Your baby is getting a little more expressive. She is much more social than she was just a month ago. She looks around, holds her head up well, and is more alert and aware of her surroundings now. She continues to grow at a steady pace, gaining about 4-7 oz per week. By the end of her fourth month, she will weigh somewhere around 14-15 lbs, and measure about 24-25 in long.
She likes to listen to sounds, especially the sound of mommy’s voice. She also is taking an interest in making sounds of her own. You may hear her making vowel sounds like “ah” and “oh.” Right now, noises pique her interest. She may watch your mouth when you talk or turn her head if she hears you talking in a different room.
She’s no longer a little baby. Her newborn reflexes are starting to fade. She’s beginning to make deliberate movements of her legs and arms. You may notice that her legs move more smoothly now and are less jerky. She’s not crawling yet, but she may be scooting or trying to scoot around on her belly. She’s probably rolling over now, or starting to. She may not be able to roll in both directions yet, but she probably can roll or partially roll from front to back now.
She’s still sleeping a lot, but she should be sleeping better at night now. You can expect her to sleep around 15 hours a day now, with about 10 hours of her sleep occurring at night. She may take 2 or 3 naps during the day that are around an hour to two hours long. If she’s not sleeping through the night yet, look at her daytime sleep schedule. If she is sleeping too long during the day, it may be difficult to get her to sleep through the night. You can try keeping her awake a little longer during the day by waking her from her nap a little early or playing with her during the day.
Now that your baby’s a little older, you may start getting baby advice from your friends or family, that is, if you haven’t already. Babies are fun to talk about, and mothers often like to share their experiences. Usually, it’s not a big deal, but there are times when people say too much or share advice that was never asked for in the first place. Try to stick to your guns as far as what you feel is best for your baby, and ignore any unwanted or outdated advice.
By the End of the Fourth Month Your Baby Can:
- Turn head in all directions
- Make more facial expressions
- Babble some vowel sounds, like “ah” and “oh”
- Sit with support
- Splash water and play in the bath
- Attract mommy or daddy’s attention
- Comfort himself, but may still want mom or dad for comfort
- Put objects or toys in his mouth
- Notice smells or odors
Your Baby Likes:
- To put objects in his mouth and gum them
- To laugh when you tickle him
- To smile at himself in the mirror
- To be carried or worn in a baby wrap
- To listen to music
- To look in the mirror
Safety Tips:
- Get down on the floor so that you can see what your child sees. Look for anything that is in your baby’s reach or eye level and remove anything dangerous.
- Check your curtains. Now that your baby is starting to get mobile, it’s time to make sure that there are no dangling cords from mini blinds are curtains. Baby’s can get cords wrapped around their neck and choke.
- If you haven’t already, cover any unused electrical outlets with a safety cover.
- Put away breakables and knick knacks for now. Putting them out of your baby’s reach will protect your baby and your home decor as well.
- Put up a safety gate on your stairwells. Your baby may not quite be ready to make his way down the stairs yet, but it will happen before you know it. Babies don’t have to be crawling or walking to scoot their way over to the stairs and fall down.
Activities for Your Baby:
- Play a game of “Pat-a-cake” or “So Big” with your baby. Take his hands and pat them against yours, or stretch them in the air for “So Big.”
- Rattle keys or a toy close to your baby. See if he grabs for it. Try shaking it from different directions, like behind him or over his head, to see if he finds it.
- Roll em, roll em, roll em! Place a baby blanket on the floor and lay your baby in the middle of the blanket on his back or tummy. Then gently roll baby over, using the blanket.