow other family members to talk loudly in the room where the baby is sleeping). The main factor contributing to the normalization of sleep is putting the baby to bed at the same time. Once he gets used to the routine, he will begin to fall asleep on his own.

Sleep organization

To sleep, the child should have a comfortable crib with a firm, elastic mattress () and a flat pillow. In order for your baby to get a good night's sleep, it is necessary to create optimal conditions:

• ventilate the children's room well;
• remake the crib, making sure that the sheet does not form folds that could cause discomfort;
• if the room is on the sunny side, it is necessary to shade the window;
• change a diaper or nappy before going to bed;
• feed the baby.

Since a two-month-old baby still needs close contact with his mother, he feels her absence even in his sleep. The sleep of a baby placed in a crib is characterized by short duration and intermittency. Many mothers notice this when they briefly leave the room where their baby is sleeping.

A completely different situation is observed if the mother is nearby: the baby sleeps soundly and for a long time. That is why pediatricians advise nursing mothers not to take their baby off the breast during feeding during the day, but to lie down next to him for about forty minutes. The benefit turns out to be two-sided: the mother gets the opportunity to relax and take a break from household chores, and the baby gains strength for the next wakefulness.

A bathing procedure before feeding your baby can make your night's sleep longer and more complete.

Many mothers are interested in the question of the advisability of swaddling a two-month-old baby before bed. In previous years, this manipulation was considered mandatory. Modern pediatricians are of the opinion that it is not at all necessary. The exception is when the baby sleeps restlessly, flapping its arms. Sometimes loose swaddling helps solve this problem.

Features of feeding

The ideal option for the proper development of a baby is breastfeeding, since mother's milk is perfectly absorbed by the child's body and contains all the necessary nutrients and antibodies that protect the child from the effects of pathogenic microorganisms.

The nuances of breastfeeding

The most physiological is considered to be a free breastfeeding regime, when the baby gets access to mother's milk “on demand.” Demanding crying or restlessness shown by your baby are indicators that he is hungry.

Despite the seeming spontaneity of this approach, it turned out that the baby needs to eat every three hours during the day and four at night, so this completely coincides with the daily routine recommended by modern pediatricians.

This is exactly the feeding regimen that most experienced mothers practice, arguing that it not only satisfies the psychological and physiological needs of the baby, but also minimizes the risk of milk stagnation (). Babies who receive breastfeeding on demand practically do not cry, because they feel not only fullness, but also a state of serenity and comfort, close to what they experienced during intrauterine development.

The daily requirement of breast milk for a two-month-old baby is approximately 900 ml (single dose - 130 ml). How to monitor whether the baby is receiving the required amount? The length of time it stays at the breast can serve as a guide. The average duration of one feeding is twenty minutes(the most active and strong babies are able to get enough in a quarter of an hour). We read in detail about how much breast milk or formula a child should eat -

There are children who turn away from the breast after just five minutes. This moment is clearly not enough to saturate the child. This is usually done by weakened infants who feed exclusively on “light” milk, which enters their mouths without the slightest effort on their part. When this “feed” stops, they stop sucking. To get the little sloth to eat properly, experts recommend that mothers express the first portion of milk. Then the baby will suck exactly as much as he is supposed to.

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However, with this feeding option, the baby may experience a lack of fluid, since the “front” milk contains more liquid, and the “hind” milk contains more fat. To eliminate the possibility of such an imbalance, the mother should consult a pediatrician - he will help her choose the necessary feeding tactics.

It is also undesirable to hold the baby at the breast for too long. For some babies, feeding takes about an hour. After eating for the first twenty minutes, they simply hold the nipple in their mouth, occasionally sucking on it. Mothers of such babies should be aware that this can affect the condition of the nipples.

Due to the constant mechanical impact on them, they can form, which can cause extremely painful sensations during each feeding. To prevent this, you should carefully remove the nipple from the mouth of an already saturated baby.

Another indicator of the sufficiency of breastfeeding is the number of wet diapers and diapers soiled by the baby. A two-month-old baby, receiving a sufficient amount of mother's milk, urinates 12 to 15 times a day. The stool pattern may vary. Some babies poop after every feeding, others have stools from two to four times a day: this is also considered the norm (brother-fed babies do this less often - no more than once or twice a day).

