Your Baby at 4 Months Old- Milestones and BIG changes!
As your baby enters the fourth month, he or she has made it through their first quarter of a year—HOW EXCITING! The chattering increases sharply, and the laughs abound. The stronger your baby’s muscles become, the more you will notice attempts to push up and try to become mobile. Here are some fun ways that your baby will change over the next month!
Physical
The physical changes in the first year are spectacular, to say the least. The fourth month sees some exciting changes. Enjoy this time with your baby; you will never see changes like the first year.
Rolling
You are likely going to notice your baby rolling from tummy to back or back to tummy. Some babies even start to roll all the way around. This is a big milestone! If your baby has not rolled just yet, do not worry! Continue to set up fun tummy time activities for baby to help develop the muscles needed to roll.
Hand-Eye Coordination Increases
Purposeful movements happen more frequently during the fourth month, and the brighter the object, the better! Your baby will love reaching for toys hanging from the playmat or crib mobiles.
Leg Strength
Leg strength and purposeful leg movements increase during this time as well. Your baby will push down when his or her feet touch the floor or other surface. While standing and walking are a few months off, this is an excellent time to begin practice.
Control
Hand-eye coordination is increasing, as we mentioned, but your baby is also learning to control intentional movements. Head control, upper body control, and eye control are evident in children at this age.
Cognitive Development
Like physical development, cognitive development sees remarkable changes right now. Children are amazing creatures, and watching these changes will be mesmerizing. Much of your child’s development will be social and emotional right now.
Language
Sounds become more like words and sentences. Babbling will last all day, it seems. Your baby will also use facial expressions as if talking to you about important things. It is crucial that you continue talking to him or her to model language. Cries may also become different depending on what they want or need. You may also notice baby exploring his or her volume with their sounds.
Social/ Emotional
These skills are improving in much the same way they have been in recent months. However, like all skills, they seem to be strengthened exponentially right now. The smiles become more spontaneous. Playing will become more intentional and desired. Lack of attention will be frustrating. If the baby is laughing and playing and the interaction stops, he or she may start to cry or fuss. Mimicking is also more intentional and similar to the facial movements of others.
Observations
Your baby will start to watch your every move. He or she may also start investigating how toys move or bend. Likewise, he or she will start to recognize and watch other people. Eye movement may occur without head movement as well.
Sleep
Sleep is critical for cognitive development. At this point, the day/ night pattern should be reasonably well developed. Children will still sleep many hours of the day, but awake times are much more active, and six hours of sleep overnight is not uncommon. An average of sixteen hours of sleep is typical at this stage.
Preferred Play Positions
Your baby may start to dislike tummy time. However, continuing to provide some time on the tummy will build core strength. If you are having considerable trouble with tummy time (baby rolls right over), consider cooperative tummy time. Get down on the floor with the baby to help keep them engaged and working those muscles!
Self-Soothing
Though you are often there to take care of your baby’s needs, he or she will begin to self-soothe—which is a great thing. Your baby needs to learn some self-reliance. Self-soothing is often done through sounds and hand sucking. If your baby is relatively noisy, you might find that he or she is self-soothing.
Feeding your 4 Month Old
Like previous months, your baby’s nutrition comes from breast milk and/or formula.
Pep Talk for Mom and Dad
You are doing a great job. Your baby is growing fast, and it can be dizzying for parents. Do not feel bad if you suspect a delay in your child. Talking to your doctor can often dispel any concerns. Likewise, if there is a problem, your doctor will know what to do next.
