Your 9 Week Old Baby: Big Changes To Look Out For
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So your baby is already 2 months old!
Where has the time gone? Now you have a 9-week-old, what are the major baby development milestones you should be looking out for?
All babies are different and develop at different paces. There is no ideal weight, size, or hair length that can be applied to every 9-week-old infant. However, there are some common 9-week-old baby milestones and 9-week-old baby development goals that you can keep an eye out for.
Find out more about your baby as he grows to a 10-week-old-baby or 11-week-old baby here.
Sleep
So your 9-week-old baby is sleeping a lot? What is a typical 9-week-old baby sleep schedule and what are the most common 9-week-old baby sleep patterns?
Right now, it's perfectly normal for your little one to sleep a lot. At two months old your child might be sleeping for over six hours a night, although they are unlikely to sleep all through the night at this age.
At 2 months old your baby could sleep for up to 15 hours during the daytime. It's normal for newborn babies to sleep a lot at this age, as they need sleep to grow. As your little one gets bigger they will have fewer but longer naps.
If your baby is waking a lot during the night for feeds, try feeding them just before you go to bed, as this may tide them over until morning. Many parents give the last feed at around 10 pm, and this last feed is known as a 'dream feed'.
The dream feed is initiated by you instead of your baby. Normally, a newborn is fed on demand, but the dream feed is offered by the parent a few hours after the baby is put to bed.
Gently wake your baby enough for them to be able to drink, but don't overstimulate them.
They should be very sleepy while feeding, this isn't a wake-up call. Your baby might not feed for long before they fall asleep again, and the hope is that this last feed will leave them full enough to sleep until morning.
Top Tips
1. Your baby's circadian rhythm isn't yet fully developed until at least 12 weeks of age so they don't know the difference between day and night. Expect your baby to keep sleeping for long stretches during the day and to continue waking during the night for a few weeks yet.
2. At this age your baby may be suffering from colic, resulting in screaming fits at night which can be really distressing for parents.
Many people think colic is down to trapped wind, but no one knows the definitive cause of colic. Try feeding your baby in a more upright position to prevent them from swallowing air while drinking their milk, and burping them after a feed to release trapped gas.
Food
What is a typical 9-week-old baby schedule when it comes to eating?
Newborn babies need milk to survive and don't need to supplement this with solids or water. Don't offer your baby water until they reach six months old, as this can stop their bodies from absorbing nutrients from their milk. Milk should be their main drink for the whole of the first year of their life.
So what is the average weight of a 9-week-old baby? Well, at two and a half months of age the average baby girl weighs about 11.5 lb (5.2 kg) and the average baby boy weighs 12.6 lb (5.7 kg).
However, as all babies are different and have different birth weights, you should focus on how much your child weighs now compared to when they were born, rather than comparing them to other babies.
Newborn babies usually wake up when they are hungry and will demand the milk they need as and when they feel the urge to eat. Newborns should be fed on demand, so if your child cries for milk, give it to them.
Most breastfeeding infants will go from breast to breast at this age, nursing from both as a matter of course.
Bottle-feeding infants might not finish their bottle every time, and even if they do, they won't necessarily feel full for longer. Newborns feed little and often.
Throw away the rest of the bottle after their feed, don't save the rest for later. As long as your little one is gaining weight you can rest assured that they are eating enough.
If your baby is suddenly hungrier than usual, they may be going through the 9-week-old baby growth spurt. There is no set rule for how often a 9-week-old should be fed, keep feeding on demand as they instinctively know how much food they need to fuel their growth.
Top Tips
1. If you have a constipated 9-week-old baby, make sure they are getting enough fluid.
Breastfed babies are rarely constipated, but formula-fed babies may get constipated if there is an issue with the makeup of their milk, for example, if there isn't enough water in the mix.
Use the scoop that came with the infant formula you are using, make sure to follow the instructions to the letter, make sure the powder isn't too tightly packed in the scoop, and make sure you add the water to the bottle before the formula.
