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The child needs 3 months. What to do with a three month old baby

Physical development.

Weight gain in the third month of life should be 700–800 g. Height increases by an average of 2.5 cm. According to average indicators, the head volume in boys at three months is approximately 40.9 cm, and the chest volume is 41.5 cm While in girls these indicators are somewhat smaller: the volume of the head and chest of a three-month-old girl is 40 cm. At this time, the strengthening of the child’s musculoskeletal system continues. The central nervous system is improved. The baby's bones are very fragile and susceptible to external influences. Parents must be extremely careful when handling the baby so as not to harm him. For example, tight swaddling or improper positioning of the baby can lead to bone deformities. By the end of the third month, the physiologically increased muscle tone of the child disappears. The child is capable of some conscious movements; his arms, legs, neck and torso become more mobile. Reaches for toys, unclenches fingers. The baby can grab the rattle and pull it towards him. In the parents' arms in an upright position, the baby holds his head well. He freely turns his head in all directions. The baby examines his hands, watches their movement, and brings them to his face.

Psycho-emotional development.

A child at the age of three months reacts well to sound: he can determine where it is coming from and turns towards it. The baby listens to his mother when she talks to him. The baby can already smile, recognizes his mother’s voice, and can express his emotions, desires and dissatisfaction with sounds. The child tries to raise his head when lying on his back. If you put him on his tummy, he begins to rise up on his elbows. The child develops grasping movements with his hands. He follows the movement of the mobile above the bed, tries to reach out and grab it. The baby peers at the toys. Large patterns attract his attention. The child observes the object that interests him, lying on his back, on his stomach, on his side, while being in the arms of his parents.

A healthy baby can rest his feet on the surface if supported under his arms. At the same time, his legs are bent at the hip joint. The baby changes positions while sleeping. The child can follow with his eyes moving parents and pets. The baby listens to the sounds. The baby smiles when he sees his mother's face. At three months he can walk. Can imitate the voice of parents or music with sounds. The baby wants to be given full attention. To do this, he whines, smiles, screams, roars, etc. He may show his dissatisfaction if they stopped communicating with him, if his toy was taken away, or if something bothers him. The baby flinches when he hears a sharp sound. Listens to sounds. He can focus on the toy for a short time. Peers into the faces of his relatives. The child tries to communicate with adults by shouting and shouting. He can walk alone with himself. At three months, the baby can drink water from a spoon. He is happy when he is bathed.

Schedule.

By the third month, the baby has already developed a sleep and wakefulness pattern. A child should sleep 16 - 17 hours a day. During the daytime, the baby sleeps approximately 4 times for 1.5 - 2 hours. It should be fed 6-7 times a day. There should be 3 - 3.5 hours between feedings. The child must be given vitamin D. The pediatrician will prescribe how and how much to give it to the child.

Walks.

You need to walk with your child a lot, up to 6 hours a day. The baby really needs fresh air. Walk in any weather. Only when the frost is below -10, pediatricians do not recommend walking with the baby. Gently accustom your child to the sun. The sun's rays help strengthen the body, since under their influence the child's skin independently produces vitamin D. Thus, the body naturally prevents rickets, anemia, and improves immunity. As a last resort, the baby can be carried in a stroller to the loggia. Just be sure to make sure that there is no draft and that the child is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Feeding.

It is very difficult to keep track of how much milk your baby eats when he is only breastfed. But it is known that a baby eats 800 - 850 g per day. That is, a child eats 120 - 140 g at a time. You can calculate the required amount of milk in another way: Divide the child’s weight by six. The result obtained is the amount of milk that the baby needs to eat. It is better to feed your baby breast milk. Mom should not forget to express the remaining milk after feeding and eat right. If you have to supplement the baby's feeding or transfer him to artificial feeding, use adapted milk formulas. Instructions for using a breast milk substitute and the age of the child at which it can be fed are written on the packaging. In addition to breast milk substitutes, the child can be given fermented milk products such as biolact, narine, acidophilus milk, matsoni, kefir, which can be found in the dairy kitchen. Store-bought kefir is not suitable for a child of this age, as it contains too many microbes. In any case, before giving your child any food, ALWAYS consult your pediatrician! From 3 months, you can give your baby a drop of fruit puree (preferably starting with apple or pear) and juice, but only no more than 2 times a day and always after feeding. The amount of juice should not exceed 25 g. Introduce the juice with a few drops and carefully monitor the child’s reaction. Fruit puree can be given 2 times a day after feeding, 3 teaspoons. It is better to start complementary feeding with applesauce.

Caring for a three month old baby.

Every morning, wipe your child’s eyes from the outer edge to the inner with a cotton swab dipped in clean water. Then wipe your entire face with another cotton swab soaked in clean water. At this age, the baby’s lacrimal glands are already functioning. Use cotton wool to clean your child's nose and ears. Nails should be cut regularly, but not short, rounded on the hands and straight on the feet. You should bathe your baby every day without soap before feeding. Water temperature – 36 – 37 degrees. Soap is used no more than 1 – 2 times a week. The baby can no longer be swaddled. Toys should be clean and easy to wash. Do not give your baby small objects or toys with sharp edges.

