Baby development four months after birth

Now that your baby is four months old, you should be enjoying your time with your little bundle of joy even more. Not only is your baby engaging your attention with his or her increased physical movements, but is also able to respond to your voice with gurgles, coos and undecipherable chitter-chatter. Your baby might even be mimicking your tone and voice, and respond to them with a multitude of facial expressions.

Yes, this is indeed a joyful stage of development for your baby and you. To make sure your baby grows properly you have to increase his or her playtime and provide an environment where he or she can feed and sleep properly. Your baby will now sleep at night without waking up for a feeding or change, which should give you enough time to sleep as well. Breastfeeding your baby should be continued at the age of four months since the baby will derive nutrients and antibodies from breast milk at this stage too.

However, it is equally important to ensure that the baby is vaccinated against a number of diseases. Your baby will receive the second round of vaccines for diseases like rotavirus, polio, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough this month. Make sure you hold your baby properly while vaccines are administered, soothe him or her, and keep a lookout for any rashes or reactions to the vaccines.

If you’re a working woman, then this is the month when you should slowly accustom your baby to stay without you for short periods of time. This will help the baby cope with separation anxiety when you rejoin work. Here is everything you need to know about your baby’s development during the fourth month.

Developments in your four month old baby
Feeding your four month old baby
Your four month old baby’s sleeping pattern
Vaccinations for your four month old baby
- Right posture to hold your infant during vaccination
- Post-vaccination care of your infant
Safety precautions for your four month old baby
Taking care of yourself with a four month old baby

Developments in your four month old baby

There are a number of changes you will observe in your baby during the fourth month. From reaching for and grabbing toys to putting everything at hand in their mouth, babies tend to get very active during this stage. This also means that you will have to ensure he or she doesn’t fall or injure himself or herself, and doesn’t get infections or upset tummies because of something they put in their mouth. Here are a few developments you will observe in your four months old baby.

Your baby’s weight at four months

Your baby will be almost double his or her birth weight at four months. However, it’s important to keep in mind that every baby grows differently, and his or her weight could be below the average for this age if you delivered your baby prematurely. If your baby’s low weight still worries you, you should talk to the doctor about it and get a thorough checkup done.

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Emotional and social reactions at four months

Your baby is now capable of giving emotional and social reactions. He or she will smile at people and pets and even laugh if what he or she sees is enjoyable (or frown and cry if the stimulus is not pleasant). Your baby will want to play more, and would be open to spending time playing with people other than parents and close acquaintances too. This is the time when you should help the baby socialise more by introducing them to other babies and children.

Your baby’s motor skills at four months

You will see a huge improvement in your baby’s motor skills this month. Not only will he or she be able to grasp toys and light objects, but also move them around. Your baby will be able to roll over from his or her tummy to the back, push up to the elbows while lying on the tummy, and will push down the legs if you place his or her feet on a hard surface or floor. Take advantage of these developments to introduce more toys, and make sure your baby’s muscles get enough exercise so that they can grow stronger faster.

Your baby can sit with support at four months

Your baby’s head will not wobble any longer, and he or she will be able to hold their head up without support. What’s more, your baby will actually be able to sit up with the help of some support. Remember that now that the neck muscles are strong, the baby’s back and spine will grow stronger. You should help this along by letting your baby sit up with support for longer durations.

Your baby’s developed vision at four months

From being unable to see distant things to being able to distinguish with dark and subtle colours, your baby’s vision will be much more developed now. Before four months, your baby could discern moving objects, but now he or she will also be able to distinguish between colours. This is the perfect time to introduce colourful toys and clothes. You can also show the baby colourful picture books to speed up his or her cognitive skill development and to keep them engaged.

Your baby’s cognitive function at four months

Your baby’s cognitive skills are developing quickly, and this is also helping him or her form the seeds of a personality. Your baby will respond to affection, follow moving objects, recognize familiar faces and objects, watch faces and expressions closely, and let you know if he or she is sad, happy or angry. Your baby will also have better hand-eye coordination, which means if he or she will see a likeable object and reach for it with accuracy immediately.

Your baby will be more curious at four months

With cognitive and motor skills developing quickly, your four-month-old baby is bound to be very curious about the world. Not only will he or she observe and grab at everything within his or her radius but also put the same things in the mouth too. Remember that the mouth and tongue are a baby’s primary organ for nutrition and gratification, so he or she will want to taste everything. This can increase the risk of infections, so make sure you don’t leave just about anything lying around your baby.

Feeding your four month old baby

Your baby will still need breast milk as the main source of sustenance at four months, but in case you need to or the doctor recommends it, you can alternate with formula milk as well. There are a number of benefits of breastfeeding, both for you and the baby, so you should continue this practice for 12-18 months. You should feed your baby as often as he or she needs it, but feedings will be definitely more regulated at this stage of development. What’s more, your baby will be able to let you know that he or she is hungry with more cues than just crying now. Here are a few of those cues:

Acting fussy
Licking the lips
Sucking on the thumb or knuckles
Cooing at or calling you
Grabbing at your breasts

Your four month old baby’s sleeping pattern

Gone are the days when you had to wake up at odd hours to feed, change or soothe your baby! Your baby’s sleep will now be well-regulated and you too will get enough rest through the night.

