When a child turns 3 months old, the adaptation period, the so-called The fourth trimester, in which the baby's body gradually got used to functioning outside the mother's belly. Of course, the development of each child in the 3rd month is slightly different, but there are certain developmental norms that define what a 3-month-old child should be able to develop properly. In this article, we will describe what a 3-month-old baby can do and what parents should worry about in the development of the baby.
At the third month of a child's life there is also another developmental leap - how can it manifest itself? What is a lactation crisis in a nursing mother, and what is a lactation strike in a three-month-old child and what to do when a three-month-old infant does not want to drink milk? How much does a 3-month-old baby sleep and how to make it easier for him to fall asleep? How to carry a 3-month-old baby in your arms correctly? We invite you to read.
How is development of a 3-month-old baby and how it can manifest itself developmental leap?
A three-month-old baby is a great companion for parents - he gladly smiles back, talks to his loved ones by pronouncing simple syllable clusters, and is also very sociable and willing to play. Intensive development of the child in the 3rd month makes the baby, lying on his back, begin to connect his hands in the midline, plays with his hands and willingly puts them in his mouth. It can also be noticed that in the 3rd month of life, the child's position is more symmetrical, and his head is more and more often in the extension of the spine.
What else can a 3-month-old baby do when lying on his back? Thanks to the better stabilization of the muscles within the torso, the child's hands and feet can be more active, which is why the baby swings them vigorously, tries to reach his knees and lower legs, and begins to stretch his half-open hands towards toys, although he cannot catch them yet.
What should a 3-month-old baby know when lying on his tummy? First of all, the elbows are moved a little more forward, thanks to which the child begins to support himself more actively on the forearms. A 3-month-old baby's head is held up for up to a minute, especially if there is an extremely interesting toy within the infant's line of sight. The harmonious development of the hip joints of a 3-month-old baby means that when lying on the tummy, the legs are straightened, freely spaced at the width of the hips.
The 3rd month of a baby's life often also includes another developmental leap, which means that the baby may cry a little more, wake up more often and have an increased appetite, and thus an increased need to suck.
If anything about the baby's behavior worries the parents, they should always consult their pediatrician. A developmental leap in a 3-month-old baby can end with the emergence of such new skills as m. the aforementioned joining of hands in the midline, stretching them towards toys, or actively following a slow-moving toy with your eyes.
What in development of a 3-month-old baby should parents be concerned?
We have already described what a 3-month-old infant should be able to do, but parents of a baby are equally interested in disturbing developmental symptoms that they should pay attention to. First of all, a child in the 3rd month of life should relate make eye contact with your loved ones and smile back. At this age, the baby also begins to actively follow toys with his eyes and stretches his hands towards them. It is also worth paying attention to the hands of an infant in the 3rd month, which should not be clenched very tightly for most of the day.
The development of a 3-month-old child progresses towards achieving greater symmetry and stabilization of the torso, which is why the infant should swing both arms and legs intensively, without preference of either party. Also, the baby's head in the 3rd month of life turns both ways during the day, a parents should be concerned about the asymmetry both in the shape of the head and its rotation only in one direction. What can a 3-month-old baby do when lying on his tummy?
Intensive strengthening and development of the baby's muscles in the 3rd month allows him to lift his head at an angle of 45-90 degrees, so if the baby lifts his head only slightly and cannot hold it up for more than a few seconds, parents should consult a doctor or physiotherapist children's. Persistent strabismus in a 3-month-old infant also requires consultation with a doctor (pediatrician or immediately with an ophthalmologist).
How to check if a child in the 3rd month of life hear?
Every child in Poland should undergo a hearing screening in the first weeks of life, but despite this, parents often wonder whether their child can hear properly. The speech development of a child at 3 months includes the formation of the first syllable clusters so-called groaning/cooing, however, it is worth knowing that deaf children also stutter.
What should a 3-month-old baby who can hear normally be able to do?
When the phone rings unexpectedly or an object falls to the ground, the baby should react vividly to the new sound – he may be startled, but he may also stop curiously, listening, and then start to turn his head in search of the source of the noise. A child in the 3rd month without fail he can also recognize the voices of his parents or siblings and is often happy to hear his mum or dad speaking in another room.
If the development of hearing in a child in the 3rd month of life worries his or her relatives in any way, they should always consult their pediatrician about their concerns.
Fun and safety baby in the third month of life
After a developmental leap in the 3rd month the child very often begins to actively follow the moving toy with his eyes, Therefore, it will be a very good idea to install a mobile in the baby's bed. It is worth hanging it slightly below the line of sight of a 3-month-old baby and low enough so that the baby is able to nudge the suspended toys with its hands and feet.
The nervous system in the third month of a child's life is still very sensitive, which is why we avoid mobiles and toys that are loud or equipped with numerous, glowing elements. On a daily basis, it is worth talking to the child as much as possible, responding to his stuttering, smiling at him and making eye contact.
