Your Child at 2 Months

Pediatric Development Guide for Parents in Rochester, NY

The board-certified pediatricians at Westside Pediatrics have provided this pediatric development guide to help educate parents on some of the amazing things their child can do at this age and tips around care including sleep habits and activities.  Call (585) 247-5400 to schedule an appointment at our pediatric office in Rochester, NY.
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WHAT YOUR BABY CAN DO

At this age your baby can probably:

• Lift his head when on his tummy…
• Follow with his eyes and recognize your face…
• Make cooing sounds…
• Respond to some noises…
• Smile back at you…

Helping Your 2 Month Old Baby Learn

By this age your baby has probably started to make cooing noises. Remember to keep talking to him. When he coos, coo back at him. It may seem silly, but it is not. His cooing noises are the beginning of language. He learns by copying you. Hearing you coo back to him will make him feel good. Then later, he will copy you as he learns to speak.

At this age your baby likes noise. He may coo to himself and also try to make a lot of noise. Give him something to make noise with,

*like a safety approved rattle

Brightly colored pictures and patterns are still important to help your baby learn. Keep putting up bright pictures for your baby to look at.

What You Can Do With Your Baby

Get to know your baby – what makes her happy or sad? What makes her excited or bored?

Even though your baby can’t talk yet, she is learning language by hearing you. Talk to her—tell her what you are doing.

Sing to her—babies at this age like faces. Smile at her.

Show her a mirror. She may like music or looking at pictures in magazines, especially of other babies.

Put up colorful things for her to look at, like a mobile over her crib or pictures on the wall.

Relax and enjoy your baby.

Being a parent is enjoyable but hard work. There is so much to learn! Sometimes it helps to talk to other parents or get some advice from someone outside the family. If you would like to find out more, call this number and ask about parenting programs in your area.

LIFELINE 275-5151

Sleeping Through the Night

Does your baby wake up often at night? Do you wonder when she will sleep through the night? Parents often have many questions about their children’s sleep patterns.

When a baby is born, she is not able to sleep through the night. Instead, she sleeps off and on throughout the day and night. These sleep periods can last from 20 minutes to 6 hours.

By 3 months of age, most of the sleeping will be at night, but can vary greatly from baby to baby. Some babies continue to wake up at night, and some who have been sleeping fine start to wake up more. If your baby is waking up many times at night, it may be that she has gotten into a habit of being fed at certain times.

When she was younger, she probably needed frequent feedings. At this age, however, she should be able to sleep with only one or two wakings in the night. Here are some tips to help your baby (and you!) sleep better: increase the size of the bedtime feeding. Wake your baby up to feed her before you go to sleep. Make sure your baby is getting enough to eat all day long. Try to stretch the time between nighttime feedings. Instead of answering her cries right away, give her a few minutes to see if she will fall asleep again on her own, or try to soothe her without feeding her. By holding off on feeding her, your baby may begin to wake after a longer sleeping time.

Safety

• As soon as he is born, your baby will wiggle and move. Don’t leave him alone on high places like changing tables, beds, sofas or chairs. If you do, he might fall.
• Call your pediatrician if your baby falls and hits his head, or if he does not move his arms or legs normally or acts unusual after a fall.
• Car crashes are the biggest danger to your baby’s life and health. Most auto injuries and deaths can be prevented by using car safety seats.
• Use an approved car safety seat every time your baby is in the car. Be sure to fasten him properly. Holding your baby in your arms is not safe.
• Soon your baby will put anything in his mouth. Don’t leave small objects around. Don’t feed him hard pieces of food. If you do, he may choke.
• Don’t hold hot drinks or smoke while you are holding your baby. Don’t bring the baby into the kitchen when you are cooking, he might get burned.
• Make sure you have a smoke detector on each level in the house.
• No one should smoke in the same room with the baby.

Poison Control Center:

Hopefully you will never need to call it, but it’s a good idea to have the number for Poison Control on or near your phone: 1-800-222-1222

Why Does My Baby Have to Have Shots?

