Baby developmentê at 2 months: weight, sleep, and foodção

The 2-month-old baby is a little more active than the newborn, however, he still interacts little with people and needs to sleep about 16 hours a day, being able to have light and restless or more peaceful sleep.

At 2 months, the baby improves head support, lifting his head when placed on his stomach. In addition, the baby can perceive some sounds and follows the movement of people with his eyes, exploring more what is around him.

Baby feeding at 2 months should be exclusively with breast milk and on demand, which is when the baby wants to breastfeed. In cases where the mother cannot breastfeed, the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics recommends the use of infant formula, following the pediatrician's recommendations.

At this age, the baby already smiles in response to stimuli from parents or guardians, in addition to perceiving and babbling some sounds, playing with fingers and moving the body.

It is important to remember that the characteristics of sleep, speech and play happen at different rates for each baby. Therefore, in cases of doubts about the baby's development, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician.

Baby weight

The following table indicates the ideal baby weight range for this age, as well as other important parameters such as height, head circumference according to the World He alth Organization:

	Boys	Girls
Weight	4, 3 to 7.1 kg	3.9 to 6.6 kg
Stature	54.5 to 62.4 cm	53 to 61 cm
Head circumference	38 to 40.5 cm	37 to 39.5 cm
Monthly weight gain	700 g	700 g

However, if the baby presents values above or below those indicated, it is recommended to consult the pediatrician to evaluate the child's development.

How does baby sleep

Baby at 2 months sleep is still not very regular, lasting 14 to 16 hours a day and they may wake up about 2 to 3 times during the night due to some discomfort, such as hunger, or urine and feces in diaper.

Some babies can “switch from day to night” and to help maintain good sleep habits, there are some key tips, which include:

• If you wake up too early, try to keep the baby in the crib so he/she sleeps a little longer;
• Keep the room darker, with the use of curtains, for example;
• Do not let the baby sleep in the parents' or guardians' bed;
• Try to give the last feeding at bedtime.

In addition, it is also important to maintain the same routine before bed so that the baby gets used to the sleep schedule, which should be continuous and last around 10 hours a night.

Baby feeding at 2 months

According to the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics, a 2-month-old baby should be fed exclusively with breast milk, which should be offered on demand, that is, whenever the baby wants to.

It is recommended to maintain exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months, as breast milk provides all the nutrients and the amount of water that the baby needs.

If the mother cannot breastfeed the baby, the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics recommends the use of infant formula, which must follow the pediatrician's recommendations regarding the type and quantity.

It is important to remember that babies who are fed with infant formula need to drink 700 ml of water a day, distributed between infant formula water and pure water, throughout the day, to avoid constipation and overload of the kidneys. See the recommended amount of water according to the age of the baby.

Baby development

At 2 months the baby is not very active, but he starts to support his head a little better, lifting his head when he is placed on his stomach.

Normally the baby cries when he is hungry, sleepy, with a dirty diaper, in pain, or when he wants affection and greater attention from parents or guardians. Learn about other causes of baby crying.

At this age, the baby can perceive some sounds, already smiles in response to the parents' stimuli, in addition to babbling some sounds.

At 2 months, the baby still has blurred vision, but the brightly colored objects already attract his attention, being able to follow the movement of people with his eyes, and exploring more of his surroundings.

See what to do in everyday life to stimulate baby's development:

When to vaccinate the baby

At 2 months, it is important that the baby receives the vaccines included in the national vaccination schedule, such as:

• First dose of the VIP/VOP vaccine against poliomyelitis;
• First dose of the Pentavalent/DTP vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Haemophilus meningitis type B and hepatitis B;
• First dose of Rotavirus vaccine.

In addition, the baby at 2 months also receives the first dose of the pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against pneumonia, otitis, meningitis and other diseases caused by pneumococcus. Know all the vaccine planning for each stage of the baby.

Games and activities

Baby's play at 2 months is important to stimulate development and increase the bond with parents or guardians. For this, the baby should be stimulated with calm music, singing or massages after bathing, for example.

Another way to stimulate your baby's vision is by hanging objects, colorful figures, mobiles in the crib or wherever he is during the day.

In addition, it is important to talk to the baby, looking directly into his eyes, with a low and calm voice, to encourage communication and connection between the child and the parents or guardians. See other games to stimulate baby's development.

At 2 months, the baby can take daily walks in open and airy places, such as squares or natural parks, preferably before 10:00 am, or in the late afternoon, from 17:00.