So, your wonderful baby is now 3 months old already! How fast time goes by. Before you know it, your baby will be crawling, walking, and running all over the place. Oh, good times! Your healthy baby should be growing slowly but consistently, and by this time, he or she will be much stronger, and have much better motor skills. Your baby at 3 month old should have a pretty easy time lifting his or her head, and will have much more neck strength to hold their head more steady. Their vision is also much better, they will look at everything around them in curiosity, and will take time to study objects, faces, and stare at their own hands and fingers.
It is quite common for most babies to get some form of diaper rash, and unless you don't change their diaper often enough, there's no need to blame yourself when your baby gets a diaper rash. Generally, most parents are very attentive about changing their baby's dirty diapers. While it is true that having wet and dirty diapers can cause diaper rashes, it is not the only cause. It could simply be caused by the baby's stool or urine that irritates the skin. Often times, some "airing" time does wonders for getting rid of diaper rashes, and in more severe cases, using a diaper rash cream will help.
It will also help to make sure to take some extra care drying your baby's bum before putting on a new diaper. Washing your baby's bottom after pooping, and keeping it nice and dry goes a long way to keep diaper rashes away.
Your baby development at 12 weeks old will see many new milestones, and below, we'll list some of these.
3 Months Old Physical Growth
- By 12 weeks old, an "average" baby will weight around 12 to 13 pounds, and measure around 23 to 24 inches. But we all know that every baby is unique, and averages are simply just averages.
- Your baby stretches out his or her arms, and will also roll over from back to side
- At three months old, your baby will hold his or her head up to search for sounds and movement
- There is better motor skills development, and your baby is able to hold small objects longer
- Your baby discovers their hands and feet by 12 weeks, and may be able to very briefly bare a little weight on their legs
- Some babies may get their first tooth early at 3 months old
Language
- At 3 months of age, your baby will have better control of their voice
- He or she will be able to make different crying sounds for different needs, and parents should pay attention to the different sounds their baby make
- Your baby may also begin to make some very simple, one syllable sounds such as "ah"
- Continue to talk to, sing to, and read to your baby to help him or her develop their language skills
Emotional and Social
- Your baby can recognize faces by now, and will smile when they see your faces
- At this stage, they will know the difference between their parents and strangers
- Your baby will make eye contact with you, and spend time to study your faces and your expressions, and they may respond differently to different facial expressions you make
- Your week 12 baby may also start laughing out loud at this time, and this is always a development that all parents will treasure
- Your baby will also stop crying when you come into the room, or when they know that you're near by.
- For colic babies, the persistent crying usually stops around 3 to 4 months of age
Watch a 2 year old toddler read, and see how this child's reading skill develops at 3 and 4 years old.