Editor: pediatrician Lyudmila Potapova, graduated from the pediatric faculty of SarSMU, clinical residency in infectious diseases.

Opinion of pediatrician Koval Anastasia “3 months of life”

Three months of life is the first milestone that all mothers look forward to achieving. The child has grown a little and is already capable of conscious contact with his parents. He recognizes a human face, facial expressions and voice, an adult addressing him, greets with a smile and cooing, knows how to grab rattles, tries to reach toys hanging above him, happily lies on his stomach leaning on his forearms, some already know how to roll over on their own.

Nutrition

At this age, the main source of nutrition for the baby is mother's milk. Most children do not need additional water. The feeding regimen is strictly individual and each mother-child pair develops its own. The main characteristic of normal nutrition is good weight gain, and not the time elapsed between feedings. On average it can range from 1.5 to 3.5 hours. There is no need to express the remaining milk, as its amount during natural feeding is adjusted to the baby’s needs. And excess can cause lactostasis and mastitis. If the monthly increase is insufficient, you should decide together with your doctor whether you need to supplement with formula.

Your pediatrician will also help you choose it, taking into account the baby’s characteristics.

Complementary foods are not introduced at this age. Normal gain is 800 grams (plus or minus 200).

Care

The little man's morning begins with washing. Wipe the face and eyes with clean water. The nose and ears are cleaned as they become dirty.

During the day, the child is washed with warm water and soap, always after he poops, and as necessary, but without soap. It is better to use wet wipes only when water is not available. Despite all the convenience, they still contain fragrances and other substances that are not always desirable for children's skin.

The day ends with an evening bath. It is better to bathe particularly excitable children at lunchtime.

The temperature should be 37-37.5 degrees, as the most favorable for the child’s comfortable well-being. It is worth considering that, unlike adults, the baby does not yet know how to adapt well to changing temperatures. If you want to start hardening, then you should remember the principle of regularity and gradualness in getting used to colder water. After the main bath, the child is sprayed with water at a temperature 0.5-1 degrees lower.

Walks

Walking plays a very important role in the development of a child. They help enrich the blood with oxygen and are part of hardening and getting to know the outside world.

Their duration is on average from 2 to 4 hours a day. And in good weather up to 6-7 hours.

If you can’t go outside, you can take the stroller to the balcony during the daytime nap. You should dress your baby as you would, plus one extra layer of clothing. To find out if the child is cold, you should pay attention to the nose; if it is warm, everything is in order. For walks you can use strollers, slings or kangaroos. In the latter, the child is provided not only with contact with his mother, but also with a more complete overview for gaining new impressions. Pay attention to the child's posture and the appropriate age of your portable device.

Additional classes

At this age, the child is able to perceive rhymes and music within 3-5 minutes, he is interested in toys, you can encourage the baby to reach for them, it is useful to get acquainted with various fabrics and textures, as well as sounds. If the child does not sleep during a walk, it is worth talking more about what is happening around.

At home, you should carry out hardening procedures (air baths, rubdowns), choose a complex of massage and gymnastics that matches the baby’s skills. He is usually introduced to him in the healthy child’s room in the clinic. It is also possible to combine it with nursery rhymes. Swimming is also good for the development and normalization of muscle tone.

Author of the article Anastasia Andreevna Koval,
pediatrician, graduated from the Kirov State Medical Institute, experienced mother

Date of publication: 09.20.2011
Update date: 03/16/2012.
Reproduction without an active link is prohibited!

Elena 23.06.2016 19:18
Interestingly, in one article there are two opposing recommendations, I don’t understand whether I need to pay extra or not?

Anastasia 10.06.2016 14:16
The articles are true for 2012. I wish all mothers to be adequately modern and literate.

Alina AH 04.06.2015 18:51
Irina, everyone has their own opinion on this matter!!! I agree with the opinion that it is better to feed a child up to six months only with your own milk or formula, and then only introduce complementary foods. Let’s say my mother also started giving us porridge early, so my sister grew up with gastritis. So, at first I fed my doll milk, and then the milk disappeared, I switched to Nanny’s formula and began to introduce complementary foods only closer to 6 months, we are developing and growing normally, the main thing is there are no problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Irina 28.04.2015 22:27
Everything you write about complementary feeding and drinking at 3 months is all nonsense. I started cooking milk porridge for my baby when she was 2.5 months old and everything is fine. But what was it like before, when my mother couldn’t breastfeed, they cooked porridge the same way and everything was fine, but now doctors can’t feed porridge early, they have to feed with formula. So the mixtures are all bullshit, that’s why there can be problems

Baeva M 24.04.2015 12:17
We also fed the baby on demand. I think that feeding on a schedule is simply absurd. The baby does not eat enough and is capricious. But this only applies to breastfeeding. As for bottle-fed babies, they simply need a schedule. You really have to stand there for three hours. My sister feeds her niece Nanny's formula. The baby has enough, he is completely full from feeding to feeding.

