Your 3-Month-Old

Your baby is 3 months old! You’ve made it through the fourth trimester and your baby is likely smiling and copying everything they observe. Your baby’s brain development is booming. You might feel at this point like they are truly “awake” — no longer a drowsy newborn but alert and ready to play.

In some ways, it can feel like you’ve turned a corner and things are easier. Maybe life has a new balance or you’re getting a golden four-hour stretch of continuous sleep. On the other hand, there’s more work involved in parenting your baby during the day, because baby is so ready to learn and interact. However you’re feeling, it’s totally normal. Read on for all the essentials about what you need to know regarding your 3-month-old.

Your 3-Month-Old’s Milestones

At three months, not only is your baby more in control of their body, their arm and leg movements continue to be smoother. Their “startle” reflex has likely disappeared and they are also more active and socially aware, interacting with people and very fun. Your baby may be able to laugh now and make other sweet noises. They know your face and your voice well.

They’re probably also obsessed with their own hands, spending a lot of time examining their movements and bringing their hands together. They may be able to meet in the middle, which gives their playtime lots of potential for passing objects between their hands.

Your baby will be a lot stronger and coordinated and, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), some other 3-month-old milestones include:

• Stretching out: Your baby looks more relaxed, straightening and kicking out their legs. Their hands are also not always balled up in fists and they begin to open and shut their hands.
• Preparing to roll over: When lying on their stomach, they will raise their head and chest and support their upper body with their arms. Though most babies can’t roll from back to stomach yet, some babies may be kicking forcefully enough to kick from stomach to back. Don’t leave your baby alone on furniture since they might roll over and fall.
• Grabbing deliberately: Babies this age might start swiping at dangling objects, moving their hands and eyes in coordination, bringing their hands to their mouths. They may even be able to grasp and shake toys.
• Bouncing: If you hold up your baby in a “standing” position like your lap or a hard surface, they’ll push down on their legs and bounce, practicing carrying some of their weight on their legs. Avoid leaving babies in bouncer seats or harnesses because those don’t allow your child to use their muscles as much, slowing their movement progress.
• Socializing: Your baby may watch faces intently, recognizing familiar people and objects from a distance, smiling at the sound of your voice. They will babble and imitate some sounds, movements, and facial expressions. Your 3-month-old will be more communicative and expressive with their face and body and enjoy playing with people so much, they may cry if you stop.

Your 3-Month-Old’s Development

At three months, it’s common for babies to undergo a 3-month-old growth spurt. Your baby will likely be extra hungry, cranky, tired, and wake more at night. Luckily, growth spurts usually only last a few days so don’t worry. Your baby will be back to their usual self soon enough.

According to the World Health Organization, the average baby weight and height for a 3-month-old is 12.8 pounds and 23.5 inches for girls and 15.4 pounds and 24.2 inches for boys. In general, your baby will gain about 1.5 to 2 pounds and be 1 to 1.5 inches longer than last month. Remember, there is a wide range of normal so don’t put too much stock in measurements. Focus on the overall health of your child.

Please notify your child’s medical professional if your baby shows any of the following signs of developmental delay by three months, such as:

• Does not respond to loud sounds.
• Does not follow moving objects with their eyes.
• Does not grasp and hold objects.
• Does not smile at people.
• Cannot support their head well.
• Does not reach for and grasp toys.
• Does not babble.
• Has trouble with moving one or both eyes in all directions.
• Crosses eyes most of the time. (It is normal to occasionally cross their eyes in the first few months.)
• Does not pay attention to new faces or seems very scared of new faces or environments.

Note: If you are visiting a medical professional during COVID, make sure to ask about the facility’s safety measures and confirm that they are following COVID protocols as indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A General Schedule for Your 3-Month-Old

As with the previous few months, your 3-month-old will likely still have a somewhat erratic schedule. However, the more you try to establish a pattern of behavior, the better. By now, they should no longer have issues with day/night confusion and can stay awake 1 to 1.5 hours before needing a nap of 30 minutes to two hours. If everything about schedules for 3-month-olds seems to revolve around sleep, that’s because they’re still sleeping a lot.

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 three months, your baby should still either be fed breastmilk or formula or a combination of both. Unless your pediatrician advises water for a medical reason, don’t give your 3-month-old water. Your baby doesn’t need water for hydration since breastmilk and formula provide the necessary water and nourishment. If you’re worried about their hydration, track their wet diapers and see if your baby has four to five very wet diapers a day.

