Developmental Milestones
All babies develop at
different rates, but as long as your little one is reaching her
developmental milestones at roughly the appropriate time, you’ll have
nothing to worry about. Keeping track of her development is not only a
source of great pleasure, but also alerts you to any potential problems
in plenty of time to set things right.
By three months, your baby will likely be able to:
Grasp items reflexively
Lift her head
Suck well from your breast or bottle
Coordinate her sucking, swallowing, and breathing
Smile socially
Stop crying when she is picked up and held
Use a different cry when she is tired, hungry, or in pain
Coo when she is spoken to
Recognize her parents by sight
Visually track moving objects or faces from 8–10in (20–25cm) away
Look in the direction of sounds
Move her arms and legs to show interest in the action around her
Bring her hands and fingers to her mouth
Take some of her body weight on her legs when standing supported
Have some semblance of a routine, sleeping less in the daytime and more at night
Control the muscles in her arms and legs as she starts to grab or kick at toys or people
Best First Toys
Your new baby can see only a
short distance in front of her face, and she won’t see everything in
full color for another few weeks; however, her sense of touch and
hearing are very well developed, and she will enjoy experimenting with
different sounds and textures. Offer her the following toys in her first
few weeks:
A high-contrast mobile for her crib or bassinet
A light rattle—wrist or sock rattles are ideal
Soft toys that crinkle, ring, or rattle when touched, with a variety of different textures and surfaces to investigate
A washable soft toy—babies often form attachments in the early weeks that last well into childhood
Musical toys, particularly those that respond to her gentle kicks or touch
A baby mirror placed by the crib
Books with pictures or photos of brightly colored animals, or of faces
Books of nursery rhymes—your baby will love familiar, repetitive songs and stories…and the sound of your voice reading and singing them
An automated swing—your
baby may enjoy this for her first six months, not only because she’ll
feel soothed by the feeling of being rocked, but also because it will
entertain her as the world goes flashing by