About feeding artificial animals

Formula-fed babies are fed only at certain hours. This is a necessary measure, due to the fact that in order to digest an artificial mixture, although it is analogue of mother's milk, but slightly different from it in composition and beneficial properties, it requires more time.

Two-month-old infants are fed with adapted milk formula number 1. The number of feedings (5-6 times) and the volume of one serving (120-140 ml) is indicated on each package. It is not recommended to exceed the indicated dosage and number of feedings. Premature babies and very low birth weight infants are on a special feeding regimen, which is monitored and prescribed by a pediatrician.

If during breastfeeding the baby is given drinking water only on especially hot days - to quench his thirst (mother's milk is both drink and food for him), then for artificial babies it is absolutely necessary. Drinking water must be given to artificially-fed babies in the pauses between feedings.

Despite the fact that artificial babies are fed from a bottle, mothers should feed them not in the crib, but by holding them in their arms: this is how much-needed physical contact is achieved with the person they love most.

After feeding babies (both infants and artificial babies), it is necessary to hold them in an upright position for three minutes, allowing the portion of air that has entered the stomach to leave it. The presence of profuse (“fountain”) belching is a reason to contact a pediatrician, since this may indicate certain pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

Features of wakefulness

2 months is the time when the baby begins to pay attention to the world around him. If earlier his awakenings were associated only with the need to refresh himself, now he is able to stay awake for an hour and a half.

As the baby develops psycho-emotionally and mentally, his activity also increases. Having felt the ability to control muscles (due to the weakening of the flexor muscle tone), he begins to perform many targeted movements. Vision and hearing, improving day by day (the baby is able to see objects seven meters away from him), allow him to recognize close people and gradually navigate in space. This is largely facilitated by strengthening the neck muscles, which allow the baby to turn his head in the direction he needs.

Walks

Walking in the fresh air is extremely beneficial for every child. Their duration in the warm season can be at least one and a half hours. The best times for this are morning (before 11) and evening (after 16). It is best to walk in the lacy shade of trees, protecting your baby from the bright rays of the sun.

In winter, walks with a 2-month-old child are possible only at temperatures exceeding -10 degrees. The best clothing for a sedentary baby is a bib overalls with a natural fur lining and a lower part made in the form of an envelope.

The awake baby must be taken out of the stroller, showing him the world around him. You should take your baby for a walk in a place far from polluted highways: a quiet park or a calm courtyard..

Activities and educational games

Two months of age is a great time to train your senses.. In order for the baby to learn to follow moving objects, focusing his gaze on them, it is necessary to purchase several very light and bright rattles, painted in red, yellow and orange, since now he perceives only these warm colors. The sound of the rattle should not be scary, but pleasant.

• Taking a rattle, you can approach the baby from the side and shake it thirty centimeters from him, forcing the baby to turn his head in the direction of the sound. By transferring the toy to the other hand, they try to turn its head in the opposite direction in the same way. The mother can simply call the baby in a gentle voice, approaching the crib from different sides, so that, in response to the sound, he turns his head in the right direction;
• It is useful to place a rattle in a child's hand. Weak fingers are able to hold it for only thirty seconds. This is an excellent exercise that prepares the muscles of the hand for the act of grasping;
• You can hang a garland of bright rattles over your baby's crib so that he can reach it with his arms or legs. The sound made by the garland in response to the baby’s touch leads him to surprise and delight, forcing him to wave his arms and move his legs even more actively;
• A bright rattle can be placed in front of the baby, laid out on his tummy (it is better to do this in a crib without a mattress or in a playpen). A healthy baby should raise his head, lean on his forearms and, raising his chest, look forward. A bright object will certainly attract his attention and force him to stay in this position for some time, looking at the objects lying in front of him;
• To develop fine motor skills, you can play “magpie-white-sided” with your child. While fingering and massaging each finger, you need to recite the text of the poem.

