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Your 3 Months Old Baby Growth and Development
Isn’t it a bit hard to believe that your tiny little baby is already three months old now? Single-handedly she has managed to transform your life and has given it a new meaning altogether. Not only is she growing at a rapid pace but springs so many surprises every single day. You will be completely glued to every single milestone your little one achieves since it provides a reliable graph of your child’s growth. To understand infant development at 3 months in a better way, read on to find out the various parameters mentioned in this article.
Growth of Baby
At three months in its new world, your baby has now grown in length and seems larger too. Shopping for a larger size of baby clothes will become a priority for most mothers as your visibly-round baby won’t seem to fit in new-born clothes anymore. Indian summers, however, can spare you these expenses as a nappy and a soft singlet can be the perfect attire for your baby. Remember that your baby will grow in weight and length, so make sure you use all those clothes you’ve bought instead of saving them for later.
Baby Development
Below are some of the weekly developments your baby goes through:
12 Week Old Baby Development
Your 12 week old will be sleeping more and wake up only once or twice, and there is a pattern emerging slowly but surely. Make sure your baby sleeps for a few hours during the day as this will help her to sleep well at night. Her eyes will be well-coordinated, and depth perception will be better too. If your baby seems like squinting, take your doctor’s advice since it could mean vision issues later.
13 Week Old Baby Development
A steadily improving vision helps your child to track movement up to 20 feet and makes her perceptive to colour. It is the right time to give your baby a whiff of fresh flowers or a sweet-smelling fruit. She will turn her head towards music and other interesting sounds. At week 13, your baby will learn the use of her hands to pull, grab and grip at things near her, your hair included. Her motor-skills and hand-eye coordination will get better when she enters week 13. Shrieking sounds will be common at this stage, and you will often find your little one cooing to herself.
14 Week Old Baby Development
Your baby’s world is now at its fullest, colourful glory as she can now differentiate between hues and bold colours. Her world is suddenly a new one with fresh and vibrant colours being infused into it. She will begin to respond more enthusiastically to your presence in the room and give a more pronounced reaction to your voice. She will smile more when she spots another baby in her favourite storybook and will love to stare into the mirror. She may probably not understand that it is her image she is looking at, but she will love the kid who is smiling back at her.
15 Week Old Baby Development
Expect your little infant to roll over. This is a major milestone for her, though she will need support to come back to her original position. As the neck and abdominal muscles grow stronger, she will do the back-to-belly flip, but that is still some time away. Help your baby to strengthen these muscles by propping up pillows behind her or by adopting a slightly-upright position in the stroller. Expect a few cries during the night when she attempts to roll over, and gets stuck doing so. It is best to put your baby on her tummy as early as possible so that she gets used to it.
Baby Health
Adults can always communicate to the doctor when they are afflicted with a disease. With a 3-month-old baby, this is obviously difficult. However, they have another way of communicating with people: crying. Always be on the lookout for unwarranted crying. If this is followed by weakness and reduced mobility, take them to a paediatrician immediately.
Baby Milestones - 3 Months
Your baby’s development at three months will revolve around three areas viz. physical, cognitive and emotional. These milestones will signify the baby’s growth and can be measured accordingly.
Improvement in gross motor skills: The baby will be able to lift her head up to a 45 degree angle and the growing strength in the baby's neck muscles allows her to lift her head when she is on her tummy.
Response to sounds: Your baby will start to turn her head towards a source of sound which indicates that the baby’s capability of using its audio senses are developing. Familiar sounds, like your voice or the phone rings, will elicit such responses.
Increase in vocal communication: During this phase, watch out as your baby babbles in response to what she hears. Although the babbling and actions will not resemble the real thing, this will be an important milestone for your baby.
Behaviour
Your bundle of joy will surely live up to this moniker at 3 months and announce her presence in the house with squeals and high-pitched sounds. Her sounds of delight will keep the entire household on its toes as she will try out newer (and not necessarily pleasant) vocal skills. Your baby may be slightly scared of her own voice so ensure your feedback is a positive one that says those sounds are okay.
3 Months Old Baby Activities
If you want to know what activities to do when your baby is growing up, check the following ideas for a great time with your child:
Provide toys: Put your baby on her back or tummy and let her reach out for toys that you hold out for her. Provide toys of various shapes and sizes that she can hold and grip. Remember that your little one will put these toys in her mouth, so choose accordingly.
Practice head support: Put your baby on your lap in such a manner that she faces you, while ensuring enough support to her back and neck region. Attract her attention by making noises, giggling, and calling out to her, so she looks up to you.