A child at three months is a curious infant who becomes more and more active and independent, adapting to the new big world. The daily routine changes, the baby spends less time sleeping, and devotes his waking hours to communication and mastering movements. How to develop a baby at 3 months of age?

A baby's height at this age increases by 3 cm in 30 days, and weight increases by 800 g.

Table 1. Height, weight, chest and head circumference in children at 3 months (average values)

If a child has health problems (more serious than snot), his physical and mental development occurs on an individual basis (sometimes children have the indicated indicators per year).

If the child is fed with mother's milk, the doctor must monitor whether his needs are met. Is full growth achieved and is weight increasing? This also applies to nutritional formula if the baby is prescribed artificial nutrition.

Motor skills

At 3 months of life, the quality and variety of movements of the baby improves significantly. What should a child be able to do at this age?

Able to lie on his tummy, raise his torso, leaning on his elbows and forearms, raising his head high;
Able to hold his head well in an upright position (in the arms of an adult);
Able to sit with support from the pelvis, roll over from back to side.

At one year old, the baby should already be able to control his body in a more perfect way.

Child development at 3 months

Visual and auditory perception

A 3-month-old baby continues to develop its visual and auditory analyzers and develops complex conditioned reflexes. When the baby spends time being awake and not sleeping, he begins to distinguish colors (at one year he will already be able to do this perfectly). He must fix his gaze on the object. Orientation in space and tracking of a sound stimulus while wakefulness lasts also arise at this stage. If a baby has snot and ARVI, then the development of skills is inhibited until recovery.

Table No. 2 will tell you what basic requirements the hearing, vision and emotional sphere of a child at 3 months of life must meet:

Skill	Characteristic
Visual orientation reactions	Visual concentration in a vertical position (on an adult’s face, a bright toy); Opening of the mouth when approaching the chest, at the sight of a bottle or spoon; He comes across toys hanging in the crib and learns to grab them if they are light in weight.
Sound-orienting reactions	Turns his head towards the source of the sound; Feels rhythm, distinguishes melodies (interested in musical toys)
Emotions and social behavior, speech development	The appearance of a “complex of emotional revival” in a child when talking with parents (smile, laughter, eye contact, active facial expressions); Recognizes mother; Expresses anxiety by screaming if he is left alone or the feeding schedule changes; The child begins to talk outside of sleep breaks, distinguishes the intonation of speech (at the age of one he will already use intonation himself).

Nutrition

Most babies at 3 months are fed from their mother's breast. To feed some babies in the period of 1 month to 1 year of life, so that they gain weight, formulas are used exclusively, or they are used in combination with mother's milk. Therefore, the following types of feeding of children are distinguished:

Natural feeding;
Artificial feeding;
Mixed feeding.

If parents adhere to the feeding schedule, then at this age the baby is advised to eat milk every 3.5 hours during the day. The nightly sleep break is 6 hours; you can give milk or a bottle of formula at night as required.

Waking during the day takes up more time in a child's life; sleep lasts from 1 to 1.5 hours between doses of milk or formula. Maintain proper drinking regimen (give water, juices). To help your child go to the toilet, use diapers.

From 3 months of age, breastfeeding can be supplemented with fruit juices. The mode of use depends on the individual child. Until the end of the day, the baby is allowed to eat no more than 30 ml of juice. It is offered after feeding with milk (a bottle of formula if artificial nutrition is indicated). The daily volume should be divided into 1-3 doses.

1-2 weeks after the introduction of the juice, the baby can be given fruit puree. Start with a very small amount and then gradually increase the dosage. The volume of puree that a child can eat throughout the day should be 10 g less than the volume of juice.

From 3.5 months of life, the baby can be given egg yolk. Pediatricians recommend this regimen for this product. Take 0.25 of one hard-boiled yolk, grind it with mother's milk and give it to the baby in the form of a suspension before feeding (with mother's milk, a bottle of formula if artificial nutrition is prescribed). By 4 months, the amount of yolk is increased.

A 3-month-old baby goes to the toilet a little less often than a newborn.

At one year old, the child already has enough regular food, so children refuse breastfeeding or formula.

Children for whom artificial feeding is chosen have the same feeding regimen as their peers. For such a child, special adapted formulas (starter formulas) are used, similar in composition to milk.

Baby development at 3 months

Educational games for a three month old baby

The nervous system of a three-month-old baby is actively growing. Development will reach its peak at 10 months to 1 year of age. During the day, when wakefulness is aimed at exploring the world, the child is already involved in social contacts (this is difficult if the baby has snot, etc.). To help the baby master new skills, educational games are used. Build them into your family's personalized routine for each day.

What are they?

“What and where does it sound?”

Select interesting melodies and play them on the computer in the room next to the children's room. Or use a musical toy. Then you can take your daughter or son in your arms and together go look for what it sounds like. Speak out each action, praise the baby when you reach the source of the sound.

“Catch the ring!”

Buy a ring (minimum weight) made of rubber, or take one of the rings from a children's pyramid. In a 3-month-old baby, when he remains awake, the hypertonicity of the muscles of the arms disappears, and their active growth occurs. He is already trying to grab something. You need to give the ring to the baby, saying “Take it,” then, with the intonation of a request, tell the baby to return it. After this, thank the young researcher.

