The three month old baby
A three month old is a tireless entertainer. You would never stop looking at it, photographing it and cuddling it. Maybe even more than the beginnings, because he socializes a lot.
He smiles, looks at you and observes and tries to mimic your expressions. He enjoys hearing you talk, so you talk to him, describe everything you do in a simple way. He will let you know if he is tired or not.
Little children are creatures of habit . They love routines whether it involves sleeping or feeding. So already start creating the moment of sleep, the moment of the bath, the moment of the feed and the walk.
How it grows
As in the second month he should have put on another 600-900 grams and grown another 2.5-4 centimeters in height.
How much does he eat?
Eat about every 3-4 hours.
How much sleep?
He sleeps about 15 hours a day. At night he should take naps of about 5-6 hours.
What can he do
At three months a baby can already do many things. His exploration of the world is volcanic. He imitates sounds, movements and expressions. He makes eye contact and struggles to communicate with you.
He tries to grab the objects in front of him and then claps his hand hard towards them, with the palm. He starts playing with his fingers and puts them in his mouth.
He likes to touch objects with different textures, if they make noise he shows interest and tries to understand where the sound is coming from. Have you ever tried to make him touch the Easter egg paper? They work better than any toy! But be careful of the things he puts in his mouth.
Try to put it in the egg or in the bouncer (always well tied). They also love to sit because they can observe their surroundings better. Sitting supported keep the back quite straight except in the sacro-lumbar area.
If instead you put him on his stomach with his arms he tries to lift himself up.
In this period he kicks a lot, so much so that if you put wool or cotton shoes on him he will take them off in a flash. If you put him lying down under a toy gym, he will enjoy kicking its rattles, having fun.
Checks
Around the third month and before any vaccine, a further pediatric check-up is required. During this visit, the pediatrician repeats the fontanel check, performs the vision test, evaluates the child’s growth status by marking the parameters on the growth curves.
In this checkup if you haven’t already done it the first time, ask about vaccines.
Safety
- Have your baby sleep on his back to reduce the likelihood of SIDS .
- Some newborns reflexively regurgitate when they have eaten too much. This can be a regular occurrence. It’s different when it comes to vomiting. If your newborn is vomiting violently, consult your doctor.
- Never leave your child alone
- When traveling by car, always use seats approved for the child’s age, even for very short journeys.
Health
At three months there is usually the first booster of vaccinations which are mandatory or recommended depending on the region.
Take care of yourself
The child should have acquired fairly standard sleep-wake rhythms and this allows you to better organize your time. Since the time between feedings gets longer, you can finally make an appointment with the beautician or hairdresser at the times when he is probably sleeping or will have already eaten. If you have grandparents available… take advantage of them 🙂
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.