Tummy time: Turn your baby on to her stomach and place a few brightly coloured toys or objects in front of her. Encourage her to grasp them. You can lie in front of her so that she uses her arms to take a look at you. By doing so, you will help strengthen her upper body and your bond too.
Tracking toys: Put the baby on the floor and roll a ball or a toy car in front of her. This will encourage her to follow the toy and track its movement. Use a rattle to grab her attention if she doesn’t show any interest initially.
Using the baby’s name: Use your baby’s name as often as possible as her name will be the first word she will connect to. Use it while singing songs, lullabies and while having a conversation with her. While singing to her, vary your voice and pitch to keep her interested.
3 Months Old Baby Care
Follow the below-mentioned tips to keep your infant healthy and safe during this period:
Breastfeeding is essential: Breast milk is the most important part of a baby’s diet so make sure you continue breastfeeding your three-month-old. This will also help you create a feeding schedule. Avoid any kind of solid food, cow’s milk or juice, as breast milk is the healthiest food for your little one.
Sleep is important: Your baby will be sleeping for 4 to 5 hours at a stretch. Do not rock her if she is going off to sleep on her own. She will get up a couple of times in the night but will drift off to sleep on her own, or may need to be fed to get to sleep.
Communicate well: At three months, your baby’s responsiveness to sounds and gestures is high, and it will be more expressive too. Play peek-a-boo games with your child (all babies love it), use gestures to make your baby laugh, and smile and keep talking to her. Place soft toys or balls near her to encourage her to grab and play with them.
Use safety precautions: You will have to be extra careful regarding your baby's safety now, since her movements and activities have increased. She will be anxious to put all that is in her sight into her mouth, and this could be a risk. Keep the baby’s bed away from open windows and medicines, and ensure that pointed and small objects are out of her reach.
Promote development changes: Many important development changes like drooling, chewing and sucking will occur during the third month. Use teethers to good effect here since babies like to chomp on things and it can be an amusement for them. Spend some time outdoors in the park to give them a taste of their surroundings.
Feeding
By month three, you and your baby will have managed to create a fairly-settled feeding routine between yourselves. Your baby’s skills at feeding will have improved dramatically, and your ability too will have improved tremendously. As a mother, you will now be able to distinguish between your baby’s hunger cry and the cry that has boredom written all over it. Your baby’s sleep duration will increase so you will find a bit of relief if you are breastfeeding. If your baby is bottle-fed, expect the sleeping hours to increase slightly earlier.
Sleeping
Typically, your 3-month-old will sleep for 14-15 hours in the day, which includes the short naps during the day and night-time sleep. Since night-feeds have reduced to a minimum, expect your child to sleep for 4-5 hour stretches. This happens because your baby’s nervous system is maturing, which allows her stomach to accommodate a larger quantity of milk or baby food. However, don’t just expect her to sleep throughout the night just yet; you will still need to be available on-call for feeds a couple of times.
Tips for Parents
Parenting is a hands-on learning experience for most, although a bit of support from experienced and well-meaning friends and relatives is useful. Here are a few tips to go through this phase with ease:
Irrespective of all the advice you may hear, do not start with solids at this stage. Your baby should be at least 4-6 months old before you do it. Till that time, breast milk is the ideal food for your little one as she receives all the necessary nourishment through it.
Create a routine of feeding, sleeping and playtime with your baby. This ensures that your tiny tot will get used to a schedule and will fall off to sleep at night without much of a fuss. 7 pm to 9 pm will be the ideal time for your baby to sleep and this will encourage longer sleep durations during the night.
Get the baby's check-up done and schedule one for the next month as well.
Parents are often anxious about the ideal 3-month-old baby's weight. Though your doctor will be the right person to speak to, if it’s a boy, he should weigh between 6 and 6.5 kg while a baby girl should weigh between 5.5 to 5.8 kg.
It is important to understand that every baby will have his/her own development speed and milestones may come early or late. Your apprehensions about your baby’s growth are justified but can be easily put to rest. Keep a watch on the developments and report any abnormal activity to your doctor as that’s the best way of going forward.
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Wind in Babies - How Common It Is and How You Can Help
Like adults, babies also suffer from wind or gas problem. Although most of the times, gas expels on its own, sometimes, it may get trapped and may cause extreme discomfort and pain to your little one. But is it okay for your munchkin to experience something like this at such an early stage? No, it's not! Your baby will be in trouble and you need to help him. Here is what you can do to help your baby if he is facing a gas problem.
