During the first few months of life babies undergo amazing developmental advances. New parents often need milestones to look for to reassure themselves that everything is on schedule. But babies rarely develop on a perfect schedule. Each baby is unique and will reach different levels of achievement at different times. But the following stages will give you a general idea of what to expect in the first two months.

During the first month your baby seems so small and fragile you might be afraid to touch him. But touch is exactly what a newborn needs. Even at this young age, your baby can grip your finger. You can stroke his palm to stimulate this response. Loud and sudden noises will startle your baby. He will respond by thrusting out his tiny arms and legs and then will draw them back and begin to cry.

The rooting and sucking instincts are firmly in place when your baby is born. You can stimulate the rooting response by rubbing the corner of your baby’s mouth with your finger. He will turn toward your finger.

Babies learn a great deal about their new world through their eyes. They will focus on your face and will follow an object with his eyes. At this age your baby will be nearsighted. He will focus best on objects closer than 15 inches away. A colorful mobile above the crib is a great way to exercise the eyes.

Your baby has already learned your voice and will respond to it. It is important to talk to your baby while you feed, diaper and bathe. Your baby will also enjoy music as long as it is calm and soothing like a lullaby.

Newborn babies will sleep up to 18 hours a day. But it typically happens in short naps, so don’t expect to be able to sleep through the night just yet. You can begin to adjust your baby’s sleep habit by waking them if they sleep for more than four hours at a time during the day.

By the time your baby reaches the two-month old stage she is paying more attention to everything around her. As you talk your baby will follow you around the room with her eyes. She will respond to the changing tones in your voice. She will also begin communicating back with very basic sounds.

During the two-month stage you can expect your baby to be able to hold her head up. She should be able to roll over. When lying on her stomach she can use her tiny arms to raise her chest off the floor. She should respond to your smile with a smile of her own. She should be able to focus on fairly small objects. Some babies at this stage may even laugh and squeal.

At this stage you can help your baby’s development with more variety in her world. You can introduce different types of music. If your baby gets upset with the new music, turn it off and calm her. You can introduce something a little more calm next time. You can pay attention to your baby and see what things attract her attention and what things seem to frighten her.