Communicating with baby, talking, smiling, giving responsive care and having skin to skin time (as well as eat, change, sleep, repeat) may have been your schedule during your baby’s first month, but your two-month-old baby will now be changing fast.
Here’s what to expect from your two-month-old baby’s development.
Baby's growth and overall health at 2 months
At two months, your baby will seem so much bigger than they were just weeks ago when you brought them home for the first time. Over the past weeks, your baby has been busy growing, and you have probably already needed to swap to a larger nappy and clothing size for your little one.
In terms of length and weight, on average, a two-month-old baby boy may weigh just under 4kg up to 7.5kg and measure between 52cm and 63cm. Baby girls are generally a little smaller than boys and weigh approximately 3.5kg to 7kg.
At two months old, a baby girl may measure around 51cm to 62cm in length. Don’t forget that no two babies are the same, so it is not always helpful to compare your baby’s weight to that of other babies.
New Born and Infant Physical Examination
Between six and eight weeks, your baby will receive a full physical health examination from your GP. During the appointment, your GP will check your baby’s hips, eyes, heart, and for boys, their testicl*s. During this thorough examination, your GP will also measure your baby’s length, weight, and head circumference. As well as checking over your baby, your GP will also ask how you are feeling both physically and emotionally since your baby’s birth.
Primary immunisation schedule
At eight weeks of age, your baby will be offered the first of three doses of the 6-in-1 vaccine. The 6-in-1 vaccine helps to protect your baby against diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type B), polio, tetanus, and whooping cough, all administered in one injection. At this immunisation appointment, your baby will also receive the Rotavirus and Meningitis B vaccines.
Baby’s Sleep at 2 Months
At two months old, your baby will be sleeping a little less during the day than through their first month and may be sleeping a bit more at night – which is good news for sleep-deprived parents!
Babies don’t know the difference between day and night, so to encourage night sleeping, change the environment, i.e. lighter more activity in the day, at night dim lights, reduce environmental stimuli.
Your baby will need to sleep for between 14 and 17 hours, with around three of these hours spent napping during the day.
Every baby is different, and some may sleep for longer stretches, while others tend to take more naps.
Baby’s Food and Feeding Schedule at 2 Months
Exclusively breastfeeding or first milk formula feeding is recommended for babies during their first six months. At two months, your baby will still be feeding regularly throughout the day and may have between six and nine feeds.
While the time between feeds may grow a little longer for some babies, many will still wake for feeds every two to four hours during the night. While you may be looking forward to getting more sleep, remember it is completely normal for an 8-week-old baby to wake through the night to be fed.
Always respond to babies feeding cues, give baby a feed when they want feeding.
Vitamin D
If you’re exclusively breastfeeding your little one, they should have a daily vitamin D supplement. Your health visitor will be able to recommend vitamin D drops that are suitable for your baby.
Baby’s Personality at 2 Months
Now that your baby can smile, they will be showing off their new skill a lot, which is always an adorable sight. Your little one may also start to giggle around this time, which is the cutest sound in the world. You will probably spend many hours chattering away to your baby, trying to make them laugh.
Some two-month-old babies now cry far less throughout the day, but others take a little longer to move out of this phase. But be patient; it will happen. Your little one will now try to communicate with you using a range of different sounds, such as humming, cooing, and gurgling.
At eight weeks old, your baby is becoming increasingly aware of their surroundings and will try to look at you when you are nearby. Your baby will also start looking in the direction of sounds to see where the noise is coming from.
Baby’s Milestones at 2 Months:
- Your baby may now be able to hold their head up at a 45-degree angle during tummy time.
- At two months, your baby may attempt to push themselves up on their hands during tummy time. This takes little ones a lot of effort, and it looks like they are trying to do a mini press-up!
- Your baby may start to giggle at around eight weeks old.
- As well as crying, your baby will start using other sounds to communicate with you, such as gurgling and cooing noises.
Games and Activities for Baby at 2 Months
Even at this early stage, there are activities that you can do with your little one to help their development. Here are some ideas you may like to try:
Tummy Time
It is still crucial to support your baby’s head and neck when holding them at this stage. However, now is the perfect time to start working on strengthening their back and shoulder muscles. Popping your baby on their front for a couple of minutes each day is all that is needed to make tummy time a part of your baby’s routine.
If your baby dislikes tummy time, you may want to lie down next to them and sing or place toys on the floor to make it more fun and provide a distraction.
Play Peek-A-Boo
Now that your baby can smile, you will be rewarded with a gorgeous grin when you play peek-a-boo together. This fun game is an ideal opportunity to spend one-on-one quality time interacting with your little one.
Introduce Age-Appropriate Toys
You can begin encouraging your baby to reach for objects by holding a colourful toy just in front of them for them to reach out for. Baby-safe, non-glass mirrors are also great for babies at this age. They will love seeing their reflection and making noises at the mirror, even though they won’t yet know that they are looking at themselves.