"Clever Girl and the Newspaper"

Under the supervision of an adult, you need to let the baby touch a sheet of paper, crumple it, and if possible, tear it into pieces. But remember that the baby should not taste the paper strips.

“What am I like in the mirror?”

This game is played in front of a mirror. Stand or sit directly in front of him, holding the child in your arms. Describe what you see. You need to give names to body parts, then show different facial expressions.

Look in the mirror at the end of the day before your baby goes to sleep. Even before he turns one, the baby will be able to recognize his reflection. This is especially important if you are raising a girl.

Development of coordination

To help your baby develop coordination of movements and accelerate muscle growth, do the following exercises regularly (daily exercise, except when your baby has snot, etc.):

Alternately raise and lower the baby’s legs, reciting a rhyme;
Pull the baby by the arms towards you from a position where he is lying on his back so that his body is completely lifted off the surface. Then lower it slowly.
Place baby's tummy on your lap. Fix her head and support her back, then start rocking your legs back and forth so that your baby feels like she's on a boat.
In order for a baby to be able to roll over from his back to his stomach and back, as well as lie on his side, he needs the help of adults (the exercise regimen should be flexible; the baby’s height and weight do not matter). To do this, place your hand under the baby's shoulders and begin to lightly swing to the right and left. Then place the baby on its side and gently push it, encouraging it to roll over on its own.

The child will be interested in making movements to the music after the dream ends.

Development of thinking

Three months is the time when babies begin to play with rattles and learn to grab them. Choose a brightly colored rattle that has a long, thin handle. Bring it to the child's face and shake it several times. Make sure your baby responds to visual and sound stimuli.

To develop intelligence, exercises with a ball are suitable. Place the baby on his tummy. Place a colored ball in front of the baby's face, then you can start moving it in different directions. When the baby notices the toy, he will try to get to it.

Buy several bells that have different pitches. Alternately ring the bells from different ends of the crib. Then hide each one and watch as the child tries to determine the source of the sound and turns his head in the right direction.

Come up with a routine and lesson plan for the month and follow it exactly. The baby's growth and mental development will accelerate if he receives full maternal or artificial feeding. If you put in enough effort each day, you will be amazed at your child's progress when he turns one (it will be even easier to potty train your baby in the future).

Developing movement and tactile sensations

Nursing procedures also help the baby better navigate the world around him. Do not forget to pronounce each action, maintain eye contact with the baby during the time that takes natural or artificial feeding, bathing and walking. Buy a sufficient number of sensory toys that will stimulate the development of all the child’s perception systems.

To develop tactile sensations, you can collect a collection of objects that have different surfaces - rough, smooth, with pimples, etc.
You can make your own sensory book or panel by sewing pieces of different materials onto thick fabric and give it to your baby under supervision (you will also need it in the future, when your child is one year old).
You can sew several pillow bags (should be light weight), inside which you can put fragrant plants and buttons (beads) of various shapes. Such toys stimulate the sense of touch and smell, and fine motor skills develop. Place them in the crib where the baby sleeps.
You can place rubber toys next to your baby during the day that make a squeak when touched, and let the baby learn to play with them;
You can choose several attractive rattles (some that are light in weight) to help your baby learn to hold objects. Place them in the baby's hands across the palm so that the thumb is separate from the rest.

Children of this age get tired quickly. For their development to be harmonious, they need regular sleep, natural or artificial feeding without delays. Present information in doses, control the duration of classes. Create an activity and rest schedule and strictly adhere to it.

Three months is a milestone in a child’s life when growth of all body systems occurs. During this period, the baby’s mental development is determined by contact with the mother (joint wakefulness during the day and sleep at night, breastfeeding or artificial feeding with a formula bottle). Every parent should be very attentive to the well-being and success of the baby. If there is any deviation in the baby's health, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Baby development at 4 months

This month's motto:
“Not a day without new achievements or discoveries!”

In the third month of life, the child is already much more active - both physically and emotionally. Scientifically speaking, the “revitalization complex” is triggered - the baby demonstrates a positive emotional reaction in response to an adult addressing him. This indicates the correct development of the baby.

At two months, a child recognizes familiar adults not only visually, but also by voice and smell. He smiles, responds with a “hug” if you talk to him, tries to imitate some sounds, and actively waves his arms and legs. This indicates the development of the child’s emotional sphere.

Child in the third month of life, being in a good mood, he can walk for a long time, pronouncing vowels and consonants, merging them into simple combinations such as “a-a-a-a-u”, “g-u-u-u”, etc. This is the preparatory stage of speech development.

The baby begins to laugh (before this he was only smiling). He sees how adults react to his “talks” and laughter and begins to consciously establish contact with others. He tries to squeal, exploring the capabilities of his vocal cords.

At two months, a child becomes more sensitive to environmental sounds. He may be awakened by footsteps, the sound of water, the sound of a bell or telephone, etc. He reacts to an unfamiliar sound, as before, by freezing.