The duration of developmental activities with the baby should not exceed twenty minutes. You need to talk to him affectionately, emotionally, often changing intonation, read children's poems, sing simple songs. Having heard the baby “booming”, calling on his mother to communicate, it is necessary to respond to his call. Otherwise, the “humbling” will soon stop, which will inevitably lead to a delay in speech and impaired emotional development.

Gymnastics and massage

Bathing

When bathing a two-month-old baby, you must follow a number of simple rules:

• The use of special detergents is allowed no more than once a week;
• For daily bathing, babies use ordinary clean water;
• If your baby has heat rash or diaper rash, you can add chamomile and chamomile infusions to the bath;
• The optimal water temperature for bathing a baby is thirty-seven degrees;
• It is not at all necessary to bathe the baby before going to bed for the night. If the baby protests and is capricious, you can do this during the daytime or morning hours, when he is awake.

Caring for a two-month-old baby is not an easy and very responsible task. If a caring and loving mother steadily adheres to the same daily routine, in the future she will be able to protect the family from the problems faced by parents of children raised without any structure. The sooner the baby gets used to order, the easier it is to adapt to the conditions of the surrounding world.

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Note to moms!

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Today your baby is 2 months old. This is your new date, a new milestone. Just recently you were pregnant, and today you are holding a tiny toddler in your arms! You have almost learned to understand your baby, he recognizes you with all his might and loves to be in your arms. Now he not only sleeps and eats, but also tries to communicate with the outside world. Your baby is growing at a rapid pace. By the end of the third month, the baby’s weight may increase by one and a half to two times compared to the weight at discharge.

What's new

His daily routine during this period consists of alternating three phases: sleep, feeding, wakefulness. And then - sleep again.

During the waking phase, the child is active most of the time. His interest in the outside world is growing more and more. He pays attention to the surrounding sounds, listens to them, examines the room with his eyes, looking for new visual images. Seeing some new object, the baby fixes his gaze on it and expresses his joy. This age is characterized by the so-called “revival” complex, when the baby reacts vividly to the appearance of people he knows and loves - he smiles, begins to walk, and actively wags his arms and legs. We talked about this in detail last month.

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This month, your baby will definitely delight you with his first conscious smile. If before his smiles they were sleepy and fleeting, now they become conscious and express positive emotions and pleasure. Most often, the baby smiles if he sees the familiar face of his mother or father.

By the end of the second month of life, the child begins to follow moving objects in his field of vision. For example, he is interested in a mobile hanging above the crib. He can see further than before (objects more than 50 cm away). The child looks at his mother's face with interest. Due to the fact that the facial muscles are not yet sufficiently developed, the baby may cross his eyes. Don't be alarmed, this will most likely go away with time. The baby does not distinguish colors except black and white.

How does a baby's vision differ from an adult's vision?

Children begin to see from birth; they are born with this ability. In the first 2–3 months, children distinguish only black and white pictures; everything else appears to them as shades of gray.

This feature is associated with the structure of the human eye. The retina of the eye contains a number of cells called cones and rods. Rods allow you to see only black and white objects and pictures, while cones allow you to see colors and their shades. When a baby is born, his rods work more actively, so he sees everything in black and white.

To develop good vision in children, it is recommended to use black and white pictures. There can be as many of them as you like. It is quite acceptable to draw pictures yourself using a black felt-tip pen or marker, pencil, gouache, watercolor or ink, or you can download ready-made drawings.

Pictures can be made in various sizes: 10x10 cm or the size of an A4 page. Black and white drawings can contain images of any objects: vegetables and fruits, geometric shapes, trees, schematic images of faces, numbers, letters, etc. You can choose different sizes of black and white diagrams, since objects in the surrounding world also differ in size.

Good to know

To develop good vision in newborns, they should be placed at a distance of thirty centimeters from the eyes of newborns: during the first two months, children focus their vision best at this distance.

When a child looks at black-and-white diagrams, connections between neurons are established, which are most activated by eight months and continue to remain at the same level until four years of age. It was noticed that children who are taught using black and white drawings show more attention and calmness during the waking period. Visual stimulation is beneficial for children's development.

The child himself will tell you how many, when and what kind of black-and-white pictures for newborns to show: he will look at some black-and-white pictures with interest and glance at others only occasionally. .

