Regimen of a 2 month old breastfed baby
Last reviewed: 07.06.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
At 2 months of age, the baby's routine is not much different from that of a one-month-old baby. There is still a great need for sleep. It is sleep that takes up most of the day. A baby of 2 months of age should still sleep at least 18-20 hours a day. The main food is breastfeeding. The mode of feeding - on demand.
Daily schedule
The range of possibilities and needs of the child expands somewhat at this age. The daily routine must be modified accordingly, adapting to the new needs of the child. Thus, the child should already lie on its stomach. Several times a day (up to 5 times), he should be laid on his tummy. It should be done about 30 minutes before eating or an hour after eating. The duration of this exercise at the initial stages is 5 minutes. Gradually increase the exercise to 15-20 minutes. In the daily regimen, you should gradually include physical exercises, activities.
The main physical exercises are laying on the stomach and raising the baby's head up. By the age of three months, he will have learned to hold it up. The baby still sleeps for an average of three hours, after which he wakes up and asks for food. After eating, he can sleep again. By the end of the second month, he will be able to sleep without waking up for four hours at a time. A new type of activity appears - now he needs to cry it out. In the evening and at night he will scream, cry, tantrum. And you have to understand that. You have to give him time to scream. This helps to relieve neuropsychic tension, contributes to the discharge of negative emotions. It is necessary to ensure that the child does not switch to a strong tantrum. But in general, you can not forbid him to scream. Screaming in the evenings contributes to the full formation of the emotional side of the personality.
For about 3-4 hours a day, the child is in a semi-conscious state - looking at one point, twitching arms and legs. You should also take time for this. During this period, he should not be disturbed. Contemplation, analysis of accumulated experience and perception are taking place.
At this time you should already give your child the opportunity to fall asleep on its own. If possible, it should be left during the day to fall asleep on its own, without being rocked or held in your arms. This is an important stage of development, the formation of independence. It should be remembered that a lot of stimuli tires the child. Bright and ringing toys are still not necessary at this age. You need 2-3 big toys. The size of the child, and even more. Colors should be natural, natural. This forms an adequate perception of reality. Also need to take into account that the child falls asleep in your arms, from rocking, pleasant music. Lullabies have a good effect.
The routine should generally be the same. As at one month of age. In the morning, the child wakes up by himself, after which he should lie down by himself for a while. Perhaps he will be in a semi-conscious state. Then it is necessary to give proper attention to the child. He at this time listens attentively to the voice, so it is important to talk to him. He also learns to focus attention, recognize the voice, appearance of close people. Actively imitates facial expressions. When addressing responds, listens, there is a joyful smile. By crying, the child asks to be picked up, to satisfy a current need.
After that we move on to the morning procedures: diaper changing, wiping with wipes, cleaning the nose, ears, rinsing the eyes. As a rule, at this time it is no longer necessary to process. In the morning procedures should also include a light massage, which includes stroking. Basically, light stroking of hands, legs, tummy, back, neck is performed. Special attention should be paid to working on the feet.
Then the baby is fed, and after about an hour is placed on the stomach. In the daytime, the child is taken out for a walk. It is useful to sleep in the fresh air. During the day it is also important to give the child a light massage of the abdomen to improve peristalsis, relieve the tone, eliminate colic, spasms, improve digestion.
In the evening, give your child attention before bedtime: read a story, talk to him, look at pictures, watch a program, listen to music. You can listen to an audio story together. Tactile sensations are important, touching the child. At this stage, you can conduct a well-known to everyone from childhood massage "Rails-rails, sleepers-sleepers", use various sentences during the game. Communication.
Bathing is still contraindicated. Special baby wipes, alcohol-free, wet wipes are used.
Bait
The main nutrition of a two-month-old baby is milk. No complementary foods are introduced at this time.
Ration menu
The diet is provided exclusively with mother's milk. Such a monotonous menu fully meets the needs of the child in nutrients. In case of colic, or by doctor's prescription can be given a decoction of rose hips and chamomile. To stimulate immunity in this decoction can be added echchinacea. You can give dill water, tea for infants, bought at the pharmacy. Water only at will, or in case of constipation. If necessary to stimulate maturation, growth, weight gain, give elcar. It is especially important for children with slow growth, low weight gain, premature babies, sickly.
Chair
It is important to monitor the color, odor, consistency of the stool. This is an important diagnostic sign, which can be used to identify the disease at an early stage. Thus, the color of stool should be the same as in a month (yellow). By odor - sour, not pungent, without peculiarities. The consistency - liquid, mushy. Stool should be regular. If the child does not go to the toilet for more than 2 days, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Normally, a child goes to the toilet up to 5 times a day.
Sleep
At 2 months of age, a baby should sleep at least 18-20 hours a day. It is during sleep that the growth and basic development of the child takes place. Nerve connections and synapses are formed. There is the development of the brain, the formation of consciousness. It is important that the child had a permanent place to sleep. He should have his own crib. It is necessary that he had a personal bedding, a special pillow, sides, soft toys. Positive impact of classical music, lullabies for falling asleep. It is necessary that the child learns to fall asleep independently. He should also wake up himself, if possible, it is better not to wake up. Do not need to talk in a whisper, or create silence. The child should sleep under any circumstances, especially during the day. This increases endurance, stress resistance of the body, increases the adaptive capacity and potential of the body.