Understanding the milestones that newborns typically reach in the first few months can be incredibly helpful for newborn parents. Not only does it give you an idea of what to expect as your baby grows and develops, but it can also help you understand how to support your baby’s development in the best way possible.
Milestones for Newborn Parents to Track
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the physical, cognitive, social and emotional, and communication milestones that newborns typically reach in the first few months.
Physical Milestones
One of the first physical milestones that newborns typically reach is head control. This typically happens around 2-3 months old, and it means that your baby is able to hold their head up for short periods of time. This is an important step on the way to sitting up and crawling.
Rolling over is another physical milestone that many newborns reach around 3-4 months old. This can be a fun and exciting time for parents, but it’s important to remember that every baby develops at their own pace.
Around 5-6 months, most babies begin to sit up, with support, and at 7-8 months, they begin to crawl, which is a huge step towards mobility.
To support your baby’s physical development, try to provide plenty of supervised tummy time, and encourage them to reach for and grab toys.
Cognitive Milestones
Newborns are also reaching cognitive milestones in the first few months. Around 2-3 months, babies will begin to focus on objects and track movement with their eyes. This is an important step in developing visual perception.
At 4-5 months, babies will start to respond to familiar faces and voices, which is a sign that they’re recognizing familiar people and starting to understand that they’re a separate being from their parents.
To support your baby’s cognitive development, try to provide plenty of stimulating visual and auditory experiences, such as looking at picture books and listening to music.
Social and Emotional Milestones
In the first few months, babies also reach social and emotional milestones. Around 2-3 months, babies will begin to smile, and around 4-5 months, they may begin to laugh. These are both signs that your baby is starting to understand and respond to social cues.
At 6-7 months, babies will begin to express a range of emotions, such as happiness, sadness, and fear. This is an important step in developing their emotional intelligence.
To support your baby’s social and emotional development, try to provide plenty of cuddles and nurturing, and respond to their cries and coos.
Communication Milestones
Newborns also reach communication milestones in the first few months. Around 2-3 months, babies will begin to make cooing and babbling sounds. This is an important step in developing speech.
At 6-7 months, babies will begin to understand simple words and respond to them, and at 9-12 months, they will begin to say their first words.
To support your baby’s communication development, try to talk and sing to your baby as much as possible, and respond to their cooing and babbling sounds.
In conclusion, every baby is unique and may develop at their own pace, but understanding the milestones that newborns typically reach in the first few months can give newborn parents an idea of what to expect and how to best support their baby’s development. Trust your instincts and enjoy the journey of watching your baby grow and develop.
Yumna is the lead author. She is a mom to two young children and have always been passionate about finding fun and educational activities for them. With her background in early childhood education, she strive to create engaging and age-appropriate activities that promote learning and development in toddlers.
