Parenting

At 2 months, most babies are beginning to cry less and spend more time awake. They are interested in all the wondrous things around them. Babies enjoy looking at faces, seeing you smile and hearing your voice, so talk and sing to your baby often. Also, reading to your baby is a nice habit to begin at this age.

Parents often wonder what toys are best for babies. At around 2 months babies are learning how to use their neck and shoulder muscles, and soon will begin trying to raise their heads when lying down and to reach out for objects when sitting. You can hold toys out in front of your baby to encourage him or her to reach. Babies love brightly colored objects. Mobiles will attract your baby's attention. You also can introduce a soft rattle. Here are a few safety tips to remember when choosing toys for your baby:

• Never give your baby a toy with sharp or pointed edges
• Don't let your baby hold a toy with small removable parts that could cause choking
• Choose age-appropriate toys

Development

In addition to learning how to reach out for objects, babies at this age start putting their hands in their mouths. Soon your baby's salivary glands will start to work and your baby will begin to drool. However, this does not mean that your baby is teething.

Remember that babies develop differently and on their own schedules. Because babies are sleeping on their backs these days, some do not like to roll over. If your baby does not like to roll over, it does not mean that your baby has a problem.

Sleeping

Here are some things that you can do now to prevent your baby from having problems sleeping in the future.

• Try not to feed your baby more frequently than every two hours during the day. Babies who eat frequently during the day will normally wake up to eat frequently at night.
• Try to have your baby go to bed at the same time each night.
• Try not to wake up your baby at night — avoid turning on the light and don't talk to your baby when you go in to check on him or her. This will help your baby realize that nighttime is not a very interesting time to be awake.
• Try to delay or shorten middle-of-the-night feedings. If you are breastfeeding, try nursing from just one side. If you are bottle feeding, do not make your baby finish the bottle.
• Try not to change your baby's diaper at night, unless your baby has a diaper rash. You can use extra diaper liners if necessary.
• If possible, put your baby to bed when he or she is slightly drowsy but still awake. Your baby may be restless and cry a little before falling asleep, but it is important for babies to learn that they can calm down and fall asleep on their own.

Flat Heads

For safety reasons babies should always sleep on their backs. However, sometimes this causes babies' heads to become flattened in the back, usually on the right side. You can help prevent this by encouraging your baby to look to the left and letting him or her spend more time sitting up. You also can place your baby on his or her tummy when awake. When babies spend time on their tummies, they learn how to use the muscles in their necks and shoulders.

Feeding

Your baby will continue to grow well on breast milk or formula for the next four months. Although you may be tempted to try giving your baby solid foods early, there are a number of reasons not to give babies solid foods, including baby cereal, until about 6 months of age. Some of these reasons include:

• Babies' intestinal tracts are immature. It is easier for them to develop allergies if you feed them solid foods too early.
• Babies' muscles are not able to coordinate sucking and swallowing solid foods yet. When a baby can sit and reach out for objects, he or she will probably be able to use the mouth muscles to swallow solids as well.
• When babies are given solid foods too early, they fail to get all the nutrition they need from breast milk or formula, which is specially designed to meet babies' needs.

Safety

Here are a few extremely important safety tips:

• Remember to always place your baby on his or her back to sleep.
• Always put your baby securely into a car seat when traveling by car or taxi. Your baby should still face backwards in the car. Do not place the car seat in a seat equipped with airbags. Parents, remember that you need to buckle up too, and make sure that you never drink alcohol and drive.
• Do not leave your baby alone on a high place — your baby is beginning to scoot and roll, and can quickly fall off.
• Do not drink hot liquids while holding your baby. He or she may reach out and knock the liquid out of your hand, burning both of you.
• Do not smoke around your baby. If you or someone in your home must smoke, please go outside so your baby will not be exposed to the smoke.
• Never shake your baby, as it can cause serious injuries.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated January 20, 2010

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or health care provider. We encourage you to discuss with your doctor any questions or concerns you may have.