Well Kids — 2 Months

Development:

You are going to find that your baby is more fun and less trouble as time goes by. She should be smiling at you, and soon will be laughing. As she holds her head steadier, she will be able to inspect her environment better. You will also notice her cooing, and making sounds in response to the sounds that you make. She should also pay attention to your voice, although it will probably be a while before she turns in your direction. If you are concerned that your baby is not hearing you, please speak with your health care provider. Most babies will start rolling over in the next couple of months, so be careful, and watch your baby. You never know when your little one will suddenly decide to take a nose dive off the changing table.

Behavior:

Enjoy your baby. This is a wonderful time of growth and learning for both of you. As she starts making cooing sounds, echo them back at her. This will encourage her to work at making more sounds. Believe it or not, this is the beginning of language. Although it is fun to talk "baby talk," you need to talk to your infant in a normal adult voice. The only way your child can learn to speak properly is to hear proper speech, and if you establish the habit in yourself early it will be easier later on.

Your baby is not all fun and games, however. She will have fussy moods, and you will have to learn your own way to deal with them, just like every other parent in the world.

Remember that most babies this age are not sleeping through the night. If yours is, you should know how lucky you are. To encourage your infant to sleep more at night, keep the nighttime interactions brief and dull. A common mistake, which we see every day, is when the parents come home from work. They haven't seen baby all day, and they play with her until late, bouncing on their knees, tickling, etc. Then they wonder why the baby won't settle down for the night. She sees nothing wrong with this. She is having a great time, and she can always sleep during the day. We are not saying that play is not important. But a set schedule for your baby's bedtime will help her sleep better for you at night. Stop all wild play well before bedtime, and help your baby calm down by singing, cuddling, and other quiet play. Feed your baby if she is hungry, and then, when she is quiet but still awake, put her in her bed. This will help her learn to put herself to sleep, a useful skill if she wakes up at 3 A.M.

Feeding:

Continue feeding your baby on demand. However, you do not need to feed her every time she cries. Babies will cry for many reasons. She will be quite able to tell you when she is hungry. If your baby is bottle-fed, she will take anywhere from 20 to 30 ounces a day in the next couple of months. Or more. Maybe less. My point is that it is generally fruitless to watch how much she is eating. Breast-fed infants are simply fed as much as they want, and they do just fine. Bottle-fed babies will do just as well if they are treated the same way. Your health care provider will watch your baby's growth each time you come in for a visit. As always, if you are concerned about your baby's eating, growth or have any other concerns, please speak with your provider.

Accident Prevention:

• Always use a car seat for your children and a seat belt for yourselves.
• Never leave your baby alone in a car, or on a bed, table or couch, not even for a moment. A moment is all it takes for a baby to get hurt. The only safe places for a baby is in the crib, playpen or in your arms.
• Never place a necklace or a pacifier on a string around your baby's neck.
• Be careful when leaving your baby alone with young siblings.
• Buy (and use) smoke detectors.
• Keep your water heater set at no more than 120 º F.
• Never drink hot liquids when holding or feeding your baby. It is too easy for them to spill and burn your baby.
• Inspect all toys, and throw away any which are small enough to choke on, are worn, or have sharp edges or breakable or removable parts.
• Do not smoke around your baby, or allow anyone else to do so.

If you have any concerns about your baby's health, please call your doctor. Please do not give any medicines without talking to your doctor first. We are happy to help you in any way we can.