If the baby doesn’t like something, he will definitely let you know by grunting or looking dissatisfied. Now the child even cries differently depending on the situation. Mommy can already discern what this or that cry means: whether the baby wants to eat, sleep or just attract the attention of an adult.

The child begins to catch a pattern - after his crying, attention from adults follows (feeding, changing clothes, etc.).

The baby is still growing rapidly (up to 3-5 cm per month!), and body weight can increase by 800 grams. Of course: after all, a baby eats about a fifth of its body weight in breast milk per day. During this period, some mothers begin to feel a lack of breast milk.

The main thing is not to panic, increase your fluid intake and remember that the signal for the production of prolactin (the hormone responsible for the production of breast milk) is the baby's sucking of the breast, the frequency of feedings and their duration.

That is, put the baby to the breast as soon as required. If necessary, consult a lactation specialist.

But if you still decide to introduce the mixture into your child’s diet, then carefully read the instructions for its preparation, dilute the ingredients strictly according to the instructions and introduce the mixture into the diet gradually: for the first time, give the baby no more than 20 ml, increasing the volume of the mixture with each new feeding.

The baby's fontanel is still open at two months, although it has shrunk a little.

At two to three months a child can:

Control your hands. The grasping reflex gradually fades away, and the baby begins to consciously pick up objects. The child’s movements become meaningful and more coordinated. He will probably want to pick up a bright toy and... taste it. What if it tastes good?
By the third month of a baby’s life, the fists become a little more unclenched., the baby tries to clap, feeling his hands with interest.
Raises himself on his elbows and holds the head while lying on his tummy. In this position, you can see much more interesting things around. Some children are happy to lie on their tummy for a long time and look around.
Baby by the third month of life can focus the gaze on some bright object and look at it for up to half a minute!
When moving a bright object slowly the child is watching behind it and even turns its head after the object.
Reacts to sound by turning his head and looking for the source of the sound, if it is out of sight of the baby. In response to your voice, the child will immediately find you with his eyes if you are in his field of vision.
Opens mouth at the sight of a breast or formula bottle. The search reflex gradually fades away by three to four months.
Child begins to make attempts to roll over from his back to his side or even to his stomach. But most toddlers make their first revolution at 3-4 months.
The baby sucks everything we put in his mouth. Whether it is a pacifier or his own finger, the child already understands the difference well, therefore, being hungry, he will refuse to suck the pacifier and quickly spit it out.

Activities with a child in the third month of life:

At two months old, your baby spends more and more time awake, he has more opportunities to study the world around him. Some may stay awake for about 2 hours, waking up even at night to play a little.

During the day, any free minute should be used profitably. Even the most common child care procedures can be made “developmental”: changing clothes, bathing, walking outside.

You can add hardening procedures to massage and gymnastics. Undress the baby for a few minutes, let him jump with his arms and legs to his heart's content. Then turn him over on his tummy and let him lie there for a while. The optimal temperature for training is 22 degrees.
Buy colored socks and put them on your hands alternately. The baby will look at his hands, pull them towards himself and thus learn new possibilities in controlling his body.
Alternately place small objects with different surfaces in your child’s hands.. The baby will be happy to touch and explore the toys. Such activities contribute to the development of hand motor skills, which is closely related to the development of areas of the brain responsible for the child’s speech. This is also the initial stage in learning to hold a spoon, pen, and pencil independently.
Hold the child by the arms, pull him up and sit him down. This exercise is useful for the baby to understand himself in vertical space, in a new position “not lying down.”
Train your child's speech now! Say “aha”, and he will try to answer something, repeat his “words” after the baby, read short poems, sing songs.
Learn a few rhymes and nursery rhymes by heart and tell them to your baby, for example, while changing clothes, bathing, especially if the child does not like these procedures. Perhaps a poem could distract him. If some routine actions are accompanied by poetry, the child will begin to form cause-and-effect relationships. For example, you can recite the same poem or sing a song when going down the stairs for a walk, preparing clothes for changing, etc.
Carry the child in your arms, show the room, look out the window, constantly comment on everything you see. While walking on the street, also pick up your child and show him the world around him.

Make sure your child feels well during classes, was in the mood for communication. If he starts to be capricious, then most likely the baby is tired, you need to stop classes and give the child a rest.
Do not leave your baby alone on the sofa or other high surfaces. Although it seems that he is not going anywhere, in fact, a child (even at two or three months!) can easily roll over and fall. As a last resort, cover it with blankets and pillows that will not allow the baby to turn around.
If you have not yet signed up for the pool with your baby, then hurry up and do so. After birth, the baby still retains the ability to swim for up to 3-4 months. He reflexively holds his breath when diving and even knows how to float on the water.
After learning how to teach babies to swim, you can take a bath with your baby. Moreover, the beneficial effect of swimming is difficult to overestimate. Swimming has a beneficial effect on the physical and psychomotor development of a child, accelerates the formation of his motor skills, strengthens the nervous system, has a massaging effect and a hardening effect.
Cool weather doesn't have to be a barrier to getting outside.. Even in winter, you need to spend 2-3 hours outside. When dressing your child outside, you need to take into account not only the air temperature, but also the humidity and wind strength.
Do not shield your baby from sunlight; in the third month of life, the baby may develop rickets. Therefore, on the contrary, allow your child to sunbathe, but excluding direct sunlight from 11 to 16 hours of the day.
And remember If your baby does a little more (or a little less) than mentioned in the third month of life, don’t panic. The child doesn't owe anyone anything. If you don't learn today, you'll learn tomorrow.