What does a 2 month old baby look like?

Physical development of a child at 2 months

Lying on his back, he raises his arms forward (from 2 months) and up - above his shoulders (at 2.5 months). The palms are often open, less often clenched into fists. There have been some changes in the prone position. The buttocks are flat, not raised upward.

From 2 months, you can place a rattle in the child’s hand - during involuntary movements of the hand, the rattle begins to rattle, and the child begins to look for the source of the sound. Thus, mutual coordination of vision and hand movements is trained.

A slight small tremor of the chin or hand in a healthy child at the beginning of the 2nd month of life can be observed only occasionally, when the child is suddenly excited.

Attention!

If this tremor is large-scale, rough, occurs frequently, and is caused by slight excitement of the child, swaddling and other everyday situations, then you need to contact a neurologist.

Test
Pull your child from a lying position to a sitting position. Place your thumbs across your baby's palms and grab his hands with your hands. With this pull-up at 2.5 months, the child only tilts his head back a little.

By 2.5–3 months, the baby not only puts his hands in his mouth and sucks his finger, but also rubs his eyes with them, fiddles with his clothes, fingers the edge of a diaper or blanket, and picks at his clothes. The child often examines his hands.

Mental development of a child at 2 months

At the age of two months, the child is good at following the movement of the toy you move or your face, not only with his eyes, but also by turning his head in the right direction. Try to use toys that make different sounds. By moving sounding toys, attract your baby's attention. Ring the toy left, right, top and bottom. Ask: “Where is it ringing? Ding Ding! Where now?".

From 2.5 months, the child begins to actively interact with the toy - he not only looks at it, but also points his hands towards it and begins to touch it. To do this, starting from 2.5 months, the distance to the hanging toy should be somewhat closer than the child’s outstretched arms. The easiest way is to hang two rattles (balls with a diameter of 5–7 cm on rings with a diameter of 10–15 cm) on colored ribbons to the right and left of the child. If the toy hangs low enough, the child accidentally touches it with his hands, rejoices, straightens his hands and touches the toy again. The toy should easily come into oscillatory motion. From this age, the toy itself should be attractive not only to look at, but also to touch: it is better to have a ball in the rattle with an uneven surface that is interesting for touching. You can make or buy a woolen or rag ball. Try hanging a bell. It is good to hang a special structure of two to four toys: one or two are fixed directly on a rope or crossbar, one or two hang down on elastic bands, strings, or ribbons. The easiest way is to buy in a toy store a special hanging device “yoke”, “arch”, “arc” - “bracket-trapezoid” (a round or trapezoidal stand that can be securely attached to a crib or playpen) with toys already suspended. Rattles hanging on chains are suspended so that the child, with spontaneous, not yet coordinated movements of his hands, can accidentally touch them. When he touches the lower toys, the upper toys begin to move and ring. As a result, the baby develops a complex reflex connection - auditory-visual-motor. Toys must be well lit. Ophthalmologists advise that even a child's daytime nap should be spent in bright light. In their opinion, constant stimulation of the eyes with light prevents the development of myopia.

Pre-speech development of a child at 2 months

In the 3rd month of life, he begins to roar more and more often. Humming is the pronunciation of melodious and drawn-out vowel sounds (“a”, “o”, “u”, “e”) and their combinations with a small admixture of vague consonants. Begins to walk and coo when alone in a positive emotional state, and not just in response to the advances of an adult.

Denver test at 2 months

Rough movements- Lying on his stomach, rises on his hands

Subtle movements- Follows the objects in front of the eyes with his eyes

Speech- Gulit (coos)

How to feed a 2 month old baby

The priority is breastfeeding. Only breasts. Or just a mixture. We breastfeed on demand. Don’t forget that your baby still needs your warmth and affection from you. Don't be afraid to breastfeed if your baby is crying and you just fed him, maybe he just wants to be comforted at the breast. In addition, the baby is still so small that the process of establishing lactation is now in full swing, and this will only benefit both of you.

Good to know

A 2-month-old baby eats about 800–900 ml of milk per day, eating 130–150 grams in one feeding.

