2 Month Old Milestones Typical Baby Development at 2 Months

Let's talk about the developmental milestones we generally expect to see at around two months of age. As a pediatric occupational therapist, there are two important things I want you to keep in mind as I go through these. First, these milestones are what most, not all, babies can do by two months of age. Some babies may reach these milestones a little earlier, while others might take a bit longer, and both these scenarios can be completely normal. Second, if your baby was born premature, remember to track their milestones based on their due date, not their birth date, as adjusting their age this way gives a more accurate view of their development and helps you understand where they are in reaching their milestones. Let's start with gross motor milestones. So these are the big movements your baby makes using their arms, legs, neck, and body. At around two months of age, when your baby is lying on their back, you'll start to see them bringing their head towards the center of their body and holding it there, but their neck muscles are still developing, so they're not going to be able to hold their head in that position for long. That means they'll probably hold their head in the center for a few seconds before it falls to the side. Another thing you'll notice is your baby is becoming more active with their body movements, like kicking their legs and moving their arms with a lot more energy. Now, while this is fun for them and cute for us to watch, it also serves another purpose. These actions help build the muscle strength and coordination they'll need for big milestones ahead, like rolling over, sitting up, and eventually crawling. Now, let's move on to tummy time. You'll notice that when they do tummy time, they're lifting their head to about 45 degrees and they're starting to position their elbows behind their shoulders, and their hips are resting closer to the ground than they did a month ago. These are all great signs that their muscles are getting stronger and becoming more coordinated. Now, even though they are getting stronger, you might notice that when they do lift their head, they have a bit of trouble keeping it in the center. In fact, after a little while, their head might even start to tilt to one side. This is totally normal at this stage, since their neck muscles aren't quite strong enough yet to keep their head steady in the middle. But don't worry, over the next few weeks, as they build more strength, you'll start to see them holding their head nice and steady in the center more and more often. Next up are fire motor milestones. These are the small, precise movements your baby is starting to make with their hands and fingers. Now, most of the time, your baby's hands will be curled up into tiny fists with their thumbs tucked inside. But now and then, you'll see them open their little hands up and then close them again. This might seem like no big deal, and it's something that many parents don't even notice, but it's actually quite a big step. Every time your little one opens and closes their hands, they're strengthening the tiny muscles that control their hands and fingers. They're also developing their motor control, which allows them to consciously control these movements. And this helps them prepare for big milestones like reaching out the toys, grabbing objects, and eventually learning to feed themselves in the months ahead. While we're on the topic of those bigger milestones, if you'd like to learn exactly what they all are in the first 12 months, when to expect them, and if and when you need to be concerned about missing them, make sure you download a copy of my free milestone guide that I've linked to down in the description of this video. Okay, so along with starting to open and close their hands at around two months of age, you may notice that if you place a toy or a soft object in your baby's hands, they can hold onto it for a few seconds before it slips out. Now, this is due to a few reasons, including a lack of awareness of what they're actually holding and a lack of strength and control in their hands. And because of this, it means that they're constantly dropping things at random times. For this reason, it's best to give them soft, lightweight toys to hold. Things like ovals, soft rattles, or fabric crinkle toys are great. This way, if the toy happens to fall onto their face or their body, it won't hurt them. Next up is communication, which is how your baby expresses themselves and responds to the world around them. At two months old, your baby's main method of communicating when they're hungry, tired, or uncomfortable is going to be through crying. But the exciting part is, at this age, your baby will also start smiling and making cooing and gurgling sounds. These little noises like the ahs and the oohs are their first steps in using their voice to connect with you. It's as if they're saying, I'm here, or letting you know that they're ready to interact and explore. They'll also start becoming more responsive to sounds, especially familiar voices. So when they actually hear you speak, you might notice them trying to find you by moving their eyes or turning their head. In terms of social and emotional milestones, you'll start noticing that your baby calms down when you talk to them or you pick them up. You might see them watching your face more closely and with growing interest. And when they spot you in the room, they may even show their excitement by wiggling, widening their eyes, or flashing you a little smile. These subtle reactions are signs that they're building a connection with you and starting to see you as an important part of their world. Now, another really exciting aspect of their development that we start to see at around this age is a noticeable improvement in their cognitive abilities, specifically how they learn, think, and solve problems. You'll notice them watching you as you move around the room and paying close attention to your face, especially when you talk to them. Sometimes your baby might even respond by making little noises like coos or gurgles, almost as if they're joining in the conversation. You'll also start to notice that your baby can focus on a toy or an object for a few seconds, watching it closely or following it with their eyes. In fact, if you hold a toy right in front of them and then slowly move it to the side, they'll look at it, then track it with their gaze, moving their eyes and sometimes even turning their head to follow along. Now again, this may seem like a small thing and as an OT, I may get a little more excited about these things than most, but this tracking skill is a big step in helping them learn to focus, build hand-eye coordination, and explore the world around them. It's one of those foundational steps that so many other more significant milestones are built on, which makes it wonderful to see. At this stage, your baby may also start to get a little restless or bored if they stay in one spot for too long without anything new to look at. This is their way of showing that their brain is craving more stimulation and variety. It's a little signal that they're ready for a change of scenery or something new to explore. When this happens and you start noticing that boredom kicking in and an increase in restlessness as a result, it's helpful to have a few go-to activities to keep them entertained, and that's exactly why you'll want to check out this video next. In it, you'll discover five games that your two-month-old will absolutely love, and the best part is these games are incredibly easy to set up and only require items you already have at home. So if you're looking for fun games to boost your baby's development, make sure you check that video out next.