How often did you go for a walk with your child? What could your baby do at two months?

Hooray! We are 3 months old! For the past 12 weeks, the baby has been adapting to the new environment and delighting his parents with his achievements. The development of a child at 3 months is most accelerated compared to all other periods of the first year. This is the stage of active growth (up to 3 centimeters) and maximum weight gain (up to 1 kilogram). At this wonderful toothless age, the baby’s small fontanel should almost close.

If the baby is 3 months old, then his achievements include quite a lot of skills.

Normal and pathological development

The skin of a healthy three-month-old baby normally has a soft pink tint and is velvety to the touch. Skin folds are clearly visible on the body, especially on the legs. They should be symmetrical on both limbs. Asymmetry of the femoral folds most often indicates congenital subluxation or. This disease develops in the second month of a mother’s pregnancy and cannot be diagnosed in utero. It is treated quite successfully in most children using a non-surgical method until the age of 5. If your little one’s gluteal and femoral folds are absent or only slightly expressed, this may be evidence of malnutrition or a disease of the central nervous system.

Baby's skin is like a peach, soft and delicate.

Changes in skin density, moisture, and elasticity indicate nervous or somatic diseases. If you notice any of the above symptoms, you should immediately visit a pediatrician, orthopedist and neurologist.

Useful skills

If the baby has been in diapers since birth, then now is the time when you need to slowly get used to the onesies. It is better to wear small pants or rompers while the baby is awake, and swaddle him while he sleeps. Freedom of movement contributes to the correct and complete development of the baby.

By 3 months baby begins to distinguish odors. Feeling a pleasant smell for him, the baby freezes, then perks up, and may even smile. Unpleasant odors are a reason for a dissatisfied grimace and sneezing. At about this age, the baby begins to distinguish tastes.

At three months, a child can pass for a professional taster.

Hearing abilities also increase little toddler. When any sound occurs, he first concentrates, and after a couple of seconds turns his head to where the crackling, rustling, voice or ringing that interests him came from.

By three months, the baby is able to distinguish sounds and respond to them.

The intervals of wakefulness also increase: now the baby may not close his eyes for one and a half to two hours.

What can a 3 month old baby do? The baby begins to actively play with his hands and pull them into his mouth, meaningfully rattling the rattle. The baby, with great pleasure and zeal, will try to grab the toys hanging in front of his eyes and will try to pull them towards him. This activity now fascinates him very much. The baby is able to move from the supine position to either side. He holds his head well. If the baby is on his tummy, he can rise up a little, leaning on his elbows.

How to reach your favorite toy!

Here is the first dialogue

The baby can also already respond to your phrases like “agu” with the syllables “egh” or “akgh”. In response to mother's speech or smile, toothless also smiles. At 3 months, the baby should consciously respond to your touch. For example, if you lightly touch his eyes, the baby will close them and reach for them with his small hand, touch his palm and squeeze it into a fist.

Mommy's touch means a lot to the baby.

In all the new skills of a child, one unique property of infancy is manifested - an extremely close relationship and interdependence of motor skills and the psyche (physical and mental). Interest in the world around him, positive experiences stimulate the development of gestures and other movements and, conversely, physical activity has a beneficial effect on the proper development of the psyche.

One of the most important skills that a mother should instill in her baby is. You should teach your child to chew food gradually. By the age of 1.5 years, the baby should be able to eat independently; this is necessary in order to get into kindergarten.

Young children show great interest in everything they see on their parents' plate or mug. What to do if your baby tries to try tea? You will find out whether this drink can be given to a child.

Mom's voice will calm you down

Reading short fairy tales or poems with bright pictures to little ones is a must. Reading should be commented, pointing with a finger and voicing the name of the largest and most colorful objects. Thanks to books, with your help, he will not only discover a lot of new things for himself, but will also later learn to look for the answers that interest him.

Calm songs, especially those sung by a mother or grandmother, have a calming effect on a child, but loud rhythmic music can provoke hysterical crying. When the baby is awake and in high spirits, you can sing him something funny like “Antoshka”, while dancing in front of his crib. At this time, the baby will watch your movements with great attention and turn his head after his mother.

Important manipulations

For the full development of the baby, it is important to massage regularly:

legs;
feet;
pens;
backrests;
breasts;
tummy

Massage techniques are based on movements:

We will not focus on specific massage complexes. Massage techniques are open to the public in any specialized or reference literature.

In addition to massage, you should conduct daily physical education classes with your child. A large inflatable ball gives a very good effect.

