It may feel like you brought your tiny one home from the hospital only yesterday, and now they’re already two months old! They’re growing and changing daily at this stage, and you may already be seeing some important 2-month-old milestones. If not, you may notice them soon.
In this guide, we’ll discuss all of the exciting developments your baby is going through and share some fun activities you can do to help stimulate their growth.
Table of contents
- What are developmental milestones?
- 2-month-old milestones
- Ways to help your baby reach their 2-month-old milestones
- What to do if you think your baby is behind
What are developmental milestones?
Developmental milestones are essential skills or abilities most children reach by a certain age. They’re useful markers for tracking your little one’s development and identifying potential delays.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has divided these skills into four main categories:
- Social/emotional
- Language
- Cognitive
- Physical
While every child develops at their own pace, looking at the milestones corresponding to your baby’s age can give you a general idea of what to expect.
2-month-old milestones
Now that you know what a developmental milestone is, let’s dive into the skills that your 2-month-old may be working on.
Social/emotional milestones
Around this age, your baby becomes more familiar with the people around them. They may start smiling when they see you or someone else they recognize. You make them happy just by being there, and that’s great!
As you walk closer or pick them up, your little one may start staring intensely at your face. They’re studying you and learning about facial expressions. Eye contact should be starting soon. Newborns typically develop this skill between 6-10 weeks of age.
If your little one is crying, hearing your reassuring voice should start to calm them down. When you pick them up, it should comfort them even more.
These signs may seem small, but they all indicate that your baby is becoming more socially and emotionally attached to you. This attachment starts the foundation for their relationships with other people in the future.
Language milestones
While it’ll be a while before you hear that precious first word, your baby is currently learning skills to pave the way for it.
By now, they’ve likely found their voice. They should be making sounds other than crying. Some babies ooh and ahh at this age, while others make an odd gurgling sound.
Either way, it’s a sign that they’ve discovered their vocal cords and are beginning to experiment with them. You may be shocked at the noises you hear from your little one.
Their sense of hearing is also developing, and it’s normal for them to react to loud sounds (even if you don’t think they’re that loud.) You may notice your baby startle, cry, or even cease their movements temporarily in response to an unexpected sound. Any of these reactions is fine.
Cognitive milestones
Your baby’s cognitive development is in full swing, and their brain absorbs everything like a sponge. While they can’t yet communicate much of what they’re learning, there are several signs that they’re taking in information and trying to make sense of the world around them.
One of the most significant cognitive milestones at this age is the ability to track a moving object with their eyes. For example, if you hold a toy nearby and slowly move it to one side, their eyes should naturally follow it for several seconds. They’ll also track you if you walk by.
This skill is crucial for visual development; upcoming milestones will build on it.
Physical milestones
The final category of milestones is all about movement and physical development. These skills prepare your little one for rolling, crawling, and walking. They’re all about helping your little one discover how their body works and how to control it.
Physical two-month-old milestones include:
- Holding their head up during tummy time (like a turtle)
- Moving both arms
- Moving both legs
- Opening their hands for a few seconds at a time instead of always having them clutched
You’ll spot several of these skills in the following video, which shows a baby during tummy time:
Ways to help your baby reach their 2-month-old milestones
While every baby develops at their own pace, you can help your little one reach their 2-month-old milestones by intentionally spending time playing and interacting with them each day.
Here are a few of our favorite ways to support their development.
Give them tummy time each day
You’ve likely heard your doctor talk about tummy time. This is essential for helping your little one develop their motor skills.
Newborns don’t always like tummy time, but it is essential, so don’t let their fussing cause you to stop this practice.
The good news is that your baby doesn’t have to stay in that position long to benefit. Placing them on their stomach for a few minutes at different times throughout the day will help.
When it’s time for tummy time, keep these tips in mind:
- Always provide supervision
- Spread out a blanket or put your baby in a safe area like the mattress of a Travel Crib & Play Yard
- Sit nearby and encourage them to interact with you
- Place a toy within your baby’s reach
Your baby may still fuss, but that’s OK. They aren’t used to being on their tummy yet, and it can feel odd. Just remember that it’s helping them build the muscle strength they need to reach their full potential.
Talk to them
Don’t be shy. Your baby loves it when you talk to them! Hearing your voice stimulates their brain and helps with language development.
Make a habit of talking to your baby throughout the day, whether during feeding or bath time or just narrating what you do as you engage in your everyday activities. As you talk, pause occasionally to see if your baby will coo.
If they do, reinforce their sounds with a big smile and a happy “Tell me all about it.” Soon, they’ll answer you more and more.
Offer plenty of cuddles
Contrary to popular belief, you cannot spoil a baby with love and attention. The more responsive you are to your newborn’s needs in the first few months, the more secure they’ll feel in their environment.
So pick them up, snuggle them close as you read, and respond to their cries. You want them to feel safe and loved.
Protect their sleep
Wonderful things happen when your baby is sleeping. Growth spurts, brain development, and the formation of new memories all occur while they’re napping.
With so much growing going on, newborns need a lot of sleep. At this age, your little one requires 14-17 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.
Follow these tips to help your baby get the shut-eye they need:
- Have a safe sleep space that’s firm and flat
- Put your baby to sleep on their back
- Keep them close by in our Bassinet & Bedside Sleeper
- Use a breathable mattress to keep them safe
- Run a white noise machine or a fan
- Have a bedtime routine
- Keep their environment calm and dark during sleep times
Ensuring your baby gets enough sleep is one of the best ways to help them develop.
What to do if you think your baby is behind
Two-month-olds are already learning so much. It’s exciting to see the progress. But sometimes, it feels like your little one isn’t keeping up with their peers.
If you’ve noticed that your baby isn’t yet meeting the above milestones, here’s a word of caution: every baby develops at their own pace and has unique strengths. It’s best not to compare one child with another.
That said, early intervention can make all the difference. If you suspect a delay, talk to your child’s doctor at your next appointment. They can examine your child and see if there’s anything to worry about. They can provide personalized information and an action plan if needed.
Enjoy these moments with your 2-month-old
Though the days sometimes feel never ending, the weeks and months pass all too quickly. Before you know it, your little one will have mastered their 2-month-old milestones and will be working on the next set. After that, they’ll crawl and then walk.
In the blink of an eye, they’ll be in school. So take time to appreciate the little moments with your baby. Cherish how they snuggle into your chest, breathe in their sweet smell, and feel their tiny hands wrapped around your fingers.
These moments are fleeting, so soak them up and make memories that’ll last a lifetime. You want to always remember how tiny they were when they slept next to your bed in a Bassinet & Bedside Sleeper.
And with a safe bed like that from Newton Baby, you’ll sleep soundly because you know your baby is resting on a breathable, non-toxic mattress. Then, you and your little one can both wake up ready to take on the world — or at least the next milestone!
