Your little one is set up for fun, games and conversation — really, whatsoever kind of social interaction — with yous or anyone who happens past.

So be prepared for lots of laughter (his and yours!) as he tries out his new personality. And go fix for more than amazing milestones on tap in the coming weeks and months.

Here's what yous take to look forward to with your four-month-old babe.

Your 4-month-former baby'due south development

At a Glance

Sleeping basics

By well-nigh 4 months old, most babies sleep ten to 12 hours at nighttime, waking upwards for a feeding or two, and nap for three to five hours a day, spaced between ii or three naps.

Feeding nuts

Breastfed babies should get 24 to 36 ounces of chest milk a day spread out over about five or six feeds. Formula-fed babies should have 24 to 36 ounces of formula in about five feeds of 6 to eight ounces per session. Some babies start solids at this age, though doctors recommend waiting until baby turns six months one-time. But if yous are offering solid foods now, your babe doesn't need more than 1 tablespoon of food twice a 24-hour interval.

Did yous know?

Past iv months old, your little 1 can find differences in shades of color (peculiarly ruby-red and green) and may even brainstorm favoring specific ones. He can also rails faster movements with his eyes, perceive depth and even grab at moving objects.

By this age, your babe can heighten upwards on his artillery when placed on his tummy and proceed his head level when propped in a sitting position.

He can also gyre over — though if he's had little in the style of tummy fourth dimension, he may reach this milestone later — and reach for an object.

Half of all babies this historic period volition exist able to bear weight on their legs when held upright (effort it with your fiddling one!) and many babies will play with their toes and even mouth them. Think of them as built-in toys!

In the milestone department, baby may work really hard to grab something that'south out of reach and react unhappily if y'all take a favorite toy away.

His babbling may also include more vowel and consonant combos, and y'all'll shortly be hearing baby babble like "ga-ga-ga" or "ba-ba-ba."

That means hearing the sweet call of "Mama" and "Dada" is not so far behind!

Your 4-month-old baby's growth

A four-month-old infant will however exist on a liquid-simply (or mostly) nutrition. Some parents choose to begin solids at the 4-month mark, but cheque with your doctor first. Experts recommend that almost babies wait until they're five or 6 months one-time to start eating regular food.

If yous practise make up one's mind to spoon up solids starting now, proceed in listen that your baby doesn't need more than a tablespoon of food (infant cereal, fruit, vegetables) once or twice a day. Plus, those solids will only be for exercise, not for nutrition.

Your infant's growth will be fueled by the even so-important-as-e'er breast milk or formula. If you're nursing, count on an average of 5 to half-dozen feeds a day to keep up with baby'south growing needs. That'll come to about 24 to 36 ounces of breast milk a solar day.

If you're formula feeding, yous'll be serving upwards the bottle an average of five times a day, with effectually 6 to 8 ounces of formula per canteen for a total of 24 to 36 ounces of formula a 24-hour interval. All that food will aid to keep baby at a healthy weight and height.

For girls, that should exist somewhere betwixt 10 and 19 pounds and between 22 and 26.5 inches. Boys will probable be weighing in somewhere between 11 and xx pounds and measuring between 23 and 27 inches.

Remember that if your baby doesn't autumn into this average range, and if your baby's doctor isn't concerned, you shouldn't be either. Every babe's growth pattern is different, just as every babe is one-of-a-kind.

Your 4-month-old baby'southward health

Become ready for baby's 4-month well-baby visit — along with a hazard to learn his latest weight, length and head circumference.

The 4-calendar month well-baby visit

This month, you'll take infant to the 4-calendar month checkup to find out about growth, development and milestones (and too get another round of vaccines). At the doctor'southward function y'all might also accept a conversation about babe's sleeping habits, specially how many naps your little 1 needs at this age. Read More

Rotavirus vaccine

At that place are 2 different rotavirus vaccines (Rotarix or RotaTeq), both of which are given past putting vaccine drops in an infant'south oral cavity. Your babe probable got his first dose at 2 months, so depending on which vaccine he gets, the 4-month dose may be his terminal one. Read More than

Stomach bugs in babies

Rotavirus affliction is a contagious viral infection and a leading cause of tummy bugs in infants. The proficient news: The rotavirus vaccine can help protect babies against the it (if a vaccinated baby does get sick, he's less likely to be severely ill). Read More than

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

At 2, four and vi months, and then again between 12 and 15 months, baby will go a dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Pneumococcal infections are caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, and are a common crusade of ear infections, pneumonia and bloodstream infections. Read More

IPV vaccine

Your little one will too become the second dose of the polio vaccine, which helps protect confronting the poliovirus. While the U.S. has been polio-free for more than 40 years, the illness still occurs in other parts of the earth — so getting vaccinated is very important. Read More than

Postpartum & new baby tips

Your 4-calendar month-erstwhile'due south tricks

Your baby'south working on lots of new physical skills — from grabbing toys to doing his faux of a turtle on its back.

He may detect (and exist totally mesmerized past) his anxiety — such fun toys, e'er available and tasty too!

If y'all put him on his tummy, he'll work on pushing upward his head and breast, as well as flipping over onto his back, where he'll begin to elevator his head and shoulders if y'all gently pull him upward.

All this helps him build the muscles he'll need to sit up on his ain.

Every bit long as he has good neck command, try propping him in a seated position. If he slumps down or slips sideways, it's besides soon.

