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A 3-month-old baby’s development is known to be quite suttling as compared to the early month, where your little one would perhaps be happy more often, will sleep for longer hours, and will begin to be independent enough. Nonetheless, there are a few changes that your baby will go through, including the increase in their brainpower.
There are many milestones that the little one will acquire in these four weeks, to know them all, continue reading as we enroll everything a parent can expect from their three months old baby.
Your 3-month-old baby milestones and growth
1. Sleeping hours and patterns; 3-Month-Old Baby Activities
Expect your baby to sleep about 14 to 16 hours in a 24-hour period, this includes them waking up every two to four hours in need of feeding.
2. Feeding requirements; 3-Month-Old Baby Activities
Babies that are breastfed must eat as much as they want this month due to the changes in their bodies, but as per the general rule, 4 ounces of pumped breast milk/formula every three to four hours is a must in a 24-hour period.
3. Your 3-month-old baby weight; 3-Month-Old Baby Activities
The average weight of a 3-month-old baby girl is 12.314 pounds while the average weight of a baby boy at 3 months is 14.1 pounds. Nonetheless, this is the age where it is observed that the babies at 3 months tend to gain weight, be underweight or experience obesity in a few cases. Perhaps, in case you seem to notice any changes in your baby’s weight make sure you cross-check it with the growth chart and consult your baby’s doctor.
4. Your baby's bowel movements; 3-Month-Old Baby Activities
The rate of the baby’s development this month is quite positive as they will now learn to lift their heads up ( all thanks to the tummy time), observe and react to the sound of your voice, will follow moving objects, develop facial expressions, laugh out loud, and expand their speaking repertoire. These are just a few of the other milestones to look forward to.
3-Month-Old Baby Milestones
Mentioned below are some of the 3-month-old baby milestones which you can see in your baby.
Body Milestones; 3 Month Old Baby Milestones
- Sucking of fingers; 3-Month-Old baby activities
When your baby is 3 months old, it starts to suck on its finger and thumb. A 3-month-old baby can hold its hands closer to its mouth and can be captivated by chewing on its fingers or find comfort in sucking its thumbs.
- Recognition of scent/smell; 3-Month-Old baby milestones
A 3month old baby can recognize the scent/smell of the mother or the primary caregiver. The recognition of the scent can be called an activity because babies move towards the mother by recognizing their scent and it is known as a moving activity.
- Preference for textures; 3-Month-Old baby milestones
A 3-month-old baby will have developed preferences for certain touches and textures, as well as strong reactions to them.
- Raise its head higher;3-Month-Old baby milestones
A 3-month-old baby will be able to raise its head higher and hold up at a 90-degree angle.
- Sit with support; 3-Month-Old baby milestones
When parents hold their 3-month-old baby on their laps, the 3month old baby can sit up straight with support and hold its head quite steady.
Brain Milestones; 3 Month Old Baby Milestones
- Vision and recognition; 3-Month-Old baby milestones
A 3-month-old baby will be able to see and recognize things that are in the distance of 8 to 15 inches away very clearly.
- Hearing; 3-Month-Old baby milestones
A 3-month-old baby will be able to hear noises and voices and will be able to imitate the noises surrounding them.
- Grasping; 3-Month-Old baby activities
A 3-month-old baby will be able to grasp objects with both hands and will be able to pick up and drop the objects.
- Follow Objects; 3-Month-Old baby milestones
A 3-month-old baby may have begun monitoring items with his eyes in recent weeks, but they should now be able to track objects across a complete 180-degree angle at 3 months.
What to expect from your 3-month-old baby's doctor visit?
Along with the development milestones, it is vital for the parents to pay attention to the child’s health during their baby’s first year. Expect your baby to get a few shots in their monthly doctor’s visit that will only help them strengthen their body for the upcoming changes. Here are a few things that you can expect or observe in your 3-month-old baby:
- Baby eczema
In case the infant has dry, flaky, rashy skin, it could possibly be a sign of infant eczema. Perhaps, in a 3-month-old baby, it can be observed to start from the scalp to the face. Also, the babies who have lighter pigmented skin will experience pink or red versions, while on the other hand, the babies with darker pigmented skin will have a red-brown, purplish or grayish rash. In either case, you must contact your doctor for further assistance and help aid the little one from eczema.