The interval between feedings gradually increases. At the age of 2 to 3 months, the child usually chooses his own break between feedings of 3.5 hours. The night break can be much longer.

This month you may discover something new about your baby's behavior when feeding him. Now he doesn’t suck constantly, but can break away several times and look at your face. This should not be a reason to interrupt feeding, just be patient for a little while until the baby turns and takes the breast again.

Perhaps in the third month the frequency of night feedings will decrease, and your night rest will become more complete. But the number of regurgitations does not decrease; they occur after each feeding and are completely normal if the baby is gaining weight due to age. It is also normal if your baby does NOT spit up. Not all children do this.

About mixed feeding

If the share of formula in the child’s diet is approximately half of the daily amount of food, it means that the baby is being mixed-fed. With this type of feeding, the diet remains free. Supplementary feeding is given to the baby after application to both breasts and control weighing. If the amount of supplementary feeding is small, feed the baby with a spoon; if the amount is large, it is better to use a bottle with a nipple.

About artificial feeding

If, however, you were unable to maintain breastfeeding (BF), yes, unfortunately this happens for various reasons, then you may have had to switch to artificial feeding (IV)

What is the feeding regimen for IV? Feeding on demand or at the request of the baby (relevant for breastfeeding) is usually not suitable for artificial: human milk is unique, it “knows how” to adapt to the needs of the baby, and the composition of the milk formula is always the same. Therefore, you need to follow a certain diet so as not to overload the baby’s gastrointestinal tract and kidneys with excess proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Individual doctor's recommendations, taking into account the child's characteristics, will help you adjust even artificial feeding: if the baby does not eat the proposed volume of formula during one feeding, he may need more frequent feedings, but in smaller portions. In this sense (maximum consideration of the child’s individual characteristics and needs, determined with the help of a specialist), we can talk about partial “free feeding”.

• For children in the first months of life, it is recommended to feed 6–7 times a day - every 3 or 3.5 hours, preferably with a 6–6.5 hour break at night, respectively. Artificial formula stays in the stomach longer, so the child is transferred to 5 meals a day earlier - after the introduction of the first complementary foods (at about 5–5.5 months), it is recommended to feed the baby with milk formula 5 times a day. It is better to feed artificial babies on a schedule: up to 1 month - when asked, but up to 10 times a day.


• 1–3 months - about 7 times.


• 3–4 months - about 6 times.


• From 4 months to a year - about 5 times a day. If it doesn’t work out according to the schedule, don’t starve your child and look at the clock, feed more often, but little by little.

How to dress a 2 month old baby

If the child has so far grown up mostly in diapers, now is the time to change his clothes - he needs rompers when he is awake. When the room temperature in winter is 21–22°C, there is no need to wear woolen socks over the rompers, although they can be used while walking. Wrapping up your baby causes him to sweat and catch cold easily in drafts. At the room temperature indicated above, you can wear short pants, socks or knee socks while the child is awake. Let him stay with bare knees for 10–15 minutes first, and then for the entire waking period.

What kind of stool does a baby have at 2 months and how much does he pee?

Urination is still frequent, but the baby is able to sleep dry and signal to the mother when waking up. Stool can be 5–8 times a day, or once a day, or even every other day.

How long does a 2 month old baby sleep?

In the third month, the baby can sleep all night without waking up for up to 6 hours in a row. Daytime sleep is shortened, and the total duration of sleep decreases.

At the age of 2–3 months, a child sleeps 16–18 hours a day, of which night sleep is about 8 hours 30 minutes. During the day the baby sleeps 3-4 times.

Caring for a 2 month old baby

• Washing. Caring for your baby begins with daily hygiene procedures. Every morning you need to wash your baby - wipe with a swab dipped in plain warm water. Change tampons, rub his eyes - the baby's tear glands are already working.


• Clean your ears and nose with cotton swabs. Trim your nails as they grow and make them rounded to prevent your baby from scratching.


• Bathing. Procedures should be carried out daily before feeding, at a temperature of 36–37 degrees, and should be washed with soap only 1–2 times a week.