Proper care and daily routine

Caring for a 3 month old baby is almost the same as the previous 2 months. The only thing, You need to start cleaning your ears and nose every day, because the lacrimal glands are activated. Carefully monitor the cleanliness of toys, because now the baby strives to try everything “by tooth.”

Clean your baby's ears regularly.

Must include mandatory walks in the fresh air. If it’s cold enough outside, then you and your baby can limit themselves to a couple of 15-minute walks in the air; if it’s hot, walk in the mornings and evenings (before swimming), when there are no scorching sun rays. Komarovsky advises teaching infants a sleep-wake schedule: “To get a good night’s sleep at night, don’t be afraid to wake up your child a little earlier in the day.”

Walking in the fresh air will be beneficial for both mother and child.

An infant at 3 months is most susceptible to developing a terrible bone disease. To prevent rickets, the mother should drink vitamin D (for breastfeeding) or give it to the baby along with the formula (as prescribed by the pediatrician). Walking in the gentle sun is beneficial.

Infants suffer from colic and gas from the first days of life. It can help in solving this delicate problem. This drug can be given to a child from the first days of life. The basis of the medicine is fennel seeds, the crumbs are absolutely safe for the body and have a calming effect.

Very often, young children encounter illnesses that are not childhood at all. For example, many kids suffer from. A specialist will tell you about the causes of the disease and how to treat it.

What to do if your one-year-old child coughs nonstop. Follow this link and find out how to help your baby.

Dissatisfied again

At 3 months the baby is capricious for various reasons:

colic in the tummy;
fear that mom will leave;
wants to sleep, but cannot go to bed on his own;
requires mother's attention;
overexcited;
neurological problems;
reaction to heat or weather changes;
(some children already climb at this age).

At three months old, the baby will find a reason to worry and cry.

There can be many reasons for whims. Be that as it may, you need to take the child in your arms and sing a melodious song (just not a sad one, otherwise there will be even more crying).

Problems at 3 months

Sonya:

“I change my son’s diapers often, but I still have diaper rash on my skin. What to do"?

A practicing pediatrician answers:

“Let the baby’s skin “breathe” without a diaper (it’s good if he sleeps without it during the day), bathe him in Chereda, use corn or potato starch rather than powder. Don’t use any ointments.”

Gulya:

“We have a problem: Karina, at 3 months old, is very tense and has difficulty bending and straightening her arms and legs. What could this be?”

The neurologist answers:

“Most likely your baby. It occurs in every newborn to varying degrees of severity. For many children it goes away on its own. If the tone is pronounced, then the baby will be treated with a special massage and herbal baths. Do daily exercises with your daughter and swim longer.”

Catherine:

“We have white spots on our bodies that look like acne. The pediatrician said everything is fine, but I’m worried”...

Three months have passed since you brought your baby home from the hospital. And if the first one dragged on and was full of anxiety, then the second and third flew by unnoticed, because the baby is growing and becoming more and more interesting. What can a child do at 3 months? Let us highlight his main achievements.

Physical parameters

Every month, when you come for a routine check-up at the clinic, your baby’s height and weight must be measured. Many pediatricians rely on numbers taken from tables, and to a greater extent this is reasonable, since it allows them to see the dynamics of development as a whole.

Normal by three months:

weight ranges from 4.5 to 6 kg (gain per month is about 600-800 grams);
height from 56 to 64 cm (an increase of 2-3 cm per month).

However, there are many factors that can influence the results obtained. These include height and weight at birth, genetic characteristics, and type of feeding. So, it would be wrong to focus only on the tables compiled for artificial babies when the mother is breastfeeding. When breastfeeding, weight gain can vary from 500 grams to 2 kg per month. If the weight gain is small, it is worth consulting with a breastfeeding specialist: perhaps the technique of latching to the breast is impaired or the feeding itself is not on demand.

Important criteria for discrepancies with the table weight are the general condition of the baby, his activity, interest in the world around him, as well as the fact that the child eats with appetite, pees well (at least 12 times a day) and poops (about 6 times). If all this is observed, do not worry about the numbers on the scales.

Dream

Children at this age begin to understand what a routine is, and at the same time they still sleep for quite a long time: about 10 hours at night and about 7 hours during the day, distributed over 3-4 intervals.

In total, a child should sleep 17 hours a day. Daytime sleep is just as important as nighttime sleep.

Baby still sleeps most of the time

Swimming and walking

The baby should be outside as often as possible. Fresh air is an excellent prevention of respiratory diseases and benefits the cardiovascular system. Periodically take your child in your arms while walking, thereby giving him maximum visibility.

The baby enjoys bathing more and more, especially if bright toys appear in the water. The requirements for the procedure remain the same: you can bathe at any time of the day, but it is better before evening feeding. Finally, it is recommended to rinse the child with water 1 degree lower than the one in which he bathed.

Changes in physiology

By this time, the head had become more proportional to the body. Intensive growth continues, and during this month the baby will stretch another 2-3 cm.
Changes have also occurred in the digestive system. The stomach has doubled in size, which explains the increase in portions of food consumed and lactation crises at this time. Continue to feed your baby only breast milk, applying it to your breast more often, and after a week the feeding schedule will return to normal. A nursing mother's diet should still be balanced.

