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You made it. Your baby is 3 months old! You’ve been through many sleepless nights, plenty of shirts splattered with baby food, you’ve smelled your fair share of baby vomit, and you have got bags under your eyes the size of softballs. But you are here. You have made it this far. So what can you expect now? The only question you probably care about is, ‘does it get easier?’ Well, yes and no. It will get easier in some senses but in others, it might begin to get a little more confusing. Your baby will have more variations of cries. He or she won’t cry as much anymore and thus, finding out that something is wrong will be a little harder. But don’t worry, here are some things you can learn and do when your baby is 3 months old.
So, what happens when your baby turns 3 months old?
The soft spot
Every baby has a little soft spot at the back of their head. This is where the cranium is still forming. It’s always a weak spot, even when you have become fully grown. It’s not rocket science to know that the most vulnerable part of the head is at the back, where all the nerves enter into the brain.
Your baby’s soft spot should have closed by now. It’s called a fontanelle. You should gently check if this is the case. The spot is where the cranium should end and the spine begins. It’s vital that you check carefully and slowly.
If it seems like the fontanelle is still somewhat open and hasn’t fully closed, then you should still carry on providing extra head support and protection while the baby is sleeping. This can be in the form of neck support that prevents pressure from being put on this part of the head. Speak with your doctor to see what the cause could be.
Changes in the senses
When your baby was firstborn, the first 2 months or so were sketchy. Your baby didn’t really have great senses and thus, they were somewhat numb to the outside world. This left your baby feeling lost, vulnerable, and at times scared. However now at 3 months old, your baby’s senses have come a long way.
A 3-month-old baby can now see shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. They can see objects several feet in front of them, and faces from about 15-feet away. If you have toys your baby plays with, chances are they will be developing an association or relationship with them by now. They may respond to red toys better than blue. Now is when things get exciting and intricate — already your baby’s personality and senses are forming together. A 3-month-old baby can also recognize faces, so now is when you become to really be seen as a familiar, friendly, and common face in their young lives.
Sense of touch
Your baby may not have known what kind of material feels best against the skin before. They just knew that they didn’t like a particular material, which irritated their skin. However, now that your baby is 3 months old, he or she can tell the difference between materials, the weight of fabric, and restrictions. It’s a good idea to get better-fitting clothes at this point and not just buy sizes off the rack. You could have your baby clothes ordered and sized online, or you could do what most parents do and just buy stretchy clothes.
Your baby will also respond to different textures. It’s at this point that the baby will begin to grasp and explore. So if your dog comes up to the baby, he or she might grab the dog’s ear, put it in their mouth, and see what it is about. This can be good and bad as you don’t want your baby to touch harmful things. This means you can’t leave items around your baby thinking he or she won’t touch them or care for them. Now, they will. You can get toys made out of different fibers and see which one they like. It could be cotton, wool, silk, synthetics, and others. This is also the time where I like to read texture books to babies.
In summary, now that your baby has turned 3 months old, you will start to see a real sense of cognitive development. They will recognize faces, see colors and begin to explore the different worlds around them. Check if the fontanelle has gone and all is well. If not, contact your doctor as soon as you are able.
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