Congratulations! You’ve made it through the first two months and, hopefully, you’re getting the hang of feeding, changing, and living with a new baby. Of course, now that you likely got used to dealing with a 1-month-old, your baby has to go and change things up a bit. Your 2-month-old is probably a lot more alert and awake for longer stretches of time — which is great except that you may perhaps feel pressured to entertain them. Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered on what you need to know about your 2-month-old.
Your 2-Month-Old’s Milestones
As mentioned already, your 2-month-old is likely a lot more awake and active than they were a month ago. They may be sleeping more — and may also be fussier in the evenings — which is totally normal. Crying tends to peak in babies at 6 to 8 weeks, but if you think they’re colicky and inconsolable, consult your pediatrician.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some other 2-month-old milestones include:
- Smiles at people.
- Can briefly self-soothe (e.g., sucks on hands).
- Tries to look at parents or caregivers.
- Coos or gurgles.
- Starts following objects with their eyes and recognizes people from a distance.
- Cries or fusses when bored or if an activity doesn’t change.
- Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy.
- Smoother movements and arms and legs are more extended.
Your 2-Month-Old’s Development
You’re nearing the end of the “fourth trimester” — the first few months when your baby is adjusting to the outside world. Their nervous system is becoming more regulated and they’re “waking up” to their environment. Little babies need lots of help from us, so it’s important to keep them close by, let them hear the sound of your voice, and respond to their needs. It can feel like an around-the-clock job, but you’re laying great groundwork of trust and security with your baby.
At two months, the average baby weight and height according to the World Health Organization is 11.2 pounds and 22.5 inches for girls and 12.3 pounds and 23 inches for boys. Your baby should be about 1.5 to 2 pounds heavier and 1 to 1.5 inches longer than last month, but remember, there is a wide range of normal. Don’t put too much stock in measurements and focus on the overall health of your child.
Please notify your child’s pediatrician if your baby shows any of the following signs of developmental delay such as:
- Stops doing something they used to do, or their development has consistently regressed or stopped altogether.
- Doesn’t use a part or side of their body, or is only using one hand or side of their body.
- Is too floppy and seems particularly limp or droopy. This is usually a sign of being sick or an infection.
- Shakes or jitters too much — especially their whole body.
A General Schedule for Your 2-Month-Old
Now that your 2-month-old is awake for longer stretches, it’s a little bit easier to adhere to a schedule — but don’t fret if it’s not manageable. Honestly, babies still don’t do much at this stage beyond eat, sleep, and excrete, so it’s OK to just go with the flow. If possible, you can try to establish a pattern of behavior, so their sense of day and night is more pronounced.
Like in month one, you can continue the “sleep, eat, play” routine. Just remember to give yourself grace, follow cues, and be flexible.
Here is one suggested routine:
- Morning: feed, play, feed, nap
- Afternoon: play, feed, nap, play
- Evening: feed, nap, play, bath (not necessarily daily), story or lullaby
- Night: feed, sleep, feed, sleep, feed, sleep
Feeding and Eating Guidelines
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At two months, your baby should still either be drinking breastmilk or formula or some combination thereof. Don’t feed water to your 2-month-old unless your pediatrician has recommended it due to a medical reason.
If you’re breastfeeding, continue to feed your baby on demand. The old-school idea of highly scheduling a baby’s feedings is known to put nursing moms at risk of not producing enough milk. To keep the biological system of supply and demand going strong, try the following:
- Feed your baby when they signal hunger (every 2 to 3 hours).
- Don’t wake the baby to feed. Let baby sleep if they’re sleeping for longer stretches.
Bottle-feeding babies will have about 4 to 5 ounces per feeding, but this can vary from one feeding to the next. Instead of getting hung up on the number of ounces, look for signs of hunger and satiation, pediatrician Yael Wapinski told Mom.com. Formula-fed babies are at greater risk for overfeeding, so note the signals your baby is giving instead of trying to get them to finish off a bottle.
“Pay close attention to the baby’s cues to try to differentiate hunger from tired from just needing soothing,” said Wapinski. “You don’t have to respond right away to fussiness with a bottle, unless it’s the appropriate time (based on their pattern) for them to be fed.”
You may notice your baby feeds very frequently in the early evening. Most babies have a period (often in the late afternoon or early evening) when they fuss and “cluster feed.” We don’t know exactly why this is — overstimulation, tiredness, or taking in more calories before bed — but whatever the reason, your baby may need a lot of extra contact and soothing at the end of the day.
Play: Toys, Games, and Activities
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Your baby is working so hard to coordinate arm and hand movements. If you put them on a play mat, they might be able to bat at an object above them — as simple as it looks, that’s incredible work involving the interplay of millions of neurons. Don’t worry about fancy toys or gadgets — simple movements and exercises are important play for your baby.
Lie on the floor with your baby and talk to them. If they’re not feeling tummy time, here are some ideas:
- If your baby only lasts for 30 seconds at a time on their tummy, that’s OK.
- Instead of plopping your baby directly onto their tummy, start them on their back, look at them, and tell them you’ll roll them to their tummy, and roll them gently from their hips.
- If your newborn is hopelessly face-planting, use a small rolled-up blanket under their armpits. A feeding pillow is too much support.
- Get on the ground with your baby or try a tilted mirror.
Sleep and Nap Guidelines
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Hang in there. Your baby is probably still waking up multiple times a night, but hopefully they have one stretch of 4 to 6 hours of nighttime sleep. That stretch will grow, and eventually they’ll be able to put themself back to sleep in the middle of the night without you. On average, your 2-month-old will sleep about 14 to 17 hours a day and take about three naps during the day. Day/night confusion should be subsiding by this time, but it may still occur.
Little babies still need to be fed at night, says sleep consultant and author Heather Turgeon, so if a well-meaning advice-giver tells you to wean or withhold a feeding, remember nighttime feeds are natural.
If you don’t already have one, start doing a bedtime routine. “Routines are powerful,” said Turgeon. “One of the best things parents can do is go through a simple set of steps before bed — ideally ending with the baby falling asleep on their own in their regular sleeping place (rather than being transferred into a crib or bassinet already asleep).” You don’t need to get fancy here, just be calm and consistent.
For example, here is a possible bedtime routine:
- Bath (this doesn’t need to be every night)
- Pajamas
- Feeding
- Books
- A song
- Into bed
Pacifiers are recommended for sleep as a sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) precaution, so use one if your baby likes it. The advice is use a pacifier at the beginning of the night or beginning of naps, but not to endlessly insert it throughout the night.
Common 2-Month-Old Health Conditions
At the two month mark, there is generally a 2-month-old checkup appointment with your child’s pediatrician. At the 2-month checkup, the AAP and CDC recommend the following immunizations:
- Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13)
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP)
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
- Poliovirus (IPV)
- Rotavirus (RV)
If your baby did not get the second dose of Hepatitis B (HepB) at the 1-month checkup, they will also recommend that. If you’re concerned about side effects or adverse reactions, please consult with your doctor. You may also want to consider asking about supplementing a breastfed baby with vitamin D drops.
Note: If you are visiting a medical professional during COVID-19, make sure to ask about the facility’s safety measures and confirm that they are following COVID-19 protocols as indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Special Recommendations
This is just a reminder that children under 1 year old are at risk for sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), which includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation in sleeping environs, and other deaths from unknown causes. Here are recommendations by the AAP on how to keep your child safe from SUID. You can also refer to the Safe to Sleep campaign for more resources.
Coming Soon: Your 3-Month-Old
Laughing and holding things with their hands!
