On this Page:

• Posterior Fontanelle Closure
• Weight Gain
• Kicking & Waving
• Pushing Up & Rolling Around
• Smiling & Cooing
• Feeding & Nutrition
• Reading To Your Baby
• When To Be Concerned

As a new parent, you may be wondering what can a 2 month old baby do? Where has the time gone, have 2 months passed by already? In this article, we give you 5 baby development milestones to look our for.

Every baby will develop at their own pace, but what can you expect a 2 month old baby to do? Babies come in all shapes and sizes, but at 2 months there should be a few things they will all have in common. Let’s consider a few baby developmental milestones you can look out for.

Posterior Fontanelle Closure

This may sound terribly technical, but is actually a normal part of your baby’s early development. The posterior fontanelle is a soft spot on the top of your baby’s head that you may not have even have noticed. Doctors say it’s a soft spot that allows for easier child birth than a hard skull, plus it allows for a brain growth spurt in those first couple of months. This soft spot should be closed by 2 months old, although in some cases, it might remain open until your baby is 3 months old. Have your doctor assess the posterior fontanelle to see if there are any concerns if it is still open at this time.

Weight Gain

Don’t worry if your baby loses weight in the first couple of days, it’s perfectly normal. This weight loss should come back fairly quickly and then your baby should start gaining weight. You should notice that your baby develops from the newborn cuteness into a chubby baby. Monitor your baby’s weight, but don’t worry if sometimes there is weight loss as long as there is an overall gradual weight increase. Each baby develops differently and growth spurts are normal.

Kicking & Waving

At 2 months old you should notice that your baby’s movements are becoming less random, or jerky, and have a bit more purpose. They will start to kick out and wave, or clasp and un-grasp their hands. These are all great early exercises that will naturally help to strengthen your baby’s arms and legs.

Pushing Up & Rolling Around

Again, your baby is getting stronger every day. You may be wondering what can a 2 month old baby do, and now is the time to start keeping a special eye on them as they start to roll around. They may not be able to hold their head up for long, or quite mange to roll over, but it’s starting! At 2 months they will be starting to move around with much more purpose.

Smiling & Cooing

This a baby development milestone that every parent looks out for! At 2 months old your baby’s brain should have developed enough to start recognising his or her primary car givers. Imagine that first smile where you can actually see recognition! This is what all the hard work and sleepless nights have been for. At 2 months old a strong bond will have been formed, and your baby will be responding to you both visually and verbally. He or she will be following you with their eyes and responding with a coo or gurgle to your voice interaction.

Feeding & Nutrition

At 2 months old you will still be breast or formula feeding. Solid foods and purees should only be introduced after 4 months. If you’re breastfeeding and need a break from sleepless nights and broken sleep you might want to consider ways to store your breast milk so that dad or your babysitter can take over. Reusable breast milk storage bags are a great way to do this. Take time to check that your bottles and bottle nipples are still in good repair, and replace anything that shows signs of wear and tear.

Reading To Your Baby

Ok, so it’s a bit early for your baby to understand what you’re saying, even for the most advanced over-achiever! But reading to your 2 month old baby can help help to sooth your baby, whilst also helping them to become more familiar with your voice. Try varying the tone and intonation of your voice to keep them interested and build a better connection. Singing nursery rhymes or playing simple games like ‘Peek-a-Boo’ are all great ways to interact and develop your bond with your 2 month old baby.

When To Be Concerned

All babies will develop at their own pace, so don’t be concerned if your baby doesn’t reach all the milestones by a certain date. If your baby is eating and sleeping regularly and passing the scheduled health checks then there is no need for concern.

However, if your baby is showing signs of any of the following then you should seek medical advice:

• crying a lot;
• not attempting to keep any eye contact or focusing;
• is not making sounds or not responding to noise;
• isn’t feeding well;
• is sleeping too much or too little (average total sleep time for a 2 month old is +/-16 hours a day);
• isn’t beginning to recognise you or attempting to smile;
• is extremely floppy or stiff.

All babies and children will grow and develop at different speeds. If you’re concerned about whether your child’s development is ‘normal’, it might help to know that ‘normal’ varies a lot. But if you still feel that something isn’t quite right, see your child and family health nurse or GP.

Most of all, enjoy your baby’s early development; in a blink of an eye it will be a distant memory!