At this checkup your baby will get immunizations (shots). He will get more shots at 4 months, 6 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, and again before he starts school. Why does he need so many shots?

We immunize children to try to prevent them from getting diseases like measles, mumps, and polio. By getting these shots now your child will probably not get these diseases later, when they might cause serious illness or even death. Some immunizations need several shots to work. It is important that your child gets all of his shots. Read carefully the information sheets about immunizations that your pediatrician or nurse gave you.

Ask questions if you don’t understand. Don’t skip checkups or get behind! He may get a fever or feel sore where he got the shot. These will not last long. Give your child Tylenol (acetaminophen), Panadol, or Tempra for the fever, and put a cold washcloth on the sore spot.

CALL YOUR PEDIATRICIAN IF, AFTER GETTING A SHOT, YOUR BABY:

• Has temperature over 100.4F or 38C
• Cries for more than 3 hours without stopping
• Sleeps a lot and is hard to wake up
• Is very limp or pale
• Has convulsions or seizures

For a temperature of greater than 100.4, any child under 3 months of age should have medical attention, unless they received their vaccine within 24 hours and then you may give Tylenol (acetaminophen).

How Much Tylenol (Drops) Should I Give?

For a baby 0-6 months old, give ½ dropper full (0.4 ml) every four hours, unless your pediatrician recommended a slightly higher dosage based on your baby’s weight. Don’t give more than five doses in 24 hours.

• 6 to 11 lbs— 1.25ml (1/4 tsp)
• 12 to 17 lbs—2.5ml (1/2 tsp)
• 18 to 23 lbs—3.75ml (3/4 tsp)

Feeding Facts

Formula or breast milk provides all the nutrition your baby needs for the first 4 to 6 months. Your baby may have from 5 to 8 feedings in 24 hours.

Babies don’t really need solid food until they are 4 to 6 months old. If you and your pediatrician do decide to start solid foods before 4 months of age, remember:

• Start with rice cereal, and then add Stage 1 fruits and vegetables…
• Introduce new foods one at a time; No more than one every 2-3 days…
• Don’t put food in your baby’s bottle…
• Anything you feed your baby should Be soft and runny…

But why worry about food now? Formula or breast milk is all your baby needs now.

Don’t prop a bottle for your baby. This might make him choke.

Don’t feed your baby table foods, especially things like popcorn or candy. He might choke and they are not good for him.

Things You May Be Worried About at 2 Months

“My Baby Spits up a Lot”

Many babies spit up a little bit at each feeding. As long as your baby is gaining weight and is not spitting up most of his formula, it is okay. It may mean you are feeding your baby too much. Don’t force formula if your baby wants to stop. If he spits up often, try sitting him up in a baby seat for 30 minutes after each feeding.

“How Much Should My Baby Sleep?”

All babies are different and sleep different amounts. Many wake up every 3-4 hours. Most babies don’t sleep through the night (that’s 6 hours or more stretch) until they weigh at least 11 pounds. It is okay to let your baby cry for a few minutes before going to him. Sometimes he will settle by himself.

“My Baby Has Bumps and Rashes. Is That Okay?”

Many babies get a rash that looks like acne on the face between 4 to 10 weeks. It will go away by itself. Keep it clean and don’t put oil on it. “My baby cries all the time.” When your baby cries, it may be because she is wet, tired, hungry, or wants to be held. Or it may be just to let off steam. Crying is your baby’s way to relieve tension. Crying is usually at its worst at about 4-6 weeks. Don’t let it get on your nerves too much. It will get better.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Before your next checkup, your baby may start to:

• Smile more and more…
• Make more noises…
• Learn to hold up his head and shoulders And maybe roll over…
• Begin to reach for things…
• Drool and put his hands in his mouth (but this does not mean he is teething)…

Keep playing with your baby, talking to him and cuddling him!

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