If the 3rd month of life does not fall in the summer, when it is possible to get sunbathing naturally, the pediatrician may prescribe vitamin D drops to prevent rickets. Don't ignore this recommendation.

Coordination of movements becomes more perfect: the baby consciously takes toys in his hands, examines them, examines his face with his hands, and turns over. It is still important to do gymnastics and exercises with the baby.

Reflexes

Some reflexes last only three months from the day of birth, others accompany the child throughout his life. By the time of appearance and disappearance of temporary reflexes, one can determine whether the baby is lagging behind in development. At this time, the following are observed:

Proboscis reflex. The baby stretches out his lips in the shape of a proboscis if you tap his lips with your fingers.
Sucking reflex. The baby actively sucks the pacifier.
Grasp reflex. Place your finger in the baby's palm - he will grab it tightly. A similar picture, but with less force, is observed when pressing on the sole between the second and third toes - the foot contracts. The reflex fades by 4 months.
Search reflex. By stroking the corners of his lips, you will see how the baby turns his head in response to irritation and opens his mouth. This reflex is very pronounced when the baby wants to eat.
Moro hug reflex. Its essence is that when patting the table or thigh, as well as when there is unexpected noise, the baby moves his arms to the sides and straightens his fingers, after which they return “to their place.” From the outside it seems as if the child is trying to hug.
Support reflex. Holding the baby by the armpits causes him to bend his legs at all joints. But as soon as the soles of his feet come into contact with a hard surface, he begins to plant his full foot and makes movements similar to walking.
Bauer's crawling reflex. The child lies on his stomach, with his palms placed on the soles of his feet. As soon as he feels support, he will try to push off and crawl.

Reflexes play an important role in assessing child development

Basic Skills

We can say that the development of a child at 3 months reaches a certain milestone when the first results of his own successes are summed up. The baby becomes more and more active. The child’s skills are manifested as follows:

The baby holds his head confidently, lifts her from a position lying on her stomach, turns her around. At the same time, he rests on his forearms, his palms are often open rather than clenched into fists.
Rolls from stomach to back or side. If you observe a child making such an attempt, help him. Show the rattle within his field of vision, but slightly to the side. The baby will first turn its head towards the sound, then its shoulders and torso.
Laughter and smiles will now delight you more and more often. For the first time, a baby can laugh contagiously at three months, for example, because dad sneezed loudly. The baby loves to talk, of course, in his own language for now, but the sounds of babies delight the ears not only of the parents, but also of almost all the people around him.
Can't stand being alone for long periods of time. How else! After all, the child begins to understand what society is and listens attentively to adult conversations. Therefore, if mom is not around for some time, he will confidently declare his dissatisfaction.
Hearing is already well developed, so if a loved one comes up from behind and speaks, the baby will turn his head in his direction and will be able to find him with his eyes. A child of 3 months is able to distinguish voice intonations and react accordingly: to affectionate speech - with a smile and animation, to a reproach in the voice - with alertness and crying.
Grabs toys with hands. At three months old, a baby has already developed binocular vision, which allows him to make a correct assessment of the distance at which an object is located. Therefore, the baby happily hits hanging toys with his little hands and grabs large bright objects.
Hands in the mouth are a common sight. Since muscle hypertonicity, which constrains the movements of the palms, is behind us, the hands become one of the first objects for examination through the mouth.

Bright toys are very attractive

Games and gymnastics

Fitball exercises. Place the baby with her stomach on the ball, holding the back with one hand and grabbing the thigh with the other. Roll it back and forth, left and right, while saying all your actions.

An exercise that stimulates revolutions. The baby is lying on his back, lift his right leg by the shin and move it to the left, as if throwing it over. This is the most difficult moment for him in the coup. It is also worth performing the basic set of exercises recommended by pediatricians for this age.

Toys, different in size and touch. Let's hold toys of different geometric shapes, animal figures, smooth and embossed objects for the baby. This will stimulate finger development.

Gymnastics should be practiced from birth

Finger gymnastics. Massage of palms and fingers should take place in the form of a game with nursery rhymes and rhymes. “Magpie-crow” or “girls and boys have 5 fingers on their hands” would be suitable.

Peek-a-boo, my little bunny. Yes, children love to play games where parents cover their faces with their hands and then cuckoo. The main thing is not to skimp on positive emotions. You can play hide and seek by covering your face with a scarf and asking: “Where is mommy?”

Who says what? It will be very interesting for your baby to listen to your performance of a cow mooing, a dog barking, or a cockerel crowing, so diversify your activities with your baby with similar sounds.

When working with a child, it is very important to maintain eye contact and explain all your actions in words. Sing songs more often, say short phrases in rhyme. Communication has a significant impact on your baby's behavior, so whether you're walking through the park while your baby is awake or changing his diaper, talk to him as often as possible.

Every day the child’s skills become more and more meaningful. And it is a great happiness to watch how a little man, day after day, explores himself and the world around him, learns something new.

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