Two Months

Development

  • Most infants are still not sleeping through the night. 
  • Infant’s eyes may sometimes cross – this is normal. 
  • Spitting up in small amounts after feedings is common. To avoid this, burp frequently and leave your child in an upright position for 15-30 minutes after feeding. 
  • Your infant may quiet himself with sucking his fingers or a pacifier. 
  • Your baby should be able to: 
    • Gurgle, coo and smile 
    • Lift his head for a few seconds when lying on his stomach 
    • Move his legs and arms vigorously.
    • Follow a slow moving object with his eyes
  • · He probably sucks at the sight of the breast or bottle. 
  • · Infants of this age often study their own hand movements.

Diet

  • Your baby should continue on breast milk or formula feedings. 
  • No juices, cereal or solid foods are recommended until 4 months of age. 
  • Do not give honey (until 1 year of age).

Hygiene

  • Use a mild soap such as White Dove or Neutragena, or Baby Magic for your baby’s body. Wash the face with water only. 
  • Do not put Q-tips in the ear canal. The outer ear may be cleaned with a Q-tip or wash cloth 
  • Gently scrub baby’s hair and scalp with baby shampoo.

Safety

  • Never take your child in any car unless he is properly restrained in an infant car seat. The infant should continue to face rearward. Always restrain your baby in an appropriate infant car seat. (Besides being common sense, IT’S THE LAW!). Remember this applies to when riding in someone else’s car. 
  • Infants become more active in the next 2 months and will begin to roll over soon. Never leave your infant on a surface (including a bed) from which he could fall. 
  • Never prop a bottle or give a bottle in bed. This can lead to ear infections and tooth decay. 
  • To protect your child from scalds, reduce the temperature of your hot water heater to 120 degrees F., avoid holding your infant while cooking, smoking, or drinking hot liquids. 
  • Do not put an infant seat on anything but the floor when the baby is in the seat. 
  • Install smoke alarms on every floor and check batteries monthly.

Stimulation

  • Infants enjoy looking at mirrors, pictures of faces and bright colors. 
  • When your baby is awake, position him so that he can watch what you’re doing. 
  • Babies love to suck their thumb or a pacifier 
  • Babies also love to be sung to and talked to while being cuddled. Is is not too early to start reading to your child.

Toys

  • Ring rattles or rattles with handles are good choices, especially those with faces with moving eyes. 
  • Squeeze toys that are soft and easy to squeak will help your baby practice grasping motion and improve his idea of cause and effect connections. 
  • Small plastic blocks, bright bath toys and smooth edged, unbreakable mirrors are favorites at this age 
  • Toys should be unbreakable, contain no small detachable parts or sharp edges, and should not be easy to swallow. 
  • There is a high potential for injuries with infant walkers and they are not recommended.