- An ear infection
An ear infection can be expected in a baby who has a cold or other upper-respiratory infection. This further causes the lining in the ear tubes to swell and congest with accumulated fluid. If you happen to notice the same in your baby, consult the doctor.
- COVID-19 symptoms
Babies have been noticed to develop comparatively mild cases of COVID-19 with a few symptoms including a runny nose, sneezing, cough ( just like in a common cold). Nonetheless, as the illness is concerned infants may have higher rates than older kids.
Taking care of your 3-month-old baby: Quick tips and tricks
The baby development milestones in the first year for every baby are drastic, perhaps, here are a few tips that we would like to let you know as parents of a 3-month-old baby.
From a baby to an infant
- With the closing of this month, you can celebrate the progress of your little one as they now have acquired the title of an infant from that of a newborn, which means, there is more to parents than just feeding, pooping, and sleeping.
- Expect your baby to stay awake for longer hours during the day while they sleep a little longer at night.
- The infant will now begin to giggle and laugh on their own and attempt to clap hands. While a few might also learn to bear a bit of weight while grasping a toy in their hands and legs.
The personality of your baby
At three months, the baby is now learning and observing a lot of things from their surrounding, which means they now begin to build their personality too, be it serious, silly, gregarious, or persnickety. Therefore, it is extremely important now to make sure that the baby in their first year is not surrounded by things that you do not wish them to build on.
Also, make sure you do not begin to compare your little one with your neighbors or friend’s infant. There are chances that your baby could develop to talk, eat, play, etc, faster to slower, and that’s completely ok. Every baby is different and you must be assured that your little one is special and unique on their own.
Postpartum changes and pro tips
Now that you are aware of what goes on with your 3-month-old baby, it is equally important for the mama to take care of her health as much as the little one’s. Therefore, listed below are a few changes you can expect in your life along with pro tips that will help you ease up the parenting process:
The exercising routine post-delivery
Before we get into anything, it is of utmost importance for you to be easy on yourself post birth and to know that you are doing a wonderful job. You need not start by lifting weights all of a sudden as the process could be just you carrying your baby out in a stroller, yes! as simple as it sounds, perhaps, slowly building onto the other exercises as per the time and availability.
However, even before you get back and get started make sure that you have contacted your doctor for a green light. This is because each pregnancy is different in and around, therefore, depending on whether you gave birth normally via a c-section, as every exercise is different. Also, make sure to never exercise to a point of exhaustion.
Pro tip: Try a brisk walk with the baby. It is observed to be a great way for the parents to stay healthy, and clear your mind.
Understand the ways to help boost the development of the baby
Along with general care and feeding your baby, it is crucial for the parents to also take care of the baby’s job in order to stimulate intellectual and cognitive growth. Here are a few ways that will help enhance the 3-month-old baby’s development:
- Make sure to keep having a conversation with your little one. Yes, they might probably just stare and see your mouth move, but still, this is important to help the baby’s brain.
- While those little twinkling eyes show excitement, try to speak in different tones, even when crying. This will help you get their attention and them hearing you closely.
- If you are able to, try incorporating the name of your child in the story or nursery rhyme you recite, for instance, the character’s name. This will help the babies get used to their names and be attentive to the words you use more while they imagine themselves in the story.
- Try and head over for a walk. This will help enhance the 3-months old baby’s awareness and they will also learn to observe the trees, birds, dogs, cars, etc. But remember to carry the diaper bag along with the baby bottle, diaper, wipes, with a pair of comfortable clothing.
Picking a good and verified caregiver or a nanny
As per the American Academy of Pediatrics, a 3-month-old baby is expected to go through multiple changes that will help them enhance their cognitive and physical development. During this time it is only of utmost importance for both, the baby and parents to take care of themselves and also make sure to have bonding sessions now and then.
Nonetheless, it might also be time for working parents to start going back to work. If at all anything that seems to be a question in all parent’s minds, is their need for a nanny who is not only compassionate and caring but also is safe to leave their baby back with.
For this reason, Parenthood Bliss recommends the parents to go through sites that are registered and licensed or can contact the nursery teachers and the baby’s pediatrician who is a good source to help you out with hiring a nanny. Adding on, make sure you also do quick research on them and ask around in terms of their behavior with kids or otherwise.
