Your baby's first three months are filled with wonderful milestones.
Your baby's first three months are filled with wonderful milestones, and you will want to celebrate each and every one of them. What can you expect your precious infant to do during this time? Even though your baby is still virtually helpless, looking to you to fulfill all of her wants and needs, she is also a growing and developing individual. She is learning something new every day, and her world is expanding at a breathtaking pace.
When your baby is still in the hospital, she will probably try to focus on your face. Babies love faces, and they also love black, white, and red objects. You may notice that your infant crosses her eyes as she tries to look at a black and white mobile or toy. Once her eyes become more developed, her interest will expand from black, white, and red objects to more colorful items. Until then, you can help to stimulate your baby by providing her simple toys and books in these three colors. Your infant will only be able to see things that are six to eight inches away from her in the beginning.
Although your infant's head is very heavy in proportion to the rest of his body, he will still try to raise it a few inches when he is only a few weeks old. You can encourage him to lift his head and strengthen his neck muscles by placing an interesting toy a few inches away from him as he lies on his back. You may notice that he can lift his head for a few seconds as he tries to focus on the object. You should plan on doing this every day for a few moments at a time to help your baby's upper body get stronger.
One of the greatest moments in a parent's life is the moment when your baby smiles at your for the first time. When your child is able to focus on you and his face lights up with his first real smile, you will want to do everything in your power to have him repeat that sweet grin. Typically, a baby will smile around six to eight weeks. Once she has been smiling for a few weeks, you may be able to coax a laugh from her. Once she learns how to respond with laughter, she may readily bestow her giggles on whomever she meets.
Your baby will also begin communicating with you at a young age. Of course, his form of communication will be rudimentary, but you can help your child's language develop. Place him in a comfortable position so that he can easily look at your face. You can then begin cooing at him. Don't be surprised if he coos right back. You can spend several moments cooing back and forth at each other. Once he looks away or starts fidgeting and fussing, however, it will be time to stop. Your baby will let you know when he has too much stimulation and is overly tired. You should pay attention to his cues and heed them.
Your baby will enjoy being cuddled, rocked, and talked to. Don't worry about spoiling her. You can't at this age. When she cries, you should pick her up and try to gauge what the problem is. She may simply need you to hold her. Enjoy this moment while you can. The time will pass quickly, and, one day, she'll be a rambunctious toddler with no time to sit still.
Although your child is still so helpless, she is learning and growing. Each day will present a new set of stimuli to assault her senses. Her mind is developing rapidly, as well as her motor skills. She will enjoy being close to you, so move her from room to room in an infant seat as you attend to household chores. Be sure to talk and sing to her. She will enjoy the sound of your voice. These first three months will pass quickly, so take lots of pictures and videotape. You'll be glad you did!
