Your baby’s development at 3 month old

Some babies have a 'developmental leap' at around 3-4 months and you're likely to notice big changes in both their personality and skills¹. There’s no doubt that this is an exciting time when it comes to your baby’s development.

You may notice that your baby is starting to lift their head when they’re on their tummy³. As their grip becomes stronger, they may use their hands to interact with their environment and hold toys for a short amount of time - they may also be more aware of their body and begin to play with their hands and fingers².

One of the loveliest signs of your baby’s development at 3 months old is that they may have started to smile, laugh and make cooing noises. You may notice that your baby becomes more excited when they’re near you or when they see you².

Your baby at 3 months old is quickly growing in size and strength and becoming more skilled at big and small movements (known as fine and gross motor skills). Soon you’ll notice that your baby can support their own head – particularly when laid on their tummy – as their neck muscles continue to strengthen³ .

At 3 months, your baby will have started to explore their surrounding environment with their hands, so be sure to keep anything that’s unsuitable for them to play with well out of reach. You’ll start to see your baby open and close their fists as they reach out for objects³.

There are lots of things you can do with your 3-month-old to support their physical developmental milestones. Why not try³:

• Laying your baby on their tummy and their back - this will help them to get used to different positions.
• Have regular tummy time  - play with your baby on the floor, as this will encourage them to learn about movement and develop the skills they’ll need to roll over, sit and crawl.
• Give your baby the opportunity to practise sitting - make sure that you’re supporting them as they do.
• Try giving your baby toys that are easy for them to play with, for example rattles and comforters that have different sounds and textures. This will encourage your baby to practise reaching and grasping as they learn to interact with the world around them.

Remember to always supervise your baby as they play, and to always lay them on their back when you put them down to go to sleep³.

At 3 months old, your baby will be using their increasingly effective senses to learn about the world around them. Their vision is getting better as their eyesight gradually develops in the first few months of life⁴, and you’ll see that they’re starting to follow moving objects with their eyes⁵.

Babies love to look at faces, even as newborns. At 3 months old your baby they’ll start to recognise you and may prefer to spend time looking at your face rather than a stranger’s⁶.

In addition to their vision, your baby’s hearing is developing too. From very soon after birth, your baby is capable of being startled by loud noises. They’ll let you know that this is the case by blinking or opening their eye wide. They may even start to cry⁷. At 3 months old, it’s likely that your baby will also be aware of longer sounds, for example they may take a pause in their play to listen to the sound of the vacuum cleaner⁷.

To encourage your baby’s developing senses, try³:

• Slowly moving objects in front of your baby’s face (from around 40 cm away) and see how they track them with their eyes.
  
• Give your baby objects that will now capture their attention, including colourful baby mobiles and rattles.
• Talk to your baby regularly so that they can hear your voice.

If you notice that your baby isn’t following objects or responding to sound as you might expect them to do, have a chat with your healthcare provider. That way they’ll be able to check your baby’s development to ensure that they’re meeting all of their developmental milestones.

Up to now, crying has been your baby’s main method of communicating their needs, but from 3 months old your baby will learn new ways to communicate with you and others around them. If you haven’t already, you’ll soon notice your baby smiling and laughing when they’re happy, making cooing noises like ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’, and turning their head towards you and others to look at you when you talk⁸.

At this point in your baby’s development, you may find that they enjoy spending time with other babies as this helps them to learn and recognise social cues¹. You can always speak to your healthcare provider about what parent and baby groups are available in your area if this is something you’re interested in.

At 3 months, you can start building the foundations of speech with your baby, by taking it in turns to make sounds and smile at each other. Talking to your baby regularly, for example telling them what you’re doing around the house, will also help your baby’s development in terms of their verbal skills¹.

Other things that will encourage your baby’s development and introduce them to two-way conversations include⁹:

• Talking to your baby in a sing-song voice. This will help to keep their attention and help them get used to the natural ups and downs of speech.
• Singing to your baby - this can help them to become familiar with the rhythm of language.
• Repeating the sounds your baby makes back to them.

It’s important that your baby gets all the nutrients they need for their rapid growth and development. The best way to ensure your baby gets enough milk is to respond to their hunger cues and follow their lead. If their appetite suddenly increases, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ready to start weaning; they may just be going through a growth spurt¹.

