Is Your 3-Month-Old Hitting These Exciting Milestones?
The first few months with your baby have been a whirlwind of cuddles, late-night feedings, and endless diaper changes. But now, at three months, things are starting to change—you’re seeing more smiles, hearing adorable coos, and noticing tiny but significant developments every day. This is an exciting phase where your baby begins to explore the world in new ways. Wondering what 3 month developmental milestones to expect? From improved head control to early signs of communication, let’s explore all the amazing things your little one might be doing at three months old.
3 Month Baby Milestones: Weight and Length
One of the most noticeable 3 month milestones is your baby’s rapid growth. By this age, your little one has likely gained significant weight since birth, with some even doubling their birth weight. However, the general expectation is that babies double their birth weight by around 4 months and triple it by their first birthday. If you’re wondering whether your baby’s growth is on track, your pediatrician will monitor their progress during routine checkups. On average, a 3-month-old baby’s weight and length fall within these ranges:
- Average weight for baby boys: 6.40 kg
- Average length for baby boys: 24 inches
- Average weight for baby girls: 5.80 kg
- Average length for baby girls: 23.5 inches
Remember, every baby grows at their own pace. Genetics, feeding patterns, and overall health all play a role in weight and length variations. As long as your baby is happy, active, and steadily growing, they are likely thriving just as they should be!
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3 Month Old Baby Milestones: Movement
At three months old, your baby is making big strides in physical development, gaining more control over their movements and building strength in their tiny muscles. This is a crucial stage in baby development at 3 months, where coordination, balance, and mobility begin to take shape.
Head Control
One of the most exciting changes this month is improved head control. By now, your baby should be able to hold their head steady when you support them in an upright position. If placed on their tummy, they might even push up slightly, lifting their head with the help of their arms.
Hand Use and Coordination
Your little one is becoming more aware of their hands and may start bringing them together, opening and closing their fists, or reaching toward objects. While they may not be able to grasp items fully just yet, they will likely bat at toys that catch their attention. Toys with sounds or textures can help develop their hand-eye coordination.
Arm and Leg Strength
With growing strength in their core and limbs, your baby will start showing better control over their arms. They may swipe at toys or wave their arms more intentionally. Leg movements also become more pronounced—expect plenty of playful kicks when they are lying on their back or tummy. If you hold them in a supported standing position, they may even push down with their feet, showing early signs of leg strength.
Rolling Over Attempts
Some babies may surprise their parents by rolling from tummy to back by the end of this month, although this milestone is typically achieved closer to five or six months. Encouraging tummy time can help strengthen the muscles needed for rolling, sitting, and crawling in the coming months.
3 Month Baby Milestones: Cognitive and Sensory Development
At three months old, your baby’s brain is working hard to process the world around them. This stage of 3 month developmental milestones is marked by growing curiosity, improved sensory awareness, and early communication skills.
Increased Awareness and Recognition
Your baby is becoming more observant and responsive to their surroundings. They can now recognise familiar faces and objects, even from a distance. Their ability to focus has improved, allowing them to watch faces intently and track moving objects with their eyes. This means they’ll follow you around the room with their gaze and show excitement when they see you approach.
Hearing
At this stage, your baby’s hearing is more refined, and they are actively responding to sounds. You may notice them turning their head toward voices, music, or other noises. They might smile when they hear your voice. Talking, singing, and responding to their coos will encourage their growing communication skills.
Hand-eye Coordination and Sensory Exploration
Your baby’s sense of touch is becoming more sensitive, helping them interact with their environment. They are starting to coordinate their hands and eyes better, meaning they may attempt to reach for objects, swipe at toys, or study their own fingers with fascination. Providing textured toys or soft rattles can help stimulate their sense of touch and improve their motor skills.
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3 Month Milestones: Social and Emotional Development
At three months, your baby’s personality is starting to shine! This stage of 3 month developmental milestones is filled with joyful interactions, social smiles, and growing emotional awareness. Your little one is becoming more expressive and beginning to form deeper connections with you and others.
Growing Social Awareness
By now, your baby can recognise familiar faces and voices, especially those of parents and caregivers. While they may smile at strangers, they show a stronger attachment to loved ones. They can identify people not just by sight but also by sound and even smell. This recognition helps them feel secure, and they may become upset when playtime or interaction stops.
Expressing Emotions
Your baby is now more communicative, using facial expressions, body movements, and sounds to express happiness, excitement, or frustration. You may notice them responding to your emotions—smiling when you smile or reacting differently to various tones of voice. They might even laugh for the first time, turning everyday moments into heartwarming memories.
Early Communication and Babbling
Language development is also progressing rapidly. Your baby’s coos are evolving into more complex sounds, including vowel-consonant combinations like “ah-goo” or “muh-muh.” They may attempt to imitate the sounds and lip movements they see, which is a significant step toward speech. Responding to their sounds and engaging in “conversations” can encourage further development.