Otherwise, you tin can presume he's comfortable and ready (and he'll probably savour the change of scene.) If he does commencement fussing — or slip-sliding away — selection him up and try once again another time.

Make a doctor'south appointment

Certain, you saw your doc at your postpartum checkup, just it's a good thought to stay in close-ish bear on throughout the showtime year.

Why? Your body and heed have a lot to get used to, and you'll accept tons of questions, similar: What type of nascence control is right for me now? or, I've been feeling really cranky and lamentable — could I take postpartum depression?

How to encourage infant talk

Follow these tips to get your baby talking:

  1. Ask lots of questions, and so follow upwardly with answers. Yup, yous're talking to yourself, but you're also modeling the give-and-take of chat.
  2. While keeping up a steady stream of voice communication helps your baby beef up on vocabulary, he also needs time to endeavour his own mitt (or mouth, rather) at talking. When he starts yakking, intermission, wait at his face and really listen as he tries to master an "mmm" or an "ahhh." He'll be delighted that you're paying such close attending.
  3. Stumped for a topic of chat? But tell your baby what you (and he) are doing. "I'chiliad zipping up Mommy's jacket — zzzip! — to keep Mommy nice and warm."
  4. What'southward that noise? Indicate it out to your baby — "Heed, a doggy is barking!" This is smashing practice for the toddler and preschool years, when yous'll want him to accept good "listening ears" — that is, ears that both hear, and heed, your rules.
  5. Books are a super source of new words for a baby. Try nursery rhymes, sturdy board books, even whatsoever's on your own nightstand.
  6. Repeat your babe'southward sounds exactly every bit you hear them. That will encourage him to coo, blubbering and talk even more than.

Safe cleaning

Family members and even baby himself should wash his hands (or, in the example of your baby, take them washed) frequently: before eating or preparing food, subsequently using the bath or changing a diaper, after coming in from outside, after playing with or caring for pets and so on.

Make sure soap, water and clean towels are always available (avert antibacterial lather, but you lot can apply mitt-sanitizing gels on your hands if you lot don't have admission to water).

Grow plants for babe

Bring nature indoors and your infant's lungs volition give thanks you.

Air-cleaning plants don't just make your rooms look pretty, they detox your home by removing pollutants like ammonia (found in cleaning products) and formaldehyde (found in furniture).

An assortment of 15 to twenty plants should exercise the pull a fast one on in a 2,000-square-pes house. Rather than handful single plants around, create grouping displays in each room for maximum air-cleaning consequence.

The all-time antitoxin (and nontoxic) choices according to NASA: spider plants, philodendrons and rubber plants.

To keep your baby rubber from leaves that he can nibble on or pots he can topple, put plants out of attain or cake them with a child'south safety gate.

Giving baby your phone

Your smartphone carries germs. Even if you wash your hands religiously, you however transfer bacteria and dirt to your phone when you use it.

In ane British survey, researchers found bacteria on 92 per centum of mobile phones they tested.

Worse nevertheless, 1 in 6 phones were contaminated with East. coli bacteria (in other words, fecal matter), which can cause serious breadbasket issues that can exist even more than severe in babies.

Viruses like the flu tin can live on some surfaces for a day or more than.

And since babies explore with their mouths, why accept the risk? Best not to requite your babe your telephone unless you've thoroughly sanitized it, and even so, it'due south better yet to skip using information technology as a toy or distraction entirely.

Fun with mirrors

Your infant's preferred view: a human confront. He'due south not picky well-nigh whose face it is, though, and so grab a mirror, and offer your baby a gamble to gaze at his ain!

Here'south how you lot can arrive on the reflection fun, and assistance bolster your baby'south development:

  1. Prop a mirror against the wall and sit reverse it on the floor (not too far away, since a baby'due south eyesight is nonetheless a work in progress). At present plop your infant in your lap, leaning him back against your tummy. This also makes for a great sibling activity: Big brothers or sisters tin can hold a hand mirror in front of the baby while you provide the lap.
  2. Introduce your baby to his beautiful face by pointing at his reflection. Touch his olfactory organ, stroke his hair, gently compression his ears and name each feature as yous go. Sure, your babe doesn't know what the words hateful now, but he'll be delighted just the same!
  3. Spike an unbreakable mirror to the side of your infant'southward crib, or prop one up in forepart of him during tum time sessions for even more cogitating fun. He may be more willing to stay belly-downward (or coo contentedly in his crib — on his back, of course) if he has his ain fascinating face for company.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, writer ofWhat to Expect When You lot're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses just credible sources, such equally peer-reviewed studies, academic enquiry institutions and highly respected wellness organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

  • What to Expect the First Year, 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff.
  • WhatToExpect.com, The iv-Month Well-Baby Visit, February 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Pneumococcal Cohabit Vaccine (PCV13), February 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) for Polio, March 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Rotavirus Vaccine, February 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Tummy Influenza (Rotavirus Disease) in Babies and Toddlers, Apr 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, How Much Should My Baby Swallow?, April 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Here'southward How Much Slumber Babies Need, June 2020.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Recommended Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Anile 18 Years and Younger, 2018.
  • National Sleep Foundation, How Much Sleep Does Your Babe Really Need?, 2020.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Starting Solid Foods, Oct 2020.
  • Centers for Affliction Control and Prevention, Important Milestones: Your Baby By 4 Months, June 2020.

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