Well Child Care at 2 Months

Feeding

At 2 months of age your baby needs only breast milk or infant formula. At this age most babies take about 4 to 5 ounces of breast milk or formula every 3 to 4 hours.

If you are giving formula to your baby, check formula to make sure that it’s warm and not hot.

If you are breast-feeding your baby, it’s a good idea to sometimes feed your baby with pumped breast milk in a bottle. This helps your baby learn another way to drink milk and allows other people to feed your baby.

When you feed your baby with a bottle, never prop the bottle. Always hold your baby during feedings. This calms your baby and helps you to bond with your baby.

It's not yet time to start cereal or baby food. Solid food can be started at 4 to 6 months of age.

Development

Your baby will start to lift her head briefly and reach for things with her hands. Your baby seems to enjoy smiling faces and will sometimes smile in return. She will make cooing sounds when people speak gently to her.

Many babies wake up every 3 to 4 hours, while others may sleep longer during the night. Feeding your baby a lot just before bedtime doesn't have much to do with how long your baby will sleep. Place your baby in the crib when she's drowsy but still awake. If you would like to try to get your baby to sleep longer at night, ask your healthcare provider for ideas about ways to keep your baby alert and awake during the day.

Reading and Technology

Talk to your baby. Your baby will enjoy just hearing your voice. You can read aloud from a baby book or even from your favorite novel. It’s important to make eye contact, cuddle, and interact with your baby.

Limit how much time your child spends with technology. Play games, read, or watch TV with your child and communicate with your child while you do. Children this age need to be active because it helps their brains and bodies to develop. Play and interact with your child, and be a role model by limiting your own use of technology.

Safety Tips

If you find yourself getting annoyed or angry with your baby, or if your baby is crying too much and you cannot cope with it, call a friend or relative for help. NEVER shake a baby.

Choking and Suffocation

• Use a crib with slats not more than 2 and 3/8 inches apart.
• Use a firm mattress that fits the crib snugly.
• Place your baby in bed on her back. Sleeping on the back lowers the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is the sudden, unexplained death of a healthy baby.
• Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby's crib. Also keep plastic bags, balloons, baby powder, and small hard objects out of reach.
• Keep cords, ropes, or strings away from your baby, especially near the crib. Remove hanging mobiles or toys before your baby can reach them. Ropes and strings around your baby's neck can choke her.
• Don’t let your baby sleep in a bed or on a couch, and don’t sleep with your baby.

Falls

• Never leave your baby on a high place, like a changing table, bed, or couch. Your baby should never be left alone except in a bassinet or crib with the crib sides up.
• Keep mesh netting of playpens in the upright position. The mesh should have openings of less than 1/4 inch.
• Always buckle the safety belts or straps when your baby is in an infant carrier or shopping cart.

Water Safety

• NEVER leave your baby or toddler in a bathtub or sink alone.

Car Safety

• Car seats are the safest way for babies to travel in cars and are required by law. Place infant car seats in the back seat with your baby facing toward the back of the car. If you are not sure how to install the seat in your car, contact your local fire department.
• Never leave children alone in a parked car, even for a few minutes. Children are at risk for heat illness and injury when left alone. Always check to make sure your child is not still in the car when you leave your car.

Fires and Burns

• Never eat, drink, or carry anything hot while you are holding your baby or very near your baby.
• Turn your water heater down to 120°F (49°C) or lower.
• Install smoke detectors. Check your smoke detectors as often as recommended by the manufacturer or at least once a month to make sure they work. For all detectors that use batteries, replace batteries at least once a year or when they are low.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen.

Smoking

• Children who live in a house where someone smokes have more respiratory infections, like colds, flu, and throat infections. Their symptoms are also more severe and last longer than those of children who live in a smoke-free home.
• If you smoke, set a quit date and stop. Ask your healthcare provider for help in quitting. If you cannot quit, do NOT smoke in the house or car or near children.

Immunizations

Immunizations protect your child against several serious, life-threatening diseases. At 2 months of age, your baby should have:

• Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) shot
• Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) shot
• A second hepatitis B (hep B) shot
• Polio shot
• Pneumococcal (PCV13) shot
• Rotavirus (RV) oral vaccine

Some vaccines may be combined to reduce the total number of shots for your baby.

Your baby may have a fever and be irritable for a few days after getting shots. Your baby may also have some soreness, redness, and swelling where the shots were given. Ask your healthcare provider what symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if your child has them.

Bring your child's shot record to all visits with your child’s healthcare provider.

Next Visit

Your baby's next routine visit should be at the age of 4 months.