At four months of age, your baby will need 12 to 16 hours of sleep every day. Six to eight of these hours will be in one long stretch during the night - the ideal time for you to sleep as well. The remaining sleep needs will be distributed during the day with two or three naps.

It’s very important to remember that your baby could be at risk of Sudden Infant death Syndrome (SIDS) at this age. You should make sure that your baby’s sleep environment is safe, and allow your baby to sleep without any disturbances or loud noises.

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Vaccinations for your four month old baby

Vaccinations are a very important part of your child’s life, so you should make sure your baby gets all the immunizations needed. In the fourth month your baby will get the second vaccination dose for the following diseases:

Rotavirus (RV)
Pneumococcal disease (PCV13)
Diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (pertussis) (DTaP)
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
Polio (IPV)

Right posture to hold your infant during vaccination

You can make your baby feel secure and safe by holding him correctly during his vaccination. Hold him close to your chest and keep his hand near your chest under your armpit. Place his head on your arm. Hold his other arm with the help of your forearm. Tuck his feet in between your other arm to keep things safe and under control.

Post-vaccination care of your infant

Vaccinations prove to be a difficult experience for most babies. Babies often get mild reactions to vaccinations, like fever, skin rashes or swelling at the injection site. These are temporary and will go away soon, but you can ease any discomfort by applying an ice pack on the injection site to reduce swelling. Breastfeeding and swaddling can also soothe your baby, so you can give these a try too. It is normal for the baby to eat less for 24 hours after the injection. Don’t get worried and be patient. If you’re too worried, or if your baby shows severe reactions you should contact your paediatrician about your concerns.

Safety precautions for your four month old baby

As your baby’s motor and cognitive skills develop, you will have to ensure that his or her environment is completely safe. No, you don’t need to baby-proof your entire house until your baby starts crawling, but some basic safety precautions are necessary. You should keep the following things in mind:

Remove sharp objects and ropes, strings, or wires away from the baby’s reach.
Make sure the baby is well-guarded and not left alone to minimise falls and injuries.
Don’t eat or drink anything hot close to the baby. Now that the baby can grasp and pull objects, this can cause burns.
Don’t let anyone smoke around your baby, and avoid incense sticks as well. Smoke inhalation can lead to lung infections.
If you’re travelling with your baby in a car, make sure you have an appropriate baby car seat. Make sure the safety belt is latched on properly, and don’t ever leave the baby alone in a car.
Make sure that everything your baby touches is clean since he or she will want to put everything in their mouth at this age.
Ensure that your baby’s sleep environment is completely safe, and there are no toys, comforters or objects lying around that can suffocate him or her while asleep.
Observe your baby’s stool, urine and behaviour closely. If you see any signs of a health issue take the baby to the doctor immediately.

Taking care of yourself with a four month old baby

Now that your baby is four months old, you should be able to get enough rest and time for yourself. If you’re a working woman, this might also be the time when you’re thinking of rejoining work. While it’s important to focus on your baby’s upbringing and provide for their needs, you should also take ample care of yourself because you are the baby’s primary care provider. The healthier you are, the healthier your baby will be too. Here are a few things you should do:

Distribute the workload. Don’t try to take care of your baby all by yourself because that can be exhausting. Instead, you should rely on your spouse, relatives and close friends for some support too.
Get enough nutrition. Eating healthy will ensure that your immunity is maintained, and since you’re breastfeeding this is all the more important. Make sure you avoid alcohol, caffeine and smoking since harmful substances can be passed onto your baby through your breast milk.
Be social. Simply because you’re a mother doesn’t mean that you should be isolated at home. Engage in conversations with friends and family, read, watch movies and engage in other activities which bring you joy. Now that your baby is older, you can also place him or her in a pram and go for a walk to the park together. The fresh air will help you and the colours and activities will keep your baby engaged.

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention [internet], Atlanta (GA): US Department of Health and Human Services; Important Milestones: Your Baby By Four Months
Stanford Children's Health: Lucile Packard Children's Hospital [Internet], Stanford. USA; The Growing Child: 4 to 6 Months
American Academy of Pediatrics [internet] Illinois, United States; Emotional and Social Development: 4 to 7 Months.
National Health Service [Internet]. Hertfordshire. UK; Your Child's Development: 4-6 Months
Center for Disease Control and Prevention [internet], Atlanta (GA): US Department of Health and Human Services; Vaccines at 4 Months
Winston, Robert and Chicot, Rebecca. The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children. London J Prim Care (Abingdon). 2016; 8(1): 12–14. PMID: 28250823