What Are the Causes of Wind in Infants?
Before we discuss how you can help your baby, it is important to understand why babies suffer from wind. Here are some common causes of wind in babies:
1. Immature Digestive System
Babies have an immature digestive system, which makes it difficult for them to digest the milk they consume and thus it may cause digestive problems like wind, bloating, etc. However, this improves as they grow up.
2. Imbalance of Healthy Bacteria
Babies lack adequate good bacteria in their digestive systems that assist in digestion. As a result, they are unable to digest the milk properly, hence digestive issues like gas may occur.
3. Overfeeding or Underfeeding
Sometimes, babies may overfeed and sometimes, they may not feed up to their capacity. Both of these conditions may cause excessive wind in babies.
4. A Mother’s Diet
Sometimes a mother’s diet can cause wind in babies too. If you eat certain foods that make cause gases, then your baby may feel gaseous or bloated. If you consume dairy products, citrus fruits, and other such food items, then it may make your baby gassy.
5. Infrequent Burping
If your baby is unable to expel the gas ingested during the feeds, it can cause wind in babies.
6. Birth Trauma
Sometimes certain traumas can occur during birth that may compress the vagus nerve in babies, which is responsible for digestion in babies. This too may lead to the wind in babies.
7. Introduction to Solid Foods
As you make the transition from breast milk to solid foods, sometimes your baby may not adjust well to the changes. These dietary changes in young babies may cause wind.
8. Excessive Crying
Some babies may cry more than other babies. There are many reasons for the same. However, more crying means taking more air inside, which may cause wind.
Signs and Symptoms of Wind in Babies
Crying is the only resort that babies have to express themselves. But how will you know if your baby is crying because of trapped wind? Here are some symptoms of trapped wind in babies that may help you understand.
If your baby cries for no evident reason, it means he may not be requiring feeding or diaper changing.
Your baby’s cries will be more high-pitched than usual.
Your baby may not feel calm or relaxed after all your efforts.
Your baby may bend his legs and arms towards his tummy.
Your baby may clench his fists.
Your baby’s tummy may appear bloated.
Your baby may have a flushed or red face when he cries.
Your baby may pass gas as he cries.
Your baby may tighten his tummy muscles.
These are some of the symptoms or signs that you can look for in your baby to establish whether he is crying because of gas or not.
How to Help Your Windy Baby
Here are some ways in which you can help your windy baby:
1. Hold Your Baby in an Upright Position
Hold your baby in an upright position to help him release gas. You can make use of a baby sling or hold your baby in an upright position by supporting his neck and back with your hands. Gentle strokes on the back may help in expelling the gas.
2. Bathe Your Baby with Warm Water
Warm water baths will help ease your baby’s pain and discomfort. A warm water bath may also help in soothing stomach cramps.
3. Burp In-between the Feeds
One of the most effective tips that work is making your baby burp in-between the feeds. The ideal time to get your baby to burp would be when you switch from one breast to another.
4. Massage the Trouble Spot
Massage a particular spot on your baby’s tummy to help him relieve gas and feel better. Try to massage below your baby’s ribcage in small circular motions.
5. Try the Frog-kick Technique
This wind expelling technique works really well for babies. Help your baby lie down on his back. Now hold both his legs and move them in a motion as if your baby is doing breaststroke in swimming. This will help put a little pressure on the tummy area and help release the trapped gas.
6. Make Your Baby Sit
You can make your baby sit on your lap with his back facing you. Hold your baby from under the chin, while you stroke your baby’s back with the other hand. This is a great technique for wind treatment in babies.
7. Make Your Baby Lie on His Tummy
A little tummy time in a day is also a great way of getting rid of excessive wind. You can make your baby lie on your lap or you can make him lie on the bed too. The idea is to put some pressure on the abdominal region for the wind to expel.
8. Try the Bicycle Movement
Make your baby lie down on the bed, hold his legs, and move his legs in a way that seems as if is riding a bicycle. This is a great way of relieving the wind, however, do not do this immediately after feeding him.
9. The Bum Sinks
Take your baby in your lap in a sitting position. Take both his feet and move them up, just a little higher than his bums. This will put some pressure on the abdominal region and thus help in expelling the gas.
