Your 2-Month-Old: Milestones & Development

Vera Malushi, PT, DPT, lends us her expertise as a pediatric physical therapist to recommend developmentally-appropriate ways to play with your 2-month-old. She is the founder of Milestones Pediatric Physical Therapy and shares a wealth of knowledge and tips on her Instagram page @milestones_pediatric_pt.

It feels like you blinked and now your baby is 2 months old! Now that you’re coming out of the newborn fog, things are starting to feel far more settled. You’ve spent two months taking care of your little one around the clock, and they may have even rewarded you with an adorable gummy smile by now! If they haven’t flashed a smile yet, don’t worry—it’s coming any day now. Your baby is awake for longer stretches now and has discovered there’s more to life than eating and sleeping. It only gets more fun from here, so buckle up!

Physical development & movement

Your little one is packing on the pounds at a rapid pace! At this age, they’re growing about 2 pounds in weight and about 1.5 to 2 inches in length per month. Those legs and arms may be starting to develop rolls, although some babies are leaner than others—and that’s okay! 

Your baby can hold their hands open and grab an object, and their leg movements are much smoother and less jerky. Many of their newborn reflexes have disappeared, so their movements are now more intentional. Be extra careful when they’re on an elevated surface, like the changing table or your bed, because they may begin trying to roll in the next few weeks if they haven’t already done so. Keep giving your baby plenty of tummy time, and they’ll soon begin to push up with their arms when lying on their stomach. 

Language

Although your 2-month-old is still spending most of the day sleeping and eating, they’re far more social than they were just last month. If they haven’t yet flashed you an adorable smile, they will soon. The relationship between you two will feel more give-and-take now that they’re more responsive, and all the fatigue from long nights will vanish as soon as they reward you with a sweet smile or gentle coo. Babies this age experiment with their vocal chords, so you’ll begin to hear cooing and gurgling as they try making noises of their own. You can have a “conversation” with your little one by repeating their soft vowel sounds and having a back-and-forth interaction.

Vision

Your little one is still near-sighted, but their eyes are becoming more coordinated with every passing day. They can recognize your face and will track an object of interest (like you or a toy!) as it moves. Although your baby can see bright colors, they are now learning to distinguish similar hues (like red and orange). 

Touch

If your baby had trouble with gas, this issue may have eased up by now. Because babies’ digestive systems don’t mature until about 4 to 6 months of age, they may still have discomfort from trapped gas. One way to soothe your little one and work that excess gas out is to give them an “I love you” massage by very gently using your hand to trace an upside-down letter ‘I’ on the left side of their belly, followed by an upside-down ‘L,’ going across and down, and finishing with an upside-down ‘U’ by going up, across, and down. This is also a great way to bond with your baby!

How to play with your 2-month-old

“In the second month, your baby may start showing some visual tracking when looking at highly contrasted toys or books. Try black/white flash cards placed very close to your baby’s face (within about 1 foot). Moving the cards from side to side will help your baby practice visual tracking and strengthen neck muscles. If baby is not yet reacting to flashcards alone, try combining the sense of vision with hearing by using a light up wand that makes some noise!”

Dr. Vera Malushi, PT, DPT