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Your baby’s physical development is always a trade-off between wishing she could do a little more for herself and being terrified her newfound body control will fail at the wrong moment! The third month of life outside the womb brings developments that are amazing and gratifying to watch, but might increase your anxiety levels a little bit.

At three months, your baby may show improvement in neck control. He also may be able to support himself on his elbows when you lay him down on his front (which you should continue to do), and arch his back to raise his chest from a prone position. He may start rolling over too. Encourage all this new movement with interaction and by placing attractive objects where he can see them if he raises himself up.

The connections your baby’s mind has been forging are starting to take hold. She is starting to be able to recognize a few familiar objects and she may take an interest in examining the parts of herself she can see, like her hands and feet.

Your three-month-old is developing his memory! He may begin to recognize a few familiar objects, like his bottle, his pacifier or a favorite toy. He’s also becoming interested in discovering the various easy-to-access parts of himself and you may catch him examining his hands and feet. He’s starting to understand that they are attached to him and that they represent opportunities for interaction with the world around him.

At three months your baby is starting to become more aware of how people interact, and she’s becoming a much more active listener and observer of you and others. It’s important to spend time talking to her on a regular basis to help encourage her developing communication skills.

Your baby now knows your face well, and associates the sight of it with activities you do together, such as feeding. She may also be interested in other faces she sees. She may peer at a new face for a while, taking it in. In addition to distinguishing one face from another, your three-month-old can tell the difference between speech and other sounds you make, like murmurs or laughter. This is the first step in her ability to understand what you’re saying to her!

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