2 Months Old

It is important to know that a young infant cannot be “spoiled” by holding, cuddling, and rocking him, or by talking and singing to him. Spending time playing and talking during quiet, alert states helps strengthen the parent-child relationship by building trust between you and your baby.

When babies are awake, they enjoy looking around their environment and moving their bodies. One of the first skills babies must learn is holding their head up. One of the ways babies learn to do this is through “tummy time.” Although babies need to sleep on their backs, we want to encourage them to play on their tummies. Having them lie on their father’s chest and look up into his face is a good activity in the first month. Tummy time also can help prevent the development of a flat area on the back of the head.

Pre-Visit Questionnaires

Please complete the following forms before the visit and upload to the portal as able.

Parental Postpartum Screen

Developmental Screen

Vaccinations for this visit

○ Hepatitis B, Petacel (contains DTAP, IPV & HIB), Prevnar & Rotavirus

Feeding

Feeding Cues: Try to become sensitive to your baby’s cues when feeding (pause or stop when baby is drowsy, turns head away, or sucks less vigorously). Do not force your infant to feed and do not use distraction such as a television or toy to get your child to eat more. If you have real concerns about feeding that you feel necessitate these potentially harmful techniques, call us!

Interact with Infant: Hold, cuddle, and talk to baby during feedings.

Develop a routine: Keep feeding and sleep schedules somewhat regular to help baby feel secure.

Sleep

Extending Sleep: Your infant may be extending night time sleep. If your infant sleeps through the night, let her! No need to wake her up. If she is not, this is still normal and she may take a few more months to achieve this much desired milestone.

Bedtime Routine: Create a comforting bedtime routine. Spend quiet time cuddling, singing, reading, or softly talking to baby before bedtime.

Self Soothing: Begin putting your infant down partially awake in order that she begins to learn to fall asleep without feeding and without you helping. You may rock or feed her in order to get her sleepy, but the idea is for her to finish the job herself.

Safe Sleep Location: Provide a quiet room and safe sleep setting. Always place baby on his back to sleep; avoid loose bedding or spaces that could trap or smother baby

Crying & Soothing

Techniques to Sooth Infants: Infants at this age can usually be calmed or comforted within a few minutes. . In an effort to sooth her, you can try the following with your baby: 1) swaddle, 2)hold and rock back and forth in a rhythmic motion, 3) use white noise in the background, and/or 4) use a pacifier. If crying is continual for more than 2 hours please contact us. For more information on soothing, we recommend Dr. Karp’s book or video The Happiest Baby on the Block and you can even find helpful resources on his website: http://www.happiestbaby.com/

Reflux: Babies at this age may have colic or fussy periods caused by stomach pains or discomfort. If you notice these painful periods are accompanied by arching and spitting up, gastric reflux may be the culprit. Frequent burbing and keeping your infant elevated for 20-30 minutes after feeds can be helpful, but if these fail, contact your provider.

Development & Activity

Your baby should now be much more expressive; at this point she’ll start cracking beautiful, toothless smiles

She should now be able to recognize your face

Will start reaching for toys

Will be able to open and shut hands

Will become much more communicative, starting to produce vowel sounds

She will laugh and coo, and may start producing razzing sounds

Will be strong enough to lift her head and turn it while lying on her belly

Will be able to keep her own head upright when you hold her on your shoulder

Safety Recommendations

Never put your baby to bed with a bottle of milk or juice. The sugar in these drinks stays in his mouth and can lead to tooth decay.

Do not allow your baby to play with things that can cover his nose and face. Plastic bags and balloons can be very dangerous!

When you take your baby outside, keep her out of direct sunlight. Don’t use sunscreen until she’s 6 months old. But put a brimmed hat on her head. Put a hood on the stroller or use an umbrella to shade her from the sun.

Think you can turn around to get a diaper while your infant is being changed on a diaper table or bed? Think again. We see many injuries from just this scenario all the time. While infants cannot roll completely over, they can roll off beds in the split second it takes you to reach for a diaper or wipe. Never leave your infant unattended.