2 month old baby

What a 2 month old baby is doing

Month two is when your baby starts to look like a participant. The HSE describes a two-month-old who will lift their chest up while lying on their tummy, keep their head in an upright position when held, move their eyes to track an object past the middle of their body, hold a rattle or toy briefly, and have their hands loose rather than fisted about half of the time.

Socially this is the big one. Your baby will smile back at you when you smile at them, and enjoy being chatted and sung to. They look at people who are talking, respond to your voice and may start making cooing noises. Parents often notice their baby becoming more alert, staying awake longer, taking more interest in the world, and being soothed by being picked up. They can also follow something moving up or down with their eyes.

The HSE is explicit that the ages attached to these are averages, that every child is different, and that most children should be meeting them. That is the right amount of weight to give any month-by-month list.

The 8 week vaccinations, and what happens after

This is the month's fixed appointment. On the current NHS schedule, babies in the UK are offered three vaccines at eight weeks: the first dose of the 6-in-1, the first dose of the rotavirus vaccine, and the first dose of MenB. Vaccination timing differs by country and, increasingly, by date of birth, so use the schedule published where you live rather than a chart from elsewhere.

One piece of UK advice is easy to miss and worth knowing before you go. Because fever is common when MenB is given alongside the other vaccines, the NHS recommends giving your baby child's paracetamol after the MenB vaccinations at eight weeks and twelve weeks — three doses, the first as soon as possible after vaccination, the second four to six hours later, the third four to six hours after that, with at least four hours between doses and no more than four in 24 hours.

NHS inform lists the ordinary side effects: swelling, pain, redness, bruising or a hard lump where the injection was given, sleepiness, irritability, being upset, and less appetite than usual. These usually pass within a couple of days. It is normal for a baby to be unsettled for up to 48 hours, and cuddles, extra feeds and fresh air are the suggested comfort. There is one specific warning attached to the rotavirus vaccine, which is given as drops by mouth: phone your GP practice immediately if your baby has tummy pain, vomiting, or what looks like redcurrant jelly in their nappy.

The 6 to 8 week check

Separately from the vaccines, your baby is invited for a thorough physical examination, usually done by a GP. Their eyes, heart, hips and, for boys, testicles are checked, and weight, length and head circumference are measured. A GP or health visitor will discuss vaccinations with you.

They will also ask how you have been feeling emotionally and physically since the birth. That question is part of the appointment, not small talk, and it is worth answering honestly. Take the red book with you; weight, height and vaccinations are recorded in it.

Feeding a 2 month old

Still milk only. Searches for a two-month feeding amount in millilitres run into the same wall as at one month: no NHS page publishes a volume for a given age, because the instruction is to feed responsively and let your baby decide when a feed is finished. Wet nappies and weight gain are the measures that matter, and our month one page sets out the checks in full.

Growth spurts are real and usually short. A stretch of feeding more often is not evidence that milk has stopped being enough, and it is not a reason to start solid food. On weighing, the NHS says a thriving baby needs it no more than once a month up to six months of age.

Sleep at 2 months

Still newborn territory. The NHS band for this stage runs from a total of around 8 hours a day to around 18 hours, both described as perfectly normal, in short or long bursts, with night waking expected. Longer night sleep is something the NHS associates with three to six months, and even then it says some babies may sleep eight hours or longer at night "but not all will".

Safe sleep does not change because your baby is more alert. Our safe sleep guide has the full list, and none of it bends for the sake of a longer stretch.

What is worth raising

The HSE lists what to contact a GP or public health nurse about at two months: a baby who does not make eye contact when you speak to them, does not watch and follow you with their eyes, does not grasp objects placed in their hands, cannot lift their head up for short periods, or who loses skills they previously had.

When to get urgent help

The threshold is unchanged while your baby is under three months: ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 for a temperature of 38C or higher, or if you think they have a high temperature. After the MenB vaccination the NHS adds a further trigger — get urgent advice if a high temperature is still there more than 48 hours afterwards, or if your baby is unwell and you are worried about them.