Your baby should now become much more attentive and able to express themselves, so it’s a great time to give them lots of stimulation. Stronger muscles make grabbing things much easier, and you’ll soon see their excited gurgles and waving arms! They might also be smiling now too. Try carrying them in a sitting position and showing them soft lights and bright colours.

Feeding your baby

Your baby may seem much hungrier but don’t be tempted to start weaning as it’s more than likely that they’re going through a growth spurt. It’s important not to confuse this with the real signs of weaning because their digestive system needs time to develop before you introduce solids, however puréed they are! Milk should still be supplying all their nutrients until about 6 months when they start weaning.

Lots of mums feel concerned about whether their baby is getting enough milk and if they’re still hungry after a feed. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how to tell, as there’s no hard and fast rule but generally, hungry babies tend to cry for a feed more often and will take more when you do offer them their milk.

If you’re breastfeeding and worried, try feeding them more regularly. It’s also worth holding them close to you; if they want to feed they’ll move towards your breasts.

Your baby’s development

Your baby can hold their head up

Your baby’s body will have completely uncurled. They can hold their head up in line with their body and are starting to use their arms for support. They’ll continue to be fascinated with their hands and will start to stretch and reach for objects – although they won’t quite be able to grasp them yet!

Communicating

Your baby will soon start to make soft ‘cooing’ sounds. These will tend to start with letters like p, b and m, which can be made with their lips. It’s not surprising then, that ‘mama’ and ‘papa’ become some of your baby’s first words.

The act of opening and closing hands, as well as staring at them, will be almost as fun for your baby as exploring his stuffed animals. While it may look like it's all fun and games, your baby is also working on strengthening his hand muscles. With all this practice, in five to six months, he should be able to pick up toys. To help him along, try putting a rattle in his hand, and gently tugging on it; this also helps him build muscle.

Your baby is becoming quite the socialite, taking in more and more of the world around him. Help him get more acquainted by:

• Rocking him in a rocking chair. As you hold him, talk softly and look into his eyes.
• Singing quietly to him before bed.
• Giving him different textures to feel, such as stuffed animals, plastic toys, or pieces of terry cloth or rubber. (Because your baby may put the objects in his mouth, be sure they're not too small and that the pieces can't be torn off and swallowed.)
• Having quiet times. Babies need some quiet time to babble, play, and explore their world, so don't leave a radio, TV, or stereo on for long periods.
• Looking in mirrors. Put a nonbreakable metal or plastic baby mirror in the crib or playpen. Show him the mirrors around your home.
• Propping him up so he can watch what goes on around him

Their senses are growing

Loud noises will startle your baby or make them cry, but your familiar voice should quickly comfort them! They now start to become very curious about what’s going on around them, and use as many senses as they can to explore their world.

Stimulate your baby’s mind and body

It’s the perfect time to hang a mobile above your baby’s cot at a level that’s just within reach. Bright colours, rattles and chimes will stimulate your 3 month old baby who’ll soon learn that reaching up to touch the objects gets them moving and making sounds. This is great for your baby’s hand-eye coordination.

3 month old sleep patterns

By now, your baby may be sleeping for five- to six-hour stretches during the night. Here are some tips to try to help him get his z's:

• Establish a before-bed routine, whether it's gently rocking him in your arms or stroking his back and arms.
• Whenever possible, try not to run to him on his first cry — even though it's hard not to! If it's a cry of distress or continues for a few minutes, check it out.
• Check for a wet diaper, vomiting, fever, or other signs that he's in distress. If his diaper needs changing, try to do it quickly and quietly, without taking him out of the crib and stimulating him too much.
• If he doesn't need a diaper change (and he's not ill), gently rub his back and talk to him in a soothing voice until he calms down. Then say "good night" and leave the room.