• Carry out hardening procedures and massages, rubdowns; usually these exercises are introduced in the children's clinic.

How to play with a 2 month old baby

Bell

At two months, the baby turns his head, lying on his stomach, hears and distinguishes sounds. After ringing the bell, hang it on one side of the crib, from above. Then, upon hearing the bell, the baby will turn his head in that direction.

Affectionate mittens

While your little one is awake, stroke his hands with different samples of fabric: knitted mittens, a silk scarf, a piece of fur. This will help develop the child’s sense of touch.

Jumper

Sew an elastic band to any soft toy and hang it over the crib. Let the toy “jump”, and the baby will follow it with interest.

Poems

We continue to study poems and nursery rhymes. There are jokes for any action: for massage (stretchers, stretchers), for bathing (Water, water, wash my face: so that my eyes sparkle, my lips turn red, my teeth bite, my mouth smiles). The child will be happy to answer you with a “hooking” sound.

“Body parts” from 2 months

For example, here is a wonderful game for washing “Where are you, nose?” When washing or bathing your baby, tell or sing a nursery rhyme and at the same time touch the named parts of the baby’s face. You can touch the cheek and nose with your finger or take the baby’s hand and bring it either to the nose or to the mouth... If you don’t have a daughter, but a son, replace the last line. For example, you can say: “We washed our son!” And after some time, the baby will be happy to show you where his cheek is, and where his nose and mouth are.

Do I need to go to the clinic at 2 months? Vaccinations at 2 months.

You will have a monthly appointment with a pediatrician. There are no medical examinations this month. Next month you will have to get a DPT vaccine, see a pediatrician and neurologist, and get tested.

Vlog - 2 months

Weight/Mode/Skills

Belly at 2 months

What can a 2 month old baby do?

At 2 months, the baby adapts more and more to the world around him. And mom has already learned to understand her baby: why he cries, what he wants to say with a squeak, when he kicks his legs, how he behaves if he’s hungry, if it’s cold, hot, wet...

The baby himself masters such a universal means of communication as a smile. These are no longer the old grimaces, but a bewitching, radiant, attractive - in a word, a real smile. The baby bestows it on every face and voice that turns to him. First of all, of course, mom and dad. This smile contains joy and trust. To parents, to the world. Trust in the world also increases thanks to the “eye to eye” game, that irreplaceable communication when a baby can look into his mother’s eyes for a long time, seeing in them, as in a mirror, his reflection and the perception of himself by others.

Crying continues to be a means of communication. But now it takes on a social meaning - a request, a call: to come over, play, pick it up, show you what’s interesting around. When a baby is in a good mood, he makes a series of vowel sounds, listening carefully to himself and freezing, so that he can then repeat it all over again: e-a-o, a-o-u... This is the forerunner of speech.

Play with your baby, repeating his “livers” after him - listening to them “from the outside,” the baby will understand how to make them more similar to the sounds you make when talking. In addition, by conducting such a dialogue with the mother, the child trains the speech and articulation apparatus.

By 2 months, the ability to coordinate the eye muscles increases and visual concentration improves. The gaze becomes directed. Now the baby can follow a moving object and not let it out of sight when it stops. The baby follows the adult walking away from the crib and meets him, looking for the source of the sound if the adult approaches and talks.

At 2 months, a child is able to look at objects located about half a meter away from him. This means that toys and rattles should hang above the crib or chaise lounge at exactly this height. Simultaneously with visual concentration, eye-hand coordination begins to form. The baby tries to grab objects in his field of vision and knocks on them. The fingers are almost always clenched into a fist. And when one “accidentally” bends back and falls into the mouth, the baby sucks it with concentration.

Let's taste it

The fact that the baby puts everything in his mouth is quite understandable. It is this way of getting to know the outside world that is familiar to a baby from the womb. There is no need to worry (if, of course, you have taken care of the cleanliness of the apartment in advance): the baby’s saliva is so enzymatically active that the child is relatively safe.

Sucking is generally a favorite pastime. However, by this time the baby begins to understand how the breast differs from the blanket - the taste, of course. Moreover, when the baby is hungry, he will demand the breast (or bottle) and will never agree to anything else. And he can even help himself by supporting his breasts with his fists and “squeezing” them so that more milk flows into his mouth.