For the first six months of life, breast milk or first infant formula will provide the energy and nutrients that your baby needs for their growth and development¹⁰. There are a number of benefits to breastfeeding, and the NHS recommends that breast milk is the sole source of nutrition for the first six months of life, and then as a continuing source of nutrition with a mixed diet up to two years of age and beyond¹¹.

You’re advised to wait until your baby is around at least 6 months old before they start their weaning adventure. This is because the digestive system at 3 months of age is not yet mature enough for solid food – even purées, and by 6 monthsbut at a later stage they’ll be more adept at chewing and swallowing¹⁰.

The best way to tell if your baby is getting enough milk is to listen to them - your baby won’t waste any time in telling you that they’re hungry. Whether you are breast or bottle feeding, always follow your baby’s hunger cues, feeding them on demand rather than in line with a set feeding schedule. For advice on whether your baby is getting enough breast milk, read our article ‘How to breastfeed’. You’ll also find more information on bottle feeding here.

From 3-6 months old, your baby’s sleep schedule might start to change. They may start to sleep for longer stretches throughout the night without waking as often for feeds¹². Some 3-month-olds sleep for 8 hours or more during the night, but not all will go this long straight away¹². Your 3-month-old will still need regular naps throughout the day and could sleep anywhere between 8 and 17 hours in a 24-hour period¹³.

At 3 months, your baby might be ready for you to introduce a bedtime routine. If this is something you decide to do, you might want to try¹²:

• A warm bath followed by a fresh nappy and night clothes.
• Creating a calm atmosphere by dimming the lights and giving goodnight kisses and cuddles.
• Putting them to bed to avoid too much stimulation that might be going around the house.
• Singing to your baby or putting on a musical mobile whilst they’re in bed.

When trying to establish a sleep schedule or bedtime routine, it can help for your baby to learn the difference between day and night, as this will enable them to regulate their developing body clock. Try keeping the room they’re in dark at night and allow light in during the day. Don’t worry about keeping your baby’s surrounding quiet during the day, even when they’re taking their naps¹².

The most important thing to remember is that every baby’s sleep schedule is different, so try not to compare your baby’s sleep schedule with others. It’s normal for the amount of sleep they need to fluctuate, and their sleep schedule is unlikely to fit in with your own this early on. Remember also that it’s perfectly normal for your baby not to sleep through the night, and the NHS advises that your baby sleeps in the same room as you until they are 6 months old so that you can easily respond to their needs¹³.

Playing with your baby will become even more rewarding at 3 months old as they start to purposefully respond to your face, voice and actions. Time play sessions and trips out and about for when they’re well-fed, wide awake and alert so that they can focus on enjoying their time playing and learning with you.

As your baby is now using their hands more to deliberately interact with their environment, you can encourage them to reach out and practise grasping. Place items like toys and baby mobiles just out of reach, encouraging your baby to move towards them. These activities can support your 3-month-old’s muscle development and hand-eye coordination¹⁴.

Talk, sing and read to your baby often, incorporating games such as ‘peek-a-boo’ and songs with actions such as ‘wind the bobbin up’. Exposing your developing 3-month-old to a variety of speech sounds will help them to recognise patterns, building the important foundations of communication¹⁵.

As your bright and alert 3-month-old’s personality develops, you may notice that they prefer some activities and toys more than others. Pay attention to their preferences and respond to their interests, providing opportunities to learn and play in ways that you both enjoy¹⁴.

Developmental milestones are used as a rough measure to assess how a baby is progressing in line with what is expected at different ages. By 3 months, you can expect your baby to have reached certain developmental milestones, such as being able to hold their head up a little, briefly touching their hands together, smiling and making cooing sounds¹⁶.

However, when it comes to what a 3-month-old should be doing, keep in mind that every baby’s developmental journey is different, and a delay in reaching these milestones is not necessarily a cause for concern.

However, if you have concerns about your baby’s development, you should always discuss these with your healthcare provider, so that they can rule out or address any   developmental problems. Between 3 and 4 months, your baby will have a developmental review, during which you’ll have the opportunity to discuss your baby’s progress and any concerns you may have with a healthcare professional. Your health visitor will also give your baby a physical checkup and will be able to give you advice on how you can best support your baby’s development based on their needs¹⁷.