Your baby is almost ready to sit up!
It only seems like yesterday that you were leaving hospital with your new baby in your arms and now you’re on the verge of an exciting new set of developments! Your baby’s arms, upper body and neck are becoming stronger, and sitting up is just around the corner.
Your baby’s becoming more mobile
You’ll notice that your baby’s now gaining more control of their upper body and can probably sit without toppling over. At this stage you’ll also notice the little muscles in their neck, shoulder and chest gradually developing.
As your baby gets more active you can expect plenty of wriggling and rolling during nappy changes! It’s a good idea to move the changing mat down onto the floor, and never to leave them alone for any length of time.
Make some time for play on the floor. Place your baby on their tummy and encourage them to stretch for toys that are slightly out of their reach. This will give them plenty of opportunities to show off their first ‘roll over’ and strengthen their muscles too!
A better grip and view on things
From grabbing at dangling objects, your baby is discovering how to use their hands and fingers. From now on, your baby’s natural grasp reflex will gradually turn into more controlled hand and finger movements. They’ll also explore objects by grasping and shaking them with their hands rather than using the tried and tested ‘sucking’ approach.
Another exciting change for your baby is their ability to see further and focus better, so the world is becoming a more fun and colourful place! If you’ve got long hair or glasses, you’ll probably notice that your baby starts to grab at them. And from 4 months, they’ll be able to focus as far as their toes – so your baby will soon have a real interest in grabbing their feet and putting them into their mouth, if they can!
Finding their voice
4 – 6 months is a magical time as your baby begins to find their real voice. New sounds will pop out all the time as your baby coos and babbles. Although you’ll probably start to hear a few little ‘ma’ and ‘pa’ words, it may be a while before your baby knows to call you ‘mama’ by name. At the moment, it’s still just a fun noise for them to make!
Perhaps the best sound you’ll hear for the first time is a real laugh or giggle. Try gently tickling your baby so you can enjoy the little laughs together. You might feel a bit silly, but chatting to your baby at this stage can help with their speech development.
Learning
There are many things you can do to help your baby learn new skills. Even though your baby can’t talk back, you should feel free to talk and smile as much as you want, as this will help their speech to develop.
Holding a sealed plastic container filled with rice or pasta will help them practice using their hand and finger muscles, and the new exciting noise will surprise and entertain them.
Bath time becomes more fun as your baby learns that when they move their body they can make things happen – like little splashes of water. Remember to keep extra towels handy!