A baby's 3-month birthday is an exciting time for most parents. While the early weeks of your infant's life may have been a blur of feeding and changing diapers, your baby is finally emerging from the newborn stage and is ready to show her personality, try new skills and develop bonds with the most important people in her life.
Sleep
Newborns tend to have erratic sleep schedules, but by 3 months, your baby may finally be settling into a sleep pattern. If she hasn't already begun to do so, your 3-month-old may soon start sleeping for a six-hour stretch at night and taking two naps per day, while staying awake for longer stretches. However, don't be discouraged if your infant still wakes during the night for feedings; some babies don't sleep through the night until 6 months of age or older.
Play
Your baby probably spent most of her early weeks sleeping, but by 3 months, she's finally ready to start doing some serious playing. Try setting your baby on a baby gym that has dangling toys just within her reach so that she can practice her hand-eye coordination. You can also roll a ball toward her when she's on her tummy to encourage her to reach for it. Since babies this age are so interested in faces, try attaching a baby-safe mirror to her crib or setting one on the floor in front of her face; she won't know she's looking at her own face, but she'll delight in the ever-changing expressions.
Interaction
Around three months of age, babies typically begin to show noticeable interest in the people around them, especially their parents. While he's been able to recognize your face since he was just a few days old, he may now purposefully seek you out in a room and either settle down or show excitement when he finally finds you. He's probably still interested in looking at faces of all types, even those of strangers, but it will soon become clear that he prefers his mom and dad.
Milestones
All babies develop at their own pace, but some milestones you may see soon include your three-month-old bearing weight on her legs, raising herself onto her elbows when placed on her belly, rolling over from front to back and vice versa, turning her head toward a voice or other sound and grabbing for just about everything within her reach. She loves touching new things, so offer her safe toys and objects with a variety of textures: warm, cool, smooth, rough, squishy and firm.
