Baby growth and development two months after birth

Every hour, every day brings your baby closer to two months of age now. As his or her two-month anniversary approaches, your baby will have much more control over his or her body. Your baby’s neck muscles will be stronger now and he or she will be able to hold their head up - especially during tummy time. Your baby will now follow the items that fascinate him or her with their eyes. Hand and feet movements will also become easier for your baby than ever before.

With well-developed listening skills, your baby will now recognise sounds and noises and will respond to them. Your voice will still be the most melodious music to your baby’s ears, and your face, the most beautiful thing to look on. Talk to your baby as much as you can and see him or her respond with sweet gurgles and coos.

The soft spot on your baby’s head, a type of fontanelle called the posterior fontanelle, will close in the second month. If not, visit your doctor and ask for suggestions.

Given the growth spurts, your baby will be two to four pounds (one to two kilograms) heavier than his or her birth weight and about half-an-inch taller than his or her birth length. His or her head circumference will grow by about four centimetres. With the muscle gain, your baby’s cheeks will become chubbier and your little one will look even cuter.

Your baby will now be able to hold some things - like rattle toys - and will be fascinated by brightly coloured objects. Your baby’s brain is growing at a very fast pace now - don’t be surprised if you get glimpses of his or her unique personality now. 

Your baby will continue to react to your gestures and will win your heart again and again. He or she will be much more alert now to things and people around them. Your baby’s ability to focus will get better day by day and he or she will be able to concentrate on things for longer periods. Your little one will try to mimic you - this is a mini-milestone, enjoy it. Your baby may now become possessive about you and may want you to be close by at all times.

Now is also the time when your baby is learning the art of soothing himself or herself. As a result, your baby’s passion for sucking on his or her fists and toes will go up to another level.

Read more: Foods and tips to increase breast milk

From the fifth week after birth, your baby will become more consistent with his or her feeds. If you are breastfeeding, then you will notice the longer periods of breastfeeding. Always take care that your baby fully empties one breast before shifting the baby to the other breast to get the benefits of hindmilk - the fatty breastmilk.

Formula-fed babies will need five to six ounces of formula with every feed from the fifth week. You will need to feed your baby every three to four hours in the day time. Your baby will sleep for longer stretches at night now, so night-time feeds may reduce to once every four to six hours. However, every baby is different, and your’s may need fewer or more feeds than this at night. Follow your baby’s cues and feed him or her according to needs and demands.

If you are planning to bottle-feed your baby soon, now is the time to introduce the milk bottle to your baby. (New moms can have any number of reasons for this - maybe your maternity leave is about to end, or you don’t want to breastfeed any more or you can’t express enough milk for the baby’s needs. Remember, the decision to continue or stop breastfeeding entirely yours.) Pumping your breast milk in the mornings may be a good idea as your breasts tend to be fuller then. The chances of your baby not accepting the bottle initially are high. Don’t worry and keep trying. Take the help of your family or friends to introduce the bottle to your little one for the first time. 

By and large, feeding your baby will be less challenging now than feeding your baby in the first month after birth. If you are bottle-feeding:

• Sterilise the bottle and other equipment. Change the teat from time to time. 
• Don’t overfeed your baby and never use leftover formula.
• Constantly check for expiry dates to avoid any infection or health problem.
• As your baby grows bigger, he or she may demand to be fed more. Continue to follow his or her cues, and feed on demand.

The days of frequent diaper change may be over for you, as your baby will not poop after every feed now. Your baby’s bowel movements will now be limited to once a day or less: it is normal for breastfed babies to go without soiling their diapers for up to a week. Consult your doctor if your baby’s poop is harder than normal and he or she feels uncomfortable while pooping. If you are breastfeeding your little one, then keep a check on your diet. Eat healthy and add lots of fluids in your diet to give the best nutrition to your baby.

Read more: Benefits of breastfeeding

Instead of several short sleeping bouts, your baby will sleep less during the day and for longer hours at night. It will still take him or her one more month to sleep for the entire night, though. Continue with the baby bedtime routine, as they will help in developing good sleeping habits in your baby.

Always lay your baby down on the back while sleeping to reduce the chances of sudden infant death syndrome SIDS). Also, don’t nurse your baby to sleep - make sure you burp your baby even if he or she sleeps while feeding and then lay him or her down in the baby crib for the nap.

Starting this month, you can also give your baby pacifiers during nap time - studies show that pacifiers can reduce the risk of SIDS. However, pacifiers should not be forced on babies who reject them and they should not be given to babies under one month old.

Read more: 8 most common reasons why babies cry

By now, your baby should have received the BCG shot to prevent tuberculosis and the hepatitis B birth shot. If your baby hasn’t gotten the BCG injection yet, you can get it now - the injection can be given up to one year of age but the earlier you get your baby vaccinated, the better it will be for his or her health.

According to India’s National Immunization Schedule (NIS) for Infants, Children and Pregnant Women, at six-eight weeks of age your baby should get:

• Two drops of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) to prevent polio.
• Pentavalent vaccine to protect your baby against five diseases - diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b.
• Rotavirus vaccine to prevent rotavirus infections that can cause severe diarrhoea in young children. 
• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) for protection against a range of bacterial infections from ear infection (otitis media) to meningitis.
• Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) for protection against polio.

By the fifth week, you will know if your baby is colicky - colic babies cry for three hours or more, for three days or more per week, over three weeks or more even when they are well-fed and don't need a nappy change.

It will always be very difficult to handle a colicky baby. The three hours of continuous crying - especially during the evening - by your otherwise healthy baby may frustrate you. Take a break, lay your baby down in a safe corner and leave the place for a while. Don’t use gripe water to treat colic. It will bring no relief. Take special care to not to shake your baby, as this may result in an injury known as "shaken baby syndrome".

Take your baby to the doctor if he or she has:

• Fever
• Constipation
• Loses interest in feeds
• Looks lethargic

(Read more: Lethargy: symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment)

This is the time to take extra care of your baby’s hygiene. Keep your baby’s skin folds dry and clean, and trim his or her fingernails timely. Your baby can also develop a diaper rash easily at this time. Change his or her diapers regularly, at least every two hours. Give your baby nappy-free time once or twice a day to let his or her skin breathe. Try to use washcloths or cotton balls for cleaning your baby. Avoid scented wipes, as they can irritate the baby’s soft skin.

Your baby is now prepared for daily baths, especially if it is summer. Most babies love to stay cool with the water splash. Healthcare professionals discourage the use of soaps in the first month, but you can start using very mild baby soaps and other baby care products for bath time now.

This month, your baby will sleep for up to 16 hours a day. Be consistent with your baby's sleep routines to develop better sleeping habits in your baby. You can sing to him or her, massage him gently or even play soft and soothing music. Avoid nursing your baby to get him or her to sleep. Leaving your baby alone in the cradle when he or she is drowsy will help your baby to sleep on their own.

Read more: Why does my baby hate baths and what to do about it

For some moms, leaving their babies at home and going back to work may prove to be tough. Others might crave the company of grown-ups after being couped un inside the house for weeks. Take the help of your partner and other family members and plan things, so you can get time for what you want to do.

Mothers can develop postpartum depression anytime during the first year of motherhood. Look out for the signs and signals. Take expert help and plan ahead that so caring for the baby seems less overwhelming and more doable.

Don’t ignore your health and continue your vitamins and calcium.

Most women get the go-ahead from their doctor to resume sexual activity around this time. Don’t feel any kind of pressure to begin, though. Do what feels good to you.

Read more: Sex after pregnancy