If you are breastfeeding and your child is constipated, try to get them to feed more often. Babies shouldn't be eating solids at this point, and if they are, they may well become constipated.
Play And Movement
If you haven't already tried tummy time, now is the perfect time to introduce it. This activity involves placing your child on their front so that they can strengthen their upper body muscles, develop motor skills and prevent flattening of the back of the head.
Tummy time is great for your baby's physical development and strengthens their back, arm, and neck muscles. It also helps them develop the strength to lift their head on their own.
Tummy time should be introduced very gradually, in short bursts. You can put your child down on the floor for a few minutes a day at first. If they don't seem keen you could lie them on your chest rather than on the floor, as they will get the same benefits.
You can play with your child by tickling them and wiggling their arms and legs. You can help your baby develop their hand-eye coordination by dangling objects and toys in front of them and getting them to swipe at them.
Top Tips
1. Dangle your baby's favorite toy in front of them while they're on their tummy to get them to try and lift their head.
2. Infants don't need loads of toys at this age, playing physically with your child by tickling or jiggling their little limbs is not only entertaining but is great for their social development too!
3. Make sure any toys you give them to play with are baby-safe.
Emotional Development And Communication
Wondering what to expect from my 9-week-old baby communication-wise? Well, your child is probably already making attempts to communicate verbally with you!
By two months old your child should hopefully be gurgling and cooing at you when you engage with them. Talk to your child throughout the day, narrating what you are doing. This will get them used to language and will keep them feeling connected to you and engaged while you go about your daily activities.
Singing and reading to your little one is a great idea at this age. You can incorporate both into your bedtime routine as well. Settle down with them before bed with a colorful board book and finish off by singing them a lullaby to get them to drift off to the land of nod.
Top Tips
1. Chat to your infant as much as possible throughout the day. They won't be talking back for quite a while yet but it will get them used to the rhythm of speech and familiarize them with the sounds of your language.
2. Pick up and cuddle your child as much as possible; it is impossible to spoil a child with affection, now or at any other stage in their development.
Senses
Your little one is refining their senses day by day. They have had a fully developed sense of hearing for a while now, but they may suddenly seem much more interested than before in the sounds around them. Your infant might start trying to turn towards a sound they hear at 9-weeks-old.
Your child's 3D vision is developing rapidly and they may be able to distinguish between different faces now. They can focus on objects eight inches in front of them and may start to develop their social smile this week!
Top Tips
1. Now is the perfect time to introduce a rattle or other noisy toy, they will be intrigued by the sound it makes.
Anything Else To Look Out For
Do you have a fussy 9-week-old baby? Your child could be fussy for a variety of reasons. Thrush, diaper rash, growth spurts, and feeling overtired or overstimulated can all make an infant fussy. If you are breastfeeding, your child might get fussy if your milk flow is too fast for them or too slow.
Having a fussy infant can make parents quite emotional too as when an infant cries a hormonal response takes place in the caregiver. If your child is unusually fussy, check to see if your baby's diaper or clothing is too tight or uncomfortable in some way.
Do you have a 9-week-old baby with lots of hair? A 9-week-old baby with hair is totally normal as is a baby who's more or less bald! If your child had a lot of hair at birth you may notice them starting to shed hair at this age. Don't worry, their hair will grow back in no time.
Tips
1. Babies can also be fussy when unwell, so consider this as a possible cause for fussiness, especially if they seem to be running a fever.
2. If your child is fussy due to slow milk letdown, try massaging your breast to make milk flow more efficiently.
If you found this article helpful, why not discover the milestones you can expect with your 15-week-old baby or our sample 3-month-old schedules?
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art
Georgia StoneBachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art
Georgia is an experienced Content Manager with a degree in French and Film Studies from King's College London and Bachelors degree from Université Paris-Sorbonne. Her passion for exploring the world and experiencing different cultures was sparked during her childhood in Switzerland and her year abroad in Paris. In her spare time, Georgia enjoys using London's excellent travel connections to explore further afield.
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