Suddenly, there’s so much more to do and see, so babies can become more distracted and have a harder time concentrating for a full feeding session. If that’s the case, try (if possible):

• Feeding your baby in a quiet, dark place.
• Using a breastfeeding cover.
• Nursing while lying down or with the baby in a baby carrier or sling.
• Nursing while in motion (e.g., rocking or walking).

Nursing babies at this age are eating every three to four hours. At night, your baby may have dropped a feeding or two.

If your baby is taking formula, the rule of thumb is 2.5 ounces per pound after 3 months of age, says Dr. Yael Wapinkski. That’s not an exact calculation, though. Watch your baby and try not to swoop in with milk for every fuss (maybe your baby is tired, needs company, needs space — try to tell the difference so you don’t end up feeding at every peep).

For breastfeeding moms going back to work, Wendy Haldeman, one of Los Angeles’ leading lactation consultants, recommends taking a “returning to work” breastfeeding class. Her best advice for a breastfeeding mom making the move back to the office: “Try and store up to 100 ounces of frozen milk prior to returning,” she told Mom.com.

Note: If you must return to work during COVID, please protect yourself and make sure you and your company are following CDC COVID protocols.

Play: Toys, Games, and Activities

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Forget the fancy toys and developmental gadgets. Your baby is a social creature, and they’re learning all the time from their interactions with you. “Babies are working on establishing a strong relationship with caretakers, so just letting your baby listen to you talk or examining your face and expressions and intonations as you speak to them will engage them more than any gadget,” said Wapinski.

Your baby is learning to control their hands, bring them together, and open and close their fingers to hold objects. Some simple activities you can do with your 3-month-old include:

• Providing simple objects to pass between their hands and look at.
• Placing a mirror in front of your baby and watching their expressions.
• Placing them on their tummy for supervised tummy time.
• Holding objects about a foot away and moving them around for your baby to practice tracking the object with their eyes.

Sleep and Nap Guidelines

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If nighttime sleep has gotten better but daytime sleep is more difficult, you’re not alone, says Los Angeles sleep consultant and author Heather Turgeon. Three-month-olds are famous for catnapping and they often sleep for 20 to 30 minutes at a stretch. “This can be so frustrating for parents,” said Turgeon. “You barely have time to check your email and have a snack before your baby is awake again.”

The advice Turgeon gives her clients for this age is to note the time the baby woke up (in the morning or from a nap) and try to put them down again after 90 minutes. Whether a baby has slept for 20 minutes or two hours, Turgeon says they usually need another nap after 90 minutes of awake time. As long as you’re practicing putting your baby down awake, they will eventually learn how to self-soothe and their naps will grow to more like an hour and a half.

Don’t succumb to the sleeping-through-the-night competition, says Turgeon. Babies sleep through the night at all different ages, but at 6 months is when your baby’s biology is on their side. That’s when almost all babies are capable of sleeping 11 to 12 hours (even though it may include feedings).

Common 3-Month-Old Health Conditions

At three months, you may have some concerns about the following which are common in most babies:

Drooling and teething
Babies can start teething anywhere from 3 to 12 months. Common signs generally include a lot of drooling, crankiness, sore and swollen gums, disrupted sleep, loss of appetite or pulling off the nipple, rash around mouth, increased biting and gum-rubbing or ear-rubbing, mild temperature elevation, or diarrhea. The symptoms are often confused with cold symptoms.

Spitting up
It’s very common for babies to spit up between three to 12 times a day until they start eating solid foods. Usually, it’s because the muscle at the bottom of their esophagus is still very weak. Because the muscle opens and closes to let food into the stomach, it’s very easy for food to come back up. In addition to spitting up after feeding, they can also do so when they cry or cough too hard.

Unless your doctor is worried about your baby’s growth and development, don’t worry about the spit up. It often looks like a lot more than it actually is due to it being liquidy and spreading over a large area.

Losing hair
While hair loss occurs during the first six months of life, it usually peaks at around three months. Most causes of hair loss are harmless and no cause for worry. Some babies lose hair while new hair grows in so you never notice, and some babies lose hair much faster and end up looking bald! Don’t worry — your baby is still supercute!

Coming Soon: Your 4-Month-Old

Putting everything in their mouth and rolling over!