When to Seek a Doctor's Advice
Although wind is babies seldom becomes troublesome, if your baby seems to be in extreme discomfort or does not calm after all your attempts, does not feed properly, or experiences trouble in breathing, it is suggested that you seek a doctor’s advice on the same. The doctor will suggest some ways of easing your baby’s pain and discomfort.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions:
1. Do All Babies Suffer from Wind?
It is very normal for babies to suffer from wind. However, it is more common in bottle-fed than in breastfed babies because bottle fed ingest more air while sucking. Also, breastfed babies are in better control of the flow of milk than the bottle-fed and thus they may suffer more from this condition.
2. When Does a Baby Need Burping?
You should ideally burp your baby after every feeding session to let go of any trapped air bubbles. Some people also believe that burping in-between the feeds is a great way of preventing a gas problem in babies. However, there are some studies that suggest that moms should wait until the feeding session is over.
3. Which Burping Positions Are the Best?
Some parents swear by burping their babies by taking them in their arms with the baby's head on their shoulders and patting their back. There are some parents who believe in burping the baby in a sitting position. You can also put your baby on his tummy to help him burp.
4. Why Does Wind in Babies Cause Pain & Discomfort to a Baby?
As a baby's digestive system is not fully developed, it may cause wind or gas build up in his tummy. The trapped wind causes pressure, bloating and swelling in your baby’s tummy. All of this may lead to extreme discomfort and pain in babies. However, as your baby grows, his digestive system starts functioning effectively.
Wind in babies is a very common problem and you can control it by following some of our above-mentioned suggestions.
Also Read:
Natural Remedies for Colic in Babies
Home Remedies for Stomach Pain in Babies
Cough in Babies – Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Read more
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Your Toddler is ill, What Do You Do?
It's natural to feel scared when your toddler falls ill. Your instinct is to make sure your baby gets all the aid he needs and you may run to the doctor the minute something goes wrong. However, not all situations require a trip to the doctor! So, what should you do?
When it comes to toddlers, they are an active bunch! They are immensely prone to falls and injury, insect bites and stings from bees - situations that can make nervous wrecks out of any parent.However, it is important to know when the situation is an emergency, and when it can be fixed with a simple home remedy. Find out the right way to do it with our short quiz.
Answer the questions below by picking one option - a, b or c - as your answer. Note your options in a piece of paper. Once you're done, scroll right to the bottom and find what your answers reveal. All the best.
1. Our Toddler Complains of a Sore Throat, and His Tonsils are Bright Red, Swollen, and Has White Spots. What Do You Do?
a. Call your pediatrician immediately
b. Give your child a children's painkiller to take the edge off the pain, and make an appointment to see your doctor the next day
c. Give your child aspirin and make an appointment to see your doctor
2. Your 18 Month Old Found a Bean and Stuck It Way Up His Nose. What Do You Do?
a. Call your pediatrician's office and get them to fix the situation
b. Try to get it out with a Q-tip or tweezers
c. Go to the emergency room
3. Your 2 Year Old's Cheeks Look As If They've Been Slapped and Have a Slightly Raised Red Rash On Them. What Do You Do?
a. Let him follow his normal routine
b. Keep him away from other children until the rash disappears
c. Call your doctor immediately
4. Your 2 Year Old is Suffering from a Bad Case of Diarrhea, But Looks Playful and Happy. What Do You Do?
a. Cut back on fruit and fruit juices
b. Give him an anti-diarrheal medicine
c. Call the pediatrician immediately
5. Your 2 Year Old Grabs a Cup of Hot Coffee Off the Table and It Spills on Himself. He Screams in Pain as a Red Burn (That Looks Like a Sunburn) About the Size of a Quarter Wells Up on His Arm. What Do You Do?
a. Give him a children's painkiller for the pain and put an antiseptic lotion on the burn
b. Put ice on the burned areas
c. Rush him to the hospital
6. Your Normally Regular 15 Month Old Hasn't Pooped in Days. What Do You Do?
a. Cut back on dairy products and give him more fruit to eat
b. Give him a laxative to help move things along
c. Call your pediatrician immediately
7. Your Toddler Develops Blisters on His Hands and Feet, and In His Mouth. He Cries From the Pain and Won't Eat Anything, and Develops a Temperature. What Do You Do?
a. Apply warm compresses to the blisters until they pop
b. Give him a children's painkiller for the pain and check in with your pediatrician
c. Take him to the emergency room for treatment
8. Your Toddler Wakes Up One Morning With a Red Pimple-Like Bump On His Eyelid. What Do You Do?
a. Apply a warm washcloth to his eye several times a day
b. Try to squeeze or pop the bump
c. Call the doctor immediately
9. Your Toddler Starts Suffering from Nausea and Diarrhea Wakes Up in the Middle of the Night. What Do You Do?
a. Give him an electrolyte/hydrating solution for kids
b. Give him anti-nausea medicine to calm the queasiness
c. Call your doctor
10. Your Toddler Has a Blocked Nose Due to Which He Can't Sleep Properly. What Do You Do?
a. Loosen up the mucus in his nose by squirting a nasal saline solution into his nose and then suction it out with a bulb syringe
b. Give your child a decongestant to clear up his nose
c. Call your doctor for an antibiotic
Results
1. Mostly A's
Correct! You seem to have all the right answers! You are the kind of mom who has read up on every possible illness and is prepared for her baby's every need!
