Here is your 2-month-old baby who has changed so much in such a short period of time that you can no longer imagine what will happen next. From this article you will learn how to care for your little one, how the baby should develop correctly, what mode of the day suits him best.
How much should a child eat at 2 months?
As you know, physical activity, as well as physical development require a lot of energy. In order for the baby to receive it in this amount in such an amount that he needs for proper development, he must eat well. In general, pediatricians indicate that a child should eat about 900 ml of milk per day. That is, one feeding should cover 150 ml. If we talk about the classical scheme of proper feeding, then you need to divide the food into 6 equal sessions. That is, this is essentially every 3-3.5 hours. 2-month- old children no longer need night feeding, so at this time of day the break may already be longer. For example, if you fed your baby for the last time at 23 o’clock, you can calmly wait for 6 in the morning for the next session.
Correct daily routine
As a rule, a 2-month-old baby is already fine-tuning his day regimen. He gets used to sleeping and eating at certain hours. At the same time, he doesn’t sleep so much anymore, so don’t worry if the total number of “sleepy” hours is reduced to 16-18. At night, the baby at this age already sleeps much stronger and better. The fact that when the baby confuses day and night becomes a big enough problem for both parents and the child himself. In this case, it is necessary to "retrain" him to sleep correctly. Remember that turning the tide will be very difficult. A very important part of the baby’s life is walking. A 2-month-old baby, whose mode is debugged correctly, should walk at least 2-3 times a day. Gradually increase the time spent on the street, bringing it to 1.5 hours at an air temperature of at least 10 degrees. In the evening, preparing baby for bedtime, it is important to swim. It can already be made longer (up to about 10 minutes). A 2-month-old baby should bathe in water, the temperature of which is not lower than 37 degrees. Do not forget that he really needs a massage. Like special gymnastics. How to carry them out, you can read below.
Your baby’s daily schedule by the hour (approximate)
If we talk about how a 2-month-old child should spend his day, his regime can be divided conditionally as follows:
- 6 a.m. Awakening and first feeding.
- Until 7.30 the best time to do a little gymnastics, wash your child and play with him.
- 7.30 a.m. - 9.30 a.m.: your baby should still have a little sleep. At this time you can go about your business.
- At 9.30 again awakening and lunch.
- From 9.30 to 11.00 the child will not sleep. Therefore, you can safely get ready for a walk.
- From 11.00 to 13.00 the baby must rest. An ideal option would be a dream in the fresh air.
- From one to two in the afternoon you need to return home, feed the baby and play with him a little.
- From 14.30 to 16.30 - time for daytime sleep.
- 16.30 - 18.30 the baby wakes up and is ready for games again.
- 18.00 - 20.00 time for an evening sleep. Do not worry that a 2-month-old baby in this case will not sleep at night. That certainly won't happen.
- 20.00: the baby wakes up and starts to stay awake again. You can play a little with him, then bathe.
- 22.00 - preparation for bed.
- 24.00 last feeding.
What are the nuances of the daily routine worth remembering?
Of course, you should understand that 2-month-old children do not always follow the above schedule. It often happens that they themselves establish the sleep and games that they like best. It should be remembered that there is no problem. Even if the baby wakes up at 7 in the morning, and not at 6, or falls asleep at 24.00, and not at 22.00. But, as mentioned above, if there are more serious problems with the regime, then it should gradually be changed to the correct one. How to do it? Teach yourself to him first. If you constantly carry out the same actions every day, your child will get used to them.
How to do gymnastics and swimming?
It is important to bathe your baby daily at the same time. Most mothers choose evening time for this procedure. You can hold the baby with your hands in the bath while dad is washing it, or use a special support hammock. As a rule, a half-hour bath helps the child “whet” his appetite and sleep well all night. If water procedures, on the contrary, invigorate the baby, it is better to do them in the morning.
Special gymnastics includes extension and bending of the legs, raising the arms to the sides, gentle stroking and a pleasant massage. A 2-month-old baby will especially like the latter. But remember that such exercises are best avoided after meals. Also pay attention to the mood of the crumbs.
Pediatrician recommendations for sleep
Many people think that a 2-month-old baby is still too young to have a special sleep regimen. But to do this, as periatricians say, is never too early. If you want to help your baby make the dream more pleasant, then you should remember these recommendations:
- Try to follow the signals that the child gives you. Two months is too early for the discipline to form a regime, because the baby adapts to the needs of his body.
