What is the development of a baby from birth to 2 months of age?
If you want to get to know your baby's first 2 months better, it's a good idea to read about this period during your pregnancy so that when he arrives, you can remember the important things. He'll be developing so quickly...you won't even realize it, and he's already six months old!
A baby's development cannot be described only based on size data and physical changes. Their sensory organs and certain abilities also change at a rapid pace. These are all very exciting areas. We cannot perceive the functioning of all of them - such as vision and hearing -, so it is good to get to know the level at which our child is currently at. Vision , hearing , movement , socialization , communication and learning processes are mature from the first moments, and they are all very exciting areas, we will show you why!
How does a baby see until he is 2 months old?
During life in the womb, the baby receives very little visual stimulation. Some light can filter through the mother's abdominal wall, so it does not spend its life there in complete darkness. At birth, its visual system is still underdeveloped. At first, it can best perceive objects whose colors have strong contrasts . Light also attracts its gaze, or the movement of curtains and objects. It looks at faces, facial expressions, and smiles that lean over it.
It is important that he gets these stimuli. This requires that there is adequate soft lighting in the room and some toys with patterns and colors that are sufficiently contrasting. It is not good to pile too many toys around him, as this interferes with his exploration of outlines, edges, and patterns.
As your little one's vision develops, he or she will also be more interested in observing his or her surroundings. He or she is already following things with his or her eyes. His or her vision is still blurry because he or she cannot focus properly, and the movement of both eyes together is not coordinated. This is why sometimes his or her eyes do not look in the same direction, but are almost crossed. For this to develop, the nervous system also needs to mature. He or she can see clearly at a distance of about 30 cm, which is the same distance as the mother's face when breastfeeding.
Vision is very closely related to motor coordination, balance, and spatial orientation. Therefore, its proper development is of great importance not only for visual perception, but also for motor development.
Source: Teddy Bear Clinic
Your baby can hear sounds in the last trimester
You have probably experienced your little one moving and kicking when exposed to stronger sound stimuli during your pregnancy. This phenomenon is common in the last months of pregnancy. It is wonderful when a newborn baby recognizes its mother's voice , as it has heard it a lot in the womb. It will undergo a hearing test in the neonatal unit, but it will also be necessary to monitor its response to sound stimuli later on.
When a baby is born, their hearing is almost as complete as an adult's. They are startled by unexpected, loud noises. However, regularly repeated, monotonous sounds and melodies have a particularly calming effect on them, and can even put them to sleep. That's why it's good to talk to them, sing to them, or even read them stories from a very young age.
As he develops, he slowly realizes that there are sounds he doesn't need to be afraid of, and there are others he should pay more attention to. It's amazing how he tries to squeeze a sound out of his lungs for the first time, and enjoys the fact that he can do it too.
The idea is often expressed when guests arrive in the baby's room that everyone should speak quietly and loudly, at least the child will get used to the fact that noise will not wake him from his sleep. However, this habituation is unnecessary and has a bad effect on the child's peaceful sleep and rest. It is not necessary for there to be perfect silence around him, but just as we, adults, wake up if we hear noise or other people talking next to us, we also unnecessarily disturb our child's sleep.
Source: Early Childhood , Bethesda Children's Hospital
He is awake a little, but watches and moves a lot.
Therefore, his immediate environment should be rich in stimuli.
His limbs are still bent, but he can stretch them out. He can turn his head over when lying on his stomach, with the help of his strengthening back muscles. He still feels uncertain about his stability, which is completely natural, so it is important to always lift him slowly, with proper support, and to make sure he feels safe when bathing.
At first, the baby reacts to stimuli with his whole body , and then we can notice more and more distinct movements. They suck their hands and fists, this still happens randomly. With the help of the grasping reflex – when their fingers close when they feel pressure in their palms – they can hold lighter objects, but this is not yet conscious. By the age of two months, they are already opening their fingers, and when breastfeeding, they place their hands on their mother's chest.
Babies have two senses that are already well-developed in the womb: their skin and body sense, and their sense of balance. When they receive stimuli through these, it calms them and develops their nervous system. This is why caressing, rocking, and hugging are so fundamentally important to them.
Communication is still mainly through crying.
We know that during this period the baby is getting to know the new environment. Therefore, he needs peace and security to adapt to the outside world. He still sleeps a lot, as he gets tired quickly. When he is awake, he increasingly observes the faces and facial expressions of those who lean close to him.
He keeps in touch with his mother by crying, whose expressive ability gradually develops and becomes more differentiated by the second month. He is already crying in various ways , that is, he communicates. He also tries to make sounds, to which it is good if we respond in a similar way, because this gives him feedback and reinforces his signals. This is actually a cute dialogue between us. Let's feel free to use nanny language – making eye contact in a colorful and varied voice, speaking in “baby language”, babbling – because it is easier to grab his attention with it.
Socialization begins
At first, it is not easy for a mother to figure out why her baby is crying. This is not a problem, the main thing is to make sure that the child receives a response to his request. This way, he will develop the crying styles - hunger, pain, a full diaper, or a need for a hug - that will get him an appropriate response.
The first social smile arrives! By the end of the second month, the baby realizes that when he involuntarily smiles back at his parents, it brings them joy and can create a longer time together, so this time he wants to give his smile consciously.
A child's healthy development requires attachment to their caregiver. This is the basis of attachment parenting . If parents always respond to their needs, they become calm and balanced. The child also has another need, namely the need to relieve tension. If the parent wants to silence the crying as soon as possible and does not create an opportunity for the baby to get rid of the tension accumulated due to the stimuli in a natural way - by crying - then it will be suppressed. Stress relief is the plus that attachment parenting can provide.
Source: Early Childhood , Related Education, Zsuzsanna Egry
What does a baby learn by the time he is 2 months old?
Especially when and what will happen to him. This is given to him by the constancy and predictability that daily routines provide. The sounds, sights, and noises surrounding his care show him what is coming next . He recognizes when bath time is approaching or diaper change time when his mother puts him on the changing table and grabs the bag of jingling diapers. He notes and recalls these stimuli.
He also learns to separate individual events from each other. For example, when breastfeeding, he is more present and less likely to fall asleep.
The first two months are therefore mainly about adapting to the new situation and the abundance of stimuli, to which the baby can adapt extremely quickly with the empathetic and understanding help of its parents.
If you would like to read more information about your baby's development month by month (including weight gain and length growth), check out our previous article!