2. Mostly B's
Not bad! You are a cool mom, who knows the basics. But you have a tendency to medicate your child at home, which can be harmful if not approved by a doctor! maybe you need to consult your pediatrician more often!
3. Mostly C's
Calm down! You are concerned and overprotective, and this makes you treat every illness as an emergency! Research some of the basic cures and home care with the help of your pediatrician, and save yourself the trips to the emergency room! Read more
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What's in a name?A lot after all.Every parents dream is to have the most appropriate name for their baby!
Choosing a child's name is one of the biggest question parents face when preparing among other things for the baby once they know a baby is on its way
Parents shortlist girls as well as boy's name to select accordingly when the baby is born.
A name is something which will give an identity to the baby for life.The baby will be known and recognised and called by that name forever. And as parents we would want it to be very very special.
Names may be thought of Gods or certain aspects meaning prosperity,good health,courage,happiness etc in the hope that these qualities will be imbibed by the baby or at times may also be combination of the parents names. Also few communities believe keeping the baby's name as per it's Rashi will bring good luck to the baby always.
In line with the times the names being kept have also undergone a vast change and lot of names turn old fashioned every few years.
Trend is also to include foreign words meaning blessings,happiness,love,God's gift etc to give unique names
Nowadays there are so many options available to search and choose names for babies that it further adds to the confusion.There are names suggested by relatives and friend as well basis the current trend of baby names
I found First cry very helpful in this.The exact meaning of each name,the Rashi and the nakshatra it stands for alongwith the numerology aspect made it perfect to filter and look for a name for my son. I would definitely recommend all would be parents or new parents to search for the best name here.After all your childs name is something which you would cherish forever and would like to choose the best! Read more
Rashmi has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 6 months
5 hours ago
Q. Q.Asktheexperta# I m an expecting mother of 29 yrs. LMP 10 Feb 2024 . my husband's HPLC report shows thalassemia minor trait while mine is hb d Punjab trait . can we continue with this pregnancy ??
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
5 hours ago
A. Well you should check with your gynaecologist for that she has to go through all the reports and the issues that you are facing you and your husband and accordingly she can tell you what is the situation how your child is going because lot of things depend upon how the child is growing
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 1 month
4 hours ago
Q. Hi doctor, I had scan on 33 weeks 2 day, it stated that AC and HC Is <2.3% which is corresponding to 31 weeks. So overall growth of baby avg is 31 week and 2 days.
will there be any issue with the baby.I have attached my report
Dr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
3 hours ago
A. For the query asked needdhs consultation with doctor for proper guidance so it is better that the doctor will guide you the correct way .
Online consultation can also be taken and the expert will give you the proper answer .
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
3 hours ago
Q. I am having pain on my right breast while breastfeeding. Latching position is correct. it is a mix of burning sensation and pain. Pain lasts for few minutes after breastfeeding also
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
3 hours ago
A. nipcare ointments ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 4 months
3 hours ago
Q. When baby movement starts??
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
3 hours ago
A. 5-6 months ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
3 hours ago
Q. hello dr..I am 39 weeks 3 days pregnant, AFI level 8 is this normal?and normal delivery possible for me? Is the fluid enough for up to 1 week?Do I need a drip? please suggest me.
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
3 hours ago
A. the levels are on the lower side. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Sarika gupta has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
1 hour ago
Q. Hi.. Priyanka kalra doctor..I am 39 weeks 3 days pregnant, AFI level 8 is this normal?and normal delivery possible for me? Is the fluid enough for up to 1 week?Do I need a drip? please suggest me.
Sarika gupta
Mom of 2 children
1 hour ago
A. Hello there ma’am please do not worry about it too much and it is quite difficult to say anything about it without personally examination and proper reports evaluation. So better to consult with your treating gynaecologist in person as she knew the exact health condition of your pregnancy and can guide you better.
Take care
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