Developmental Milestones
By your baby’s 2nd month birthday he or she will likely be able to:
- Make reflex movements
- Rooting reflex–purse her lips and attempt to suckle
- Palmer reflex–griping your finger when you press your finger to their palm
- Moro reflex–startle awake
- Bring hands to face
- Self soothe with hands
- Begin to steadily, hold their head up for a little longer
- Begin to grasp objects tightly for a few seconds
Sleep
Your baby at this age is still a newborn and will be sleeping a LOT! Newborn babies sleep on average 15-16 hours! (according to WebMD) Remember this is an average so your baby might sleep more or she might sleep less.
Don’t forget! Babies should always be placed on their back to sleep. Remember “Back is Best” Placing your baby to sleep on their back reduces the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) tremendously.
If you want your baby to sleep soundly I highly suggest grabbing a
Breastfeeding
Newborn babies nurse anywhere from 8-12 times a day and each session lasts about 20-45 minutes. That means you will be spending anywhere between 160-540 minutes breastfeeding every 24 hours!
Be prepared to spend lots of time breastfeeding by reading my Breastfeeding a Newborn Guide and how to set up a Breastfeeding Station.
How to Play
Tummy time! You should continue doing tummy time! You will now want to put toys within reach so that he can start reaching out to grab them.
Your baby is likely to hate tummy time but it is very important for strengthening his or her neck muscles! Keep at it for a few minutes each day to build up her stamina!
You can also play with your baby by dangling objects about their heads so that they have something to look at. A play gym is a great thing to have them look at as well! It’s also a good idea to have a mobile for them to look at when they are in their swing or bouncy chair.
Doctor’s Visit:
If you are following the traditional vaccination schedule for the United States your child is likely to receive the following vaccines at his or her 2nd-month checkup:
- Rotavirus vaccine
- DTAP: Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis
- Hib: Haemophilus influenza type b
- PCV13: Pneumococcal conjugate
- IPV: Inactivated Polio Virus
Helpful Products for the 2nd Month
Some of the following products are summarized from my more in-depth Newborn Essentials Post.
Don’t forget, if you are on a budget try to pick up some of these items 2nd hand or borrow them from a friend! Don’t feel like you need to buy new of everything. On the flip side, remember that you will be able to sell most of these things once you are done with them!
Newborn Essentials for Second Month #1: DockATot
As discussed above the DockATot was the best!!!! Grab one with my affiliate link directly from DockATot here or with my Amazon link here.
Newborn Essentials for Second Month #2: Ring sling or Soft Carrier
Having a soft carrier was the literal best thing during the first 3 months. (Actually, I still wear my daughter at almost a year as well) I loved this ring sling and this baby wrap. By placing your newborn in a wrap you can do most things that you need to do around the house. You can even relax with wearing them.
As my midwife put it to me, “a newborn baby’s natural environment is skin to skin on your chest.” I found that wearing my daughter skin to skin in a ring sling or soft baby wrap calmed and soothed her in a way that nothing else could. I highly recommend being fully prepared to wear baby a lot in the first few months!
Rock and Play
The Rock and Play can easily be moved from room to room when you are getting things done around the house. You can also have the baby sleeping next to you when you are sitting on the couch at the dinner table. It’s really nice for small spaces as well because it folds up mostly flat when you are not using it.
Baby Swing
Having a Swing can be such a lifesaver when Baby is fussy or feeling a little bit moody. I would put my daughter in the swing if she started getting fussy and holding her wasn’t helping. The swing would usually calm her down within minutes if not seconds.
This was my go-to product for taking showers. I would carry it into the bathroom, set her swinging and enjoy a nice hot shower that wasn’t rushed at all! In my newborn schedule, I talk about how a daily hot shower was a non-negotiable for me.
Bouncy Chair
This recommendation is similar to the Swing and Rock and Play. It is just another option for a place that
Silicone Breast Pump
I recommend this product in basically all of my posts on breastfeeding. When I say it is a must have I mean it is a MUST HAVE! Suctioning this puppy onto your breast will help drain your breast of extra breastmilk that you can store for a freezer stash as well as help prevent clogged ducts and mastitis because it helps drain extra milk.
Music Playing Device
Setting up bedtime rituals is key for setting your baby up for sleep success. Playing quiet music from day 1 can be so helpful in getting your baby off on the right foot. Any kind of music playing device will work for this. We personally use the Sonos Play 1 because my husband is a tech nerd and we have Sonos in every room of the house basically. But any old music playing device will work! The one really nice thing I will say for the Sonos Play 1 is that you can control it using Alexa or with your smartphone. Being able to control the Sonos with your smartphone is super helpful If you need to turn on or adjust the music and you don’t want to walk into the room while the baby is falling asleep.
Toys!
Around this time your baby will start grasping toys for a few seconds and maybe even reaching out for them. Provide soft crinkly toys that are easy to grab such as this fish or this cute butterfly.
A set of easily
If you are headed back to work after your maternity leave check out my tips and tricks for returning to work after maternity leave.
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