All the stretching and twisting will make your baby tired and sore. You can help them out by giving gentle massages everyday. Be careful about giving them toys or things to hold because they will try to put their hands inside their mouths.
How much has your baby grown in the fourth month?
With an added inch in height every month and about 800 grams in weight, your baby might have doubled in weight compared to how heavy they were during birth.
There will be a visit scheduled with your child’s doctor during the end of the fourth month. During the visit, the height, weight, hearing, and vision milestones will be checked.
Your baby’s gross motor skills
The ability to clearly see and recall objects and people will make your baby more likely to move their head around and hold their gaze. Their neck muscles are strengthened to the point where they might be able to hold their heads upright more often for longer.
It will be a long way before your baby learns to play catch with you, but by the end of the fourth month babies start gaining the ability to catch moving objects. They will be able to hold their gaze and track moving objects. So, make sure you are not wearing necklaces around them because they WILL pull on them.
When you allow them some tummy time, they might try to coordinate their hands and leg movements to move forward. Sometimes they might even succeed in moving a couple of inches forwards.
How will your baby communicate?
When you call your baby they will respond to it by looking at you and sometimes even giving you a smile or a laugh. They will slowly understand the pattern of two way communication that builds a path for them to learn a language in the future.
What should you feed your baby?
You should keep on feeding your baby every 3 to 4 hours. The amount of milk might range from 120 to 180 ml per feed.
Social and emotional skills at this age?
By the fourth month, your baby will also be able to recognize the face and voices of your close family members that take care of them. It might be a pleasure to see your baby greet them with a smile.
They will be more open to engaging with people other than you and playing with them will also seem like an option.
Best toys for this age?
It might be surprising to you, but your baby can already notice various colors and differentiate them. So, if you are trying to decide on toys to keep them accompanied, look for more fun colored toys.
They will be playing with their toys during their tummy time. Some toys recommended for babies this age are:
- Soft fabric toys
- Colorful fabric block toys
- Knot ball
- Teething ring
- Colorful crib toys
- Rating toys
Make sure that all of the toys that you buy during this time are safe and soft.
How much will your baby sleep?
It is possible that due to an upcoming growth spurt, your baby will have an irregular sleep schedule around the fourth month. Your baby might wake up during the night and have colic some days. It is recommended that you use a pacifier to help soothe the baby during such times.
If it is too difficult to get your baby to sleep, try cuddling, massages, and a warm bath before the bedtime routine.