By 2 months, if the child is not sleeping, he is in motion almost all the time, which he does not yet control. His head tilts first to one side, then to the other, his arms and legs fly up, his back arches... The baby prefers to sleep in a fencer's pose. But if you lay the baby on his side, he will be able to roll over on his back. And if you put him on his tummy, he will try to raise his head. Usually, by 8-9 weeks of life, the child can already hold it for 10-15 seconds. When tired, babies close their eyes and turn their heads in the direction where there are no “irritants.”

Massage and self-massage

Let's start with a massage. After you have mastered and practiced regular massage for 2-3 weeks, you can introduce your baby to new sensations. To do this, you will need rolling objects: small balls, pencils, nuts, smooth sticks. Use them to stroke. If your “tool” is small, you can use it to stroke the baby’s entire body; if it’s large, use it only for the back.

It is useful to offer the child “self-massage”. To do this, pour cereal onto a diaper laid out on the changing table and place the baby on it. If the baby begins to actively use his hands, place him on his back so that he does not inadvertently put grains into his mouth or nose. If the arms are still living on their own, the baby can be placed either on the back or on the tummy.

The baby will crawl along the rump, thereby receiving a lot of new tactile sensations. At the same time, you can change the size of the cereal: start with the smallest, for example millet, then add buckwheat or rice, then round peas, and finally pine nuts or beans. The duration of the procedure should be short so that the child does not feel pain or discomfort.

If the baby's legs and arms have lost tone and he begins to actively move them, give him real dumbbells. Of course they are tiny. To do this, take small bottles (from “Rastishka” or “Actimel”), pour some water into them, close them and attach (for example, with a hair tie) to the arms and legs of your favorite child. Let him practice lifting weights. When this weight has been mastered, fill the bottle with water halfway.

Charging for fingers

In infancy, it is useful to train finger movements, thereby influencing active points associated with the cerebral cortex. At the age of 2 to 3 months, the child begins to feel palpating movements. From this moment, the centers of the tactile analyzer of the cerebral cortex are turned on. The movements of the fingers are of particular importance, as they have a huge impact on the development of higher nervous activity.

In the first months, practice reflex exercises using the grasping reflex. For example, these: in an open palm, achieving a reflex grasp, a ball with a diameter of 2-2.5 cm is placed. Balls of different weights, materials (plastic, rubber, wood, etc.), homemade fabric, smooth or terry are selected fabrics, hard and soft.

The balls, tied on a ribbon, descend into the child’s palm from above. This exercise gives the baby relative independence by practicing grasping. You can alternate the balls, place them in each hand one by one, simultaneously put the same and different balls in both hands, etc. By pulling the ball by the ribbon and not removing it from the baby's palm, the adult stimulates a stronger grasp.

A similar exercise can be performed with sticks (section diameter 1-1.5 cm, length 25 cm). The sticks selected are round, smooth, and ribbed. It is good to give inserts in the form of small rolls of oilcloth, terry, or chintz fabric. They stimulate hand movements (grasping, squeezing) and develop tactile sensitivity in the palm.

These reflex exercises are passive in nature, but they are extremely useful for developing the sense of touch. This feeling develops very early, as soon as objects begin to fall into the baby’s hand.

Developing auditory activity

Game “Where is it ringing?”

For this exercise you need a small bell 5-7 cm high. The child lies on his back. You hold the bell at arm's length (the baby should not see you) and ring it quietly. Make 2-3 “bells” and let the sound die down. The baby listens to the sound. Ring the bell again. Before calling, let the sound fade out. Hold the bell above the baby's chest at a distance of 60-70 cm.

Then tie the bell to the fishing line and move it to the right, muffling the sound. Having moved the bell to a distance of 80-100 cm from the center, ring it lightly, causing the baby to search for eye movements and turn his head in different directions. Move the bell to the left in the same way.

Classes are held 2-3 times a day for 3-4 days. Then it is advisable to take a week's break. In the future (during 2 and 3 months of life), classes can be conducted 1-2 times a week.