3 Month Baby Milestones: Sleep and Feeding Patterns
As your baby reaches the 3 month developmental milestones, their sleep and feeding routines start becoming more predictable. While every baby is different, many parents notice more regularity in feeding intervals and longer sleep stretches at night.
Feeding Patterns
At this stage, your baby is growing and able to consume more milk per feeding, leading to longer gaps between meals. Breastfed babies may now feed every 4 to 5 hours, compared to the more frequent 3- to 4-hour intervals of the earlier months. However, it’s still important to nurse on demand, as your baby may occasionally want to eat ahead of schedule. If you’re breastfeeding, you might also find it helpful to experiment with different nursing positions, especially if dealing with clogged ducts or nipple soreness.
Bottle-fed babies, whether on formula or expressed breast milk, will typically drink 110 to 170 grams per feeding at similar intervals of every 4 to 5 hours. If you are combining breastfeeding with bottle-feeding, the quantity per feeding remains roughly the same.
Sleep Patterns
Your little one now needs about 16 hours of sleep per day, usually divided into about 10 hours at night and 6 hours spread across three naps during the day. Many 3-month-olds start developing a more predictable sleep rhythm, with some even managing a solid 6-hour stretch of uninterrupted sleep at night. However, sleep patterns can still vary depending on your baby’s individual needs and your family’s schedule.
While true sleep training isn’t recommended at this age, you can start laying the groundwork for good sleep habits. One of the best strategies is putting your baby to bed when they are drowsy but still awake, allowing them to learn how to self-soothe and fall asleep independently. Watching for tired cues—such as rubbing eyes, fussiness, or yawning—can help prevent overtiredness. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine with familiar rituals, like gentle rocking, a warm bath, or soft lullabies, can also signal to your baby that it’s time to sleep.
A comfortable and breathable diaper is essential to ensure uninterrupted sleep. Teddyy Baby Diapers, with their soft elastic waistband, breathable fabric, and skin-friendly materials, provide superior comfort and leak protection—perfect for delicate skin. Their snug fit allows your baby to move freely while keeping them dry throughout the night, helping both you and your little one enjoy more restful sleep.
3 Month Old Baby Milestones: Developmental Health Watch
Every baby grows and develops at their own pace, and slight variations are completely normal. However, certain delays may indicate the need for extra support. If your little one isn’t meeting key milestones of baby development at 3 months, it’s always best to check in with your paediatrician. Early intervention can make a big difference in supporting healthy growth. Consult a doctor if your baby:
- Doesn’t seem to notice their own hands by two months
- Doesn’t respond to loud noises
- Doesn’t smile when hearing a familiar voice by two months
- Struggles to follow moving objects with their eyes by two to three months
- Frequently crosses their eyes (occasional crossing is normal but should improve)
- Has difficulty moving one or both eyes in all directions
- Shows little interest in new faces or appears frightened by new surroundings
- Doesn’t smile at people by three months
- Cannot hold their head up well at three months
- Doesn’t reach for or attempt to grasp toys by three to four months
- Doesn’t grasp or hold objects by three months
- Still has the tonic neck reflex (where the baby’s head turns to one side and the arm on that side straightens) beyond four to five months
- Doesn’t push down with their legs when feet touch a firm surface by four months
- Doesn’t babble by three to four months
- Doesn’t bring objects to their mouth by four months
- Doesn’t attempt to imitate sounds by four months
Conclusion
Watching your little one grow and reach new milestones at three months is an incredible journey filled with smiles, giggles, and tiny but meaningful achievements. From lifting their head to responding to your voice, every moment is a sign of their blossoming personality and development. While each baby follows their own unique path, understanding 3 month developmental milestones can help you celebrate their progress and offer gentle support along the way. If you ever have concerns about your baby’s 3 month milestones, trust your instincts and reach out to your pediatrician. Most of all, cherish these precious days—before you know it, your little one will be onto their next big adventure.
By three months, babies typically start smiling socially, cooing, following objects with their eyes, and showing improved head control. They may also kick more actively, bring their hands together, and respond to familiar voices and faces with excitement.
At four months, babies often roll from tummy to back, grasp objects more firmly, laugh out loud, and babble with more varied sounds. Their vision improves, allowing them to track moving objects smoothly, and they show increased interest in their surroundings.
A 3-month-old baby develops better head control, swipes at toys, kicks more purposefully, and may push up slightly during tummy time. They also begin exploring their hands, attempting to grasp objects, and strengthening their muscles for future milestones like rolling over.
At three months, babies can see more clearly, track moving objects, and recognize familiar faces even from a distance. They start distinguishing colors better, enjoy high-contrast patterns, and focus intently on people’s expressions, especially their parents’ smiles.