- It is very important to accurately carry out all the stages of the routine: to walk, eat and play games at the time that is allocated for this. Then the dream will come to the child faster and will be deeper.
- To prevent the baby from forming a negative attitude towards sleep, try not to forcibly rock him and leave him alone in the room, hoping that he will stop crying and fall asleep.
Height and weight of a two-month-old baby
In general, with a normal diet and without health problems, such a baby should gain up to 900 grams, as well as grow another 2.5 cm. At the same time, pediatricians indicate that, on average, baby growth should be 62 cm by this time and the weight is about 5600 grams. There is also a gradual increase in the circumference of the chest and head. The first is almost catching up with the second, although it still remains a little less.
Diseases, doctors and vaccinations
If your baby was born in the cold season, then by the end of the second month of life, he may have problems with a small amount of vitamin D in the body. This can lead to the development of D-deficient rickets. If the temperature of a 2-month-old baby constantly rises, he sweats a lot, the back of his head starts to go bald, and urination happens too often, then you should consult a pediatrician. He may prescribe an increase in the dose of vitamin D, a change in the daily diet, or some special drug.
It also very often happens that 2-month-old children who before that had no signs of nervous system disorders, but suffered oxygen starvation in the prenatal period, give symptoms of nervous disorders. This is manifested in tearfulness, high excitability, trembling hands and chin during screaming or crying. In this case, the best solution would be to contact a professional pediatric neurologist.
Of course, a common cold can also appear, because not a single 2-month-old child is safe from it. Runny nose, fever, fever, and crying often become alarming signals. If you notice them with your baby, consult a pediatrician for help. In no case do not be afraid to cure it yourself, especially if the temperature of a 2-month-old baby rises too quickly.
Games for the development of your crumbs
Of course, this is a very important part in the life of any baby. What does a 2 month old baby do besides eating and sleeping? Of course he plays. As the time of his activity increases, then you can spend more time in developing games, but not longer than 25 minutes in a row. What games do experts recommend at this age? A great option would be to play the “magpie-white-sided”, when mom or dad takes turns taking fingers of the baby, pronouncing the words of the rhyme. Thus, the child will have a better development of the speech apparatus. Start a little conversation with your little one. He will answer you, watching your lips move. Since at this time the child loves to swing legs and handles in the air, sometimes touching them with hanging toys, a pendant with bright animals that still ring after an impact will be an excellent choice. For calm children, rocking in a rocking chair is suitable. For more emotional ones, it is better to choose light “dancing” around the house.
Charge and massage for baby
At this time, you just need to start doing simple exercises with your baby. For starters, the usual bending and unbending of legs and arms is suitable, but later you can bend the legs in the knees when the child is in a supine position (on the tummy or back). This massage is considered the most common for a 2-month-old baby. If the baby suffers from improper digestion, then you can easily help him get rid of gas if you put it on your back, bend your legs at the knees and do a light circular massage of your tummy for several minutes. Also, to improve the child’s digestion a little, lay it at least 3 times a day for several minutes on the tummy. At the same time, make sure that in this position the 2-month-old baby holds its head up. If you also combine this process with gentle and light stroking on the back, arms and legs, buttocks, then the baby will like it even more. Do stroking clockwise. To temper the child, from the first months of life, you can start air baths. They can be safely combined with laying on the tummy. When washing the crumbs, do not make the water too warm, if you add a little cool, it will also become a kind of stabbing.
What can a child do at 2 months?
Your little one gradually develops and grows. Therefore, already at the age of two months, he knows how much more than only after birth. So, for example, the child already partially controls his neck muscles. If you lift it by the handles, it will try to hold the head. If earlier the baby could grasp his mother very firmly with his pen, then at this age this grasping reflex often disappears. Do not worry, this is a completely normal phenomenon. The child begins to better monitor the movement of various objects. He often listens to the sounds coming in, reacts to them in his own way. May get scared or happy. The main feature of the baby at 2 months of age is his ability to focus his eyes on someone's face. He begins to smile at his mom and dad. In the process of lying on the tummy, the child can hold his head for a short time. If at this moment you put a bright toy in front of him, then he will most likely be interested in it and will focus his eyes on it. It is very important during this period of development to show the baby to a doctor who will check the tone of his muscles and how well his joints are developing. It is also very important in the first trip to the pediatrician to check the correct development of the cervical muscles.