What Your Baby Should Be Doing (SERIES 1): 3 Months

Only a few things are as surreal as the passage of time. You could look back and vow it’s not been so long since you first found out you were expecting. Then, the months passed quickly with pregnancy showing its many different symptoms. Afterward, the D-day came and you welcomed your newborn child. On the heels of delivery, you’ve had post-partum experiences. And now, it’s been three months since the arrival of your baby and life couldn’t be any better, rough sleeping patterns and all-night feeding sessions and all.

By the 3-month mark, it is expected that some level of stability has been achieved, with mother and child(ren) having acquainted themselves, and foundational bonding already in motion.

However, beyond simply counting the days, it is essential to be aware of all the developmental changes that your child will go through as time goes on. This applies to both this stage and all others to come, as knowing the expected activity rate per time will help you ascertain the health and wellness of your baby.

At 3 months, your child should be displaying the following qualities

Improved neck strength: When you hold your baby up, they should show little to no wobbling, as babies would now be able to lift or hold up their heads.
Better vision and hand-eye coordination: While we wouldn’t say three-month olds exactly have a sterling vision, they can now focus on specific objects within their visual field and follow the movement of your hand with their eyes. They can see your face by now and get enthralled by bright colors and reflections of themselves in a mirror.
Expression: This has to be the best of all, they can now smile back at you, and show emotions like laughing and cooing when they see something pleasant. Often, you’ll also find them making baby talk while alone or in the company of other babies.
Muscles and motor skills: Babies’ muscles are now more developed than at birth – they can now stretch their legs, kick, roll over onto their tummies, push up on their arms, have a bit of firm grip, briefly grab a toy or rattle and now put their hands (or objects) in their mouth. That last bit – the fascination with sticking things in the mouth – is where you want to take caution for a long time to come.
Extended sleeping routine: With a maturing nervous system, your baby’s stomach can now accommodate more food. Due to this, your baby’s sleep pattern will now stretch for up to six or seven hours at a time (hello more sleep for mom too).
Increased sense of touch: Your baby’s sense of touch is becoming more amplified by now, and they can feel when you touch them. Experts advise that it is important to make lots of skin to skin contact with your baby as well as use materials of different textures to help them develop new touch-based sensations.
Auditory capacity improved: Hearing becomes more balanced, and your child can now turn their attention to your voice or any sound within earshot. This is a great time to build communication by speaking to them.

We must state here that your participation in helping your baby’s development reach an optimal point is key. Child development experts emphasize that in cases where a child does not meet the expected milestone, parents must recognize that ‘each child is unique and will develop at his or her own pace’. However, if you have cause to believe that your child has surpassed the time window generally considered normal, then it is best advised to seek support and medical advice.