Knowing how a 3-month-old baby can see and what he can do, you can show him the toy by moving it from right to left so that the baby tries to follow it with his eyes. To stimulate the joining of the hands in the midline and encourage a 3-month-old baby to reach for toys, it is worth showing them to the child straight ahead, below the line of sight. Of course, you can't forget about placing the baby on his tummy as often as possible, because in this position the baby wonderfully strengthens the muscles of the back, shoulder girdle and abdomen.
When a baby is 3 months old, it can surprise parents with new skills overnight (especially after a developmental leap) therefore, do not leave your child unsupervised e.g. on a changing table, sofa or in an unsecured bed. Some babies at this age become extremely mobile and can easily slip off the platform and fall.
The safest place to play for a 3-month-old baby is definitely the floor, covered with, for example, a carpet or a special mat for babies.
Feeding a 3-month-old baby: what is the lactation crisis and what connection can it have with a leap in development?
Exclusive breastfeeding of a 3-month-old infant is the most recommended way of feeding an infant that meets 100% of its needs for both nutrients and fluids. Thus, there is no need to supplement the child with water or formula milk, unless, in justified medical cases, the pediatrician issues other recommendations.
During the developmental leap in the 3rd month, the baby can have an increased need for food, which is directly related to its growth and development. At this time, a 3-month-old baby sometimes reports for feeding very often, which may make the mother feel "empty breasts" and lack of milk. Such temporary problems with food production are often called lactation crises.
If in the 3rd month of a child's life feeding becomes problematic, first of all it is worth staying calm - stress and increased tension in a nursing mother are not conducive to increased milk production, very often also causing irritability in the baby.
We put a three-month-old baby to the breast as often as possible, because it is in the best, most natural way will stimulate the woman's body to increase milk production. You can also use products that stimulate lactation based on barley malt, which are dedicated to nursing mothers. After 2-3 days, milk production should stabilize at an increased level, optimal for a given 3-month-old baby.
If breastfeeding a 3-month-old baby causes any difficulties for the mother, she can always consult her situation with a Certified Lactation Consultant (CDL), especially if the baby's weight in the 3rd month is not growing properly. CDL will provide the woman with professional support in maintaining lactation and continuing breastfeeding.
3 month old baby won't eat, that is, a few words about the so-called lactation strike
Breastfeeding of a 3-month-old baby usually takes place according to a set rhythm, in which the baby decides when and how much milk he will eat (so-called feeding on demand). But what if a 3-month-old baby doesn't want to drink milk, and after feeding it to the breast, he tenses up and gets nervous?
Such temporary difficulties and reluctance to suck the breast are called so-called breastfeeding strike and may occur in some children at this age or later. In such a situation, a 3-month-old baby does not want to eat from the breast or comes to eat much less often than before, and during sucking he often detaches from the nipple and is restless. Parents begin to worry that the weight of a 3-month-old baby will immediately drop dramatically.
In the case of a lactation strike, first of all, it is worth taking the baby to the pediatrician who will rule out potential causes of reluctance to eat, e.g. some infection that develops in the baby. If the doctor, after examining the 3-month-old child, finds that the baby is fully healthy and its weight is normal, after returning home, it is worth considering the course of the child's day and the circumstances of feeding.
When a 3-month-old baby refuses to drink breast milk, let's take care of a calm, predictable course of the day for the baby. Dim the lights, turn off the TV and music while feeding, or take your three-month-old baby to a quiet room. After 1-3 days, the lactation strike should subside. When after this time, a 3-month-old baby still refuses to eat and his weight is not gaining properly, consult your pediatrician again who, after analyzing the child's state of health, may refer them to, among others, to a neurologopedist or for detailed tests, e.g. to detect a possible food allergy.
How much does a 3 month old baby sleep and how to put them to sleep safely?
A 3 month old baby sleeps about 16-18 hours a day, gradually extending periods of wakefulness between naps. How much does a 3 month old baby sleep in a day?
Each three-month-old baby has slightly different sleep preferences, but at this age babies usually need a minimum of 2 naps a day, each lasting from several minutes to even 3 hours.
If your 3-month-old baby is sleeping a lot on any given day, it may be it related to what happened the day beforeor a few hours before a nap, e.g. a trip or an exhausting visit to the clinic. Sometimes a 3-month-old baby sleeps a lot during the day, when at night he often woke up to feed.
As we wrote, how much a 3-month-old baby sleeps is a very individual matter - one baby sleeps a lot and wakes up only once at night, while another prefers short naps and many night awakenings. However, it is worth knowing that a steady, calm course of the day and putting the baby to sleep at more or less the same times will certainly affect the speed of falling asleep and how much a 3-month-old baby sleeps.
The safest position for a baby to sleep at night is to lay it on its back, on a relatively hard mattress. A three-month-old baby can sleep on his tummy, but under the constant supervision of his parents, e.g. during daytime naps.
