Growing closer to your baby

As a new mum, you'll be keen to get to know your baby better, but with your newborn spending most of her early days feeding and sleeping, you may have to wait for a while.
In the meantime, here's some of the exciting stages you can look forward to over the next three months, plus some tips on how to help your baby along.

At 1 month old
Your baby is likely to start focusing on things close to his face and to lose his cross-eyed look. He may also start to briefly lift his head when placed on his tummy.
How you can get involved Encourage your new baby to focus by bringing your face close to his as you talk. Try doing repetitive actions such as poking out your tongue, to see if he'll copy you.

At 2 months old
She's getting more responsive to noises nearby. She's probably holding a rattle, and likely to be treating you to her first smiles. She's also able to focus on objects 17-20cms away and may watch them move.
How you can get involved Grab your baby's attention by showing her simple, bold black and white images. She won't respond to pale colours as she can't see them at this age.

At 3 months old
Your baby will follow vertical and horizontal movements with his eyes. He'll recognise your face not just your voice, and may turn towards you when you call. He's also stimulated by music.
How you can get involved Sing and dance - your baby will love it. He'll also respond to new toys, faces and situations. If he's grizzly, he may perk up with a change of surroundings.

• With thanks to Miranda Levy, author

of The Rough Guide to Babies (£9.99, Rough Guides).

Start a discussion :: Print this article ::